Inspirational author Pamela S. Thibodeaux joins me again today with an excerpt from her romance, Lori’s Redemption, another Rocking Summer Romance. I don’t usually read inspirational romance, but I love the idea of the wild child and the pastor. And when I read the excerpt, I was immediately drawn to Lori and wanted to know what had happened to her to so destroy her self-esteem.
Lori’s Redemption (short story spin-off of Tempered Fire)
Blurb:
Lori Strickland (introduced in Tempered Fire) has always been known as her father’s “wild child” with no desire to change until she meets ex-bull-rider-turned-preacher Rafe Judson. Her attempts to change her wanton ways come to naught until she realizes redemption only comes with true repentance.
Excerpt:
Lori headed toward Recluse, Wyoming after another round of rodeos where the cash and prizes vaulted her to the next level of achievement. She hadn’t thought of Rafe in months. Hadn’t allowed herself to think of him, and wouldn’t indulge in useless fantasies now.
She’d made peace with the fact she was nothing more than a bad seed and there was no way around it. Oh she tried to be good. She stayed out of the bars for weeks on end, attended the prayer services before or after each rodeo when available, even visited with a group of supposedly devout believers who traveled a state-wide circuit within the national itinerary, but nothing seemed to help or make an impact on her life. Nor had she found the support she’d hoped, only judgment and criticism. Answers to her questions only incited debates until she was scorned for her doubt and unbelief or shunned completely. Maverick was right when he said there was no in between and since she couldn’t succeed at being good, Lori figured she’d be bad.
Just as she had all of her life.
More than once she thought about calling Stanley or Amber or even Lexie for counsel, but was too ashamed to admit the total mess her life was in. She even considered quitting. Just give up and go home. But she was too close to making pro status, too close to the culmination of the dream that began in her heart nearly four years ago.
A dream she once thought came as a directive from God.
Now, she knew better.
God didn’t give success to losers; the devil lured them into it then left them to their own devices no matter how hard they tried to be good. Besides, even at her best, there was no way she’d ever be good enough for a preacher.
Author bio:
Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”
Connect with her online:
Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com
Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/pamelasthibodeaux
Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib
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Linda / Lyndi
Hi Lyndi, hi Pam,
A simple questions with no strings attached: Are there any pastors in your family, Pam?
Hi Joan,
Not in my immediate family. A second cousin of mine is one though.
I do think pastors make great characters, though, and is a perfect choice to help Lori find her redemption.
I’m curious to see how his newly chosen profession will impact on his speech.
If not inspired by a member of family, Pam, were you inspired by anyone else? (A yes or no will do here!)
You have two protagonists. How easy was it for you to give them the same weight, if ever that was your intention? It’s easy for one to turn out stronger than the other; the one you (wittingly or unwittingly) have more sympathy for; at least that’s my experience.
Joan, we romance authors are kind of used to having two protagonists, though that doesn’t mean they get equal time in the book. In a shorter work, the focus is usually on the person with the greatest character arc, in this case, Lori. In a long work, the focus can be balanced between the two. It’s different in literary fiction.