About the Book

Book: King Here

Author: Trish Porter Topmiller

Genre: Religion/Christian or Spiritual

Release Date: May 7, 2019

Trusting God and sharing Jesus with aging parents can be difficult. As Trish Porter Topmiller watched her father’s casket be lowered into the ground, she knew the complicated jigsaw puzzle of his life finally held the missing piece―Jesus. But for years, his life seemed as far away from grace, and a believing faith in God, as a person can be. A multimillionaire entrepreneur who believed his financial fortress (and business acumen) was invincible, he turned into a workaholic adrenaline junkie―and ultimate opioid statistic who had given up on life. Even then, grace found him.

King Here offers hope that no matter how old, how rich or how addicted someone is, it’s never too late to meet Jesus. Trish shares her father’s inspiring, yet tragic life story―filled with adventure and color and unique escapades―to reveal God’s plan for an old rich man who thought he had no need for God. Stepping back to see the big picture brings to light the hope and joy that God truly can answer prayers and do the impossible, but it doesn’t always look the way readers expect. In this moving tribute to her father, Trish encourages readers to never give up on loved ones who seem “too far gone” for God to reach.

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About the Author

Trish Porter Topmiller is a Christian writer who is a 1988 U.S. Olympian in the high jump, former world record holder for women age 40-44 in the high jump, and multiple times U.S. National and World Masters Champion. Trish is a frequent speaker and guest on radio and television programs and has been the subject of interviews in the Wall Street Journal, U.S.A Today, and Today’s Christian Woman. She is a survivor in Life. Trish lost her husband of twenty years (Pat Porter 2 time Olympian) and son Connor (U.S. National Fencing Medalist) in a plane accident in 2012. She remarried in 2016 and has a wonderful daughter who is a nationally competitive figure skater. She attends Woodmen Valley Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Sagebrush Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has a B.S. Business Marketing degree from University of Oregon.

More from Trish

I did not set out to write a book. I was preparing to talk at my Dad’s funeral and I looked at his life; the outrageous adventures, his business success, all the tragedies, and then the miracles. I realized his life was like an amazing puzzle and only God knew the puzzle box top. That’s when the outline came to me. He affected so many people and generations and once home, I was compelled to continue writing and it began to take shape and grow. I wanted information about publishing, so I contacted Terry Whalin who wrote Billy Graham’s biography. He said it was a story that I needed to share with people beyond my family.

King Here is not only about finding faith and hope, but about the strength and courage it takes to handle what comes our way. In a five-year period, from 2012-2017, I was confronted with the loss of my husband of twenty years (a two-time Olympian), and my beautiful fifteen year old son, Connor (a U.S. National Fencing medalist). They perished in an airplane accident where my husband was the pilot. A few years later my stepmother died at age 60 after a battle with addiction and then my father.

My prayer is you can be drawn into my Dad’s and my life and not want to put the book down. May your basket be filled with nuggets of wisdom and inspiration. May you enjoy the journey and the roller coaster of emotions. May you see how I trusted the Lord through tragedy which strengthens your faith. May you be encouraged to pray for those around you and be empowered to share Jesus with others.

My Review

When I picked this book up to begin reading it, I have to admit that I was a bit surprised. To be honest, I was also wondering why I had signed up to review it, because the description didn’t sound like something I would be interested in. I thought it was going to be a different type of nonfiction book than it was, based on the title; I must not have skimmed the summary before deciding to review this one. Books about financial matters, drug use, and/or death do not appeal to me; they just aren’t my cup of tea. Thus I was mentally preparing myself to muddle through while still hoping for the best.

Trish Porter Topmiller’s “King Here” grew on me as I turned the pages. The first section is expository, offering details about Chuck King, who is Topmiller’s father and the primary focus of the book, as well as the author herself and her family. Because this part speaks extensively about athletics and reads like a biography, I did struggle with it a bit, but in light of the rest of the story, I understand why it is written this way. I was amazed at Chuck’s adrenaline-seeking disposition. Definitely far more daring than I will ever be! His “Chuckisms”, the brief inspirational quotations he spoke often, open many of the anecdotes. The book is not separated into chapters but rather short vignettes that bespeak the transitory nature of life. Black-and-white photos interspersed throughout also demonstrate the process of growing and maturation that each person experiences while giving readers visuals of the people in the book and making them become more invested.

Following that initial segment, the rest of the narrative proceeds with a more familiar manner, drawing readers into the author’s family. There are several heartbreaking instances, which sets the stage for a godly victory and an unexpected ending. “King Here” does deal with issues such as grief, opioid use disorder, and suicide, but Topmiller is careful to address these gently and continuously turn readers toward hope, which can only truly be found in Jesus. Due to certain events in the story, Topmiller addresses possible challenges and questions that will likely arise. Her foresight extends to telling readers how to share Jesus or how to meet Him. This relevancy flows naturally from the narrative and ties together the theme of allowing God to direct our steps: “I am in awe of how God cares for every detail. Every piece of the puzzle was important.” The most important lesson of “King Here” is that God is always working all things together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28) and that it is always the right time to come to Jesus. What are you waiting for?

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.