It's Not About Him by Michelle Sutton

When Susie discovers she is pregnant, she has no idea who the father is. She considers having an abortion, but decides to place her baby for adoption instead. Following through ends up being more wrenching than she'd imagined, but she's determined to do the right thing for her baby.

My take:~

Authentic and confronting, emotive and compelling, Michelle Sutton's It's Not About Him takes the reader on a journey of heartache and hope as Susie and Jeff battle fear, temptation and despair. Michelle vividly exposes the frailties of the human heart with a frankness rarely seen as her characters struggle with rape, alcoholism, promiscuity and failing God's call on their lives. Susie, Jeff and Tony experience the painful consequences of their choices, grappling with the true meaning of living by faith and the sacrifices love demands. Despite the difficult subject matter, hope and forgiveness lie at the heart of this novel, offering today's young adults the promise of a restored heart and mind through a relationship with Jesus. It's Not About Him is a brave and riveting story.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of It's Not About Me

Character spotlight on Jeff Rhodes

Interview with Michelle

Visit Michelle's website and blog

Buy Michelle's books at Amazon and CBD

Character Spotlight ~ Michelle Sutton's Jeff Rhodes

Today the spotlight shines on............................Jeff Rhodes



Michelle Sutton had her first book, It's Not About Me, published late in 2008 and now has 11 books contracted to release over the next three years! She is Editor in Chief of CFOM, a social worker and wife and mother. I'm surprised she had time to drop in at Relz Reviewz at all ;-)

Here's a look at her male lead in her new release, It's Not About Him.

Over to you, Michelle:~

Brief physical description

Think Zac Efron (he is SO cute).

Strengths and weaknesses

Jeff's strength is his desire to take care of Susie and to help her raise a child that isn't his biological offspring. His weakness is that his motivation for wanting to help her springs from guilt over how she got pregnant and his pain regarding his own adoption as a child. He also has a hard time saying no to people like his friend Mike.

Quirk (if any)

Jeff has an interesting past and because of that sometimes the dregs from his past friendships will return to his life. He has a tendency to get so caught up in the present and with helping others that he will sometimes oversleep and be late for work.

Your inspiration for the character

I based the character on a secondary character in the first book, It's Not About Me. In that story Jeff was a real jerk. He used people and didn't care how that affected them. However, in the beginning of INAH he'd been a Christian about five months so he has changed some from the prior novel. But he is still a very new Christian.

Background to the story

Susie wakes up after a party knowing something isn't right. When she discovers she is pregnant but has no idea who the father is, she decides to place her baby for adoption with an infertile couple from church. Following through ends up being more challenging than she'd imagined. But she wants to do the right thing. If only Jeff would quit trying to marry her so she'll keep her baby! Why doesn't he understand? It's not about him; it's about what's best for her child. Meanwhile, a man shows up in her life that looks irritatingly familiar. Could he be the father?

Thanks Michelle for taking the time to share about Jeff. He certainly has undergone a transformation from It's Not About Me to his own story :)

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of It's Not About Me

Interview with Michelle

Visit Michelle's website and blog

Buy Michelle's books at Amazon and CBD

Sneak Peek at Michelle Sutton's It's Not About Him

Michelle Sutton's sophomore novel, It's Not About Him, is set to release in September, 2009 from Sheaf House.

For more details, including synopsis and endorsements (mine included!), check out Michelle's google page here.

Character Spotlight ~ Michelle Sutton's Annie Meyers

Today the spotlight shines on................................................................Annie Meyers



Michelle Sutton is well known for her tireless efforts supporting Christian writers through ACFW, Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers and CFOM. She is now getting her name out and about as the author of It's Not About Me, her debut novel.

Over to you Michelle :)

Brief physical description

Long, fox red hair, cute face, small nose, average build, slightly shorter than most people.

Actor/famous person who might resemble her

Hillary Duff (with reddish hair)

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths are she has strong convictions, especially in regards to honoring her parents and waiting for marriage to have sex. She has no real vices like drinking or smoking, etc. and doesn't swear. She's basically a good girl and a loyal friend.

Weakness is she doesn't want anyone to be upset with her so she tends to give in to keep people happy. She will occasionally lie if she thinks it will keep the peace. She also thinks being a good person is enough and doesn't really know the Bible so is easily duped when someone misquotes it.

Quirk (if any)

She talks to her cat when she is struggling with a decision and can't decide what to do.

Your inspiration for the character

My inspiration for the character came purely from my head in regards to looks, then ironically a young girl- high school age- started attending my church who could have been Annie. So in my revisions I found myself tweaking her out a bit to be more like this gorgeous, soft-spoken darling from church. Also, the event which happened to her and ruined her life, at least temporarily, happened to a friend of mine from a former church.

Synopsis of the book

Annie has it all. She's attractive, graduated with honors, was accepted at the college of her choice, has supportive parents, good friends, and a steady boyfriend who loves her. One night when an unexpected visitor appears, Annie's safe world is destroyed. As she tries to recover the pieces of her broken life, a war ensues between two brothers who both claim to have her best interests at heart. But who will Annie choose? Or will she decide to turn her life in a different direction?


Michelle ~ thanks for sharing about Annie! We'll see you back here next year, featuring a main character from your sequel, It's Not About Him :)


On Monday I will be spotlighting Gracie Lang from Amy Wallace's debut novel, Ransomed Dreams, with a bonus spotlight on Steven Kessler ~ you will enjoy getting to know them a little better ;-)

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of It's Not About Me

Interview with Michelle

Visit Michelle's website and blog

Buy Michelle's book at Amazon and CBD

It's Not About Me by Michelle Sutton

Annie Meyers is worried. Her gorgeous boyfriend of four years, Tony Lane, is pushing their commitment to wait for marriage. Her faith is weak and their self control is under increasing pressure. She is driven by her fear of disappointing him and losing his love.

When real fear plunges unexpectedly into her life through tragedy, Tony is unable to deal with the fallout and becomes increasingly erratic. His older brother, Dan, is more than willing to step in to provide comfort and support to the girl he has longed to be with since he left for college years before.

Bitter rivalry plunges the three friends and their families into heartache and confusion. Will they enable God to halt their downward plunge into an abyss of emotional grief and anger?

Michelle Sutton lives up to her tag line of "Edgy Inspirational Author", tackling issues of desire, premarital sex, alcoholism and volatile sibling relationships in her debut novel, It's Not About Me. Once hooked by Michelle's characters, the race is on to get to the last page and discover where Annie, Tony and Dan's choices lead them. Michelle is not shy about detailing the main characters' feelings of desire and their battle against acting on their attraction, making this book more suited to those in their late teens and older. Annie's vacillation between Tony and Dan and their penchant for putting themselves in potentially compromising situations was frustrating but a testament to Michelle's dedication to write authentically. This may make some lovers of traditional Christian romance uncomfortable while generating a devoted audience in others who have been waiting for such "real life" fiction. Adding significance to her tale, Michelle unashamedly deals with Annie's ignorance of her lack of faith, confronting the all to common belief that church attendance and "good" life choices are sufficient for a relationship with God. It's Not About Me sends a strong message about commitment, faithfulness and the true source of beauty and love. Michelle is sure to make a splash with her debut novel.

Available now from Sheaf House.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Interview with Michelle

Visit Michelle's website and blog

Buy Michelle's book at Amazon or CBD

Please note my view that Michelle's book contains content suited to those in their late teens and older.