'Disavowed' is a memoir of fifteen years spent as a Sister in three different religious communities, written with whimsical humor, gentle irony, and full of colorful details plus some grim truths about convent life. Idealistic, full of good intentions and hoping to be holy, the author, as a young woman, first entered an extremely conservative order whose members lived as though they were still in the nineteenth century. On recovering from that ordeal, she went on to spend twelve years of spiritual discovery in another order. Though her understanding of her relationship with God developed, unfortunately she did not develop a corresponding understanding of herself and her relationship with others. She found that changing to yet a third congregation was not the solution to her own lack of self-insight.

Jenny leads a life of sin and excess, but when she meets Sister Lucía - a young novice - she knows she's the sign she asked God for to get back on the right path. Jenny thinks she's found redemption, but evil has one last trick up its sleeve: Jenny starts to have forbidden feelings towards Sister Lucía, which, combined with a demonic presence lurking in the shadows, will put her limits to the test. ⚠️This work contains themes and situations that may be offensive to certain people or religious groups. Discretion is advised. 🏳️‍🌈WLW I apologize in advance for any translation errors that this story may have. English is not my first language. Thank you for your understanding.

Mackenzie O'Connor lived her entire life in the city of Kinsale until the opportunity of her dreams came up. She left her family and everything she knew behind to see the world beyond that small town. In Toronto, the city that welcomed her, her life went in a different direction from what was expected. At the age of 27, instead of being married and having children, her work became her priority at the expense of everything else. But with the choice she decided to make on her birthday, a lot in her life will change and not just the four walls of her new apartment. The past will be faced, her fears overcome and, in addition to the family she found in the new city, someone will join her base of support. Someone who she never imagined to nurtured anything more than contempt.

Ten years after leaving their Catholic boarding school, three former classmates meet up at the headmistress's retirement, and find the past still has resonances in the present. This started as my attempt at the Open Novella Contest 2021 (20,000-40,000 words. This is at the upper end of this range.) It didn't get anywhere much, but it was an interesting experiment (and fun to plan and write). ** Music, particularly for organ, plays quite a rôle in this story. Instead of providing accompanying media, I'll list the pieces that feature here, for anyone who wants to chase them up. Apart from Beatrice's (which doesn't exist, obvs) they're all available on YouTube. -JS Bach: Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor (BWV 582) -JG Rheinberger: Sonata no.11 in D minor (Op.148), Cantilène - Adagio * Beatrice's recital: -JS Bach: Prelude & Fugue in G (BWV 541) -Dietrich Buxtehude: Two chorale preludes - 'Ach Herr, mich arme Sünder' (BuxWV 178) / 'Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott' (BuxWV 199) -Joseph Rheinberger: Five Trios (Op.189 1-5) -Niels Gade: Tre Tonestykke (Op.22) -Maurice Duruflé: Suite pour orgue (Op.5): prélude -Beatrice Sullivan: Fantasia on 'Ave Maris Stella' -JS Bach: Chorale prelude on 'Mensch, bewein dein Sünde gross' (BWV 622) -Louis Vierne: Hymne au Soleil (Op.53) * For an idea of the sort of Passion setting Bea mentions in ch.8, try 'St Matthew Passion' by Orlando di Lasso. * (Written February-March-April 2021 )