Angela Ruth Strong – Story Behind the Story – Part 1 of 1

Shannon here: Angela Ruth Strong shares how her characters meet and how she met her husband. Comment or answer the question at the end of the post to enter the drawing for latest Romantic Suspense title, Presumed Dead. Deadline: Feb 11th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Angela:

My Hero by Angela Ruth Strong
In Presumed Dead, Preston Tyler is framed for a sabotaged military op in which it is assumed that he died. If he reveals he survived, he will either be imprisoned by the government or killed by the real bad guys, so he lets his family think he’s dead as he tries to figure out who set him up. He’s hiding out at his old family cabin when he sees a bomb planted in his childhood sweetheart’s cabin. To save her life, he jumps on a Jet Ski, races across the lake, and shocks her with the truth of his existence. He hopes Holly will keep his secret and go back to life as normal, but she wants to help him track down the saboteurs.
She argues Ephesians 4:9-10. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”
Preston doesn’t want to risk her life. He doesn’t want to feel responsible for anyone else getting hurt. He also wants to protect himself from the pain of missing the life he once lived. So he pushes her away.
This is where my husband was at when I met him. He was waiting for his youngest daughter to graduate from high school then he was going to move to Alaska. He planned to grow a big beard, live off the land, and write women off forever.
But then I met him at a singles’ BBQ. We were the last to leave. We talked and talked and talked. He hugged me twice before I left. Then he didn’t call me for two months…
I didn’t know why he wasn’t calling me. I didn’t know he thought our chemistry was too good to last. I didn’t know he was trying to talk himself out of asking me out so he wouldn’t have to face heartbreak again. I didn’t know I was messing up his Alaska plans.
I was just like, “Bah. You can’t hug a girl twice and not call her back.”
Two months later he called because there was another singles’ event, and he wanted to know if I was going. Finally. We hit it off again, and by hit it off, I mean he pitched and I swung. He played a lot of softball in his single days, so maybe he only came for the sport, but, as fate would have it, I happened to have a couple tickets to a baseball game for later that week. I asked him if he’d want to go with me.
He said yes, but then he couldn’t wait that long to see me, so he invited me to lunch on that same day. We had two first dates on that day. Which kinda goes with the two hugs, right? Only this time he called me afterward.
I totally ruined his plans for Alaska. But after five years of marriage (and five snow days this year where he realized how much he would have hated living in the snow), he’s really glad he risked his heart with me.
Life isn’t perfect. We still fall a lot, but we have each other to help us get back up. Like Preston learns through Presumed Dead, we learned that God has given us each other for a reason. Two are definitely better than one.

About Angela: Angela Ruth Strong studied journalism at the University of Oregon and published her first novel,Love Finds You in Sun Valley, Idaho, in 2010. With movie producers interested in her book, she’s rereleased it as part of a new series titled Resort to Love, and she’s excited to be writing for Love Inspired Suspense, as well. This Idaho Top Author and Cascade Award winner also started IDAhope Writers to encourage other aspiring authors. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband and three teenagers where she teaches yoga and works as a ticket agent for an airline when not writing.
About the book – Presumed Dead:
THREAT OF EXPOSURE 
Framed for a sabotaged military operation, Preston Tyler has allowed everyone to believe he’s dead—until he witnesses someone planting a bomb in his childhood sweetheart’s cabin. To save Holly Fontaine’s life, he must blow his cover. Holly is shaken…both by the explosion and the sudden appearance of a man she thought she’d lost forever. But their reunion is short-lived when the bomb planter returns, forcing their escape into Lake Tahoe’s wilderness. As they struggle to survive, memories of their shared past reignite old feelings. Holly refuses to lose Preston again, but with their pursuer closing in, will the ultimate betrayal tear them apart for good?

Learn more and connect:

Angela’s Website                     Angela’s Facebook

Can’t wait for the drawing? Get your copy now: Presumed Dead on Amazon

Question for Readers: Who helps you back up when you fall?
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