I never planned to write a separate book with this title, but it seemed appropriate when the original book seemed too long and needed to be split. Although the second book in the Chase Wright series is similar regarding the suspense inherent in a spy genre, our hero must deal with all the emotions that only romantic love can create. The personal life of what I refer to as the almost perfect spy often overshadows his mission of saving the world. I could have written a separate romantic novel based on his challenges in the process of finding that perfect woman. Although I enjoy stories that include romance, the ones I enjoy most include some suspense and action. As a result, including romance in my spy book seemed like the perfect fit. Ultimately, the superficial romance, with few exceptions, common in Bond stories didn’t satisfy my expectations for a good story. A deeper kind of romance culminating in a lasting love at all levels is what I look for and attempted to include, as illustrated by the following quotes from the book:
Chase listened as Scott explained how he got his wife back. After applying for a desk job, he took his vacation time and started the romance all over by dating his wife.
Excerpt from Chapter 1 of Finding Mrs. Wright
“It’s so much better to come home to love than to a lecture. You’ve got to find the right woman and do what it takes to make it work.” Scott leaned across his desk to be sure he made eye contact before continuing. “There’s a woman you know that would understand what you do, and I know you care about each other.”
Sophia and Chase were enjoying each other’s company. Sophia, in the short time she knew Chase, had matured to accept him as a father figure rather than a love interest. Chase was viewing Sophia as a daughter. That took her off the list of potential wives and placed her on top of a list all by herself.
Excerpt from Chapter 20 of Finding Mrs. Wright
Chase explained how he met Xena and how he wouldn’t find peace of mind until he found the face that went with the sweetest voice he ever heard. He left out the part about the touch. He concluded by explaining his love and respect for women. Sophia was smiling from ear to ear. Chase’s attitude toward women had clearly impressed her. Here was a man who saw women not as sex objects for pleasure, but as wonderful gifts men should treasure and respect as equals.
Excerpt from Chapter 20 of Finding Mrs. Wright
My feelings about spy fiction have been a mixture of love and hate since childhood. The tragic death of characters I cared about, alongside the questionable ethics of the heroes, created an unhealable wound. The lead’s heroic actions and suspenseful story often kept me hooked until that inevitable point where the hero fails and tragedy prevails. Some would argue that this represents real life as an art form. They may even say that it’s entertainment. It boils down to opinion, yet embracing someone else’s perspective feels like a betrayal of self.
Finding Mrs. Wright was the last book I wrote where I was trying to improve stories I disliked with my version. In my mind, I justified my changes with what I considered more creative, exciting, and satisfying outcomes. I will admit that I wrote my stories to satisfy my idea of how good should overcome evil. I vicariously fixed much of what I felt was wrong with the world. The result is identical whether I’m relentlessly fighting evil in my writing or succumbing to my ego and limited perspective. Perhaps the saddest realization is finding no one to share my feelings with at my level. In the end, I may have written only for myself, and maybe that’s enough. Maybe that’s all God intended when he planted the seed for me to write my first book. If that’s what God intended, it’s more than enough.