by Patricia Bradley, @PTBradley1

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

— Theodore Roosevelt

Are you the man in the arena? Or have you thrown in the towel? 

I wish I’d come across this quote by Theodore Roosevelt years ago—it would have given me encouragement when I struggled for almost thirty years to get published. Thankfully, I was the man in the arena, plugging away at my computer. As I type this, seven years ago today I awaited the results of an editor taking my story to her pub board. This was the day I was to receive an answer. 

I was returning home from Chattanooga, and every few miles I’d pull over and check my email on my phone. Nothing. By late afternoon, I assumed the answer was no. I stopped at Walmart and called my mom to let her know I’d made it home as I rolled toward the checkout. A minute later I received received an email alert. I glanced at my screen. It was from my agent. 

Swallowing hard, I put my mom on hold and read it. 

The pub board said yes! And not for just one book, but three. 

The whole world faded into the background as I stared at my phone. It was surreal. I don’t even remember checking out. Looking back eleven books later, it still seems surreal. 

That was in October. What if I’d stepped out of the ring in January? What if I hadn’t kept working on that first book, learning the craft, revising…

So be that man in the arena. Don’t give up. Keep learning the craft and keep submitting. 

Long Days. Hot Nights. Deadly Secrets. Grab this red hot Christian Suspense Anthology bargain for just 99c for a limited time only before it increases to $9.99! Start your summer off right with 16 gripping and never-before published tales of Christian suspense from today’s most popular mystery and suspense authors. Join Patricia Bradley, Mary Alford, Christy Barritt, Vannetta Chapman, Mary Ellis, Debby Giusti, Rachel J. Good, Ruth Hartzler, Shaen Layle, Ruth Logan Herne, Loree Lough, Elizabeth Ludwig, Nancy Mehl, Serena B. Miller, Samantha Price, Alana Terry on a dangerous journey filled with mystery, suspense, and faith that that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

JUSTICE DELIVERED

Carly Smith came by her trust issues honestly. A victim of sex trafficking, she’s been at the mercy of merciless men, ignored by law enforcement officers who should have helped her, and seemingly rejected by her family. She can’t even trust herself to do the right thing. Though she escaped her captors and is working hard on building a new life, the past continues to haunt her when she discovers that the man she couldn’t bring herself to report to police for fear of reliving her captivity is still out there, luring vulnerable girls under the guise of being a modeling agent.

When her own niece is kidnapped, Carly must overcome her fears and come forward with the information she has before it’s too late. When that proves to be not enough, she’ll have to go after the perpetrators herself.

Winner of an Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award in Suspense and a 2018 Carol finalist, Patricia Bradley lives in North Mississippi with her rescue kitty, Suzy. Her romantic suspense books include the Logan Point series and the Memphis Cold Case Novels. She also has written sweet romances for Harlequin Heartwarming available as e-books.