About the Book
Book: The Persistent Road
Author: Tim Bishop
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction/outdoor adventure
Release Date: June 20, 2023
After losing all he once cherished, Doug Zimmer follows his wife’s parting bread crumbs and rides up the Pacific coast—on a bicycle. Armed with a revolver and only a vague plan to get through the months ahead, he aims to end his depression one way or the other.
As spiritual forces wrangle for his soul, he pedals eastward across America. He meets Lauren Baumgartner—a younger adventurer with a vibrant spirit—and a band of zealots who confront his aversion to religion. Accompanying Doug are not only sunny days and the beauty of nature but also the perils of the road, fellow travelers with their own stories, and the hollow silence of solitary campsites playing host to unseen creatures of the night.
A jarring episode on a climb through a treacherous pass brings Doug face-to-face with life and death. Will Doug’s adventure deliver him from loneliness and lament . . . or hurtle him to an abrupt end?
Click here to get your copy!
Author Interview
would characterize myself as a (seat of the) “pantser.” For The
Persistent Road, I had some structure because my protagonist was
following bicycle routes that I’m familiar with, settings into which I
could immerse the reader. I had a general idea of the themes I was
dealing with, but no firm plan how to get there. It was exciting to
see how God weaved together the themes, settings, and characters
into a plot people are finding satisfying.
readers. And by that, I’m referring to marketing. Authors today,
even the traditionally published ones, need to wear many hats. In
some respects, that’s helpful because, once you learn the tasks and
the tools, you’re empowered. But there’s only so much time in the
day to grow a social media following with posts, to write articles and
newsletters for subscribers, to read other books and learn more
about the craft, to participate in writing groups and help other
authors, and to plan and execute live events. It’s a lot. Especially
for an indie author like me, who also takes care of the many
publishing details. That’s why it’s so refreshing when I sit down and
write something, to dive deep without the distraction of these other
necessities, the benefit of which can sometimes be hard to measure.
and there? At my age, yes. If I don’t write these things down, they
may only have been fleeting thoughts. Most often, these revelations
come to me when I wake up in the morning. There’s a notepad and
pencil in my nightstand, and they’ve come to good use many times
during the writing and editing of The Persistent Road. I consider
these to be downloads from Above because they came to me
subconsciously. So I jot down the concepts, enough to remember,
and develop them when I’m back in the manuscript. When I read
them later as an integral part of the book, I knew those ideas
couldn’t have come from me.
just sit in the middle of a café full of people and write? I don’t work
well with noise. That’s why I sometimes relocate to the library or
close my office door at home, particularly when a deep dive is
imperative. Noise usually distracts my train of thought, unless I’m
so immersed in what I’m doing I can’t even hear it. That happens
sometime too, but I would rather avoid the clamor altogether.
character attributes and the ones I see through my relationships
can’t help but show up, because I carry a writing toolchest filled
with unique life experiences. But I also think our life history and our
attributes aren’t blatantly plagiarized but instead develop
subliminally. So often readers think that what comes out of an
author’s novel reflects the writer’s life. I had someone ask my wife if
I had a porn problem because one of my characters did. I’m glad to
say I don’t have a porn problem. But maybe I have a different
problem now, that of creating a persona in my writing that people
think is me but isn’t!
About the Author
After a thirty-year career in business, TIM BISHOP left his corporate treasurer position, married his dream girl, and embarked with her to parts unknown—on bicycles. Ten thousand miles later, the first-time newlyweds have written four books about their cycling adventures. Their devotional, Wheels of Wisdom, won four first-place book awards. Publishers Weekly dubbed it “a road map for life.”
Tim volunteers as a coach for a ministry that reaches people who are dealing with challenging life issues. He has written numerous articles for various Christian content providers and has been a part of three church plants. These faith experiences have given him an evangelist’s heart to reach people in creative ways.
A graduate of the University of Maine, a CPA, and a three-time Maine chess champion, Tim and his wife, Debbie, live in Middle Tennessee. Connect with him at TimBishopWrites.com or follow @TimBishopWrites on social media.
More from Tim
After three decades chained to a desk in corporate business, I didn’t expect to land here. But now, I’m an author with a debut novel! The road I traveled has been as circuitous as the ones my wife, Debbie, and I bicycled to cross America on our honeymoon. The author part makes sense: I exited corporate life with writing as a primary interest and at least one business book inside me. I also have a passion to share my faith. But a novel? From someone who hadn’t read them since high school?
I’ve since addressed my reading deficiency, but I would like to share with you how The Persistent Road came about.
Shortly after marrying in 2010, I joined Debbie as a hope coach to young people struggling with life. Our third bicycle odyssey, which we embarked on in 2014, was a fundraiser for the organization we volunteered for as coaches. No shortage of financial need there, and few people knew about the hidden gem of a service. Thus, TheHopeLine Tour came to be. We bicycled to our hearts’ content, blogged daily, and pitched our cause.
On day thirteen, things took an intense turn. A man in Richland, Oregon, spilled out his anger upon entering a restaurant. A religious sect at a campground the night before had cornered him with their preaching. We left that restaurant aghast. What had happened in the man’s life to make him so belligerent to matters of faith? The following day, we met him trying to pedal his heavy recumbent bicycle out of – all places – Hells Canyon.
We arrived home two months and three thousand miles later with a bevy of stories brimming with “God moments.” They breathed life into what would become Wheels of Wisdom. Yet that angry man’s screaming echoed in my mind. His unwitting cries for help became lesson 36 in our seeker’s devotional. I called it simply “Hells Canyon.”
My curiosity still wasn’t satisfied. What had happened to make this man react the way he did? And what became of him as he journeyed the perilous roads across America? The Persistent Road answers those questions!
I’ve since landed at another coaching service that welcomes all comers regardless of age. What I’ve learned as a coach and a long-distance traveler by bicycle saturates the pages of my novel. It’s just another example of God’s mysterious ways, of how He uses whatever He pours into us when we ride with Him.
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 26
For the Love of Literature, August 27 (Author Interview)
The Book Club Network, August 28
Blossoms and Blessings, August 29 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 29
Texas Book-aholic, August 30
Cover Lover Book Review, August 31
Splashes of Joy, September 1 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, September 2
Adventures of a Travelers Wife, September 3 (Author Interview)
Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, September 4
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 5
Artistic Nobody, September 6 (Author Interview)
Blogging With Carol, September 6
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 7
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 8
Giveaway
To celebrate his tour, Tim is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon gift card and a copy of The Persistent Road!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/27786/the-persistent-road-celebration-tour-giveaway
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