But it turns out that he had had a secret past as a "Christian operative" for CHAIM (Christians for Amnesty, Intervention and Ministry), a top secret organisation that sends its operatives all over the world to "rescue Christians who are in danger". Dev had been chosen for this just after he had trained as a minister at a seminary in New Orleans, and had been given the code name of The Pastoral.

As his secretary-admirer, Lydia, gets to know him better, she realises he is "stubborn, hardheaded, determined, noble, fearless and downright aggravating. But he was still a good man." He proves himself a good fighter too. Not a very convincing pastor, though.

Lenora Worth (real name: Lenora H Nazworth. Date of birth?) grew up in a small Georgia town, where she decided she wanted to be a writer while still in the fourth grade. She married her high school sweetheart then they moved first to Atlanta in Georgia, then to Shreveport, Louisiana. After the birth of her second child, she took up writing full-time. She wrote 35 romance novels for three different publishers. Her books have won both regional and national awards and she now has over one million books in print. "Each time I start a new book," she explains, "I say a prayer, asking God to give me the streength and direction to put the words to paper."

Secret Agent Minister (2007)
Secret Agent Minister starts like this: "Someone was going to have to explain about the dead body in the bath tub. Really. That thought kept running through Lydia Cantrell's head as she looked from the grotesque body of a wide-eyed dead man wearing a bloody suit to the shock-filled stare of the surprised and very alive man standing in front of her." The very alive man is Pastor Devon Malone. Lydia is his love-struck secretary who is soon to discover that the kind and gentle Pastor Kev had had a violent hidden past as a "Christian secret agent".

It is enemies from this past that endanger both their lives so that they have to flee first to New Orleans (where they take refuge in Kissie's Korner jazz club which Lydia is relieved to hear "is a very clean place, faithwise. Kissie takes in troubled teens, turns toward the Lord and sets them on their way." So that's all right then.) Then it's off to Texas and Colorado. At one point, they have to pretend to be "a very wealthy, happily married couple." Lydia had to hide "her secret glee beyond a show of agitation" but she can be sure that Dev is certain to behave himself as "a perfect gentleman", even if he does start to notice things like "that cute little mole on her right cheek. And her endearing dimples. And the way she lifted her dark eyebrows each time she doubted him."

"Devon Malone had scaled ten-foot walls to save human lives; he'd walked through fire to rescue trapped missionaries from rebels and drug lords. He'd swum through alligator-infested swamps to get to another person in need. He'd been shot at, attacked, taken hostage, stabbed, robbed, beaten and left for dead. But none of that had ever prepared him for Lydia Cantrell. Her very innocence and sweetness took his breath away" Of course, "He couldn't think about things that were inappropriate and risky, such as kissing her," so "he gripped the old oak banister in order to control his emotions." But then on page 97 he actually kisses her! He realised that he "had breached all decorum and protocol and broken all the rules".

It is an absurd plot, what with the worldwide activities of CHAIM (Christians for Amnesty, Intervention and Ministry), its secret agents (both genuine and treacherous), its secret hideaways, and its coded messages, sometimes left in potted plants, all based on references to the Book of Job. He turns out to be an expert pilot, but unfortunately his Cessna runs out of fuel so he tells Lydia she must hang on to him and his parachute as they jump out. "Okay," she said, sniffing back tears. "Okay. But ... Pastor Dev ... promise me you'll hold on to me. Promise you won't let go."
"I won't let go," he said, his lips grazing her cheek, his head pressing against her temple. "I won't let go, Lydia. Ever." And, of course, they land quite safely. "Lydia loved him. He knew that now .... He loved her. But unlike Lydia, he didn't have the guts to say that yet. Not yet. ... Not when someone was determined to end both their lives.' And it's page 186 already.

There's a melodramatic ending when the arch villain is confronted, Lydia rescues the one she loves and Dev declares his love for her.
"I love you, too, Pastor Dev."
"You can call me Dave now for sure," he said into her ear.
"You'll always be Pastor Dev to me," she replied. "Always." Meanwhile,"Rhett the cat watched, purring away in delight."

There then follows a message from the author (concluding with: " With God's grace and guidance, we can survive and become stronger and better. I hope that you will find it in your heart to let God be your guide, no matter your dreams") and a list of Questions for Discussion, amongst which "Can you believe a word if it?" is not included.

The author has her own colorful website on which she also offers advice on how to write inspirational romances.

Please sign my GUEST BOOK. All comments, contributions (or corrections) welcomed!



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