I’m pleased to welcome Dan Walsh to our blog today. Dan has written several novels including The Reunion and The Discovery. He is now teaming up with the legendary Gary Smalley to write The Restoration Series. I sometimes wonder how authors get paired to write books together so Dan is here to tell us how this writing team was matched up. Before Dan comes, let me give you a look into the first book in the series, The Dance.
Oh, and check out the bottom of this post to find out how you could win a copy of The Dance!
Love’s recovery starts with a single step . . .
After 27 years of marriage, Marilyn Anderson is tired of playing the role of perfect wife. Her husband Jim is a successful businessman who gives her everything she needs-a beautiful home in an upscale neighborhood, the financial freedom to be a stay-at-home mom, an enviable collection of stuff. Everything, that is, except what really matters: love.
After years of trying to connect with Jim, Marilyn has had enough. She longs to experience some measure of happiness before she’s too old to enjoy it. Needing some time to herself to sort things out, Marilyn leaves to start a new job and take dancing lessons-something she has wanted to do for as long as she can remember.
Shocked to find his wife gone, Jim Anderson must sort through the past to save his marriage. With a little help from an unexpected ally, he begins a campaign to win Marilyn back. What he doesn’t anticipate is how his actions will affect everyone around him-starting with himself.
Welcome, Dan!
It all started for me with a phone call from my editor at Revell, Andrea Doering. She sounded pretty excited. She explained that they had been interacting with Gary Smalley for the last month or so. He had decided to do another fiction project, similar to the phenomenally successful one he had done with Karen Kingsbury (the Redemption Series based on the Baxter family). Gary gave his team an assignment to find a fiction author he could work with whose writing would impact him the way Karen’s did. That began a process of evaluating a large number of authors from different publishing houses.
After a thorough process his team recommended me to Gary and, after reading my first two novels while on the road, a weeping Gary called them back to say he wanted to work with me. When Andrea asked me if I might be interested in this, she had no way of knowing, but I had something of a history with Gary. It’s fair to say, thirty years ago Gary’s first book If Only He Knew saved my marriage. After 5 years of marriage, with me behaving like a selfish moron, my wife was seriously talking about ending our relationship. Someone handed me a copy of Gary’s book, and it turned my life and my marriage around. So when Andrea asked if I’d consider working with Gary, I instantly said yes.
Now here we are, almost 2 years from that phone call. Our first novel in the Restoration Series, called The Dance, has just been released. The second book, The Promise, is finished and ready to be released in September. We’ve just begun to write Book 3. I’m often asked what it’s like working with an almost legendary figure like Gary Smalley . At first, it was somewhat intimidating. The man has over six million books in print, 8 million marriage DVDs in circulation and has been interviewed on almost every national television talkshow and radio program there is.
Gary quickly set me at ease. I can honestly say it’s been a joy to work with him. He is one of the most humble, generous and encouraging people I’ve ever met. If you like Gary’s books, his videos or have liked what you’ve heard in person…you’d like Gary. He’s the same person behind the scenes.
Part of the reason we’re writing this series is that Gary and I recognize how effective the “power of story” can be in conveying spiritual truths to people. In fiction, life-lessons come in the back door and can affect us in a similar way music does. So the trick is always putting the story first and allowing the life lessons to come into play naturally, in small doses, the way they awaken for us in real life.
We chose the word “Restoration” as a name for our series, because it means “bringing something back to its original condition.” We’re targeting married couples who’ve lost much of the joy and happiness they once knew in their relationship, through the hardships and everyday challenges that come from living in a fallen world. We believe God designed the marriage relationship to be a satisfying and refreshing part of our lives. A harbor from the storms “out there.” But for millions of couples (even Christian couples) it’s not. Some choose divorce as a way out of their unhappiness, others stay together because of fear or duty, but are anything but happy. Jesus said, “There’s a narrow way that leads to life.”
With The Restoration Series, Gary and I are merely joining a host of other marriage ambassadors seeking to help people find that narrow way back to the life Christ died to give them.
Thanks, Dan! And now for the giveaway!
We have three copies of The Dance to pass along today. For your chance to win a copy, simply leave your name in the comments section of today’s post. And just for fun, tell us who one of your favorite authors is.
By entering today’s giveaway, you affirm and acknowledge LifeWay Christian Resources’ official promotion rules here.
Today’s giveaway starts at the posting time of this blog and ends today (4/10/13) at 11:59 p.m. central time. You must be 18 years old to enter and you may only enter once. The winner will be selected at random. For questions about the rules and regulations of this giveaway, please contact Rachel McRae at One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234.