Novel Dishes More Than Just Carnival Tricks

LONGWOOD, FL (PRWeb) December 14, 2006 -- Life on a carnival midway was never so sweet. Johnny Palmer felt like he had it all: he worked like a mule, fought like a bear, and minded his own business. He was "with it, for it, and up against it"--that is to say he was with the carnival, for the carnival, and up against anything that opposed the carnival. So begins the first chapter of Joel Cook's novel, With It, for It, and Up Against It, a revelation of life in the fast lane on the carnival midway of the '50s and '60s.

The story follows street-smart Johnny Palmer as he charms the beautiful Pumpkin Brown and confronts the midway's menace: a burly ride superintendent named Pollock. Johnny's detached, calculated demeanor earns him Pollock's hatred and anger, and their struggle ensnares the entire midway in a crossfire of mystery, murder, mayhem, and intrigue. Though divided by their instincts, one concurrent idea flows through the story: the redeeming love of God is searching for all men in every place at all times.

Says Cook, "The book offers no excuse for the shortcomings of man, nor does it apologize but rather celebrates the longsuffering grace of God. The Word and works of God change the circumstances of any individual. Moral excellence can be found in some very unusual places among some unlikely people."

The characters are, in part, inspired by figures in Cook's "misguided" past. Though the names have been changed, the overall content is derived from experiences Cook had while traveling in carnivals and is different from any other work of fiction available in Christian bookstores.

For more than 20 years, Joel Cook traveled with some of the largest carnivals in America. At the age of 30, a Damascus road experience led him to commit his life to Jesus Christ. The last three decades, he and his wife, Deanna, have conducted revival meetings in villages, hamlets, and cities throughout America.

Xulon Press is the world's largest Christian publisher, with more than 2,700 titles published to date. Retailers may order With It, for It, and Up Against It through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors.

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