THRASHER, Travis 1971-

PERSONAL:

Born 1971, in Knoxville, TN; married; wife's name Sharon (a teacher). Education: Trinity Christian College, B.A. (communications).

ADDRESSES:

Office—Tyndale House Publishers, 351 Executive Dr., Carol Stream, IL 60188.

CAREER:

Writer. Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, IL, author relations manager, c. 1994—.

WRITINGS:

The Promise Remains, Tyndale House Publishers (Wheaton, IL), 2000.

The Watermark, Tyndale House Publishers (Wheaton, IL), 2001.

The Second Thief, Moody Publishers (Chicago, IL), 2003.

Three Roads Home: Stories of First Love and Second Chances, WaterBrook Press (Colorado Springs, CO), 2003.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

A suspense novel with Moody Publishers titled Gun Lake.

SIDELIGHTS:

Travis Thrasher works as an author liaison for a Christian publishing house and is himself the author of Christian romance novels, including The Promise Remains, called "a tender romance" by Roberta Blair in a review for Romantic Times online. Thrasher, who has lived in Australia, Germany, Florida, and New York, set the story in North Carolina, where he lived the longest. It depicts two lovers who have been separated for many years. Kindergarten teacher Sara Anthony is engaged to be married, but she cannot forget Ethan Ware, a writer she fell in love with long ago, but who did not share her religious beliefs. Ethan, who has been adrift and unable to write, has been offered a wonderful career opportunity, but before he can take it and move to Germany, he must discover what has happened to Sara. They find each other, and Sara's faith is accepted by Ethan. "But," said a Publishers Weekly contributor, "the book is driven by authentic, engaging characters, not its predictable action." A reviewer for Marriage Partnership called Thrasher "a promising new author."

The Watermark is about musical prodigy Sheridan Blake, whose past contains a tragic secret. Sheridan meets beautiful graduate student Genevie Liu at Covenant College where, seven years earlier, he was involved in an accident that has left him filled with remorse and guilt. His inability to open up and trust her nearly ends their relationship, but she gives him another chance, and he is ultimately able to forgive himself. In a Library Journal review, Melanie C. Duncan called The Watermark "a beautiful, sometimes whimsical journey to faith." Romantic Times reviewer Bev Huston considered the book "a personal journey-type novel rather than a romance." Booklist's John Mort said Thrasher "writes engagingly."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, January 1, 2002, John Mort, review of The Watermark, p. 804; June 1, 2003, John Mort, review of Three Roads Home, p. 1740.

Library Journal, November 1, 2001, Melanie C. Duncan, review of The Watermark, p. 78.

Marriage Partnership, fall, 2000, review of The Promise Remains, p. S4, and "Birthplace of Love," p. S6.

Publishers Weekly, July 3, 2000, review of The Promise Remains, p. 50; December 2, 2002, review of The Second Thief, p. 32.

ONLINE

Evangelical Church Library Association Web site,http://www.eclalibraries.org/ (October 9, 2003), "Travis Thrasher."

Romantic Times,http://www.romantictimes.com/ (April 30, 2002), Roberta Blair, review of The Promise Remains; Bev Huston, review of The Watermark. *