Billy Ray's Forty Days

Billy Ray #2

by Frank Roderus

The sequel to "Billy Ray and the Good News" follows the preacher into a fading mining town, where he struggles with love, greed, and the advance of poverty as the mine shuts down for good

Genres: Westerns

181 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1989

About the author

Frank Roderus wrote his first story—it was a western—when he was five. It was really awful, as might be expected, but his mother kept that typed and spell-checked short story tucked away until the day she died.
Later, Frank became a newspaper reporter, thinking that books are written by authors which he most assuredly was not. He kept trying to write though, and eventually did it wrong enough to learn how to get it right. That first sale, a young adult novel published by Independence Press, was more than thirty years and a good many books ago.
As a journalist, the Colorado Press Association awarded Frank Roderus their highest award, the Sweepstakes Award, for the best news story of 1980, and the Western Writers of America has twice named Frank recipient of their prestigious Spur Award. Frank passed away at age 73 in December 2015.

Reviews

[Alwilda Jaquish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billy Ray was a self-educator preacher who found himself in Purgatory City where he struggled with God and questioned why God would lead him to such a God-forsaken town. He struggles with the people who attend his little church and speaks out against the powers that would overcome the citizens of this tiny town. He finds inner strength and begins to minister to the families who worship in his church. Instead of fighting against God he begins to actively reach out to the individuals and finds salvation for his soul, love and compassion.

It was an interesting story that tells the story of a person's struggle in ministry.

[kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as fun as the first one. This one dragged.

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An FR Western About Billy Ray and the 40 Days He Spent in Purgatory

FR had penned threefold novel in the trials and tribulations of the new reverend Billy Ray. For some reason he had been asked by God to assume the preaching position in Purgatory for 40 days. When he arrived he sees that this was going to be an insane time to be helpful. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS

[Cws]

W Rod