Can a promise change hate to love?

When writer/photographer Paul Neal abruptly wrecks his dream of climbing toward top management in a prestigious firm in Dallas after killing a man by driving drunk, he is haunted by guilt and fear, though no one knows his secret. Yearning to forget this devastating mistake and avoid prison, he becomes editor of the only newspaper in the rural East Texas town where the accident occurred, a decision that brings scorn from his friends who see the people there as redneck and racist. Even as Paul promises the dead man he will help the community and care for the children he left fatherless, he is constantly stretched in myriad directions, struggling to meet the challenges of love, duty and identity. In trying to take on the role of this man, who was adored by all, Paul finds himself falling in love not only with family members who should hate him, but also with those who introduce him to a totally unfamiliar world of spirituality. His longings twist him into emotional knots, despite his need to stay calm and logical while reporting on events that threaten to tear the town apart. He senses a holy Presence offering him choices—the power to seduce his new companions, to shatter them or to set them free. Diving into the early 80s, this novel weaves romance, mystery, faith and fantasy, as a way to rise to the challenge of exploring the inner regions of the soul.

Deborah Cover is a licensed mental health counselor with a Certificate in Spiritual Formation from Columbia Theological Seminary. A former newspaper reporter, teacher and corporate communications specialist, her first book was Exposed: Finding Faith in the Covid Years. She lives near Louisville with her clergy husband and volunteers with survivors of domestic violence, immigrants, gardeners and spirituality groups.