Take One Read Online Free

Youth Theater auction in Washington
     State. Jessica chose to honor her deceased mother, Janetta Drake, by naming her Forever in Fiction. Janetta had blonde hair
     and blue eyes and an extraordinary love for God and the people He placed in her life.
    She was married twenty-three years and raised three children—Jordan, Jason, and Jessica—all of whom are young adults. Janetta
     spent her younger married years traveling the country doing evangelism events for children. Later she became a nurse and spent
     time as the head of a nursing home. She loved playing the piano and writing, and once penned a children’s book called Jessica’s Special Angel . Janetta loved children, and was happiest when she spent time with her family—children and grandchildren. People often said
     of Janetta that she loved all children as if they were her own.
    Janetta’s character in Above the Line: Take One is that of an actress in the first movie being produced by my main characters. In the fictional world of the actors and actresses
     that make up the cast of my producers’ first film, there is much arrogance and self-indulgence, many difficult people. In
     that arena, Janetta’s character is a bright light, a quiet example to others, and one of the main reasons the producers feel
     encouraged to continue in their work.
    I pray that Jessica will see the memory of her mother deeply honored by her gift and by Janetta’s placement in Above the Line: Take One , and that Jessica will always see a bit of her mom when she reads her name in the pages of this novel, and in subsequent
     novels that make up this series, where she will be Forever in Fiction.
    If you are interested in having a Forever in Fiction package donated to your auction, contact my assistant, Tricia Kingsbury,
     at [email protected]. Please write Forever in Fiction in the subject line.



One
    C HASE R YAN DOUBTED THERE WAS ENOUGH oxygen in the plane to get him from San Jose to Indianapolis. He took his window seat on the Boeing 737, slid his laptop
     bag onto the floor space in front of him, and closed his eyes. Deep breaths, he told himself. Stay calm. But nothing about
     the job ahead of him inspired even a single peaceful feeling. On Monday Chase and his best friend Keith Ellison would set
     up shop in Bloomington, Indiana, and start spending millions of dollars of other people’s investment money to make a film
     they believed would change lives.
    Even during the rare moments when that fact didn’t terrify him, Chase could hear the quiet anxious voice of his wife, Kelly,
     splashing him with a cold bucket of reality. “Only two million dollars, Chase? Seriously?” She had brought it up again on
     the way to the airport. Her knuckles stayed white as she gripped the steering wheel. “What if you run out of money before
     you finish the film?”
    “We won’t.” Chase had steeled his eyes straight ahead. “Keith and I know the budget.”
    “What if it doesn’t go like you planned?” Her body was tense, her eyes fearful. She gave him quick, nervous glances. “If something
     happens, we’ll spend the rest of our lives paying that off.”
    She was right, but he didn’t want to say so. Not when it was too late to turn back. The actors were arriving on set in two
     days, and the entire film crew would be in Bloomington by tomorrow. Plans were in motion, and already bills needed to be paid.
     They had no choice but to move ahead and stick to their budget, trusting God that they could make this film for two million
     dollars, and illustrate a message of faith better and stronger than anything the industry had ever seen.
    Failure wasn’t an option.
    They reached the airport, but before she dropped Chase off, Kelly turned to him, lines creasing the space between her eyebrows.
     She was only thirty-one, but lately she looked older. Maybe because she only seemed to smile when she was playing with their
     two little girls, Macy and Molly. Worry weighted her tone. “Four