I finished writing all the books currently under contract, and now I get to decide what to do next. I have a few possibilities, and I’d love to hear which ideas most interest you.
This is the fun part! Here we go…
1.) Football is My Boyfriend — After a breakup, Payton Wakeland finds herself in possession of four season tickets to the local college football games. She reluctantly attends with her mom, sister, and a new friend, never expecting to run into her ex at the games. It’s through cheering for their team together that Payton learns about teamwork and the power of redemption—though a second chance with Brady might require a Hail Mary. Side Note: You might have heard me talk about this one before because it’s partly finished, but I had to put it on hold when my publisher requested sequels to Husband Auditions.
2.) Trash the Dress — After ten years of marriage and three kids, Allie Darling is determined to fit back into her wedding dress for a fun photo shoot, not realizing her husband’s recent struggles with God are the bigger threat to her picture-perfect anniversary.
3.) Racing Hearts — Layla Cross put her life on hold to take care of her mom through cancer, and not only does her fiancé move on without her, but her mom passes. After struggling for years, she finally finds new purpose when she joins Drew Hudson in planning 5Ks to fight the disease. Sadly, another close friend receives a cancer diagnosis, and Layla feels she has to choose between supporting her friend and the man who supports her… though she doesn’t know if her heart will survive saying goodbye to either.
4.) Ready for Takeoff — Three new flight attendants navigate the turbulence in their various relationships. Through many misadventures and advice from the elderly owner of their crash pad, they each learn it takes faith to fly.
My dream would be to write not only the novels but also a screenplay and companion devotional for each of these stories. I’m not sure what will happen with any of my ideas, but I look forward to sharing the journey with you.
Click here to vote in a poll. Then, in the comments below: Rank my titles or pitch me a story you’d wish to have an author write for you to read.
Angela Ruth Strong sold her first Christian romance novel in 2009 then quit writing romance when her husband left her. Ten years later, God has shown her the true meaning of love, and there's nothing else she'd rather write about. Her books have since earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, been optioned for film, won the Cascade Award, and been Amazon best-sellers. She also writes non-fiction for SpiritLed Woman. To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho, and she teaches as an expert online at WRITE THAT BOOK.
I like the last one about the flight attendance.
I can see the first one working well with sports fans. (I don’t understand American football but did use to have season tickets to cricket and would go to a couple games each year)
The one as a carer to her mother who then dies I am not sure I am up to this sort of book right now.
Not sure what book I want written but maybe a cat shelter that finds new homes for rescue cats.
Oh, that’s a unique idea! Thanks for your input.
on Renate’s comment about a female pilot that would be great and a male flight attendant too.
On a side note when I went to Canada I wanted to see a Mountie. I was there for a Christian womens retreat and went with one lady to meet another lady from America at the airport (most of us hadn’t met in person before). Once we picked her up the two ladies talked and basically forgot I was even there. I was in the back of the transit bus with a Pilot as it also took flight crew to our hotel and the neighbouring one. I got to chat with the pilot. Turns out he use to do the Vancouver to Sydney flight at one time and he also had suggestion on places to see in Vancover and beyond. I decided a pilot was more interesting than meeting the Mountie!
I have stayed at hotels with flight crew and its interesting. I can see so many stories that could come out of this idea.
For sure! Though I bet Mountie stories are fascinating too!
they probably are. At the airport in Hawaii waiting to fly to Canada I met the wife of a mountie and she said they don’t wear the serge often only for ceremonial occasions. She also said many are not the romantic ideal many think. I would love to see one dressed up just cos it’s something Canadian. But the pilot was interesting.
Hi Angela! I voted. Having celebrated my Golden Wedding Anniversary last month my first choice is Trash the Dress. While I still have my wedding dress, after saving it from a house fire – 24th anniversary, it is now in a memory box. Up to that point I often modeled it on my anniversary. Being committed “till death due us part,” marriage has its ups and downs. As we loving joke on our anniversary – hubby has been happily married 25 years and I have been happily married 25 years. We take turns – not usually a whole year but times within the year. My happy time is from Mother’s Day to our June 16th anniversary (includes my birthday). Hubby’s happy time is from June 16, to his birthday the end of July (includes Father’s Day). The rest of year we compromise. LOL – maybe you can add that to your story / Screen play. Our motto is: LOVE is a Choice.
2nd choice is Ready for Takeoff. Love stories about flying. Oldest son has a pilots license (small plane). 15 year old grandson Logan has both his driver’s permit and Pilot’s permit – he will receive both licenses on his 16th birthday in December. 9 year old granddaughter is interested in flying. For that story be great to include a woman pilot. Last year Logan told his sister girls can’t be pilots. But I proved him wrong. I have a former girl student, who while in the US Air force flew around the world and now with 3 children is an international commercial pilot. Scripture might be “Anything is possible.”
As Ausjenny stated – even though I am an American, I am not a football fan. #3 MY mom had cancer and lately with the bad weather, negative news, I prefer ROM-COM to deal (even as a retiree) with the angst in our daily lives. Hope this helps. Best wishes. Happy writing.
Great stories! And congrats on a beautiful marriage. I absolutely agree with your thoughts on female pilots. And I’m sorry you lost your mom. <3
4
2
1
3
I bet 4 would be really interesting!
I could make it pretty real!
I don’t watch sports, but the first one sounds really good!
Fun! Thank you.
All sound good, but I would choose Racing Hearts.
I could have fun with it!
Loving the idea about the flight attendants!! Sounds like it would appeal to multiple audiences!
That’s what I’m hoping!
I like the idea of the flight attendants and I think you might have some interesting stories to tell. I also am interred in the football story. So 1 flight attendants and 2 football.
For sure. Thank you.
All your idea for a book sound Great! Have a great day and a great rest of the week. I voted.
Thank you so much!
Oh boy! This is tough. My first choice would be Football is My Boyfriend, only because it is started, and it sounds fun.
Second Trash the Dress. This would HIT today, and you have a wonderfully unique way of bringing humhumor to heartaching topics.
I hope you write them all..
Thanks! I hope so too. :-)
I voted for Trash the Dress – although I have sold my wedding dress, there’s no way I would ever fit in it now lol.
I also like the idea about the flight attendants.
I work in health care and I do enjoy romances in a medical setting, but I find they always focus on doctors or nurses – there are so many other job roles, it would be nice to see something that included an occupational therapist, dietitian, physiotherapist or pharmacist!
Great ideas! My girls are CNAs, and studying other areas of the medical field.
I think the fourth one about flight attendants. It’s fresh and unique.
I hear so many stories while flying!
Ummm, all of them? Seriously though, I like Football is my Boyfriend or the Flight Attendant one. All of the ideas sound so good!
Fun! I hope to write them all for you.
I’d want to see the one about the flight attendants from you first. Because, you know…
Then
Football is My Boyfriend,
Then
Trash the Dress,
Then last about caregiver. Might be trigger for me, although I am not actually caregiver.
Good to know! And yeah, caregiving is hard.
Angela,
Hopefully you will get other replies which will totally disagree with mine. I do see many requests on Avid Readers of Christian Fiction for stories of caregivers. So some feel that is helpful!
My daughters are CNAs at a retirement community, and have they got some stories!
Well, I would love a romantic comedy… we always see that story where the hero or heroine loved the other for years as “cute”, so when their love finally turns to see them, it’s a happy moment, right?
I would like a story where the heroine meets the hero in college but she has a strong faith and he doesn’t, the heroine falls in love with the hero and prays for years for him to take God seriously and turn to look at her, finally after 6 years of it the hero becomes and miracle! he realizes that she was always the right woman for him! But it’s too late the heroine has decided that she deserves better than a man who only turns to look at her after dating numerous women! like “g
God thank you for saving my friend but the other was just an immature desire I prefer a man who really appreciates me and looks at me from the beginning”.
The hero then must work to win her back and make her feel valued and loved even when the heroine suddenly becomes very popular with the opposite sex! (Maybe she was always so aware of her friend being the classic “unconditional best friend” that she didn’t pay attention to other guys around her.)
It would be fun to read something like that just when the hero finally realizes the girl says “hey you know what? no thanks”.
Well maybe the guy just always felt that she was too good and saintly for him (because you know many women deal better with “he loved her but felt he didn’t deserve her” than with “he just never looked at her”) hehehe
That’s great! Have you ever thought about writing?
Yes I would love to write! but I am more oriented towards fantasy or youthful things. I feel that I lack life experience to write contemporary romance.