Young Adult / Coming of Age / Christian
Date Published: April 14, 2026
Publisher: Clay Bridges Press
Most people don’t know quite what to make of Jay McGee. His
teammates call him “Mac Daddy” ('90s slang for a smooth-talking
ladies' man). But Jay is nothing like that. In fact, he just doesn’t fit
neatly into any box—honors student, basketball player, church
kid—and he’s okay with that, as long as two people notice: Coach
Mays, the fiery perfectionist standing between Jay and his basketball dreams,
and Nicole Ellis, the cheerleader he’s secretly liked since sixth grade.
When Jay finally seizes a moment of boldness with Nicole, he steps into new
territory—only to discover her life is far more complicated than he ever
imagined. Maybe he should just focus on basketball. Except Coach Mays seems
blind to Jay’s potential, harping only on his flaws.
Caught between pressure, failure, and secrets no one talks about at Sunday
school, Jay is forced to wrestle with deeper questions—about who he is,
what he believes, and what it really means to be seen, to love, and to become
someone worth noticing . . . no matter what.
What makes it unique:
This book provides a practical way for teens to engage with difficult
questions and feel seen in the struggles they’re facing, while also
being educational and presenting hard truths everyone will have to wrestle
with. It helps the reader ask tough questions about who they are, who they
want to be, where they want to go in life, and who they want to bring along on
the journey.
The engaging characters and witty conversation pull in the reader and command
attention and focus. This is not a story that will be read and quickly
forgotten. Unlike generic "coming of age" books, No Matter What tackles the
struggles of adolescence with taste and decency, allowing the reader to think
and feel throughout the story without becoming unnecessarily uncomfortable or
awkward.
Interview
What is the hardest part of writing your books?
Finding the time. I'm a pastor and father of four, so carving out margin in both my schedule and my mental energy is always a challenge. This book was mostly written on my one flight per year for more than a decade — until I finally hit a groove last year and got it done.
What are your most played songs?
I'm not someone who has music playing throughout my day. I listen to books in the car, and I don't put anything on during runs or in the office either. When I do listen, I enjoy fun music or music to sing along with, so it's usually hymns and worship songs or older Rich Mullins and Third Day. And like Jay in the book, I like Weird Al.
Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
The primary reason this book got finished and published were the ladies in my office, Trudy and Debi. When they found out I had a few chapters of a novel sitting on my computer, they wanted me to read it to them during lunch. Once we reached the end of what I had written, they told me I had to keep going. Having something new to share motivated me to get through each chapter until I reached the end — and then they pushed me to get it published. I also had a few friends read it, and then someone who didn't know me at all, a friend of a friend who works in publishing. I wanted positive feedback from a variety of people before moving forward.
What book are you reading now?
Right now I'm reading Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools by Tyler Staton, a book on prayer that my wife recommended. I recently finished Treasure Island for the first time, as well as Dallas Willard's The Allure of Gentleness. Up next is Story Made Simple by Brandon McNulty, which is still waiting in my queue.
How did you start your writing career?
I wouldn't say I'm a career writer, but I have been writing throughout my career. I have a journalism degree from TCU, and a couple of articles I wrote there got picked up nationally. I had a Christmas play published when I was a youth pastor, written for our post-9/11 Christmas program. I contributed a blog called "No Small Calling" about small church ministry to my seminary's website during my years pastoring in Arkansas, and I've had pieces published regularly at Royals Review, a Kansas City Royals fan site. I also published a discipleship book a couple of years ago.
Tell us about your next release.
I have three books in the planning stage — two novels and a devotional. The devotional is a study of the commands of Jesus in the New Testament. I've worked through each Gospel and catalogued the specific imperatives Jesus gives, and I'm planning to spend two or three days on each command for a 365-day devotional. One novel follows the story of Paul's shipwreck from the end of Acts through the eyes of Julius, the centurion in charge of him. The other brings Jay McGee from No Matter What into his junior year of college, where he faces new questions about identity and purpose.
About the Author
Stephen Suffron is a dad and longtime pastor, currently serving at First
Baptist Church in Denison, Texas. He loves telling stories that connect people
across generations through humor and biblical truth. No Matter What began as a
short story for a college class and was later expanded into a novel to help
guide his own teenagers through high school. Steve and his wife have been
married for more than twenty years and are raising four children together.
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