Also by this author: Midnight
Published by WaterBrook Press on May 20, 2003
Genres: Fiction, Christian, Romance
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Three Roads Home explores the painful heart-trials that all couples must weather and the unexpected shelter they find in the restorative love of God. Brimming with honesty and hope, these stories offer moving portraits of how we grow in love despite the storms of life.
Three Roads Home is a collection of three separate love stories of three couples who are able to grow in their love even while going through the storms of life. Relationships must be restored, hearts must be mended, the meaning of true love must be discovered, and through it all Travis Thrasher writes from the heart.
Let’s be honest, Christian romance – or any kind of romance – isn’t exactly a genre I read a lot in. But in a genre that all too often focuses on the physical and the ideal, Travis focuses on the spiritual and doesn’t shy away from realism. That’s part of what makes his books appealing, regardless of which genre he’s writing in.
The first story is Somebody, which tells the tale of Charissa and Trevor. Harsh and angry words were spoken and left unresolved before Trevor left on his business trip, and now Trevor’s flight has crashed over the Atlantic. While Charissa waits to see if her husband is among the survivors, she relives the circumstances that brought her and Trevor together and contemplate how they went from such an in-love couple to what just might have been their last argument.
In Care Of seems to be Thrasher’s writer’s manifesto in a way. The main character, author Stephen Conroy, has a lot of say about writing, and you see Thrasher’s own writing philosophy shine through a bit. When Stephen receives a fan letter from an old flame, he must face the temptation of confronting the love of his past without compromising his current and future love.
Still Life at Sunset features Anna Williams returning to her hometown to face her troubled past. She runs into an old love from her past who tries once more to win her heart. Old wounds are opened, and will either be healed or scarred anew. I’m still smiling at how this one ends.
As a whole, this is an interesting collection of stories. Thrasher displays his writing prowess by writing each story with a different technique (either in person or tense). He also subtly pays homage to characters from previous books, connecting his stories in fun ways. (Yes, Travis, I noticed your reference to The Watermark.) Thrasher has the ability to write whatever he wants to write in a fascinating and compelling way that always manages to strike a theme that is both clear and relevant.
Mini Q&A with Travis
Josh: How did a unique project like Three Roads Home come your way?
Travis: I always thought of my first two novels as part of a “Letters Trilogy.” So I began writing a third novel that I titled Somebody. My publisher wanted to see how those first two love stories did in terms of sales (such is the life of every writer), so I had to wait. But I really wanted to follow up with another novel so I shopped Somebody around. Waterbrook Press came back to me and asked about doing an omnibus. I was like, an omni-what? But it was great – three short stories around a similar theme. Three for the price of one, in my mind.
Josh: In In Care Of, the main character’s name is Stephen Conroy. My guess is you chose that name for a reason. Why?
Travis: Yeah, so NOT obvious. Normally I’m a little more subtle. I based this off my two favorite authors: Stephen King and Pat Conroy. Stephen Conroy’s books have showed up in a few other of my novels. Kinda fun to start your own universe like that.
About 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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