"Laura, Don't Run" by R. Marshall Wright

All Laura ever wanted was her happily ever after. When she's released from Hobbs Mountain Detention Center, God makes her a promise. But, the idea of a Heavenly Father who cares is something Laura can’t understand or accept. So, like Jonah, Laura does what Laura does best… she runs. She runs from God, herself, and Stone Whitcomb. God gives her room to run but He is still watching over her, protecting her, waiting for her to return.
Stone Whitcomb has accepted the call of God upon his life. He trusts God with every breath he takes. God made a promise to him also, but it was hard to accept. With a broken heart and a law degree in hand, he travels to Joshua Creek, Mississippi to expose a system that imprisons the poor.
What will happen as Stone trusts God and Laura continues to run from God? Will God refuse to give up? Will Laura get her happily ever after?

About R. Marshall Wright

Richard Marshall Wright writes under the pen name of R. Marshall Wright. He graduated from the University of Maine in Orono, Maine in 1969 and Drew Theological School in Madison, New Jersey in 1972. He is a retired evangelical pastor, and a retired U.S. Army Chaplain with 23 years Active and Reserve service to our country. 

He has been married to his wife, Lynn, for fifty years. They are blessed to be able to spend summers on a lake in Michigan and winters in Sebring, Florida. They have two children and five grandchildren. Marnie is married to Arick and is the eldest and has been a stay at home mom rearing three active boys...Luke, Levi, and Loden. She holds a Masters degree from Northwestern in communications and is a writer. Trevor is married to Lori and is a successful pastor in Findlay, Ohio. And he too writes. His two are Emma, who is the oldest grandchild, only girl, and her brother Cole. They are extremely proud of everyone in the family.

"Laura, Don't Run" by R. Marshall Wright is a story about a young girl named Laura who doesn't believe that she can be loved by anyone especially God.  She was abused by her father and she believes that if God loved her, He could have stopped him.

Laura is always running from everyone and God, but she learns that God gives everyone free choices and that He has been with her all along.

Laura decides to get away from her father, but her plan backfires and she ends up in Hobbs Mountain Detention Center.   She plans to be a country music star in Nashville, but God and Stone has different plans. 

Will Laura stop running long enough to discover what God 's plans are for her? 

I wish I could say that every character in the book has a happy ever after but I can't and that is okay because like Laura's learns, everyone has free choices and just like in real life, there are some that choose the way that leads to death. I like books that are fiction but could be real somewhere in the world.

I think a sequel would be good. I would like to read more about these characters. 

This story is written in third person POV (by the pastor).

This is a clean love story but the background is about rape, but it is not description and yes I would let teens read this book. 

I was given a complimentary copy by the author. These opinions are my own.