Into the Fire

You know it's gotta be good if there's a cowboy on the cover, right? Think small town Texas with a big time hero, a cutting horse trainer and champion just like his grandfather (Pops) and the exact opposite of his deceased father who left this earth with the Four of Hearts Ranch heavily in debt from his extreme gambling. Think two hurting protagonists with secrets breaking their hearts and chemistry the size of a 4th of July fireworks display and there you have Betting on Hope by Debra Clopton. Yes, think "sweet little romance" – you know the kind I rarely read. Well, I'm not sorry I read this one.

I needed a break, a fun read, and I took a chance on this one. Experiencing some laugh out loud moments mixed with the occasional almost tearful scenes carried the story well. With funny expressions peculiar to the twang-y south, two frustrating protagonists, some ridiculous but endearing town folk, and tender incidents sprinkled throughout the story, all give Betting on Hope a real personality and small town feel.

Debra Clopton made her hero a stud with just the right amount of tenderness and stubbornness. You don't get to be a real horseman and a champion by being a pushover. Her heroine Maggie Hope is a newspaper columnist who answers letters to hurting readers and offers them hope in their difficult situations. Her best friend Amanda, the well known figure with her own morning television show, who got Maggie her job with the paper, is sick and unable to do the interview with heartthrob champion Tru Monahan in his hometown of Wishing Springs, Texas, a couple hours away from Maggie's home and job in Houston. Amanda insists Maggie do the interview over Maggie's protests, her stage fright real. Maggie's a beautiful klutz who stumbles, literally, through an interview with the handsome cowboy and inadvertently bets him on camera he couldn't do what he said he could.

The entire interview sparked national attention as it appeared on Amanda's morning television show. Now the bet is on and neither Maggie nor Tru is happy about it. Maggie moves in at the Four of Hearts Ranch, meets the Monahan brothers and their beloved Pops who's in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's. She's required to keep her column and a log of her experiences as this bet is given a two month deadline.

Maggie and Tru have hidden pain of different kinds, things that propel them toward and away from the deep attraction they feel for one another. Their frustrations are muted until one or the other sparks and blows or in Maggie's case falls right into the cowboy's arms. It's a day to day struggle which they promise themselves to ignore but never can. Their denials cause them to do and say foolish things because of hurt and things they can't bring themselves to reveal to each other or anyone else.

Recognizing the genre within the genre here, this little romance pops with small town charm and the simmering UST between the hero and heroine. Faith plays in the background. Done very well by Debra Clopton, Betting on Hope is exactly what it's supposed to be and expecting it to be something else will only ruin the experience. It's a good story, and I enjoyed it.

Father, you've given Debra many stories to tell. I pray you will continue to supply her with even more. Please direct her steps and add whatever she needs to do as you ask. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.           

This is what the Lord says:

"Cursed is the one who trusts in man,

  who depends on flesh for his strength,

  and whose heart turns away from the Lord.

. . . "

Jeremiah 17:5 (NIV)

One of the questions asked by professionals in the publishing industry is: Who is your audience? By this question others rise to be included. Did you write your story for a particular audience? Do you expect that audience to be the primary readers of your book? Are you thinking it will expand beyond the specific audience you have in mind? Why do you think your novel will appeal to those you've stated as your audience?

New authors with limited experience in the publishing realm tend to answer the initial question with a resolute and enthusiastic "Everyone! Anyone!" It's a naïve response which doesn't go unnoticed by those who ask it. It's a rare novel that can draw all types of readers into a particular story.

As for me and my work, I'm sometimes surprised at who enjoys my books. My husband is a man's man who loves to read but rarely has the time. And, no, he doesn't read my novels and feels guilty about it. I reassure him they weren't written for him – in that most men aren't into love stories/romance genres. It's okay, I tell him. So, knowing that, you can imagine how grateful and surprised I was when he read The Famous One and told me and others it's his favorite novel all-time. Granted, The Famous One covers the life of a male protagonist from a dysfunctional family who gets discovered and becomes a reluctant superstar. It's written like a fictional biography and shows the struggle and loneliness of the hero. A few other men read this story and really enjoyed it which is beyond gratifying.

Brenda S. Anderson who featured me this week on her blog to help promote Destination made an interesting and important point about the audiences for Christian Fiction (aka CBA). She stated so much of the reading audience has been alienated by the offerings from Christian publishing that it's hard to rediscover those readers who professed to have left the genre because there weren't enough gritty, authentic stories being offered. Getting them back presents a problem for independent authors and traditional publishers alike who might dare to publish something beyond the norm for them.  

While I could give a broad age range for my novels, it must be qualified within that range. Within that age bracket females who choose a steady diet of sweet little romances most likely would not be appreciative of my specific – not graphic – dealing with sexual attraction, romance, and love. Though done with the faith angle present, I don't hold back on the temptations of the flesh. Of my finished novels, Hope of Glory and The Famous One might have the most generic appeal.

Reading audiences aren't always predictable and some are difficult to cultivate. The tried and true word of mouth can work well but often takes time to materialize. Amazon reviews do help, but there are some readers who have no desire to write them and some readers who have no desire to read them.

For Christians who write novels, some of us are well aware of God's purpose – even if we're not sure what it is in our case. We know we're to write stories, we acknowledge any talent and all inspiration comes from Him, and our assignment is to trust Him with whatever we do. Period.

Father, thank you for the desire to write. Thank you for doing what you do. Thank you that I can count on you. And help me always to write for your glory and to be the person you designed me to be. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Once again I'm visiting with Brenda Anderson today. Hope you'll join us here:

http://brendaandersonbooks.com/2015/07/16/eitheror-with-nicole-petrino-salter/ 

Leave a comment to be eligible to win a digital copy of Destination.

Father, please continue to abundantly bless Brenda for her generosity to me and other authors. Let her feel your presence and experience your blessings. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

One of the best TV series of all time. Loved Magnum P. I.

Lord, you share your creativity with your creation, whether we recognize the source of it or not. Thank you for it all. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

My author friend Brenda S. Anderson has given me the "floor" today on her website. I'm honored.

http://brendaandersonbooks.com/2015/07/14/chatting-with-nicole-petrino-salter/

You may remember Brenda's third novel in the Coming Home Series, Memory Box Secrets. Great story.

If you visit Brenda's site, you might win a digital copy of Destination.

Here's the complete blurb for Destination.

Destination  by  Nicole Petrino-Salter

     Life leads us to and from many places, but when it comes to eternity there are only two choices for our destinations . . .

    An unlikely felon returns to his roots and the friendship of a fiery old widow.  The last things he expects to find are true love, a ministry to youth, and the unusual burden for his new love’s ex-fiancé.

Thank you, Lord, for a friend like Brenda. Please bless her in abundance for her blessing to me. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

There have been and still remain those who are sold into all kinds of slavery. There are those places where government representatives are more concerned with power than justice. There are those who sacrifice everything or almost everything to make sure they do their jobs to keep America safe. These are just a few of the plot points covered in Redeeming Liberty by Diane and David Munson, former Federal Prosecutor and former NCIS Agent and undercover DEA Agent respectively. They now use their considerable insights and experience to write stories about crime, law, and international concerns.

Redeeming Liberty reacquaints us with FBI Special Agent Griff Topping, Federal Parole Officer Dawn Ahern, CIA operative Bo Rider (aka Captain Skip Pierce), "Wally", and introduces us to Wally's Sudanese love "Liberty". How all of these individuals unite to form a mechanism to thwart a major act of terrorism is slowly revealed amidst an unjust traumatic arrest, a mission trip, the information from a Russian informant, and a petrifying raid on Liberty's Sudanese community viewed helplessly from a small aircraft.

Once again the Munson's have woven an intriguing mix of characters and plot elements in Redeeming Liberty. The multi-meaningful title emphasizes the price paid to experience real freedom. I'm not sure what the cover signifies which won't matter to most. And once again the story starts a bit slowly, the breaks between plot points almost make a division of Part One and Part Two and even a Part Three necessary or at least plausible because it isn't until the final third of the novel that the integration of all things takes place even though the reader is well aware where the story is headed. Dialogue, while not bad in any way, is not their strong suits as authors.  

I found the back and forth between Griff and Dawn a bit tedious and high-schoolish, and even though Bo Rider is fully engaged in his covert ops, some of his character traits made him seem more like an administrator than the former Army Ranger that he apparently was before coming to work for "The Company". Perhaps it's naïve on my part to assume international covert operators would be more like a Mitch Rapp instead of the overly cautious Bo Rider, but then even Mitch Rapp got Mike Nash replaced.

As usual, the Munson's deliver some hot topics in their story with a mostly satisfactory ending. The final arrest scene seemed to appear out of nowhere and the explanation left a void. Still, if you like stories with international drama and covert operations with the faith factor thrown in, Redeeming Liberty will probably work for you.     

Father, thank you for the Munson's who serve you and served our country. Please continue to bless their lives and their storytelling. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

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Hoping for . . . Confirming Justice

The fool says in his heart,

  "There is no God."

They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;

  there is no one who does good.

Psalm 14:1 (NIV)

Do you go crazy with one thing or another for awhile? Swing upside down or swing for the fences? Do you wonder what kind of nonsense you're producing or inclined to do? Is your rhythm unsteady and your timing off? Will you be writing silliness . . . like this? Just to pass the time or to make a post?

I don't advise it by any means, but sometimes it's just the time to look away and say ridiculous things. Like the Mad Hatter or Dr. Seuss. Without a rhyme. Or even a chime. Today is that day. I say. Yay!

Sorry.

Lord, thank you for having a sense of humor even when something isn't funny. Jesus, we're all desperate for you whether we know it or not. Amen.

Headed over to Novel Rocket today. Visit me there?

Lord, again, endlessly, thank you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.