The Brothers' Keepers by Matthew Peters - Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Matthew Peters will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Matthew Peters, here, author of The Brothers’ Keepers and Conversations Among Ruins. I’ve been challenged to share five things you’d probably never guess about me. These can be fun, interesting, edifying or even embarrassing. Hhmm… Let me see.

The first thing that you would probably never guess about me is that I’m a high school dropout. I dropped out of high school at the beginning of my junior year, failing everything, even gym. This was a very difficult time in my life. However, and this is the good news, I went on to enroll in a community college, where I got my A.A. Subsequently, I obtained my B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. So, basically, I’m a high school dropout with a doctorate.

The second thing you would probably never guess about me is that I’m dual diagnosed, meaning I have a mood disorder and chemical dependency. This condition affects 6 out of 100 people. In my case, I have Major Depressive Disorder and alcoholism. These conditions manifested early on and were part of the reason I dropped out of high school. Famous individuals who were dual diagnosed include Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Ernest Hemingway, Sigmund Freud, and Robin Williams.

The third thing you might not guess about me is that my secret weapons against depression and feeling poorly in general are musicals and Disney movies. This may come as a surprise since the things I write about are pretty heavy. But I’m convinced that it’s impossible to be sad while watching The Sound of Music. And try being down when Cars is on, or Monsters, Inc., or Brave. In fact, my ultimate weapon against depression is Disney World. My girlfriend and I have been twice and we’re going again in the fall of this year. If that place doesn’t put a smile on your face, then I don’t think anything can :-)

The fourth thing you’d probably never guess about me is that I’m addicted to Smarties, the Canadian roll candy. I must have Smarties every day, preferably right after dinner for dessert—three rolls, please. I’ve essentially made this candy a basic food group. I may not get my veggies, but I’ll be darned if I don’t get my Smarties. So Canada, please keep them coming!

Finally, and this is sort of a combination of things, but you might not guess that I love classical music, especially Bach and Beethoven. Yet, despite having a large classical collection (mostly on vinyl), I own just about every recording Iron Maiden and AC/DC ever made. Yes, my musical tastes are quite eclectic. Related to music, I started playing the violin at the age of four, but gave it up when I was thirteen, because I didn’t think it was very cool. This is one of the greatest regrets of my life. But I deal with it by listening to classical music whenever I read and write.

Those are a few things about me that you’d probably never guess. Now it’s your turn. What is one thing about YOU that I would probably never guess? I look forward to hearing from you!

Most of us are familiar with Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph, and Jesus’ purported spouse, Mary Magdalene. But what about Jesus’ siblings? What role did they play in early Christianity?

Contemporary Jesuit and renowned religious historian Nicholas Branson is about to find out…and the answer will shake the foundations of the Judeo-Christian world.

It all starts with the murder of a United States Senator in a confessional, and the discovery of a strange religious document among his possessions. At the urging of his FBI friend, Branson joins the investigation. His effort to uncover the truth behind the murder draws him into the search for an eight-hundred-year-old treasure and into a web of ecclesiastical and political intrigue.

Accompanied by a beautiful, sharp-tongued research librarian, Jessica Jones, Branson follows a trail of clues, from the peaks of the awe inspiring French Pyrenees to the caves of war-torn Afghanistan. Along the way, shadowy powerful forces trail the pair, determined to keep safe a secret buried for centuries.

Enjoy an excerpt:

The bus moved up Viadotto and turned right onto Rene. Smells of fried food and burning incense wafted through the open windows of the bus. A left turn brought them to Emilia, past white stone buildings, statues, and street vendors, past the fountains toward the heart of Pisa. The further north they went, the closer they came to the Arno, where a vast migration of darkly-clad figures moved in the opposite direction, southeast toward Rome. It was a black exodus of grief, one of almost unreal proportions; swarms of people with lowered heads and bent postures, heading desperately, slowly, inexorably toward a common ill-fated destination. The dark edges of the black clothes stood out in stark contrast to the gray day that blurred the corners of buildings and churches. Rain fell, blended with human tears, and smudged the scene like a charcoal sketch. Open, dark umbrellas resembled the conical piles of volcanic ash upon which the country was built. On that gray morning Pisa wore a death-mask.

About the Author:

Dual diagnosed* from an early age, Matthew Peters dropped out of high school at sixteen. He went on to obtain an A.A., a B.A. from Vassar College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Duke University. He has taught various courses in a variety of disciplines throughout North Carolina. He is committed to increasing the awareness and understanding of the dual diagnosed. In addition to The Brothers’ Keepers, he is the author of Conversations Among Ruins, which features a dual diagnosed protagonist. Currently, he is working on a sequel to The Brothers’ Keepers.

*The term dual diagnosed refers to someone suffering from a mood disorder (e.g., depression) and chemical dependency.

Website: http://www.matthewpetersbooks.com/
Blog: http://www.matthewpetersbooks.com/blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewPeters65
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthew.peters.79656

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