Talkshow Thursday: Meet Michael Ackerman
Michael
looks around nervously, adjusts his Stetson. Wonders if he should take it off,
for manner’s sake. Though his mugshot had been filled the local news years ago,
he’d never willingly embraced the media.
But to
grant a one-on-one interview, an exclusive? Maybe this was a bad idea.
The green
room door crashes open and Tressa, the talk show host, enters wearing a peachy
summer dress with teal jewelry and heals. “Michael!” She approaches him with an
outstretched hand. “So glad to have you on the set. We’ll start in …” She
checks her watch then glanced around the green room. “Exactly two minutes and
thirty-five seconds. You ready to wow the ladies with that dashing smile of
yours?”
“I … uh …”
How had he allowed Reba to talk him into this?
“Relax.”
Tressa looped her arm through his. “You’ll do great.” She tugged him out the
door and onto the set. “Just answer the questions. And remember, be real. Don’t
stifle your emotions. The more drama, the better. Viewers eat it up.”
Michael
stiffens. “Like I told you when I accepted this interview, my goal’s to defuse
drama, Ms. Reynolds. Not feed it.”
She
flashes a smile, motions to one of two plush leather chairs then sits in the
other one. She hands him a steaming mug of coffee with the show’s logo printed
on it. “In case you need something to do with your hands. Plus, it’ll make our
conversation appear more relaxed.”
He sat and
shot a glance toward the live audience. Had to be at least two hundred folks,
mostly women. Probably half of which were waiting to hear him flub things. God
willing, some of them were longtime camp supporters who came to hear his side.
He wanted
to give them that, but knowing his luck, he’d get his words all twisted, make
things worse. Camp Hope couldn’t afford that. If they lost their donors, the
ministry would go under. Staff would be laid off.
Life
changing ministry halted, maybe for good.
“Four,
three, two …” A large, bearded cameraman began counting down.
Before
Michael could catch his breath or gather his thoughts, they were on.
“What do
you say we cut to the chase, Michael?” Tressa scooted to the edge of her seat
and shifted so that she partially faced him and the camera. “You’ve seen the
pictures that have surfaced, and I’m sure you’ve heard what people are saying.”
“About my
dad?”
“And your
past. Did Camp Hope’s board of directors know about your record—your struggles
with alcohol—when they hired you?”
“I didn’t
hide anything. Not then or now. And I don’t drink.”
“But you
did.”
He
swallowed. “That one night.”
“A temporary
laps of judgment, then?”
“I guess
you could call it that.” Stupidity born in a burst of rage at watching his dad
beat his mom one too many times.
“Let’s
talk about Martha. She came in on scholarship, correct?”
He nodded
and rubbed his thumb knuckle.
“You
checked out her family history?”
“Of
course.”
“Were any
of your staff trained in dealing with kids with trauma?”
“Our staff
are well trained. But more than that, they’ve got a heart for those kids. They
love them like Jesus would.”
“Love is
enough, then?”
“It’s got
to be. It’s the driving force for everything we do.” Everything he was. Had
become. He wasn’t that enraged felon anymore. Christ had grabbed a hold of him,
made him new. Whether this talk show host and all her scandal-loving viewers
cared to see that or not.
“Tell me
about Loni.”
He
frowned. “What about her?”
“She’s
blind, correct?”
This
wasn’t about her. It was one thing for the media to hound him. He could take
it. Probably even deserved it. But he wouldn’t let them turn on Loni or make
this about her blindness.
“Have you
ever attended a church camp, Ms. Reynolds?” If he threw questions at her, kept
her talking, maybe he could direct the conversation onto all the good Camp Hope
had done over the years, all the lives transformed.
And away
from Martha and Loni.
“I can’t
say that I have. Your counselors—how do you select them?” She glanced at the
cameraman then straightened with a beauty pageant smile. “We’re going to take a
short break to hear from our sponsors. We’ll pick up this conversation when we
get back.”
No, they
wouldn’t. Obviously Tressa was looking to profit from a scandal, regardless of
whose life and ministry she destroyed. Had he really expected any different?
He stood.
“Listen, I’d love to—” No sense lying to the woman. “If you need anything else,
I suggest you connect with our public relations department.”
Murmurs rippled
through the audience, and Tressa immediately started back peddling.
Michael
quickened his step, and with a quick nod to the cameraman, Michael left.
Whoever
said all publicity was good publicity had clearly never been to prison nor had
anyone try to entangle their story with the death of a troubled teen.
Dancing in the Rain:
On the verge of college graduation, Loni Parker seeks employment as a music teacher, but no one will hire her since she's blind. Or so she thinks. To take her mind off her troubles, her roommate invites her to spring retreat at Camp Hope in the gorgeous North Carolina mountains.
Unbeknownst to Loni, Michael Ackerman, the director, is an ex-con responsible for the accident that caused her blindness. When Loni warms up to camp and wants to return as a summer counselor, Michael opposes the idea, which only makes Loni want to prove herself all the more. Though she doesn't expect to fall for the guy. Still, her need for independence and dream of teaching win out, taking her far away from her beloved Camp Hope...and a certain director.
Camp director Michael Ackerman recognizes Loni instatnly and wants to avoid her at all costs. Yet, despite the guilt pushing him from her, a growing attraction draws him to the determined woman. She sees more with her heart than the average person does with his eyes. But her presence also dredges up a long-buried anger toward his alcoholic father that he'd just as soon keep hidden. When circumstances spin out of control, Michael is forced to face a past that may destroy his present.
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Jennifer Slattery Bio: Jennifer Slattery is a writer and international speaker who's addressed http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com. She has a passion for helping women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. As the found of Wholly Loved Ministries (http://whollyloved.com) she and her team partner with churches to facilitate events designed to help women rest in their true worth and live with maximum impact. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband. Connect with her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/JenSlatte) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/).
women's groups, church groups, Bible studies, and other writers across the nation. She's the author of six contemporary novels, maintains a devotional blog found at
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