Redeeming Love

Product Information

You write in the romance genre, which follows a narrative arc between two people. In Redeeming Love, you break the mold in the sense that you introduce Angel to a wider community, including female friends. Why was that important for you to include? Sarah’s smile fell in confusion. They spoke so coldly to one another. Neither looked at her. Had they forgotten she was there? What was wrong? Mama was distraught. Why was Papa so angry about Cleo not being home? Chewing her lip, Sarah looked between them. Stepping closer, she tugged on her father’s coat. “Papa…”

Where was God when you were born? How does that make you feel? What else do you learn about God from these verses? Through the lens of Angel, we discover that there are two kinds of men in the world: sex-crazed maniac murderers, and the nicest guys ever who still only vaguely manage to suppress their sexual urges through a close relationship with god. Basically, all men in the book are tormented by their relationship with sex, and it's all about whether or not they "give in." Even with a spouse, there's some sex that's okay and some sex that's not okay because it's "giving in." We’re not trying to titillate people. There’s a point to the scenes and a reason for them to be in there. And it’s such a gritty story. It’s coming from a hard place. I’m thinking about the letters that I’ve gotten and people talking about how it impacted them as survivors, coming out of that kind of life, and them wanting to know Michael. And I’m able to say, “Well, this is really about Christ and the way Christ loves you and how he defines you.” There’s the line in the movie where Michael’s saying, “You didn’t choose the life you had, but you can choose the life you want.” We all have to make that choice. And that’s the primary message in this too: the love of God and letting him make you a new creation.

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The writing simply wow'd me. It was eloquent and its grace brought this story to life. I felt every pain and heartache displayed within these broken characters, as well as every rejoice. NO. NOT PAUL. He raped your wife and you don't even care enough to do anything about it! (Admittedly, Michael doesn't know all the details but he should have given Angel the benefit of the doubt AND laid into Paul until Paul admitted everything.) But Miriam ends up marrying Paul and even though Paul kind of repents it's still awful. He's a rapist/philanderer and I loathe him.

Love cleanses, beloved. It doesn't beat you down. It doesn't cast blame. My love isn't a weapon. It's a lifeline. Reach out and take hold, and don't let go." My heart and soul were profoundly shaken as I realized anew the lessons portrayed through the stories of Hosea and Gomer, Michael and Angel. This may be the single most moving book you will read this year—or in your lifetime.” California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep. You’ve spent too much time in church,” he said derisively. “Have you ever thought that you wouldn’t have the problems you do now if you had gotten rid of her the way I told you. It would’ve been easy. But you ran out.” So, in the end, it fails as an allegory; Michael doesn't chase after her quite as the real Hosea did; Sarah isn't wanting to return to a life of sensual fulfillment as Gomer was. Also, it tipped over the edge more than once into sensationalism, ending in being more like a soap opera than like a story focused only on the redemption of a soul and a lifestyle.She remembered Michael’s hands, large and strong, clearly used to hard labor. They were callused and rough. His hands had looked so cruel and yet been so gentle. His touch had healed her body and opened her heart.

God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. I told you how I felt from the beginning, but you wouldn’t listen. She should never have been born, Mae, but you insisted on having your own way.” Anyway, I thought I would have more to say about Angel, but she's just as empty as Michael. She's empty in a different way in that she seems like a self-contained unit piloting her way through the novel, going whichever way she is steered by the various characters. At least she had a career of sorts so she wasn't totally empty. And I didn't mean that as a hooker pun, but once you start denying hooker puns you've already kind of lost the battle. She stared at those aristocratic hands, hands without calluses, pale and manicured. Beautifully shaped hands that were capable of unspeakable cruelty.This is a Christian based love story about a prostitute finding redemption and spirituality with her farmer husband. This book quotes a lot of scripture and the story itself is based on the Bible story of Hosea and Gomer. For ‘Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”