“Chick-Lit” Tome Resonates With Readers

Readers from Oregon to Maryland—and lots of places in between—are discovering that Bridget Jones has a Christian rival. Bonnie Callaway, heroine of Melissa Lea Leedom’s inspirational novel, To Forgive, Divine (iUniverse, $16.95), has as many “life’s most embarrassing moments” experiences to muddle through as her secular literary counterpart. But Leedom’s readers find that the Divine Ms. C lives a lifestyle more closely akin to their own.

“I enjoyed To Forgive, Divine because of the reality of the characters and the situations they were faced with in their everyday lives,” says Barbara, a human resources director in Houston, TX, “including the fact that they struggled with keeping their faith and their Christianity intact in their thoughts, words, and deeds.”

Cynthia, a technical writer from Baltimore, MD, echoes these sentiments: “To Forgive, Divine shows Christians as normal people with normal problems who also have an intimate relationship with God.”

“I couldn’t put it down!” is the comment that Leedom hears most often, however. “‘I read ’til four AM!’ ‘I read ’til five AM!’” are the comments one sees posted on Leedom's website.

Praised in such diverse corners as Midwest Book Review (“...superbly written...highly recommended reading”), Chicklitbooks.com (“a wonderful book...I enjoyed it immensely”), and the Baptist General Convention of Texas (“I have recommended to all Texas Baptist Camp managers that they carry To Forgive, Divine in their gift/bookstores”), Leedom's novel has been featured as an on-air prize on Austin-area radio stations and in writers’ conferences and forums showcasing local authors.

But fans have the last word on To Forgive, Divine.

“I have been reading Christian novels for a couple of years now,” wrote Kendra, a reader whose husband bought To Forgive, Divine for her at an author signing he happened upon. “There have been many I have enjoyed but only a few that I couldn’t put down. Yours was definitely one I couldn’t put down.”

Melissa Lea Leedom holds degrees in English and Professional Writing from Troy State University at Dothan, Alabama, and Towson University in Maryland. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the San Gabriel Writers' League. A part-time developmental math instructor at Central Texas College in Killeen, she makes her home in the suburban Austin area.

In addition to promoting her own novel, To Forgive, Divine, and working on its sequel, Ms. Leedom provides a comprehensive marketing service that can send your press release to specifically targeted states or to newspapers throughout the United States, Canada, the UK, and English-language publications throughout the world. Visit http://www.forgive490.com/marketingservices to view the clients whose books and products she has helped to market and read the press releases she has written for them. For more information, please write to Melissa at forgive490@yahoo.com.