My Passion by Ron Hartman

Today, I have Ron Hartman joining me to talk about his passion.

            What is passion?  To me passion is intensity, a fire that burns long and hot.  It is a response that lasts long after the initial sensation has been lost in time.   Passions can run the gamut, from a love of football to a love of a woman, from hobbies to careers.  I’ve been told I’m a passionate person, that I burn hotter than most.  I think that also means I feel things to a greater extent them some, which may be why I have so many passions.  To me, passion is about walking through life with your arms wide open, taking what comes and experiencing it to its greatest extent possible.  Consequently my passions are as varied as a summer day in Iowa (which I’m passionate about, by the way). 

I’m passionate about my family.  They are my center.  Without them, nothing else is worth living for.  Everything I do is about improving life for my wife and kids.  Sometimes, on my worst days, I see one of my kids smile, or my wife says she loves me, and it suddenly doesn’t seem so bad.  My first book was dedicated to my wife.  My second, The Prophecy Chronicles: Prophecy Revealed, is dedicated to my kids.  I would die for them, although I’d rather live for them, and I think they’d prefer that as well.

I’m passionate about my writing.  Nothing quite opens me up, or fulfills me, as my writing.  I learn so much, not only about myself, but also about my characters and the world they live in, when I write.  I always start with an outline when I write, but what really fills me with passion is when the unexpected happens.  When I put the first word on the page, and I suddenly realize what I’d planned wasn’t right at all, that these characters have a completely different plan in mind.

I’m passionate about my faith.  I am a Christian, and I’m not afraid to admit it.  I’ve traveled the world as a missionary, and I’ve seen miracles.  Children have been fed, people healed, and lives changed by the power of faith.  How can you see something wonderful and unexplainable and not be passionate about it?   

I’m passionate about football.  I love football.  Intensity and fire, the words I used to describe passion, are at the center of football.  If I wasn’t a middle-aged man of average height and build, I’d love to be a professional football player.  It doesn’t matter where I am in life, or where I find myself, I am always an Eddyville Rocket, an Iowa Hawkeye, and a Chicago Bear, in that order.  My passion for football has taught me to never give up and never back down. 

I’m passionate about life.  I believe life is to be lived.  Note, I said, lived, not lived.  Life is an exclamation point, not a question mark.  It is meant to be explored.  We’re given five senses in this life, and I believe we should use them.  I want to feel, smell, see, taste, and touch life.  After all, none of us get out of this alive, so we should enjoy it while we can.

Finally, I’m passionate about people.  I love to hear the stories of others.  I want to know where you came from, what you do, and what drives you.  After all, it is only in the sharing that we learn more about ourselves, and in turn learn more about the world around us.  In my life I’ve learned powerful lessons from a marine that traveled the world, a humanitarian that is changing the world in Africa, and a farm girl from Iowa who has changed my world.  One is a brother, one a mentor, and one my best friend and wife.

Passions are as varied and wonderful as the colors in an artist’s tapestry, but I always want to learn more.  I’m always looking for the next challenge, the next mystery to solve, or the next friend to make.  So share with me.  Help fuel my fire.  Tell me, what are you passionate about?  

PROPHECY REVEALED

By

Ron Hartman

BLURB:  

Daniel Marten crossed the Burning Sea and convinced himself that he is the Prophesied One.  But what does that mean?  In this second installment of the Prophecy Chronicles trilogy, Daniel forges new alliances in his bid to save Naphthali from the Emperor.  He meets the Tene’breon, a magical race that has evolved to use the Weave as effortlessly as he breathes air.  The leaders of this race recognize him for what he is…but they also see something more.

            Naphthali has been dramatically altered by the rule of a new governor, a man whose power is tied to Daniel in a horrifying way.    How far will Daniel go to save Naphthali?  And what is the secret that binds his destiny with his new allies?  Only time will tell in The Prophecy Chronicles: Prophecy Revealed.

EXCERPTS 

He heard a noise and turned to see Meadow Song walking across the map room at the tower's top. He walked through the double doors to greet her and was surprised when she pulled him in close, hugging him tight. His left arm wrapped around her waist and his hand slid up her back until it cupped the base of her neck. She tilted her head up as he leaned in and their lips brushed together. Her tongue darted in his mouth, soft and sweet, and a hot rush bloomed inside him as he pressed into her, responding to her need with his own. Barely registering over his desire, a part of Daniel's mind whispered, so different from Ashley. The feel, the taste…   

He gasped and pulled away. Meadow Song looked up at him, her eyebrows raised. "What is it?" Her voice was low and husky.

Daniel hesitated before breathing, "I-I love you."

Her face lit with a soft radiance. "And I you. Why do you stop?"

Daniel's arm fell away and he stepped back. It was too easy to lose his resolve when he stood in her warm embrace. "I can't," he whispered. He closed his eyes and saw Ashley. "I may never see them again, but I can't betray them."

Meadow Song frowned before understanding dawned. "Ashley is a fortunate woman." Daniel's heart wrenched at the pain in her whisper.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Author Bio:  Ron Hartman has had a life-long passion for the written word and is an avid reader.  The Prophecy Chronicles are his first written works.  The first in the series, Prophecy Foretold, was released in October of 2012.  Prophecy Revealed is the second in the trilogy.  Ron graduated from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy in 2000 and lives in Ottumwa, Iowa with his wife and three children.

Website link: www.prophecychronicles.com

Purchase link at Rogue Phoenix Press: http://shop.roguephoenixpress.ieasysite.com/category_v3.aspx?categoryid=96

Ron will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter and a $50 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn host during this tour and the Review Tour. Please use the following Rafflecopter code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for for joining me today. I see we share a number of passions...family, friends, football.

 Anita
www.anitaphilmar.com