Cycling Adventures: The Celebrate Lit Blog Tour and Giveaway of The Persistent Road

About the Book

Book: The Persistent Road

Author: Tim Bishop

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction/outdoor adventure

Release Date: June 20, 2023

After losing all he once cherished, Doug Zimmer follows his wife’s parting bread crumbs and rides up the Pacific coast—on a bicycle. Armed with a revolver and only a vague plan to get through the months ahead, he aims to end his depression one way or the other.As spiritual forces wrangle for his soul, he pedals eastward across America. He meets Lauren Baumgartner—a younger adventurer with a vibrant spirit—and a band of zealots who confront his aversion to religion. Accompanying Doug are not only sunny days and the beauty of nature but also the perils of the road, fellow travelers with their own stories, and the hollow silence of solitary campsites playing host to unseen creatures of the night.A jarring episode on a climb through a treacherous pass brings Doug face-to-face with life and death. Will Doug’s adventure deliver him from loneliness and lament . . . or hurtle him to an abrupt end?

Click here to get your copy!

Book Review

While this book starts out heavy–with Doug losing his job, then his wife to cancer, and then having to battle financial issues with feelings of depression–it also carries themes of hope and grace.

Doug sets off on his bicycling journey without telling a soul–not even his close sister, Carmen. As he rides the Pacific coast, he comes across all sorts of beautiful scenery, interesting people, and even potential life-threatening perils. This, combined with Doug’s feelings of hopelessness and themes of faith, would be enough to keep one turning the pages.

I will be honest, however, no matter how hard I tried, I could not get into the novel. Doug is a relatable character for many, but I myself could just not seem to connect with him. The story itself felt slow-moving at times, with Bishop seeming to build up a potential plotline, only for it to fizzle out. There also seemed to be a lot of telling as opposed to showing, so I couldn’t get totally lost into the novel and its world.

That being said, the book itself has a wonderful message and I did enjoy meeting all the side characters, including Laura, Maggie, and Brother Jim. The plotline itself of bicycling up the Pacific coast was intriguing and makes me want to visit all the sites that Doug did.

Overall, if you are looking for a novel with a strong coming-to-faith story combined with a strong message of hope, I’d recommend this one. There are heavy topics as Doug does struggle with depression, so I will warn of that as there is no trigger warning before the story starts.

I had received a copy of the book as part of the Celebrate Lit Blogging Team and was required to give an honest review.

About the Author

After a thirty-year career in business, TIM BISHOP left his corporate treasurer position, married his dream girl, and embarked with her to parts unknown—on bicycles. Ten thousand miles later, the first-time newlyweds have written four books about their cycling adventures. Their devotional, Wheels of Wisdom, won four first-place book awards. Publishers Weekly dubbed it “a road map for life.”

Tim volunteers as a coach for a ministry that reaches people who are dealing with challenging life issues. He has written numerous articles for various Christian content providers and has been a part of three church plants. These faith experiences have given him an evangelist’s heart to reach people in creative ways.

A graduate of the University of Maine, a CPA, and a three-time Maine chess champion, Tim and his wife, Debbie, live in Middle Tennessee. Connect with him at TimBishopWrites.com or follow @TimBishopWrites on social media.

More from Tim

After three decades chained to a desk in corporate business, I didn’t expect to land here. But now, I’m an author with a debut novel! The road I traveled has been as circuitous as the ones my wife, Debbie, and I bicycled to cross America on our honeymoon. The author part makes sense: I exited corporate life with writing as a primary interest and at least one business book inside me. I also have a passion to share my faith. But a novel? From someone who hadn’t read them since high school?

I’ve since addressed my reading deficiency, but I would like to share with you how The Persistent Road came about.

Shortly after marrying in 2010, I joined Debbie as a hope coach to young people struggling with life. Our third bicycle odyssey, which we embarked on in 2014, was a fundraiser for the organization we volunteered for as coaches. No shortage of financial need there, and few people knew about the hidden gem of a service. Thus, TheHopeLine Tour came to be. We bicycled to our hearts’ content, blogged daily, and pitched our cause.

On day thirteen, things took an intense turn. A man in Richland, Oregon, spilled out his anger upon entering a restaurant. A religious sect at a campground the night before had cornered him with their preaching. We left that restaurant aghast. What had happened in the man’s life to make him so belligerent to matters of faith? The following day, we met him trying to pedal his heavy recumbent bicycle out of – all places – Hells Canyon.

We arrived home two months and three thousand miles later with a bevy of stories brimming with “God moments.” They breathed life into what would become Wheels of Wisdom. Yet that angry man’s screaming echoed in my mind. His unwitting cries for help became lesson 36 in our seeker’s devotional. I called it simply “Hells Canyon.”

My curiosity still wasn’t satisfied. What had happened to make this man react the way he did? And what became of him as he journeyed the perilous roads across America? The Persistent Road answers those questions!

I’ve since landed at another coaching service that welcomes all comers regardless of age. What I’ve learned as a coach and a long-distance traveler by bicycle saturates the pages of my novel. It’s just another example of God’s mysterious ways, of how He uses whatever He pours into us when we ride with Him.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 26

For the Love of Literature, August 27 (Author Interview)

The Book Club Network, August 28

Blossoms and Blessings, August 29 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 29

Texas Book-aholic, August 30

Cover Lover Book Review, August 31

Splashes of Joy, September 1 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 2

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, September 3 (Author Interview)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, September 4

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 5

Artistic Nobody, September 6 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, September 6

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 7

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 8

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Tim is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon gift card and a copy of The Persistent Road!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Giveaway

4 Comments

  1. Thank you for the review.

  2. Thank you for sharing your review of The Persistent Road, this sounds like a sad but ultimately inspirational read and I am looking forward to it

  3. Thank you for taking the time to read and review The Persistent Road.

  4. Such a trip sounds so inspiring!

Comments are closed.