Have the sins of the mother come upon the daughter?
Jasmine Larson Bush is finally living a drama-free life. She’s left her lying, cheating, stealing stripper days behind and is standing by her husband’s side as the first lady of one of the largest churches in New York City. The Bushes have been blessed with the best of everything—including two lovely children.
But just when Jasmine has committed her life completely to God, her daughter Jacqueline is kidnapped from a mall the day after Thanksgiving. The police and the church community join in the frantic search to find the four-year-old. As the days pass without any sign of her daughter, Jasmine begins to crack under the strain and turns to Brian Lewis, Jacqueline’s biological father, for solace.
Has Jasmine’s past finally caught up to her? Will her daughter be found or will Jasmine pay the ultimate price?
Juicy Jasmine Larson Bush is at it again -- battling her past in order to save her future.
With her own lies, she nearly destroyed her marriage to Pastor Hosea Bush. Why, Jasmine was forced to reveal every secret she'd ever kept from her husband, right down to her real age, weight, and shoe size! She thought she had told Hosea everything.
But when Jasmine is blackmailed with a terrible truth from her past that she "forgot" to tell Hosea, more than just her marriage is in jeopardy.
Surprisingly, her first instinct is to tell the truth. Jasmine knows, however, that this is one part of her life that can never be exposed. Determined to keep the life she fought so hard to save, Jasmine is willing to commit any sin -- even murder -- to leave her past behind her. No one can know the truth about the First Lady of City of Lights at Riverside Church. No one can know that beneath the veneer of a redeemed Christian wife, there lies a sinner -- especially not her trusting husband.
They're fifteen and they're fine, and they want to be the hottest, hippest new girl group to hit gospel music. First they'll have to win the team talent competition. But with looks, energy, and voices like theirs, they are sure they'll go right to the top. Find our more about the Divas at: www.thedivinedivas.com
Too Little, Too Late: A Novel
Jasmine Larson Bush returns to her devious ways in this tale of two marriages -- each threatened by lies and betrayal.
She took marriage vows to be honest and true, but Jasmine's still hiding secrets to keep her husband, Minister Hosea Bush, by her side. When Hosea's ex-fiancée, Natasia, suddenly appears in New York, Jasmine knows it's not a coincidence. A former manstealer herself, Jasmine is very aware of Natasia's motives -- even if Hosea is not.
Complicating Jasmine's life is the secret she's kept from her baby's daddy. Luckily for her, Brian Lewis has problems of his own. His wife, Alexis, is convinced he's cheating on her -- but Brian's real betrayal is much worse. Revealing the truth to his wife could lead him back to the biggest mistake of his life...Jasmine.
Two marriages are in desperate jeopardy. Will Jasmine be able to scheme to save her own? Or will she have to choose between protecting her past and compromising her future? Even if Jasmine and Brian find the courage to stop the lies, it may be too little, too late....
There are four ways a woman can handle heartbreak. She can fall apart, seek revenge, turn cold, or move on. The Ex Files is the story of these four women:
When Kendall Stewart finds her husband and her sister in bed together, she vows to never let anyone get that close again. But when she is faced with saving the life of the woman who destroyed hers, will she be able to forgive?
When an NBA superstar tells his mistress, Asia Ingrum, that he's decided to honor his marriage vows, her shock quickly gives way to revenge...but her decision may come back to haunt their five-year-old daughter.
Every night Vanessa Martin wonders why her husband committed suicide. Even worse, she contemplates joining him in eternity. Will Vanessa be able to gather the strength to live again?
Sheridan Hart is finally finding her way after a lie destroyed her seventeen-year marriage. Her new love is ready to get married, but will she commit to this younger man or is her ex-husband taking up too much space in her heart?
When their pastor asks Kendall, Asia, Vanessa, and Sheridan to meet weekly for prayer, they can't imagine they will have anything in common. But then a devastating tragedy strikes and these strangers are forced to reexamine their choices. Will they find true friendship, or will prayer -- and their union -- fail them?
After her scheme to break up her best friend's marriage fails, Jasmine is ready to begin her new life. She attends church every Sunday, swears off married men, and begins her mission to find her soulmate. It doesn't take long to meet the one God has chosen for her - a pastor. (Isn't God good!) But when another man from her past threatens to destroy her perfect relationship, can Jasmine leave behind her lying and devious ways? Or will she find old habits hard to break?
Reviews
"Victoria is an exceptional writer who knows how to deliver a story. Readers will find themselves still thinking about the characters long after they've turned the last page."
-- Kimberla Lawson Roby, author of The Best-Kept Secret
"I enjoyed reading this book. It took me back to when I was living on the DL and made me realize just how hard sisters love their men, even when they know the truth."
-- J. L. King, New York Times Bestselling author of On The Down Low
"Grown Folks Business rattles the relationship cage and gets to the heart of what's serious and painfully real."
-- Lolita Files, author of Tastes Like Chicken
Sheridan's husband wanted to stop living a lie, but how was she going to live her life knowing the truth?
"There's no other way to say this. I'm in love with someone else." With these words, Sheridan Hart's life as she knows it comes to a crashing halt. She thought she was living every woman's dream: for the past seventeen years of marriage, Quentin had been a model husband, father, and business partner. But for all those years, he'd been hiding a secret from her. In fact, he had kept his secret from everyone. His startling confession is a lifelong attraction to men, and he is leaving her to be with his lover.
While coming to grips with the destruction of her marriage, Sheridan must also deal with the emotional reactions of her sixteen-year-old son and ten-year-old daughter. When word gets out about Quentin, everybody has something to say -- her family, her friends, and her church community all have advice to give and judgment to dole out. But at the end of the day, Sheridan must lean on her faith and her heart to decide what's best for her family.
E
Lynn Harris - Victoria
Christopher Murray is back! Once again she's given
us a fast-paced novel about people of faith who must face
real life challenges.
Kimberla Lawson Roby - With
memorable characters, Truth Be Told is an entertaining,
suspenseful and page-turning read. I loved it!
Grace Monroe has the ideal life: a devoted husband, adoring
daughters, and a booming career in politics. Newly
elected on a Christian platform to the Los Angeles city council,
she is determined to put her mistakes behind her and focus
on her bright future. But when a secret from her
husband's past is revealed, setting off a chain of attacks
that threaten to rip her family apart, Grace must face
a dilemma that will force her to question her life and
her faith.
"Fast-paced, witty, entertaining, and inspirational, these
short stories are modern renditions of biblical stories. Sarah
and Abraham, Samson and Delilah, Hannah, Tamar, Jephthah
and The Good Samaritan are all brought into 2003. You
will enjoy the stories written by some of your favorite
inspirational authors including: Jacquelin Thomas, Patricia
Haley, S. James Guitard, Terrance Johnson and Maurice
Gray."
Anya Mitchell has it all: a successful L.A. financial
services company, a loving fiancé, Braxton Vance,
and an unshakable trust in God. However, just months before
her wedding, Anya is brutally attacked one night as she
works late in her office. Her faith, Braxton, and her family
help her deal with the horror, but soon after, Anya is
faced with a heartbreaking dilemma. Now, she must decide
how far she is willing to go to have a future clear of
this tragedy and still maintain her relationship with the
man she loves.
Kyla and Jefferson Blake count their sixteen years
together as a wonderful blessing from God. Kyla knows
that her newly divorced and lifelong friend, Jasmine,
is desperately unhappy and no amount of prayer and encouragement
seems to help. Yet, what Kyla doesn't know is that Jasmine
has a plan to move forward with her life with the type
of man she feels she should have married in the first
place...a man like Jefferson.
Alexis Ward is another of Kyla's friends, who is single
and successful and willing to wait for the right man
for all the right reasons. But when "Mr. Right,"
Dr. Brian Lewis finally appears, she finds herself facing
a new challenge. Does she really have to walk away from
what she believes in order to have a man in her life?
Kyla, Jefferson, and Alexis discover, in their own
ways, what happens when they truly allow God to be first
in their relationship.
1. What does Kyla's long-term friendship with an unsaved
person like Jasmine reveal about how believers should handle
close relationships with unbelievers? Also consider: Is it
realistic to expect to have an unbeliever as one of our closest
friends? Is it advisable to cultivate or maintain relationships
with people who do not believe as we do hoping that we may
influence them to make a decision for Christ some day? Read
2 Corinthians 6:14-15.
2. Other women envied Kyla because they perceived her to
have the perfect life. Kyla longed for an opportunity to define
herself beyond the roles of wife and mother. Are feelings
of longing like those Kyla confessed to Alexis merely an expression
of a Western push to "have it all" or can such longings
be divinely planted to inspire believers to accomplish more
for the sake of the Kingdom? Read Deuteronomy 5:21; Job 7:2-3;
Proverbs 13:12.19.
3. Given Jefferson's opinion about his wife getting a job,
did Kyla's desire for a career denote a lack of sensitivity
to her husband? Read 1 Peter 3:1-6.
4. How should Christian women who are able to function as
full-time homemakers interpret a sense of longing to do more
than be a wife and mother? Read Genesis 3:16.
5. What, if any, warning signs did Kyla ignore concerning
Jasmine's intentions toward Jefferson? Read Matthew 10:16.
Why do we sometimes ignore warning ques that a friend or loved
one might betray us? Read Judges 16:6-20. How can discern
such ques to know when they warn of imminent danger? When
we are allowing fear and insecurity to rule? Read 1 John 4:18.
6. Despite her anger and hurt, Kyla knew that she needed
to turn to God's Word for an answer. Why was it still difficult
for her to forgive Jefferson so that they could move beyond
his adultery and the damage done to their marriage? Read Hosea
14:1,2; Colossians 3:12-14.
7. Kyla's discovery of Jefferson's infidelity made her afraid
to trust him again. How does Satan use fear to block us from
the kind of spiritual progress that Kyla would need to move
from hurt to restoration in her marriage. Read 2 Timothy 1:7.
8. Kyla's friends, family and pastor advised her to forgive
Jefferson so the healing process could begin. Why is forgiveness
such an important factor in the healing and spiritual growth?
Read Matthew 6:14-15.
PASTOR FORD
1. Kyla's pastor suggested that Kyla needed to release Jefferson
from her own judgment and focus on forgiveness and trust.
How does our own tendency to judge block us from being able
to forgive? Read Luke 6:37; Psalm 32:1.
2. Pastor Ford reminded Kyla that forgiveness is a process
that sometimes requires a lifetime of work. How can we keep
forgiveness as a priority for healthy relationships and spiritual
growth? Read Luke 17:3.
JEFFERSON
1. Jefferson realized all that he had jeopardized by sleeping
with Jasmine. Why do we often fail to recognize the fallacy
of our actions until we are faced with the consequences? Read
Mark 8:18.
2. How should Jefferson have handled Jasmine once he recognized
her blatant manipulations to seduce him and to gain entrance
to his home? Read Proverbs 6:25-26; Psalm 26:4. Why are believers
sometimes deceived into ignoring the warning bells that go
off in our heads, like the warning that Jefferson received?
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:22; Proverbs 4:14-16.
3. How could the enemy deceive Jefferson into seeing Jasmine
as innocent? Read John 8:44.
4. Jefferson knew that he had received God's forgiveness
for his infidelity. How does the assurance of God's forgiveness
help us to move forward in repentance and healing? Read Isaiah
43:25; 1 John 1:9; Psalm 103:12.
ALEXIS
1. Why do you think Alexis described Jasmine as a snake?
Read Psalm 58:3-4
2. How does Alexis's commitment to the Lord regarding premarital
intercourse affirm every believer's obligation to obey God
regardless of the consequences? Read Proverbs 16:6, Acts 5:28-29;
Hebrews 11:25.
3. What kinds of steps should unmarrieds like Alexis and
Brian take to help them avoid temptations and compromising
situations? Read Matthew 26:41.
BRIAN
1. Brian was renewing his relationship with the Lord. Recall
some of Brian's actions and feelings that reveal a lack of
spiritual growth. How did his associations with Alexis, Jefferson,
and Kyla help to strengthen his walk? Read 1 Thessalonians
5:14; 2 Timothy 2:22; James 5:20.
2. How can Brian's philosophy "If you want the lady,
you've got to go along with the lady's rules," help strengthen
Christian women to remain virtuous? Read Proverbs 31:10,30.
3. Brian had made plans for Alexis and perhaps thought that
he eventually would convince her to have sex with him before
marriage. Why do we behave as though our own plans for another
person can supersede God's plans for that person? Read Proverbs
16:3, 9; Jeremiah 29:11.
JASMINE
1. In what ways did Jasmine set herself up for unhappiness
by comparing her life and standard of living to Kyla's? How
does focusing on what we do not have create personal unhappiness
and make us more vulnerable to temptation? Read Ecclesiastes
5:10.
2. Brian grew stronger through his association with Christian
friends. Why do you think Jasmine continued in her same ways
despite her exposure to a circle of strong Christian friends?
Read Jeremiah 7:24
3. Jasmine seemed to blame everyone else for her difficulties
and made others responsible for her happiness. Why do you
think she refused take responsibility for the consequences
of her own choices? Read Psalm 81:11-14.
4. Jasmine's web of lies and deception spiraled as she sought
her prize&emdash;Jefferson. Read Proverbs 11:22. How do
people become blinded by lies, deception, twisted logic, and
distorted truths as they strive to gain what they desire?
Read Psalm 10:2-7; Proverbs 14:8.
Reviews
"Fast-paced, witty, entertaining, and inspirational, these
short stories are modern renditions of biblical stories. Sarah
and Abraham, Samson and Delilah, Hannah, Tamar, Jephthah
and The Good Samaritan are all brought into 2003. You
will enjoy the stories written by some of your favorite
inspirational authors including: Jacquelin Thomas, Patricia
Haley, S. James Guitard, Terrance Johnson and Maurice
Gray."
Anya Mitchell has it all: a successful L.A. financial
services company, a loving fiancé, Braxton Vance,
and an unshakable trust in God. However, just months before
her wedding, Anya is brutally attacked one night as she
works late in her office. Her faith, Braxton, and her family
help her deal with the horror, but soon after, Anya is
faced with a heartbreaking dilemma. Now, she must decide
how far she is willing to go to have a future clear of
this tragedy and still maintain her relationship with the
man she loves.
Kyla and Jefferson Blake count their sixteen years
together as a wonderful blessing from God. Kyla knows
that her newly divorced and lifelong friend, Jasmine,
is desperately unhappy and no amount of prayer and encouragement
seems to help. Yet, what Kyla doesn't know is that Jasmine
has a plan to move forward with her life with the type
of man she feels she should have married in the first
place...a man like Jefferson.