I'm so excited about this new contemporary Christian Red River Romances series! I started writing it and April's release Sing a New Song as novellas, but they both went well over 40,000 words. Still aren't my normal 300+ page historical novels though, so be forewarned.
And this title in e'book format is my gift to all those subscribed to my newsletter THE CARYLER! That's right, can you believe it? I'm thanking my subscribers with a free book every quarter! SING A NEW SONG is the second quarter's offering, and ACQUIRING A WIFE in August for the third quarter!
I wrote each in one month and really enjoyed the characters! The Preacher' Faith is set in Red River County. There are two little Baptist churches north of Clarksville, one named Hopewell and another named New Hope, so I made a fictitious New Hope Baptist Church for the book.
But the Rio Verde Mexican restaurant and the Italian Bistro, Rehkoph's and the shops mentioned are all in it, and I think that's so much fun! You may recognize a few names from around town if you live in Clarksville or from the historical novels you've read from the old timers in the Red River County of my Texas Romance series.
Poor Faith, her daddy's dying, and he so wants to see her married and settled before he goes. He hopes to walk her down the aisle. And to appease him, she promises to marry if a guy meeting her qualifications asks. Dumb-dee-dumb-dumb! :)
Can the orphaned preacher and the heartbroken rodeo
queen navigate the path to true love with a lie and an ex-beau blocking their way?
Learning of Faith Johnson’s rash promise to her
father, New Hope Baptist’s interim preacher Asa Davidson shows up to apply for
the position—of husband. The cowgirl was only trying to give her dying father
hope promising to marry the first thirty-something-year-old Christian virgin to ask. Who’d ever dream one existed
in all of Texas, much less
Red River County? But sure enough, one comes a’courting the very
next day thanks to the Lord and Daddy’s baby sister, loud mouth Aunt Iris.
Faith’s appalled, but a promise is a promise. She only needs to figure a way
out.
Originally, Asa sees matrimony as a career move. He hopes a godly, local wife will seal the deal for a
permanent call. Then asked right out about that very thing, he lies. Sparks fly when her
past love and the preacher meet up, but as the days pass, she finds herself
admiring the man and his relationship to God more and more. He’s a hard worker
and wonderful, fun companion. Maybe she could learn to love him. But what if New Hope doesn’t call him? She loves it right where she’s at. Plus what about her dying father? And there’s that untruth
between them….
And to make things even harder, her ex comes to
Christ through it all!
 |
| My town! I'm so glad God led us to Clarksville, seat of Red River County! |
Opening excerpt from The Preacher's Faith:
A black sedan rolled across the main entrance
cattle guard. Faith sat a little taller in the saddle. Shame it wasn’t a new
truck pulling a full Featherlight horse trailer, but hey, any new business
would be a Godsend. Instead of coming to the barn though, the car stayed right
and went up to the house. New nurse, maybe?
Whatever. The gelding needed at least another
fifteen minutes. She worked him hard—several times around with a right front
lead, turn around the other way on a left lead, backed him one complete lap—then
took him into the wash stall. She’d never known a horse who loved baths better
than the beautiful paint, and so intelligent, almost too smart for his
britches. Definitely one she wouldn’t mind calling her own.
Halfway to having him brushed out, the barn’s
man-door opened.
“Miss Johnson?”
She looked over the gelding’s back. The form of
a man stood in the doorway silhouetted by the late afternoon sun. Tall with
broad shoulders, he filled the opening. She couldn’t see if he looked like
money or not, but hey, even poor guys needed their horses trained. “Yessiree,
that’d be me. How can I help you?”
“I came about the position.”
“You’ve come to the wrong place. I’m not
hiring.”
The guy stepped in and closed the door, his
face still dark and indistinguishable. “That isn’t what your aunt Iris said.”
“Bless Auntie’s heart, I don’t know what she’s
thinking, but she’s just wrong. I’m not hiring. Sorry you came all this way for
nothing.”
Her eyes started adjusting, and the man, maybe
a few years older than her, came into view. A sort of good-looking type in a
townie kind of way, but… “Maybe you need to come tell her yourself, Miss
Johnson.”
Oh no, the place was a wreck. Faith needed to
get in the house and stop the old dear. “Auntie’s here?” The perfectionist
would have herself a heart attack for sure.
“Yes, ma’am. She rode out with me.” A sly grin
etched the man’s face.
Dear Lord, what was going on? She didn’t have
time for this. Faith grabbed another brush and tossed it to him. “Here, make
yourself useful.”
“Sure. What do I do?”
“Brush that side.”
She moved the soft bristles a bit faster. Why,
oh why, hadn’t she taken a little time and cleaned up this morning? A mental
walk-through horrified her all the more. The armload of dirty laundry on the
window bench in the living room. She’d been on the way to the utility room when
her daddy needed help.
She didn’t even want to think about the
kitchen’s condition.
And how long had it been since she swept? The
dirty baseboards with webs and dog hair and who knew what else… And oh no, she
left all her papers scattered all the way around her swivel rocker from looking
at the bills and trying to figure out exactly how she was going to get them all
paid.
Bless God! Just what she needed. Why this
person brought her house-crazy-keeping aunt all the way up to Negley,
especially unannounced, proved more than a little irritating. This is a test,
this is only a test, she assured herself.
“Brush only in the direction his hair grows.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She worked down each leg to the hooves with her
mind racing a minute mile for the reason her daddy’s sister might have told
this fellow there was a job opening. She’d love some help if she could afford
it, but… In not quite half the regular time, the gelding rested in his stall,
hayed, grained, and happy.
Sliding the paint’s door closed, she practiced
what she wanted to say then latched the stall and faced the intruder. “Okay
look, I don’t know who you are, but hey, I’d appreciate the truth. Why are you
here? Really.”
“Sorry, ma’am.” He extended his hand. “Name’s
Asa Davidson.”
Closing the couple of steps between them, she
one-shaked the offering then nodded toward the door. “How is it you know Aunt
Iris anyway?”
“Met her at church. I’m the new interim pastor
out at New Hope Baptist.” He stepped out into the late afternoon sun. Better
looking than she first thought, but dear Lord, the man really needed to get
himself a pair of Wranglers and some boots. Slacks and loafers would not do,
leastwise not in these parts. He stuck out like a newborn white Charolais calf.
She walked beside him toward the house. “So,
exactly what is this job Auntie is talking about? Did she tell you?” She looked
over and grinned. “I’m already saved, a blood-bought, Bible-thumping child of
the King.”
“That makes you a princess.”
“Yessiree, bless God. So if you’re not here to
share the Good News, Pastor, what was it she told you I needed?”
“A husband.”
She stopped in her tracks, practically
paralyzed. Tried to swallow, but couldn’t. He took two steps more then turned
back, smiling.
“Did you just say husband?”
“Yes, ma’am. Miss Iris said you told your
father yesterday that you’d marry if an eligible bachelor asked you.” He
shrugged. “So what do you think?”
Reviews: These reviews come in before the book is actually released. These readers are on my 'street team' or 'Review Crew' that I call my Christian eVALUaters! If you'd like to join that team and receive free e'books before the actual debut of some of my titles, then you can SIGN UP here!
Great Story! Hope there’s a sequel. I love to
see the artful dodger as a part of it, maybe a reunion? And he could find his
mother. Just love curling up in an afghan and cup of cappuccino and reading
Caryl’s books!
--Lenda Selph, reader, New Boston, Texas
The Preacher's
Faith, as with all Caryl McAdoo's novels, is full of good scriptural advice.
The title is a play on words...does 'faith' refer to a personal faith or the
person Faith or both? Have a read and decide for yourself. …a quick and easy
read, and just right for a cold winter's day - your heart will be warmed by
this delightful little story.
-- Julia
Wilson UK
This was my first book to read by Caryl McAdoo and I
absolutely loved it. I will be reading more. I love the way she prays that her
story gives God Glory and dedicates The Preacher’s Faith to Him and His
Kingdom. You will find the two main characters, Faith and Asa, talk back and
forth discussing scriptures. [It’s] a good clean book to read. I was drawn into
this story right from the start. I loved this book and can’t wait for book two
-- Elizabeth Dent, reader, Alabama
Bio: With sixteen titles
released by six publishers, (Simon & Schuster’s Howard Books being one), I am excited about my first contemporary Red River Romance The Preacher’s Faith set in Red River County. I love being hybrid, too. That means I'm traditionally published (Howard, Roman and Littlefield, and Thorndike Press) and now also Independently (Indie) published. I also edit, paint,
and sing the new songs God gives me as well as many other songs!
In 2008, my high school sweetheart-husband Ron and I moved from the DFW area—home for fifty-five years—to the woods of Red River
County. I count four children and fourteen grandsugars my life’s biggest
blessings believing all good things come from God. Praying her story gives God
glory, I hope my books also minister His love, mercy, and grace to all
their readers as well as cause them to examine their own relationship with Him
and draw closer to Him.
I live with Ron and two grandsons--Christian and Benjamen--in Clarksville, the county seat in the far
northeast corner of the Lone Star State I love, And we also have four dogs and a
bunch of barn cats.
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