Of Pigs and Priests Book Review and Author Interview

ABOUT THE BOOK

It's 1557, and Father Young and Bishop Goldheart are fated to be single for eternity. As devoted priests of the Catholic church, the two men have committed themselves to vows of celibacy. But while their minds and spirits are devoted to their faith, their hearts ache with loneliness. Father Young has recently fallen for Fannie Porkshire, the daughter of the newest family to come to the little town of Bridgecrest. And in the neighboring town of Lushton, Bishop Goldheart has long admired Miss Denine, the owner of a local tavern. As they both resign themselves to suffer with their feelings alone, they find new hope when Queen Elizabeth comes to the throne and officially institutes the Church of England, which now allows priests to marry. Overnight, Father Young and Bishop Goldheart become the most eligible bachelors in town. Every mother wants their daughter matched with the notable men of the church. But as the two priests enter society in a way they never had before, they suddenly realize that their vows were not the only thing keeping them from love. Love, while now legal, is not necessarily easy.

REVIEW

I was pleasantly surprised with Of Pigs and Priests. It's a comedy of errors and reminded me a lot of the comedic mayhem that occurs in a Shakespeare play. The author does a good job at pulling in humor and intermingling it with the historical time period. It was really interesting to think about the confusion and trouble that could come from switching from Catholicism to the Church of England overnight and what that would do for the priests and their communities. The author described what could have occurred during that time period and how a community could change overnight. Overall, I thought it was a fun romantic comedy to read with plenty of humorous moments and amusing characters. I think a wide range of audiences would enjoy the book and find it entertaining from teens to adults, males and females. The author also did a good job with the pacing with the story and moving from one scene to the next. It's a fast read. To learn more about this fun book, click here.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Life Is What It's Called - What inspired you to write this story? 

Nathaniel Gee - This book was based on a dream I had. I was a priest who was suddenly able to date and marry. I thought what an odd transition that would have been and realized there was a time in history this happened. England in the 1500’s as they transitioned from the Catholic Church to the Church of England. That got the idea started and it grew from there.

Life Is What It's Called - What will readers like most about this book? 

Nathaniel Gee - Readers have liked the humor the most. It is a romantic comedy but it is more comedy than anything else. Readers have also told me they love the surprise at the end related to the narrator’s identity.

 Life Is What It's Called - Are you like any of the characters?

Nathaniel Gee - That’s hard to say. I don’t think I’m too much like any character but I’m sure the protagonist Father Young, who can often be a little awkward is much like me. And there is a lazy peasant farmer Henry who my wife will tell you I’m too close to at times.

Life Is What It's Called - What writing projects are you working on now?

Nathaniel Gee - I just finished the draft of my first detective novel. It’s all about a detective who is dead and solves murders from the other side. Llewelyn Hansen is the detective and he must solve who did it. Help influence the living police to catch the correct person and then find out if anyone dead influenced the murderer.

Life Is What It's Called - What was most challenging about writing this story?

Nathaniel Gee - For me the editing process is always a challenge. I love the first draft as the story unfolds but then the rewrites are always hard but very important. I’m grateful for a patient editor. 

Life Is What It's Called - What scene did you enjoy writing the most? 

Nathaniel Gee - It’s a scene where Bishop Goldheart gathers all the local priests together to let them know about Article 32, the article that changed the rule on celibacy and would allow them to marry. It was fun to imagine what it would have been like for these priests hearing for the first time this monumental change in their life and I was very pleased with how it unfolded. 

Life Is What It's Called - What authors influence your writing and style? 

Nathaniel Gee - PG Wodehouse is the greatest author ever to write about pigs but I hope to be on the list with this one.

Life Is What It's Called - What would you like readers to know about you?

Nathaniel Gee - I’m a dam safety engineer by day. And it’s hard to find a career that is more entertaining to say. That and my nine children keep me very busy but I always try to find a little time to write. Also, nothing makes my day more than hearing from readers so feel free to reach out and tell me what you liked or hated about the book. 

Please note that I received a free copy to review, however, I shared my honest opinion. This post is in cooperation with the author. This post contains affiliate links that help support this blog.