Real People, Messy, Joyful People
How Do You Live Without Love? follows a widowed pastor who, while trying to revive a divided and declining church, must confront his grief and learn that loving others doesn’t mean he can save them. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The trope of the protagonist entering a new job, new town, etc is well-worn. I had just abandoned another writing project (and grieved over its death) when I literally “brainstormed” what I wanted to write. I wanted to write about real people, messy, joyful people who fail on a regular basis, or whose victories are tempered in some way, yet they find the courage, stubbornness, and love to get out of bed the next day and do it all over again.
I literally chose a pastor because everywhere you go in this country – there’s a pastor.
How did you balance the novel’s humor and conversational dialogue with subjects such as suicide, racism, homophobia, and bereavement?
Truly, these are not subjects of humor! But life is funny, and sometimes you have to just laugh to keep from crying.
Wesley often helps people through practical acts of kindness rather than sermons. What did you want this contrast to communicate about faith and ministry?
Jesus said to feed the poor. He did not say to preach at them or love them until they no longer hunger.
Which supporting character surprised you most during the writing process, and how did that character’s role evolve?
There are currently 8 books in this series. Character development is ongoing. My initial response was “Matthew.” Early in Book 2, he amazed me with his insight and his uncompromising love. But Lucky (the true star of the series) is so much more than what is revealed in the first book. Though hints are there.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
When a teenager dies by suicide and her mother’s humiliation explodes online, Rosa Lee becomes a magnet for cameras and contempt. Wesley, barely a pastor and twice a stranger to mercy, steps into the storm—counseling teens, calming old ladies, cutting the grass, answering crisis hotline calls—trying to make faith look like rescue instead of rhetoric.
As the church’s finances and patience run out, a vote looms: keep the earnest, flawed pastor or replace him with steadier hands. But when the outside world shows up with microphones and accusations. Wesley’s choices become literal life or death. Can a man who still blames himself for his family’s deaths save strangers—and in doing so, finally forgive himself? This is a story about grief, messy grace, and the small acts that sometimes hold a town together.
Posted on August 4, 2026, in Interviews and tagged anthony bradshaw, author, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, ebook, fiction, goodreads, How Do You Live Without Love?, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, story, writer, writing. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.
Leave a comment
Comments 0