The Promise Remains – Travis Thrasher

The Promise Remains Travis Thrasher
The Promise Remains by Travis Thrasher
Published by Tyndale on August 1, 2000
Genres: Christian, Fiction, Romance
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four-stars

"The Promise Remains" is a heartrending story about a young couple, long separated, who find their way back to each other, along the way learning about God's provision in the face of their own doubts and fears. A contemporary setting with great character development. The first novel from a promising new author.

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

As a young single man, I’ve often been told by those older and wiser than I that, next to my decision to be in a relationship with God, who I choose to marry is the most important decision I will have to make. Ethan Ware, because of his decision regarding the former finds himself denied the latter.

And yet, he made a promise to never stop loving her and she made a promise to never give up on him. Many years later and thousands of miles apart, Ethan Ware and Sara Anthony are still affected by that night – for The Promise Remains.

In his debut novel, published a decade ago (edit: now almost two decades ago…and I’m no longer a young single man), Travis Thrasher tells a wonderfully enchanting love story that spans the course of twelve years. Realistic characters coupled with great writing give the story emotional depth and prepare the reader to accept the truth within. A love story pure and simple, Thrasher proves that guys can be romantic and have a heart for God. It’s an inspirational story guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

The Promise Remains is a story of love, perseverance, and the providence of God. Thrasher’s heart is poured out in this novel, you can tell. He tells his story masterfully, creating suspense and mystery that only heightens the power of love.

Mini Q&A with Travis

Josh: The Promise Remains was your first published novel. What’s it like to see your book on a store shelf for the first time?

Travis: It’s a very special thing, especially when it’s something you dreamt about for so many years. I always wanted to buy that first copy I saw in the bookstore, but I couldn’t bring myself to. I always thought the person at the register would see the author photo and be like, why are you buying your own book??

Josh: Why write this particular story? How much of yourself is written into this novel?

Travis: I’ve shared this before, but I wrote seven dark, ambitious works before sitting down and trying to write a simple love story. I wasn’t ready to tackle the bigger stuff then.

There’s a lot of me in The Promise Remains. The main character dreams of being a writer. Hmm. He used to live in North Carolina. Hmm. But the story itself is total fiction, and even the character Ethan is a caricature of certain parts of me.

four-stars

About Travis Thrasher

Travis Thrasher

Bestselling author Travis Thrasher has written over 50 books, spanning genres in fiction, nonfiction and children’s literature. His inspirational stories have included collaborations with filmmakers, musicians, athletes, celebrities and pastors.

With the childhood goal of pursuing a writing career starting in third grade, Thrasher worked for 13 years at Tyndale House Publishers after graduating college. His experience working with as Author Relations Manager allowed him to understand the writing life as well as training him to work with a variety of personalities. This experience has proven to be invaluable with varied writing projects in the decade he’s been a full-time writer.

His novels are as diverse as the people he’s worked with, ranging from love stories to supernatural thrillers. Publishers Weekly said “Sara and Ethan are two of the most real and sensitive lovers to grace the genre” when reviewing his first novel, The Promise Remains. They also stated “Thrasher demonstrates a considerable talent for the horror genre” in a review for Isolation years later. His readers have enjoyed the unpredictability of his novels, whether it’s due to a unique style such as second person or a twist they never saw coming.

Thrasher’s storytelling ability has also allowed him to work with others on their books, from musicians like country musician Scotty McCreery and Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain to the Robertsons of Duck Dynasty. He has also penned novels based on songs such as Paper Angels with Jimmy Wayne and novelizations for films including Do You Believe? and God’s Not Dead 2. Upcoming projects continue to expand his talents, with projects including The Black Auxiliary about the lives of the 17 American black athletes who competed in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, and Baby Don’t Hurt Me about comedian Chris Kattan’s life and time on Saturday Night Live.

Travis lives with his wife and three young daughters in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area.

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