My Book Journey Begins

"You should write a book!"  I cannot tell you how many times that I have heard people say this.  From some it began when I worked in show business, and perhaps via my Irish ancestry (my mother is a Donahue, and my father's maternal side are Flannery's) I tell stories in an entertaining way.  As I regaled some of my adventures as a kid on the film sets of his Executive Producer dad, or Actress mother, they would say "you should write a book!" to which I replied "who would want to hear about that?"
     Yet the adventures continued.  I followed in my mother's footsteps first, joining the throng of very unsuccessful yet talented actors who worked as food servers.  I did do a few acting gigs, but they usually had me running through a set, pushing a gurney, while reciting the important dialogue "yes, doctor," which usually got lost in the noise of the scene anyway.
    A turn of events led me to become involved in the production end of the business...never the creative side, always a guy working for the guy, or gal, or folks who were the high paid ones.  Still whether it was TV commercials, music videos, or shows like "Friends" I had enough adventures that I would share and then it came back..."you should write a book."  "Who would read that?" I thought.
    Yet, my lifelong affiliation with the Episcopal Church eventually led me to leaving television to follow the tug of what we religious types refer to as a "call."  First I became a paid staff "Youth Leader" for my parish, and soon after I also too on the mantle of becoming the Parish Administrator and no one asked me to write a book, but many began to say - "have you ever thought of the priesthood?"  Discernment, work with the Diocese of Los Angeles, finishing my undergrad all came together and I found myself going into seminary in 2004 in VA of all places.
    Adventures continued, even though I was not in show biz land any more.  I met a US President who did an almost private, very kind thing for one of my kids and the stories connected to my life continued to build and I began to share them in new ways.  I found that these stories, my stories and experiences, could be used as sermon illustrations.  Thus they became a part of my preaching.
    Whether telling about the time how I almost drove a truck into a water attraction in the dark on the back-lot of Universal Studios, Hollywood, or standing in for the lead singer of a very famous rock band while the rest of the group did their thing around me, I was able to transform these stories into talking about "needing a sign," or "God's grace in surprises," and more and more people said to me "You should write a book."
   Suddenly that and "how did you go from show business into the priesthood?" became questions I received regularly from parishioners and show biz friends alike.  Finally, after much prayer, and having the life long desire to write, I am beginning to acquiesce to this call, from God through others.  A friend from the show biz side, who has written many books, who I first met after he interviewed my father (who died in 1991) for one of these, and recently my mother for another, figuratively sat me down (we are on separate coasts) and said "Peter, you have books in you, and you have to get these stories out there!"   So, with that prompting, and some research, I have an upcoming directive chat with a literary agent soon, and I have begun to take pen to paper.  Perhaps over time, I will use this blog as a place to preview some of the stories, or throw out some questions.   Until then, I hope this serves to invite you to follow me, to cheer me on, and if it is part of your repertoire to say a prayer as I add this desire to an already full life!