Hello, my friends! Do you believe in love at first sight? Have you ever wondered about the Afterlife: what it's like, what are Heaven and Hell like; will we see our family, friends and pets again? Have you ever pondered who God and the Holy Trinity are; does each religion have its own god; who are Mary, the saints and the angels; who is the devil? Ever wondered about Creation versus Evolution? This unique novel, "Conversations with Blanchie," is loosely written from a Catholic perspective and discusses all of these issues and many more in a tender, humorous and often emotional approach. "Conversations with Blanchie" is actually 90% autobiographical for me, Mark F. Wise. Bob and Blanchie sat on their park bench in San Luis Obispo, California every morning before work for 71 years, discussing the above issues and many more. Blanchie dies and goes to Heaven, but she and Bob soon discover that they can continue their morning discussions on the very same bench! Blanchie tries to answer their 71 year old questions from Heaven, attempting to de-mystify them. Conversations with Blanchie is a roller coaster of emotions, featuring the ups and downs of Bob and Blanchie’s 71 year marriage, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the sadness of Blanchie’s death and Bob’s "penchant for puns!" I hope that you enjoy "Blanchie;" I wrote it with a lot of love and emotion! In fact, the character of Blanchie is based on my late mother, Kathryn Claire "Speeder" Wise. I believe that no other work of fiction or non-fiction has addressed as many of these tough issues, ones that everyone of any religion or lack thereof has pondered all their lives! Mark F. Wise grew up in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, California. He is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, a near native Spanish speaker, amateur nature photographer, bicyclist, runner, hiker, swimmer and notorious punster! All of his life, Wise has looked for a forum to advance the approximately fifty religious issues that "Conversations with Blanchie" is based on. Wise has two incredibly talented grown children, Alyssa and Timothy, as well as a wonderful daughter-in-law, Krista. Ever the nomad, Wise lives in a twenty-one foot RV trailer, moving from one military RV park to another within the U.S. He also likes to fly on "Space-A" military cargo planes around the world for free, a privilege reserved for active duty and retired military personnel.