Was this book influenced by the 1999 slaying of African-American basketball coach Ricky Byrdsong?
NJ: Sure, the story situation for GETS TOUGH was inspired by our relationship with Coach Ricky Byrdsong, who was shot in the back by a white supremacist on a shooting rampage just a few years ago. Suddenly this kind of tragedy was not just a headline in the newspaper, but the devastation of a family who were dear friends. Yet God taught us so much in the aftermath of that tragedy, not the least of which was the attitude of faith, forgiveness, and trust in God evidenced by the Byrdsong family — and how intentional we need to be about NOT letting Satan drive us apart. FR: You and your husband, Dave, co-authored a nonfiction book, NO RANDOM ACT, based on Byrdsong’s martyrdom. Tell us a little bit about it. NJ: Dave and I were in the middle of working together with Ricky on his book, COACHING YOUR KIDS IN THE GAME OF LIFE (Bethany House Publishers), when he was murdered. And yet by God’s grace, Dave and I were able to finish that book in Ricky’s voice with the invaluable help of his wife
