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Michael Norton

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in Bethesda, Md., The United States

Member Since

May 2022

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A former newspaper reporter and public relations guy, Mike Norton abandoned the Catholic faith when he was 18 and spent almost 40 years trying to find his way back. Now retired, he and his wife Karen live in the village of Old Mission, Michigan and hike as often as they can.

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I was considering leading a Catholic faith enrichment study using your book. Do you know if anyone has done this or has a set of questions that might be used for each chapter?

Michael Norton Good morning, Richard. And thanks for your question!

Several parishes around the country have conducted classes or discussions about "A Hiker's Guide t…moreGood morning, Richard. And thanks for your question!

Several parishes around the country have conducted classes or discussions about "A Hiker's Guide to Purgatory." (I was even able to attend a couple of these that happened to be nearby, and it was great fun.) They did tend to be sort of rough-and-ready Q&A affairs, but that might have been because I was present.

So far as I know, nobody has put together a formal discussion guide with questions for each chapter. If I'd known how popular HGTP was going to be, I might have done it myself. By all means, feel free to put together your own questions -- and if you get stuck on anything, you can always contact me.

God bless you, and let me know how it goes!
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Michael, Thank you for the answer. I must have missed the Goodreads alert. You were blessed, to be sure. I have just pitched Ignatius for my novel "The Orphanage." A Viet Nam vet, it's my first novel to be completed. Any advice or reminiscences about dealing with Ignatius? As a Catholic writer, I have been welcomed by "Christian" writers but my book seems "too Catholic" for "Christian" publishers.

Michael Norton You're most welcome, George!
I wish you many blessings in your approach to Ignatius. Like you, I've looked with a certain envy at the huge market that …moreYou're most welcome, George!
I wish you many blessings in your approach to Ignatius. Like you, I've looked with a certain envy at the huge market that exists for non-Catholic Christian fiction, but those publishers don't seem to have much use for us papists. Ignatius Press is one of the few Catholic publishers interested in fiction -- mainly thanks to talented writers like Michael O'Brien -- and I encourage you to work with them. Since they're very selective, it's a good idea to approach them with the very best manuscript you can produce. I found it useful to consult their author guidelines https://ignatius.com/manuscript-submi... before contacting them. They didn't seem eager to hear a pitch from me, so I just sent them the whole enchilada.
My only other suggestion is to be patient. Really patient. I didn't hear from them for at least six months, and publication took even longer. (In the end, of course, it was worth the wait.)
Good luck, George! Oh, and by the way, my dad was a detective with the Grand Rapids Police Department when I was growing up back in the Sixties. Strange coincidence, eh?
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Average rating: 4.38 · 350 ratings · 51 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

A Hiker's Guide to Purgatory

4.38 avg rating — 350 ratings — published 2022 — 5 editions

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Michael Norton's Blog

Some Audio about the Book

Hi, everyone!

Sorry it's been so long, but I was out hiking in Utah and Colorado for over a month. I'm not sure how much I can add right now, but I did have several radio and online interviews and thought I'd share one with you.

Here's a conversation with the talented Thomas Jacobi, who was my diligent and compassionate editor at Ignatius Press: https://podcast.ignatius.com/e/a-plac... Read more of this blog post »

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Published on October 19, 2022 08:23 • Tags: hiker-s-guide-to-purgatory, ignatius-press, michael-norton

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A Hiker's Guide to Purgatory

by Michael Norton (Goodreads Author)

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Oct 18, 2024 04:32AM

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Michael’s Recent Updates

Michael Norton made a comment on Anne Wise’s review of A Hiker's Guide to Purgatory: A Novel " Thanks for your kind and thoughtful review, Anne. I'm very pleased that you enjoyed HGTP! ...more "
Jan 19, 2026 05:06AM · see review
Michael Norton and 3 other people liked Anne Wise's review of A Hiker's Guide to Purgatory: A Novel: "Wow—this book took me completely by surprise. As a convert to the Catholic faith, purgatory is not a subject I grew up hearing about. It certainly wasn’t discussed around the dinner table in my very Protestant home. As a new Catholic, I accepted the i" Read more of this review »
Jan 19, 2026 05:05AM · see review
Michael Norton answered Richard's question: I was considering leading a Catholic faith enrichment study using your book. Do you know if anyone has done this or has a set of questions that might be used for each chapter? Good morning, Richard. And thanks for your question! Several parishes around the country have conducted classes or discussions about "A Hiker's Guide to Purgatory." (I was even able to attend a couple of these that happened to be nearby, and it was gr See Full Answer
Nov 14, 2025 05:00AM · like
Michael Norton liked Ron Kastner's review of A Hiker's Guide to Purgatory: "A book with charm and punch; well worth reading and pondering. I hope there are alternatives though for those of us who dont like being outside.. LOL"
Oct 21, 2025 04:09AM · see review
Michael Norton is now following Kelly Winkler's reviews
Sep 13, 2025 05:41AM · like
Michael Norton liked Barbara's review of A Hiker's Guide to Purgatory: "Purgatory. A very pleasant hiker's journey (Dan Geary) through purgatory from the moment he dies until he reaches his final destination of Heaven. The healing and forgiving takes place during this journey with his Dad and with a helpful angel named R" Read more of this review »
Feb 26, 2025 12:44PM · see review
Michael Norton liked Michael Jewell's review of A Hiker's Guide to Purgatory: A Novel: "This book was recommended to me from a great friend of mine and I am extremely happy that he did so! I am praying that Purgatory is exactly like described in this book. All Catholics and every non-Catholic whether you understand or even do not believ" Read more of this review »
Feb 06, 2025 04:45AM · see review
Michael Norton started reading A Hiker's Guide to Purgatory by Michael Norton (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 18, 2024 04:32AM · like
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