Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Highlighting Author Peter Black

Meet Peter Black, children's author, composer, and writer of sermons! He's a memeber of The Word Guild (which is where we "met").
Enjoy this up close look at the book, his delightful characters, and the author.

Title and genre

Parables from the Pond

Fiction for children ages 6-10.

Why you write in this genre
Fiction allows me to explore situations and relationships. This particular book (my first) is both evocative and nostalgic for me since it takes me back to when I played as a kid around a pond.

I also write:
- Short fiction – wistful olden-day times, and some contemporary; usually inspirationally oriented.

- Brief light devotional items with various foci (eg. relating to the seasons).

- A weekly inspirational column for our small-town community newspaper (averaging 570 words). Through this I am able to tackle a great range of topics and experiment with a variety of approaches.

- Poetry and worship / praise songs for solo and congregational use.

Mini fiction – illustrative scenarios to illustrate my sermons.

-Biblical character biographical sketches, often with fictionalized elements.

Links to your books site
Parables from the Pond is targeted to be available in March, 2008 from Word Alive – http://www.wordalive.ca/

You will also be able to order this book at Christian bookstores, as well as through the author: 519-876-2117; raisegaze@execulink.com

Synopsis
Three unlikely friends – Nancy Newt, Francis Frog, and Cecil Snake – frequently meet at Conference Corner by the bank of the Pond underneath the old willow tree to discuss matters of concern about the Commonwealth of the Pond. They show us the value of setting aside inherent differences and overcoming fear of "otherness" and that through friendship, cooperation, and trust, the lives of others may be enriched.

The structure of the book
The book is a collection of 39 stories, grouped into 3 volumes each comprised of 13
episodes.

The animator, Ben Guse, provides a picture cameo for each story.

The story is followed by a Character Corner discussion starter / application section, and Reflection Scripture/s.

A significant moment for you as you were writing the book (either personally or professionally)

These stories were never meant to be a book. Some years ago I sat at the computer preparing my church bulletin, and I thought, Lord, I need a story!

Immediately the concept came into my mind complete with the three main characters, their names and the setting.

I’d become attached to ‘friends,’ and I continued writing about them until I had 13 espisodes each.

Sometime following my becoming a member of TWG it was suggested to me that these stories should be published as a collection of short stories. The book was shortlisted in Word Alive’s 2007 contest.

Why your Fiction Matters

A child and youth counsellor who reviewed the book wrote: "Children are less threatened when they can identify with characters rather than ‘kids’ in a story. Those who have big issues that need to be worked out will be more willing to look at the same situation they are in if it comes through metaphors, like the Parables from the Pond characters and their stories and situations from around the pond.... There are so many things you could do with this material! These stories could be used in church programs, and with a little modification in their presentation, could also be taken into the secular arena, such as schools."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hello Bonnie:
Wow! What a wonderful spot you've given to Parables from the Pond!
It's so kind of you to highlight others of us and our work. May the Lord multiply to you again and again His blessing, and continue to make your and your husband's ministries fruitful for His glory.
In Jesus -- Always,
Peter.