Reading Recommendations By Moms - For Moms

This coming Sunday, across the nation we’ll celebrate mothers. I’ll admit I’m partial to this day, being I am a mother of three and a stay-at-home-mom for 19 years. It’s not an easy job, but it’s one that can be completely rewarding. I’ve watched my daughter grow into a lovely young woman who’s now a best friend. Our two sons our both respectful young men, a trait that is sorely lacking in much of today’s teens. I’m blessed that God has given them to me and my husband to raise. What an awesome privilege!

To honor our mothers I’ve asked five writer friends, all mothers, to talk briefly about a book they would recommend for other mothers, one that would make a meaningful gift. These friends have responded with a diversity of ideas! Love it!

So thank you Sharon, Laura, Nicole, Cathy, and Jerri! I pray God richly blesses your mother’s day!

Sharon Hinck - A book I recently gave my daughter-in-law (who is soon to become a mother) that has a beautiful depiction of motherhood is actually a children’s book.

THE RUNAWAY BUNNY by Margaret Wise Brown. As the baby bunny tests his limits and grapples with independence, the mother bunny patiently becomes what he needs to be a reassuring presence in his life. Whenever I read this book, I also think of God stepping into our humanity to find us and call us home.

For a terrific Mother’s Day Gift, I highly recommend Sharon’s Restorer series! It’s combination soccer-mom/fantasy. Every mom can relate to the main character, Susan. Two new editions are now out: The Restorer-Expanded Edition and The Restorer’s Son-Expanded Edition, both of which have interactive elements within the book that heighten the reading experience.

THE RESTORER’S SON – Expanded Edition (Marcher Lord Press) - Plunged again into the gray world of Lyric and Hazor, Susan and Mark search frantically for their teenage son, Jake, as all signs hint that a trusted ally has betrayed them. Assassins, political intrigue, false leads, and near misses beset their path, which will lead them into the dark prisons of Hazor before the One’s purpose is revealed.

Cast out by those he trusts and preferring to cross swords with the One rather than yield to His will, Kieran flees to enemy Hazor, only to find that the One knows no borders. Pursued by his calling, Kieran finds a boy without a home, a king with burning questions, and a nation torn by darkness. As he embraces the tasks the One has set before him, this new Restorer learns that the One requires his all—perhaps even his life.

This Carol Award-winning novel is now in a new edition that includes a devotion guide, bonus scenes, and other great extras to immerse the reader in the world on the other side of the portal.

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Laura Frantz - My Mom gave me this book when I was a busy mom of two young boys. The only problem was I never had time to read it! But once I did, it became a keeper. Beth Moore's Feathers From My Nest is a collection of personal vignettes about mothering, being a wife, and the riches children bring to our lives whether they're little or grown. More personal and reflective than her Bible Studies, Beth talks about authenticity in the Christian home, communication, encouragement, and also makes some memorable spiritual parallels.

Interestingly, the book begins with twin forwards by her two daughters and Beth herself ends with a chapter entitled, "One Slightly Gray, Well-Seasoned Man" in which she talks about her husband, Keith. This is a book for women of any age and stage. It's timeless and moving and beautifully done!

I love authors whose prose and descriptions create a musical tapestry. Laura is one of those gifted few. I’ve savored all her previous novels, Courting Morrow Little, The Frontiersman’s Daughter, and The Colonel’s Lady, and cannot wait to read her upcoming release, Love’s Reckoning! If you go to Amazon.com now you can pre-order this book for a very low price.

LOVE’S RECKONING (Revell) - On a bitter December day in 1785, Silas Ballantyne arrives at the door of master blacksmith Liege Lee in York, Pennsylvania. Just months from becoming a master blacksmith himself, Silas is determined to finish his apprenticeship and move west. But Liege soon discovers that Silas is a prodigious worker and craftsman and endeavors to keep him in Lancaster. Silas becomes interested in both of Liege's daughters, the gentle and faith-filled Eden and the clever and high-spirited Elspeth. When he chooses one, will the other's jealousy destroy their love?

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Nicole Petrino-Salter - Mother's Day was very special to me until my mother passed away at the young age of 62. I miss her to this day as tears come to my eyes even writing this. My husband just asked me last night what I wanted for Mother's Day. Immediately I thought of which novel to request. (Oh, and some perfume I'm out of.) But really, Mother's Day almost ceased to exist for me when I lost mine even though I'm the mom to two wonderful adult sons.

If I were to recommend giving a book for Mother's Day, it would probably be Dr. Emerson Eggrich's Love and Respect because there's nothing better a mom can do than reassure her children that their parents are solid, love each other, and respect each other. In spite of my life choices, I always had that with my parents. I know it's strange for this almost exclusive novel reader to recommend non-fiction, but I think this particular book is that important. However, in keeping with my "first love" of novels, I would also recommend the classic Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, which demonstrates love and respect on a whole other level.

One of the greatest pleasures of writing has been meeting new friends. In Nicole, I’ve discovered a friend who shares much the same literary taste, but more importantly, I’ve found a friend completely in love with God. If your mother likes books that deal with broken lives and gritty reality, then I highly recommend Nicole’s Breath of Life.

BREATH OF LIFE (WinePress) - Breath of Life tells the story of embittered, wounded, and divorced Michael Jamison, who, after a prolonged period as the casual observer of a lovely woman, discovers his attraction to her supercedes remaining a stranger. With a smarting ego and nothing to lose, he figures out a non-threatening way to introduce himself and is overwhelmed with her pristine beauty and challenged to change everything about the way he's lived his life so far.

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Catherine Richmond - Mother’s Day brings to mind one of the great mothers in fiction: Marcy O’Connor of Julie Lessman’s Daughters of Boston and Winds of Change series. Marcy is the matriarch of a large family, a fount of strength and wisdom for her children and their spouses. And she’s passionately in love with her husband. What a great example!

Thanks to my Inkspirational Messages friends and my debut novel site, I was introduced to Catherine Richmond last year. Her lush descriptions of the Dakota territories and her sizzling romance in her book Spring for Susannah convinced me I need to read more from her. Through Rushing Water (Don’t you LOVE the cover?) comes out in July, but you can pre-order it and give your mother something fun to look forward to.

THROUGH RUSHING WATER (Thomas Nelson) - Elegant and educated, Sophia Makinoff is sure that 1876 is the year she'll wed congressman Rexford Montgomery. But he proposes to her roommate instead! Humiliated, Sophia signs on with a foreign missions society to go to China---but ends up with the Dakota Territory Indians. Can she find a purpose in God's plan?


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Jerri Lynn Ledford - One book that I found on my own, but would have loved to receive for Mother's Day was Crazy Love by Francis Chan. The book really challenged me to stretch my belief system and my faith in God. It's unconventional in some ways, but in others, it's just clarifying. I love the book so much that I think I'll pass it on to a couple of my favorite Moms for Mother's Day. Maybe it will help them to understand why they're so critical to His plan!

A few years back I was blessed to be assigned to a wonderful critique group (through ACFW). Jerri is one of those partners. She’s multi-published in non-fiction in topics like SEO and Google Analytics and things that are way beyond my pay grade. And she recently released her first work of fiction, Biloxi Sunrise. It was so much fun working with her on this book and I can’t wait until her next novel in the Biloxi Series, Biloxi Blue, to come out. She’s created captivating characters that I can’t wait to learn more about!

BILOXI BLUE (Deep South Press) – They can’t connect …

With Jack Roe promoted Captain of the Homicide Division of the Biloxi Police Department, his partner and girlfriend Kate Giveans is left behind to take on a new partner. Caleb Castille, an Abercrombie & Fitch model look-alike with a gun, is more than willing to pay attention to Kate while Jack is focused on other things.

And the race is on …

Kate and her new partner have little to go on when they begin investigating a murder at a local logistics company. Worse, their suspects keep turning up dead. When the killer’s sights land on Kate, the two detectives must rush to find the murderer before Kate becomes the next victim.

But who to trust ...?

While Kate's trying to stay alive, she and Jack grow further apart and his secrets drive a wedge between them. Frustrated with Jack, Kate finds herself drawn more and more to her new partner. But is Caleb who he seems to be? And can Kate figure out who to trust before she ends up on a cold, steel morgue table.

Author Journey ... Nicole Petrino-Salter

ALONG FOR THE RIDE ...

by Nicole Petrino-Salter

Let's face it, there's still very little "respect" associated with self-publishing. If a writer proclaims--sheepishly or proudly--that they're self-published, most royalty published authors (and wannabes) form a condescending smile and their immediate thoughts rush to "She's impatient" and/or "No one would publish her work because it's inferior." The success of The Shack stunned some writers because it's no secret the little story that sold millions demonstrated that less-than-perfect writing sometimes has little to do with selling novels.

I wrote my first novel because God told me to write a Christian novel about horse racing, the industry in which my husband and I worked for over 30 years. It's a not-so-inside joke to professionals in the Christian publishing industry when they hear the mantra, "God told me to write it." This little phrase makes the Top Ten Things of what not to say at conferences or in any communication with professionals, the reason being that the instruction itself does not insure the individual who speaks it can actually write. And my first novel is very much a first effort. A huge tome that took 8 and 1/2 years to write during seven days a week of working at the track, homeschooling our son some of those years, and lay ministry at church. There would be six to nine month periods of no writing whatsoever. All the writing I managed was longhand in spiral notebooks. When it came time to decipher my handwriting and transport the story to the new computer my son received from my parents for graduation from high school, the "editing" began. Obviously that process only refined Hope Of Glory (yes, the O in of was capitalized on purpose) to a point since the saga wound up being 744 pages in a very tight template. Lots of unnecessary words in there and sooo many horse names.

Then the search for publication ensued, thinking once the book was written it could get published. Uh-huh. Silly girl. And very unschooled in the "biz". I don't know how to describe the sense that lurked in the background about self-publishing. Now some of you are laughing out loud. How else could a 744 page Christian novel about horse racing ever get any kind of traction from a Christian publisher - or any publisher for that matter? You're right. Not gonna happen. So I found an outfit that advertised in a Christian publication and followed up on it. As I look back, I figure they'd publish just about anything. I'm sure they've grown in their business practices since then, but suffice it to say, the end result was much inferior (with the exception of the cover) to my two novels produced by WinePress (The Famous One and Breath of Life). I won't wave the pricey tag in your face for Hope Of Glory because I don't want anyone accusing me of giving them heart palpitations. And this was after I received 1000 novels with two critical errors in them which the Lord showed me the next morning after they were delivered. I can't describe the sick feeling after all the jubilation. Those 1000 novels ended up at a recycler and the book took years to pay off. Hope Of Glory holds some interesting testimonies for all its clumsy construction, and I give away copies as ministry novels to racetrackers, friends, and strangers.

My second novel came as a result of a powerful prayer burden for an actor. Simultaneously with that heavy prayer for his salvation, The Famous One formed. When I'd learned significantly more about the biz, I submitted it to a well known Christian literary agency and the story made it into their final process for acceptance or rejection. Since it eventually ended up self-published, you know what they decided. A few years later I inquired at WinePress and purchased a package for the book which I should mention exceeds the norm for CBA novels in length (word count) which is why it's more expensive than most. To participate closely in the process after having the work edited by a professional (and surprisingly left mostly intact) proved to be rewarding. The marketing factor is the only downside to the experience.

And so it happened that before WinePress changed their packages, my latest novel Breath of Life got locked into an inexpensive package, and the process began again. And also again I'm in the uncomfortable position of attempting to market my work. Believe me, by this time I've heard all the positive reasoning for selling one's books. However, I've never heard any concrete facts given for what truly works - other than word of mouth which can take a very long time if you write a niche novel.

My journey in self-publishing satisfies my independent spirit but really it's all about the road God has chosen for me. And don't expect me to tell you why because I can't. Marketing is not my best suit. In fact marketing makes me feel like I'm standing exposed in my underwear. I can tell you I love the stories I've been inspired to write. I can talk about why they don't fit comfortably into some of the current CBA publishers' requirements. I can discuss the characters with you because I love them. But push you to buy a copy of one of them? Not so easy for me.

So why do it? Because nothing in this life is incidental. The Lord has His reasons for our directions even when they don't necessarily make sense to us. Apart from Him, I can do nothing. I've completed seven novels and have three more in progress. I keep going because He gives me characters and words to accommodate their lives. This is my journey. For what it's worth.

Nicole Petrino-Salter

BREATH OF LIFE

WinePress Publishing 2011

Breath of Life tells the story of embittered, wounded, and divorced Michael Jamison, who, after a prolonged period as the casual observer of a lovely woman, discovers his attraction to her supersedes remaining a stranger. With a smarting ego and nothing to lose, he figures out a non-threatening way to introduce himself and is overwhelmed with her pristine beauty and is challenged to change everything about the way he's lived his life so far.

Praise for Breath of Life:

A bestselling novelist hiding her loneliness behind a pen name, Shay is more of an innocent than her stories let on with only two vices: shoes and cigarettes. When one of them attracts the attention of another lost soul looking for love, Shay's story takes an unforeseen turn. In Breath of Life, Nicole Petrino-Salter proves to be a minute chronicler of the human heart. She imbues her tale of second chances with a quiet emotional intensity that builds page after page." J. Mark Bertrand, author of Back on Murder and Pattern of Wounds.

Nicole Petrino-Salter writes love stories with a passion. She's devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ, her family, friends, and her pets. You can find her most days on her blog: hopeofglory.typepad.com where she welcomes your visit.

Shameless Shout Out for New Releases

One of the great privileges of being a writer is making so many new friends who happen to be authors. There's little I enjoy more than encouraging these friends in their writing endeavors and giving a shameless shout-out for their successes.

Three friends have novels releasing this month. While I've read them all in pre-edited form (and they're all fabulous, of course), I can't wait to read the final product.

BILOXI SUNRISE
The Biloxi Series
Debut Novel by Jerri Lynn Ledford

Deep South Press 2011

He hadn’t protected them.

When Homicide Special Investigator Jack Roe’s daughter is killed in an auto accident and his wife dies from a drug overdose, he abandons a promising career as a Military Police Officer. If only he’d been there when they needed him, he could have saved them both.

He didn’t protect her.

Six years later, Jack is in Biloxi, Mississippi to be close to his sister and her daughter, Lisa. As long as he’s around, nothing can happen to them. But then he’s called to the hospital in the middle of the night and learns that Lisa has been abused by her mother’s boyfriend. Jack must confront old wounds that never healed, and a burning anger that’s been buried for far too long.

She can’t protect him.

The same night, a woman’s body turns up on the beach. A few days later, so does another one. Jack must deal with his past and his present while he and his partner, Kate Giveans, race to find a killer before another woman dies. But Kate harbors a secret that just might get Jack killed.

I met Jerri a few years back through ACFW when we were assigned into the same critique group. We currently blog on the same group blog, Inkspirational Messages.

Although this is Jerri's debut novel, she is no stranger to writing. She's got a zillion books out there on Google Analytics and SEO and all those technical aspects of working the internet, the kind that make my head spin.

I had the honor of working with Jerri these past months on Biloxi Sunrise. She's woven together a very engaging story melding plot and character with just the right blend. I highly recommend giving this novel a try.

Check out Jerri's website: http://www.jerriledford.com/
Also find her at: http://inkspirationalmessages.com/
Don't forget to *like* her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jerri-Lynn-Ledford/147815135313371

Note from Jerri:

I'm embarrassed to admit that there has been some kind of formatting glitch with Biloxi Sunrise. At this time, there are numerous typos and errors in the book. However, I'm working furiously to correct them and will re-upload the book as soon as all of the corrections are made. These errors are entirely my fault and were NOT introduced by the wonderful people that edited the manuscript.

Click here to purchase Biloxi Sunrise through Amazon
Click here to purchase Biloxi Sunrise through Barnes and Noble

BREATH OF LIFE
by Nicole Petrino-Salter

WinePress Publishing 2011

Breath of Life tells the story of embittered, wounded, and divorced Michael Jamison who, after a prolonged period as the casual observer of a lovely woman, discovers his attraction to her supersedes remaining a stranger. With a smarting ego and nothing to lose, he figures out a non-threatening way to introduce himself. He is overwhelmed with her pristine beauty and is challenged to change everything about the way he’s lived his life so far.

In Nicole Petrino-Salter, I've found a kindred reading spirit. We're both avid fans of Vince Flynn, Steven James, & Lisa Samson, to name a few. I LOVE talking books with Nicole. We typically have the same opinion regarding books and often share insights that will never make the printed page.

Breath of Life is Nicole's third release--she offered me the privilege of reading it several months ago. I love how she gets inside Michael Jamison's head and heart. She really makes him come alive. I enjoy thought-provoking, character-driven novels, and Nicole delivers that with Breath of Life.

Check out Nicole's excellent blog: http://hopeofglory.typepad.com/into_the_fire/
Click here to purchase Breath of Life

RODEO DUST
by Shannon Taylor-Vannatter

Heartsong Presents 2011

Ad exec, Rayna Landers meets bull rider, Clay Warren at the State Fair of Texas. While Rayna thinks she’s content solo, Clay longs for marriage and family. Though poised to win his third world championship, his ranch is in a slump. Clay convinces his publicist to hire her advertising firm in a last-ditch effort to keep his employees and lasso her heart.

Soon the city girl is on the ride of her life, until the rodeo unearths buried memories from her past. Clay sees her through the trauma, but an injury and his stubborn determination to get back in the hypothetical saddle threatens their budding relationship. Can they rely on God to find their common ground or will they draw a line in the rodeo dust that neither will cross?

I met Shannon a few years back when, just like with Jerri, we were assigned into the same critique group through ACFW. (Our other critique partner is Lorna Seilstad, author of the popular Lake Manawa Summers series. Yes, I'm in very good company). Anyway, Shannon introduced me to romance fiction. Being somewhat of a literary snob, it's a genre I used to avoid, but Shannon convinced me that there are quality romance authors out there, Shannon being one of them. Since meeting her I've even made my own attempt at writing romance in order to appeal to the market (read Shannon's very kind endorsement here).

Rodeo Dust is Shannon's fourth novel released through Heartsong Presents, and the first of a second series. I had the honor of critiquing this book as well. Her male lead Clay Warren, who has a unique and fascinating rodeo job, is definitely a hero to root for. If you love romance, you have to read Shannon's books.

Find Shannon on her website: http://shannonvannatter.com/
at her Inkslinger blog: http://shannonvannatter.com/blog/
at Inkspirational Messages: http://inkspirationalmessages.com/
and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannontaylorvannatter

Book Review or Recommendation?

I follow several blogs regularly, but there are two that continuously ask me to think outside my comfort zone: Nicole Petrino-Salter's Into the Fire and Mike Duran's deCOMPOSE. Both offer thoughts on writing, theology, and life in general. Both authors are outspoken and aren't afraid to broach the controversial. If you want a daily challenge, I highly recommend their sites.

This week, they've both espoused their opinions of book reviews (FYI and In Praise of Bad Reviews) and on having a book review site. I found their take very interesting. After reading their blogs, they've encouraged me to clarify the purpose of Spire Reviews.

I began writing reviews several years back as I discovered how few Christians read Christian fiction. It's natural to assume that the target market would be churchgoers, right? Well, I volunteered in our church library and frequently asked fellow churchgoers what they liked to read. Rarely did someone answer Christian fiction because they often assume it's all simple, happy reads that fail to connect with the reader.

As a voracious reader, I knew that to be false so I started writing book reviews for our church newsletter and highlighted the diverse selection of Christian fiction (and some non-fiction). My intent never was to critique books, but to show the members of my church the variety they had to choose from. From there, it naturally made sense to post these recommendations on a blog.

But, for me to recommend books to others, they have to meet my very picky standards, likely born from my background in literature. I've completed 23 books this year and have only highlighted two on this blog. Not that the others were poorly written, but only two wowed me. If I'm going to make recommendations to a non-reader of Christian fiction, I want to make sure I tell them about the best books out there.

So, if the function of a review blog is to critique the novel or highlight its pros and cons, admittedly I am not doing that.

The purpose of this blog has been, and will continue to be, recommending excellent works to others, and to dialogue about Christian books, with a focus on fiction.

A Reader's Christmas List

So far this year I've completed 127 books. At that rate, I should read about 10 more by the end of the year. I've read thrillers, literary, historicals, biographies, even romance. (Sorry, no bonnet). So, if you're looking to give a good book this year, I have a few suggestions.

Each day this week I'll be offering Wish List Ideas in a few different categories. I'd love you to stop on by and offer your own suggestions.

To kick off the week, I'm giving Shameless Plugs to writer friends who are all very gifted. Ironically, three of the books are historical and one is romance. I don't typically read either genre, but my friends have gotten me to stretch my tastes and I thank them for that.

Making Waves - debut novel by Lorna Seilstad. A witty historical romance set in Lake Manawa, Iowa (by Council Bluffs.) It's a story about a spunky debutante who falls for a sailing instructor rather than the wealthy but boring suitor her parents chose for her. The story takes place at what used to be a water resort/amusement park for the wealthy. Lorna gave me a tour of current-day Lake Manawa. Nothing remains of the resort. I love that Lorna has brought this historical site back to life in this fun story.

White Roses and White Doves - debut series from Shannon Taylor-Vannatter. Like many readers, I have a pre-conceived notion about romance novels so I tend to avoid them. Give me gritty, thought-provoking works please. But Shannon dispelled those notions. Her characters are broken human beings living authentic lives. Her first series takes place in the city of Romance, Arkansas. Another great setting.

The Famous One by Nicole Petrino-Salter. Chronicles the life of a troubled young man propelled into super stardom, a man who earned everything, but still felt empty ... until he found the only thing, The One who could fill that hole. I love Nicole's raw characters and her genuine portrayal of people's lives. Like to read something emotionally honest? Then check out The Famous One.

Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz. Morrow Little doesn't think she can ever forgive the Shawnee for tearing apart her family, but then she is drawn to one of their warriors. Is she betraying her family by falling for this man? Laura Frantz deftly avoided the sophomore slump in this novel. I loved her first book The Frontiersman's Daughter as it was more than a simple historical novel. It was a literary journey. In Courting Morrow Little, Laura takes the reader on another sweeping journey with her trademark symphonic prose. I can't wait to get her next book, The Colonel's Lady.

The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen. After a scandal, a young woman is banished to a life of seclusion in a distant relative's gatehouse and puts a crimp in a military captain's perfectly formed plans. The story takes place following the Napoleonic wars. I'll admit I haven't read this yet as it doesn't come out until tomorrow, but like Laura Frantz, Julie has a musical way with words and she tells a unique story. Barring a blizzard, I'll be in line to get my autographed copy.

The Famous One

by Nicole Petrino-Salter

Pleasant Word
364 pages

A Search for Meaning in the Seemingly Perfect Life

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Tom Cruise became a born-again Christian? What about Steven Spielberg? Angelina Jolie? Can you imagine the witness they would have? The stories they could tell through movies? Personally, I’ve always wanted to see what Spielberg could do with This Present Darkness.

And don't you ever wonder why there is so much dissatisfaction in Hollywood when the stars have everything? Why do so many actors try to anesthetize their seemingly perfect lives by abusing drugs and alcohol?

With a concept similar to that of Creston Mapes’ Rock Star Chronicles (Dark Star and Full Tilt--about a Mick Jagger-like rock star who is pursued by God), I wonder if Nicole Petrino-Salter had those questions in mind when she penned The Famous One.

Joey Parr, Jr.’s life begins in turmoil. His parents continuously fight and eventually divorce. All too often, the quiet, deep-thinking, emotive child is left alone. Loneliness becomes his familiar companion. It follows him through his teen years, and he chases it with drugs, booze, and sex, but the emptiness refuses to leave him alone.

Then he’s discovered by a Hollywood bigwig and Joey is propelled into stardom. Still, fame and wealth do little to alleviate the loneliness. Even when he starts a family, something is missing. But what? He’s got everything anyone could ever dream of having. Shouldn’t he be fulfilled?

In The Famous One, Nicole Petrino-Salter digs into the heart of a man who’s continuously searching for meaning in his life. Even when he has everything, there’s a hole, a sense of worthlessness. Salter deftly takes us through Joey’s entire life. We see him grow and change, but it’s so subtle the reader is unaware that it’s happening. And on this journey, we learn to love this passionate man and root for him even when he’s making terrible choices.

Now that’s excellent storytelling.

A Conversation with Nicole

You told me this is a book of your heart. Could you elaborate further on that? What compelled you to tell Joey Parr's story?

The character of "Sarah" makes this small portion of the story somewhat autobiographical, but, no, I didn't write a screenplay and get to present it to an actor. I did in fact watch a film with an actor I'd heard of but had never seen his work. Immediately following the movie the Lord planted the burden for his soul into my heart. The intensity of the prayer for this man lasted two full years before the Lord eased it away. During the initial prayer for this actor The Famous One came to be.

As I was reading this I kept imagining who "Joey Parr" would be in real life. Did you have someone in mind for Joey? Errol? Colleen?

Joey Parr is based on a real actor. When I researched the information for the making of a film in the Hollywood environs, I also read a book about the particular actor just to get a feel for him and understand who he was as a person. Joey is purely fictional, but I tried to capture the essence of the heart of the man without imitating his life. Beyond him the characters aren't based on specific people. It would be great fun to cast them, though.

Biography

Nicole Petrino-Salter was born and raised a city girl in Seattle, Washington. She loved horses from the time she could talk which is probably why the Lord allowed her to work in the Thoroughbred racing industry for over 30 years. Prior to that she attended the University of Washington for a year taking primarily literature classes. After watching a film starring a British actor, she worked for a year and dashed off to Europe to find him. On her final day in London, she saw him and he said good morning to her. She returned to the U but realized it was too much like school and finally found her home with horses at the racetrack.

Nicole loves the Lord Jesus Christ who rescued her and set her free. She's married to the handsomest man in the world, has two adult sons, and three grandchildren.

Nicole's blog: http://hopeofglory.typepad.com/

What Would You Change in Christian Fiction?

Here's another intriguing discussion regarding the future of Christian fiction, initiated by Nicole Petrino-Salter on her Into the Fire blog: http://hopeofglory.typepad.com/into_the_fire/2010/08/change-from-the-inside-out-day-one.html

It's refreshing to see and hear people dialogue honestly about this important topic.