'This is about assisting people on their journey of faith'

Prolific author and Baptist minister Patrick Coghlan's latest book is a teens/adult Christian novel called Crazy About Horses. He explains why

 
In my late sixties, I am a Baptist minister (Worstead Baptist Church, Norfolk), Christian counsellor, and published author of 41 books. My writing is mainly Christian non-fiction for a variety of different age groups – always Bible based, accessible and accompanied with loads of prayer resources. But over the years, I have also written a handful of family novels; and now a teens/adult one.

My latest book Crazy about horses – based on North Norfolk Coast - is a Christian novel, with lots in it about faith and prayer; and it just oozes horses. Having said that, many of the people who have enjoyed reading it have not been horsey people.

The book focuses primarily on 18 year old Isabel; passionate about horses, and also her Christian faith – but she struggles with issues of broken relationships and a history of being bullied. It doesn’t take much, in terms of triggers, for her to feel that she is right back there in the school playground, facing the bullies.

I started writing Crazy about horses several years ago, while attending a local creative writing course. It’s taken some time to complete, because I’ve repeatedly placed it onto the backburner, to make way for other more pressing writing projects.

There is so much of myself in this book. I have lived in Norfolk most of my life. I love the North Norfolk Coast line; particularly around the salt marshes. In my youth, I trained under the British Horse Society as a horse riding instructor, and worked with horses for a number of years. I am still an enthusiastic horse rider (see picture); and endeavour to go riding once a week.

One of the key themes in Crazy about horses is facing up to the bullies; and they come in a variety of contexts in this book. I speak from experience, as I was bullied relentlessly at school, for many years; and in the workplace. Horse-riding, as well as being a passion of mine , has also been a great healer of the damage done to my confidence, through those past traumas – and still is an amazing means to mental and physical fitness.

I grew up in a Christian family; and I always tell people that Jesus lived in our house. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know Jesus; although I consciously asked him into my life when I was about 12 years old, at a Billy Graham meeting being relayed to a cinema in Norwich. I have always been enthusiastic about prayer; and I do try to encourage people to feel at ease about chatting with God. My first published book was called Anytime! Chats with God – it was all about informal prayer. That kind of prayer, linked with a relationship with God, through Jesus, plays a large part in Crazy about horses.

My publishers told me that, as far as they knew, I was the only person writing Christian fiction based on horses in the UK. If that is the case, I can’t believe that is because there is no demand for it!

My vision for Crazy about horses is that church congregations will use and promote this as an evangelistic tool, and an encouragement to those who have been bullied, are going through difficult relationships, or struggle with prayer, especially to young people who love horses.

My hope is that parents, grandparents, etc. will buy copies for their teenage children or grandchildren to read. My late Aunty Vera was a great one for giving away Christian books to people, as part of her witness to them. There is still something about holding an actual book, and reading it – rather than everything being electronic or online.

I have purchased quite a lot of copies from the publisher, in the hope of selling them at reduced prices to church book stalls to promote witness. I know that I am not going to make money from writing books – I give too many away, or sell them for too lower prices. This is about helping to bring people into the kingdom; and assisting them on their journey of faith. So please contact me if you have captured the vision, or would like to have a copy for yourself.

If you would like a single copy for yourself; or to buy multiple copies for your church book stall or local Christian book shop, please contact me. I am happy to supply with an invoice. patrick@acsmail.net
 

Patrick Coghlan is the minister at Worstead Baptist Church in Meeting Hill (North Norfolk). He is also the chaplain of Aylsham and district Care Trust (ACT), and the manager of ACT Counselling Services

Patrick's latest book Crazy about horses is published by Instant Apostle  

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