From Hugs to Kisses

FROM HUGS TO KISSES

Tom - Why this book in not with a publisher already baffles me. Obviously, I did not read the full 40 Chapters posted, but what I did read convinced me that your book contains all the ingredients of a potential commercial winner. Comparisons with Frank McCourt's - Angela's Ashes - a Memoir - and - T'is - will be unavoidable, but only among those not paying full attention; his books were set in Cork. Besides, although there is graphically illustrated poverty and deprivation in your book, it is saved from being bracketted among the "miserabilist" list within the genre. This is because you have woven so much antithesis throughout your story: grief/joy; sorrow/happiness; pain/relief; fecklessness/thrift; piety/sin, the sacred and the profane and so on. Your characters amuse, entertain, irritate, attract sympathy and are totally authentic. Their speech idioms do not in any way descend to "oirish" and are entirely true to character. Nowhere, do you authorially attack the Catholic Church - there is no need to - its abuse of individuals, its power, and its position and the crippling influences foisted upon its adherents is made manifest through the weaknesses and follies of their lives. Somehow you still retain against that Institution's malign controls, the redemptive healing force of Christian love. You, like Charles Dickens, by extension, bring grippingly to your fascinating page turner of a book, a most significant socio-documented life of Dubliners. Backed and re-Watchlisted.

Tony Brady. - SCENES FROM AN EXAMINED LIFE - Books 1,2 & 3.

Hello Tom, I have just finished reading From Hugs to Kisses. I found this a well developed, well told story. Starting from your wonderful introductory Chapter 1, with it's clever prosaic structures and collloquial dialogues, I just had to continue on and on. Now I am just about to turn off my laptop with your beautiful closing lyrics in the last chapter humming through my brain, so before I do so, I just want to submit this comment. I loved the sense of 'PLACE' that you gave the boy Stephen. This contrasts so much with our mobile property dealing families of recent Celtic Tiger years. Your introduction of the superior dimensions with 'Nimberely Nobody,' who lives in the land of make belief, was an uplifting construct, that made me stop and reflect on the exigencies of life for the boy Stephen and his need for understanding. It is a story that in my opinion fulfils the very promise of fiction. It awakens curiosity about the humanity around us, speaking truth, as the lessons of Irish history echo down the years. Its themes are universal: familial relatonships, particularly mother and son; the price of poverty; the inhumanity of a rigid class system; and the horrific realities of even the threat of war. Tom reveals the story with humour. For example isn't this great ......<< She was a little better this time'cos as well as getting kisses, she let me pull her suspenders for a minute and play with the funny button. I had to push up the elastic in her knickers to get me finger on it; every few minutes she moved me hand away and said: 'Your pullin' them too hard, I just hope I haven't a ladder in me nylons, 'cos if I have, you'll have to pay for a new pair>>

This depiction of the sweet simplicity of youthful adventures seem light years away from the Dublin of today. This book is a sociological study of Dublin at that time, and is illuminated by the boy Stephen's unfettered innocence. It is written by a narrator of the same social class. He uses the same colloquialisms and dialogue voice as the boy Stephen. This to me, lends authenticity to the novel. I felt I was sitting by the fire, hearing the story from a bard of former times, or from a beloved old grandfather, stretched out in his armchair, wanting to pass on his story to me.

Chapter 39 gives a very good description of the plight of an innocent boy confronted by an ineffective police force, and malicious adults. Tom throws light on this predicament, while making it a humourous and entertaining read. This chapter could prove to be an ideal education and enlightenment for young boys of every nationality and era.
May I add that some chapters still need a lot of grammatical and syntactical editing. However, the substance and creative imagination is all there. From Hugs to Kisses should definitely bring rewards to publishers, agents etc. However, for sheer story telling and imagination I will give this book 6 stars.

Hugs and Kisses.
Stephen is a colourful, lively character who feels very real. I can see him asking his "Mammy" questions and playing with the cats, sitting in his bed squashing the fleas and watching the girls play their skipping game.. Entertaining and with many other colourful characters who bring the era to life again, these short stories also reveal the poverty and hard living conditions people endured at the time. There's mice, rats, fleas and thread worm sharing Stephen's bedroom and the furnture is from the pawn broker. Horses are still used in the street and religion and the influence of the church is never far away.
But many things feel familar to me as well. Sparks flying from the fireplace, bullseye sweets in a bag and the turn of phrases used. Some of the word and phrases remind me of elderly people I knew as a child . It was England, not Dublin, but many of the expressions were the same."Eg "blessings in disguise." I had no problem at all understanding the dialect in the dialogue and it seemed to fit in well with the characters..
The conversation between the aunties and the Father was amusing at one level because of the dialogue (very convincing) but behind it there was the tragedy of the unmarried mothers taken in secret to the convent and working in the laundry . And then if the father of the child won't marry the girl, remaining in the convent with the child. The mother appears to have no say in this at all. The main aim is to save the aunties from embarrassment.. The comment by the Father that the man is not to blame jarred with my modern (ish) ears!
I liked the story of Stephen going to pay the rent. First how his mother avoided Mrs Hickey on the Friday and then when Stephen had to deliver the envelope. It was intriguing to see his reaction to the bigger houses and later to the electric light, but the interaction between Stephen and Mrs Hickey was also fascinating. It really was as if they were from "different breeds" because the awkwardness and misunderstanding meant they could barely understand each other. But I sensed that although Stephen was nervous and thought her a witch, and Mrs Hickey was cautious (especially after he sneezed in her face) she did try to be kind to him in her way..she patted his head (that hurt him) and gave him sherbert fizzes!
You've captured an age which has passed and it's good that you have written it down for us al to see, especially as you haven't tried to clean it up ....the outside lavs and the bathtubs by the fire are included!
Just some puctuation nits I noticed:
You tend to miss out or misplace punctuation in your dialogue. Eg in Chapter 1: move full stop before quotation marks where the dialogue finishes with "America."
Put full stop after "banger."
Put comma before quotation mark after "handful,"
Question mark before quotation mark in "Was I hard to hold?"
Fullstop before quotation mark in "..stayin' with them."
Chapter 2; Just a few nits: "sisters doll " apostrophe so "sister's doll"
When in bath tub "look there ridin' by on the floor..." "there" should be "they're"
Hope this helps a bit.
Entertaining and I loved Stephen, but it's also an important record of life in Dublin in the 20th century. BACKED
Cherry G.
The Girl from Ithaca

The account of them going home on the father's motorbike is typical of the humour in this charming and nostalgic story. The dialect and the mannerism are a delight, 'scalding both of your hearts, 'sure he's from me own neck of the woods', 'gawkin' down at me through her specky four eyes'. It's a typical Irish life back when times were hard and attitudes simpler ... then Nimberly Nobody pops up, and we're in a world of Stephen's making, a boy whose best friends are cats. I had to laugh at his question about butterflies. Gee, and now he's talking to the flies. The trouble is, even the flies make a lot more sense than most people.

The religiosity, the social mores, the poverty and morality, the gossip and make-do bring alive a time and place in history that is unique and memorable. Add to this the fanciful imagination of a young lad with little else to amuse him, and the humour and fantasy take this to a whole new level. Lovely writing too ... backed.

Possible nits: 'bigger then [than] life'. 'he doesn't no [know] it'. It's better not to have large chunks of italics if possible, as they are harder to read, though I can see the necessity at times such as the cat talk. Another method might be to indicate a change of scene / speaker via a blank line with some sort of marker on it, e.g. ***.

Hello Tom,

Returning your read. I looked at Chapters 36 and 38, as you advised. I enjoyed what I read. I'd say 38 was my favorite - those first, sticky emissions of love/lust, but 36 prefaced it well. I liked that I was able to drop into the book at random chapters and not have to worry about what I'd missed - both chapters felt like fully formed vignettes in their own right.

I thought I saw a couple of typos, but was never entirely sure if they were just uses of vernacular, i.e.: "hunches"/haunches? or "scapered"/scarpered?

It's very evocative throughout, in the imagery (the cats lying on the bread in the baker's window was my favorite) but especially in the dialogue which has the whiff of authenticity about it. My only negative would be that some of it could be pared back a little - the banter between the lads, amusing as it was, sometimes derailed driving the chapters events forward. But that's nothing that couldn't be rectified with a bit of an edit - maybe an outside party would be better in this instance, as I sense this is obviously a project of great personal significance to you.

Other than that, a pleasurable read. Good luck with it, Tom.

Dave

Brilliant, beautiful imagery and dialogue - I love the dublin dialect. As a writer, you are very, very skilled at pulling the reader into each scene through your descriptions and use of local linguistics. A warm, triumphant story of a little boy's hard life with a complicated monther/son relationship, extreme poverty (very vivid imagery of rats, fleas, bugs, and a kitty cat). Stephen is such a well drawn, fully believable character - adventurous, questioning, spiritual, and extremely resilient in his growing-up years. The violin instructor is a nasty character even though I wasn't able to understand all that she said, I found myself wanted to vanish her from ever teaching another child. This is an excellent book and I truly wish it the best in the world of publication. Blessings, Pat

Hi Tom, I have read chapter one and twelve as you asked me to do. As I am ignorant of all things Dublin and Irish in general other than loving McCourts' Angela's Ashes, tis and Teacher Man, chapter 12 took some getting used to for me, but once I got into it, I admired your skill of writing dialogue which drew me into the conversations flying around.
Chapter 1 was more familiar with the stork bringing babies. I believed that for a while and still look with nostalgia at chimneys covered with stork nests.
Your storytelling gift highlights my lack of it. Must read more especially the mystical references to angels and Banshees (?) what are they? Back soon and four stars until I have read more. You are on my watch list.
Brigitte
You will dance again!

"Come on pussy pussy". If one were to say that in public others may think they're vulgar but pussy is a name which attaches to cats.

Anyway, the point of mentioning the above is that your book has plenty of punches to grip and hook readers.

Hi Tom,
returning your read of Mr Unusually's Circus of Dreams. Thanks so much for that.
I read chp 30 as you suggested. I loved it. Your ear for dialogue is phenomenal, I only wish mine came anywhere near it!
When reviewing at Authonomy I seem to leap from non-fiction to Fantasy to Crime to YA and back again, like some crazed time & space traveller. Sometimes I am disturbed, sometimes I am impressed, but sometimes I find places I love. I think the difference is that good writing tends to come from an honest, thoughtful place, a place with heart and soul. I think your writing has just that. It also makes me feel connected to place and people in a way which is all too rare in this strange world of ours. Your writing has all these indefinable characteristics that make talking about it in forensic detail mildly ridiculous. It is beyond 'POVs' and 'narrative style'. It's just wonderful.
6 stars from me and a spin on my shelf in the future.
All the best,
Sharda.

Hello Tom, Where do I begin??

I grew up in Ireland so I definitely understand the local dublin wit and dialect. The characters are mirror images of families from all over Ireland. The religious aunts, the bias school-teachers, the teenage boys innocent, dating habits (french letters in the News of the World) just hilarious, the complicated mother/son relationship and finally Stephen himself, an innocent, spirtual, curious and adventurous boy...

Your own spirit and passion is jumping off the page, pure authentic, pure soul, humorous and a pleasure to read...

I can see your published book stacked on the center table in Eason's bookstore and I will definitely pick it up.

Thanks for sharing Stephen's life and dreams with us.
FC

The last time I read this I was on a race to the desk and did not have time to do it real justice - Now I have time to revisit and re-engage. Tom this is a brilliant story, brilliantly told - Gladly re-back this if it will help and I rate it fully, it's impressive - Ian

A nice, descriptive and well written book. Your writing style is very impressive, dialogue are realistic with vivid charachters and narrative is at great pace. Highly rated.

Ive just read the first page of your book and i like it, i have to read more so i will be doing later, and what i have read its written great.
Ellen Michelle :)
'A Model's Summer'

Just popped over for a read. I've been to Ireland a couple of times and love it. The idea for the book is different to anything else I have encountered and I love the opening - made me soooo smile and the further explaination. I'm not surprised it's been taken on. Lots of luck for the future.

This is great storytelling. I've read the first two chapters so far. I love that it's autobiographical (even if the character is only modeled after the writer). It feels genuine and colorful. I love the colloquiolisms. I don't always know what some of them mean, but that's part of the charm. Great details, too. I could visualize the setting and scene as if I was watching a movie. The insects and worms and cats eating rats was unpleasant but added tension and context--great way to show instead of tell. Now I can appreciate all that Stephen lived through as a boy growing up in Ireland.

I'll be back to read more after I get caught up on my other reading. Highly starred.

Susan/Greenleaf (Chameleon)

'From Hugs to Kisses'
I love the voice of this wonderful autobiographical style novel. The natural narration reminds me of taped life stories, told warts and all, with dialect and quirkiness. I was taken straight into each scene, feeling like I was sitting with the family. The innocence and confusion of childhood set against the hidden knowledge of adults was so well brought out. I was impressed with the way dialogue and action from the outset break up the sections of 'information' - more showing than telling.
I enjoyed the details, like the catching of fleas (took me back to my own childhood with cats). This book is important in capturing a way of life long since lost, for good or ill. I would hope it reaches a broad market when published, as I expect it to be.
A favourite book here.

Nick
'Where She Lies'

Original, witty and true - that's what springs to mind! You have an ear for language and a clear gift for painting characters. All books should have maiden aunts in them.
Loved this!
Kate
The Licenser

I'm Irish so reading this is very interesting. I wasn't born durning the troubles but my mother lived close to the boarder so your story reminds me a lot of the tales she used to tell me.

A wonderfully written book.
Great humorous tales throughout.
Also a grim sadness of the times.
I'm loving the read, I haven't finished it yet.
I did notice that in chapter nine it says 'promiseing', even though it's in dialogue, I don't think you meant to spell it that way. One tiny flaw, not bad at all. Ready for publishing I'd say.
Pollyanna.

What a charming book this is! The different voices are very well developed -- the innocent, inquiring voice of the boy Stephen and the storyteller Christine. I often was amused at Mammy's droll ways of satisfying the boy's curiosity about things he was not old enough to understand. To us, Christine's stories reveal a whole world of complex adult issues that Stephen unconsciously relays to us, about Christine bearing the burden of the unsanctified pregnancy, of the father staying with his aunts so the baby won't keep him up at night... There is a good sense of nostalgia for the times, but a clear and honest treatment of the meanness of those days, too. Very well done!

A very committed book. On my WL and will love to read and comment.

I read chapter 14 as you suggested ( was that because I come over as an authority on strange old ladies?) Anyway it's brilliant and should definitely be published. The voice is so skilfully done; the child's half understanding of all the stories and superstitions as well as the complications of adult motives. The poverty comes over but also the richness of the culture, the tales and ideas. Your language is so full of echoes, 'bewitched, bothered and bewildered'. Also you create pictures very economically; poor Mrts Staunton the traditional mad old woman probably a witch everyone thinks, not that old but not wearing well. I know just what you mean. The sense of menace the child feels when he goes into her room. He's just nosy but pretending she is making him come to her with a spell. Or is he only half pretending? I love the way her shadow is on the ceiling and wall at the same time. Scary, as is the ghost and crystal bowl. I'm glad nothing violent happens to her when she makes trouble. Love the irony at the end. The kid has been imagining doing dreadful things to the old lady and Joan comments on him being as good as gold. Will definitely back when I can and six stars from me.

A detailed walk through the country of memory. A series of rememberances with considerable charm and obviously well loved characters. I have read this previously, but came back for a second helping.

I particularly liked the colloquialism of chapter two - somehow the writing seemed more free and comfortable than the prose of chapter one. I did notice a number of superfluous "that" s in chapter one. You might want to do an edit for them to see if it loosens up the text any.

Good luck with this.

J.S.Watts
Witchlight

Tom,

After your kind comments on The Life and Times of Granny Bumba, I finally got the chance to read from 'hugs to kisses' today.
After reading this I am mortified by my paltry effort and immensely grateful for your kind comments.
Why this book is lounging on the shelves of authonomy is beyond me. It has everything, laughs, tears and plenty of of goings ons or should I say shennagans!
You're clearly highly talented and should be published. I honestly cannot believe this book is not in print.
It is up there with Angela's Ashes and from the number of shelves it has gained here alone, it proves it would have a huge market.I have awarded it a glowing 6 stars and wish you all the best here. I also wish you all the best for the near future when this becomes the best seller it is destined to be!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read mine, as a newbie I really appreciate it. It was a humbling read for me and showed me that I have a long way to go.

A huge well done
pps I want a signed copy lol

An authentic slice of life as experienced by the working folks of Dublin in the 40's. Dripping with character and detail, dialogue that is effortlessly natural: a remarkable achievement.

Tom,
Found From Hugs to Kisses thoroughly entertaining, even though I've only read the first chapter. Will certainly be backing it as I don't want this book to escape my clutches. You deserve the ratings and backing now before I read the rest. Well done.

Ruth2904
To Dream Again

There is humor in the tragic story, you have a great knack for story telling, look forward to reading more.
Christine

The Ancient Order of Hibernians! I haven’t heard that mentioned for years. My Granddad Brennan was a member, and when my parents were burgled his medals were stolen and my mother was heartbroken. “Your Granddad’s medals went!” I can still here her voice breaking on the phone.
My Great Grandma’s memories went back to Easter 1916 and the tram being stopped when it got caught in crossfire. The driver jumped ship and my Great Grandma had them all kneeling down on the floor of the tram saying the rosary until they got the all clear. Great Granddad was stopped him on the way home the same evening and pretended to be hiding something inside his coat. The soldier shoved a rifle at him and asked him what it was. Great Granddad tells him it’s five pounds of gelignite and gets himself locked up for the night for cheeking a member of the armed forces.

Lovely work Tom, brings tears to the eyes. Thanks for the great read.
Jane

Tom,
I've read the first 5 chapters. The narrative is a finished product. The editing is meticulous. As an American, you've given me an insight into Irish culture and idiom. Your stories are an immense help for my characterization of Father O'Malley in The Next John Elway. I'll move you to my shelf soon.
All the best,
David Schild

Tom, I felt so sorry for little Stephen when he was in school. You touched on an all-too-often true issue of abuse and how it affects a child. Of course Stephen had to have a make-believe friend! You have presented an terrible reality of life in a very real way. Good luck and many blessings to you. Elsie

Wow this is worlds away from the Dublin of today in the news. Its good to see a once prosperous city in its original form rather then the strife and recession of today. It reminds me a lot of the city i grew up in, and its rather heartbreaking, though I know that is not the tone of the story.
Funny at times, adventurous for those not from the area, and it reads like a film. I don't know how it hasn't been published yet!

Tom:
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment on Turnips and Tulips. I appreciate it so much. I just finished reading the second chapter of From Hugs To Kisses and I like it very much. I am reminded or it brings to mind Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. The characters are sharp and the dialogue is witty. I intend to read more and wish you every success.
Thanks Again'
Shirley Grace

Hi Tom, I really enjoyed 'From Hugs to Kisses'. Seen through the unsentimental eyes of a young boy, it is a grim story told with a light touch that makes it all the more real. What a relief to hear your mother escaped the clutches of the Magdalen Laundries! How precisely the boy gives us the dimensions of the room he lives in (six giant steps) and how marvellous are the fantasies which take possession of his mind amid the vermin-riddled surroundings! My only quibble - perhaps you could connect some of the snippets verbally and so reduce the number of the asterisks?
Great to hear you have an agent - hope to see the book published soon.
Starred, and watchlisted to await a space on my shelf,

regards, Rosemary
'The Girl who was Canada'

Graet story with super dialog. Happy to shelf your work. Hope you have a chance to take a look at Dark Side by CC Brown. Good Luck
61BBboy

Tom,

'From Hugs to Kisses' has oodles of charm, especially in the opening few scenes. Your characters are real and recognizable, so to the backdrop on which the story develops. You have a great ear for dialogue, too, giving the reader a feel for the vernacular, without being too finite or self-conscious about it.

A great start. Hope to check back for some more soon. For now, happy to give you a run on my shelf.

Regards

NA 'The Butterfly and the Wheel'

Tom, Luvit! Luvit! Luvit! You could have been describing my childhood, having been born in the slums of Birmingham. I was two years old when the war started, and our family lived in poverty during and after the blitz’. Our house had one gas light down stair. We went to bed carrying a candle and a chamber pot, rats, mice and fleas kept us company. The tin bath once a week in front of an open fire, ahh, good old days. Setting traps, cracking fleas and tittle-tattle was our entertainment. When anyone got married the countdown began to when the baby was born. It was amazing how many babies were premature. It astonishing to us now that people actually worried about what the neighbours would think.
Tom, it’s a wonderful piece of writing, your stories and the way that you tell them, just cracked me up. I have stared it six, and will shelve it as soon as I have completed my commitments to other authors. I am sure you will get published. Kind regards, Ken

What a great story, one I cna relate to. ...an unwanted pregnancy. Oh what to do. I picture those aunties praying going to church and speaking to the priest. And then the unthinkable, sending them off to the other side in a flat.
This book is wonderful and engaging. I have given this top ratings and hope to get back for a further read.
Regards, Red
Illusions of Comfort

You have such a light way of portraying the gravity of poverty. The language conveys a clear image and the light heartedness of a child...how they don't really get how bad it is. Love the kitty and animal connections. Your characters actually remind me of the old slave culture in the US. Anyway your main character and the way he goes into thought reminicing and then into conversation, made it feel real to life...like its an authentic child. I can see that by the way you've moved way down on the site and the excellent realism that you've got a winner on your hands.
Thank you for such a kind review of Dummies for Dating. Made me feel terrific that you liked.
best wishes
michelle

This isn't a romance in the usual sense. Instead, it's a nostalgic journey, well wrought but not overwrought, touching but not too sentimental. The collection of characters are eccentric, from the doting (and sometimes ditzy) mum and mad aunts to assorted wise men, wastrels, and wallies who populate Dublin (and probably still do).

It's good reading and I recommend it.

Tom, as I read the story, I saw creative musical brains and lyricists turning it into a Broadway musical (similar to A Christmas Story). The writing is superb. From start to end. You tell it with ease, grace and poignancy. There were moments when I wanted to embrace Stiofan O'Bairr :) Other times I giggled as I remembered geese (not swans) chasing after me in the countryside and yup, they caught me :) You seasoned it with lighthearted moments and humor ("The Three Stooges, Catholics, Jesus, and the name..." made me laugh). The one characteristic of Stephen that resonanted with me was his resilience. It's a bookshelf keeper and look forward to see it in print very soon.
Donna :)
(No Kiss Good-bye)

Tom,

This isn't really my genre, but you are clearly a very skilled writer. I enjoyed being able to "hear" the accents through your writing.

All the best to you!

Patti

Really a lovely read. Beautiful rhythm and pace and great authentic use of idiom. The child's pov is used very skillfully. There is so much joy and poetry in this writing.
A turn on my shelf and six stars.

Tom, this is special. I get why Jim Sheridan - who is one of the very best directors I think ( Just saw his "In America" for the 5th time :-)) likes it! Authenticity is here. Innocence, no pretense. I think that I would get the best impression by reading the whole of it - like seeing the whole woven fabric and getting the image of it. I love the feeling that while i am reading there is a story, an essence being rolled up for me - and i think i had to read it all to really appreciate the great work you have done. Alas, that is too time-consuming - but at least, i sense the grandeur of what you are doing and I love it.
Highly starred and watchlisted, to recommend for friends here.
Best
leelah saachi

I love this! You have a rare talent here, Tom. Brilliantly written and on my bookshelf. I'll not be able to stop reading this until the end now :) Well done.

Dear Tom,
You were right! I did love chapter 16. Thank you so much for directing me to it. You write with such passion, such heart. This is a masterful piece. Tears filled my eyes when I read the line: "Don't let her put me in the box." This is so well-written and truly deserves notice. This will stay on my WL, and I will keep a close eye on From Hugs to Kisses as it moves up the ranks.
All the very best,
Faith Rose
Now To Him

Finally returning the read.
From Hugs To Kisses is definitely a unique read. Your method of writing is so enjoyable! You've made your own specific style and truly mastered it. It's as if all the dialogue from each character speaks directly to me, you're very skilled ^^ I read the first chapter and some of the chapters you recommended me and all of them were just as good as each other. They kept me interested from start to finish and that's really all an author can hope for in their story. I have no criticisms as I honestly don't feel qualified enough! Your story is so professionally written that I'd feel out of place trying to correct you (not that their were any corrections). It's only a matter of time before this is up on bookshelves ;)
Highly starred,
Thanks again for your comments on my book :)
Karlee - Chained

A strong and well-written story with a lot of character.
Believable characters, which enhance the narrative.
Good use of dialogue, which adds to the plot.
Also like the genre, you have chosen and think you have done your research into this market.
Really enjoyed the read and well done.

Hi Tom. You are already on my shelf, but I wanted to read and comment. You are absolutely one of the most talented writers I have read in a long time. There are good stories in authonomy, and authors with some excellent writing ability, but you are different. Your writing stands out amongst them all and you need to be discovered. You will remain on my shelf and I rate you very high. God bless all the work of your hands and may all your plans succeed.

I have gone on reading your book, Tom, and after having started into it more or less in the middle of it I have read the first two chapters now and I absolutely enjoyed the reading. When I first came to the book and read it's title I had the first feeling that it was a romance. Not that I would not like to read a lovely romance from time to time but this book speaks to me much more than any romance might do.
Though this isn't the classical romance the title is perfect and you get to that very quickly. Stephen does not live the easy way and is beaten by life, his mother, and others but hugs and kisses seem to have an importance whatever it is about. That gives the whole story a profoundly positive aspect and makes the message of the book so different to other stories about Irish childhoods. Following the expectations of his mother, Stephen as being a boy was meant to be an easygoing child, quiet and without asking questions but the story shows very quickly that the boy is completely the opposite. he is a very lively boy with a lot of imagination and challenging his mother with asking questions all the time.
I was very pleased to find in the second chapter animals talking. Unless it is about books for children you would hardly ever find animals playing an active part in books and I like the way it was introduced here by the imagination of Stephen. It's not only because I love animals very much but children see animals different than adults would do, they have a better feeling for their messages and desires and I am happy to find that so perfectly expressed here.
This is a book to enjoy, Tom, very well done!

I found From Hugs To Kisses an enjoyable read. I read up to chapter sixteen and loved your description of heaven. I liked the part about the Banshee because I like any type of lore.
Stephen and his mother are both good strong characters. I love the way his mother never tires of telling stories, giving Stephen a wild imagination as he grows up. In some ways your character reminds me of my own brother, he is not as rambunctious, though there is still that insatiable curiousity that they share.
This manuscript is both funny and serious. A good combination for any book in my opinion.
I saw a few mistakes here and there in the later chapters, but I didn't make a note of them.
You definitely have a gift for writing! I'm going to put this on my watchlist.
God bless.

-Charmain

I took a look at chapters 16 and 18. I like the idea of the Devil manifesting as a rumble. As you know, I have him take the form of television static, if only briefly.

Chapter 16 was even more interesting to me, because I'm working on two sequels right now. I love banshee lore, yet it has slipped away from me. My Hell is populated with all sorts of beings. I think I need a banshee or two, don't you?

And the stuff with the angels was interesting as well. The third volume in my series gives the first real glimpse of anything heavenly, in the personage of Saint Martha of Tarascon. More angels show up in that one, and you've given me an idea of a twist I might employ. I'd also forgotten the old "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?" discussion. The answer is probably, it depends on how many got invited to the dance. ;)

Anyway, thanks for suggesting I check them out. They were fun to read on a Sunday morn.

Best,

Mark

How simply and engagingly you tell Stephen's story. Many of these memoirs of boys growing up in similar hard environments are laced with cynicism, but in spite of the poverty and hardship, young Stephen is a happy, optimistic, likeable boy and young man. I particularly enjoyed the mysterious moment with the banshee [ I had no idea banshees appeared in towns] Your delicacy in describing his early romantic life is admirable. I give this 5 stars and wish you 'the luck of the Irish' with its continued success. Yours, Pan

the trouble with the irish is that they have hogged all the music in the langauge, and this piece just demostrates that, i read the first four chapters which is my way, i will star this well, and may back it when i open up a spot on my shelf, like colors rising in water this young protagonist patches of memories, memories of memories, fills in the narrative and we get a picture of community and a family, it if of course how a child remembers, not a long narrative but glimpses of his early life that he puts together to make a history, i like it much, best wishes

Well Tom, I've read a good portion of this and what can I say? It's a finished piece. It's lively, witty and funny and I can't see why an Irish publisher hasn't picked it up already. The humour is all in the dialogue, which you capture well. And the beauty is in how the story unfolds.

Fast, funny, sharp and you never know which way its going to turn. I can't offer any criticisms.

Joe