DISTRACTIONS DURING MASS
‘Being distracted during Mass’ was the original premise of the story. Brad encounters around 40 distractions while at Mass. Some of the common causes are:
- His family speaking to him
- Looking at the congregation
- His mind wandering about stealing the cash, St. Paul, locking his car, etc.
- Music, singing and announcements while he is trying to pray
COMPULSIVE COUNTING
Timmy has a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that makes him feel more comfortable when the number of items is related to twelve. He calculates his age difference to Anna in twelve months. He is upset that each city block contains 15 houses instead of 12. I decided to pay homage to Timmy’s love for consistent numbers by creating exactly five chapters for each story. In addition, the titles are all one word (although I did have to take a few liberties with Anna’s chapters).
NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES (NDE’s)
I have been interested in NDE’s for quite a long time. I am fascinated by the stories people tell, but blown away by how similar they are. I won’t go into too much detail, but if you want to read my recommendation for the best NDE book, pick up a copy of IMAGINE HEAVEN by John Burke.
For me, writing Anna’s story was the most enjoyable part of the book. Many readers have commented that her visit to heaven was one of their favorite parts. Stay tuned, because in future stories, her experience will be both a blessing and challenge.
TIMMY’S CHAPTERS – OPENING LINES
While the first sentence of each chapter in Brad’s story begins with him, and the same is true for Julie and Anna, Timmy’s is different. Each of his chapters begin with a noise.
Why did I do this? It goes back Psychology class when I learned about how boys play differently than girls. While girls tend to interact and tell stories, boys are found laying on the floor, pushing their toys around, and making noises. Boys = noise.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY