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<\/a><\/div>\nTEAM JASMINE or TEAM RACHEL?<\/p>\n
Bestselling and award-winning novelists Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley bring their favorite heroines together in a novel that will delight their legions of fans.<\/p>\n
Jasmine Larson Bush and Rachel Jackson Adams are not your typical first ladies. But they\u2019ve overcome their scandalous and drama-filled pasts to stand firmly by their husbands\u2019 sides.<\/p>\n
When a coveted position opens up\u2014president of the American Baptist Coalition\u2014 both women think their husbands are perfect for the job. And winning the position may require both women to get down and dirty and revert to their old tricks. Just when Jasmine and Rachel think they\u2019re going to have to fight to the finish, the current first lady of the coalition steps in . . . a woman bigger, badder, and more devious than either of them.<\/p>\n
Double the fun with a message of faith, Sinners & Saints will delight readers with two of their favorite characters from two of their favorite authors.<\/p>\n
Product Details:<\/p>\n
List Price:<\/b> <\/span> $15.00<\/p>\n\n- Paperback:<\/b> 288 pages<\/li>\n
- Publisher:<\/b> Touchstone; Original edition (January 10, 2012)<\/li>\n
- Language:<\/b> English<\/li>\n
- ISBN-10:<\/b> 1451608152<\/li>\n
- ISBN-13:<\/b> 978-1451608151<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
AND NOW…THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS:<\/span> <\/strong>
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Chapter One<\/i><\/span> <\/div>\nH<\/span>ow in the world was Jasmine going to keep her promise to God now?<\/span><\/div>\nTwo years ago, she had promised Him that if He saved her daughter when she was kidnapped, if He brought her home safely, then she was going to live a life devoted just to Him. Jasmine had vowed that with Jacqueline\u2019s return, she was going to live the life that God had for her as Hosea\u2019s wife, as Jacqueline and Zaya\u2019s mother. She wasn\u2019t going to want for <\/a>anything more than what God had given her, because surely, He had supplied her with enough.<\/span><\/div>\nGod had done His part.<\/span><\/div>\nAnd for the last two years, Jasmine had done her part, too.<\/span><\/div>\nShe\u2019d lived a low-key life, thrilled that her greatest dramas were debates about fashion choices every morning with her seven-year old daughter.<\/span><\/div>\nBut how was she supposed to keep her promise to God now? After what her husband had just told her?<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cSo, hold up,\u201d Jasmine said, slipping into the chair across from Hosea. \u201cI thought you were just going to the convention as the keynote speaker.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nHosea nodded.<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cSo, explain this to me again.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nWith a sigh, Hosea folded the newspaper he\u2019d been reading and placed it on the table. He stuffed his mouth with a forkful of pancake, chewed for a moment, then said, \u201cThe call came in from a friend of Pop\u2019s, Pastor Earl Griffith. He thinks I need to submit my resume.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cTo be the head of the American Baptist Coalition?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nHosea nodded.<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cBut we\u2019re not Baptist.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nHis eyes danced with his amusement. \u201cGet out of here.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cYou know what I mean,\u201d Jasmine said, waving one hand. \u201cI just don\u2019t get it. Why would they call you?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cThey <\/i>didn\u2019t call me. Only Pastor Griffith.Seems like there\u2019re a couple of men in the running, though according to Griffith, the front-runner is Pastor Adams, Lester Adams from the Southern region.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nJasmine frowned. \u201cI\u2019ve never heard of him.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cOut of Houston. But Pastor Griffith doesn\u2019t think Adams is the man. Seems that the last four presidents have been from the South and Griffith and a couple of other pastors on the board think that the Coalition needs someone from the North, someone more progressive, to really move the organization forward.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cAnd they think that can be you?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cNot they, <\/i>darlin\u2019. I told you\u2014Griffith called me.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cBut you said there were others who agreed with him.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nHosea nodded. \u201cApparently, they don\u2019t have anyone from the North who they think can go up against Adams. I guess they think my name could win this.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cThat makes sense to me.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter how much sense it makes, darlin\u2019. I told Pastor Griffith that I\u2019m not interested.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nAs if she didn\u2019t hear any of Hosea\u2019s last words, Jasmine whispered, \u201cWow.\u201d Old thoughts, familiar desires came to her mind\u2014of power and prestige and money. How much money would a president receive?<\/span><\/div>\nShe didn\u2019t know a lot about the American Baptist Coalition, but she knew enough. Like the fact that they were the largest African American religious organization, and wielded major political clout. And as much as black folks loved religion, the head of the ABC would have a boatload of power\u2014and so would his wife.<\/span><\/div>\nTalk about being the first lady!<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n\u201cJasmine?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nI\u2019d be the first lady of like . . . the world!<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n\u201cJasmine?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cHuh?\u201d Her eyes were glassy with images of her future and it took her a moment to focus on Hosea.<\/span><\/div>\nHis admonishment came before he even said a word. It was in the way his eyes narrowed and the way he\u2019d already begun shaking his head. \u201cDon\u2019t even think about it.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cYou know what. I\u2019m not gonna do it,\u201d he said slowly, as if he was speaking to one of their children. \u201cI\u2019m gonna go to the convention and speak, just like they asked. But I\u2019m not gonnarun for that office. The little I know about Lester Adams, he\u2019s a good man. They\u2019ll be fine with him.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cHow could he be the one if I\u2019ve never even heard of him?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cLike you know every pastor in the country.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cI\u2019m not talking about knowing every pastor. I\u2019m thinking that Pastor Griffith is right. The head of the ABC should be someone who\u2019s known and who can add to the Coalition. Think about what you bring as the pastor of one of the largest churches in the country. Then, there\u2019s your show.\u201d She nodded. \u201cPastor Griffith is right,\u201d she repeated. \u201cIt has to be you.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nHis head was still shaking. \u201cNo. I don\u2019t want the drama.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cWho said anything about drama?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cAny type of election\u2014political or religious\u2014is always about drama.\u201d He stood and placed his plate in the sink. \u201cAnd then there\u2019s you, my wonderful wife. As much as I love you, darlin\u2019, anytime you\u2019re involved in anything, drama makes its way into our lives. No, I don\u2019t want any part of it.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cSo, you\u2019re just gonna let this huge opportunity pass us\u2014I mean, pass you by?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cYup, because it\u2019s not an opportunity that interests me. The church, the show, and most importantly you and the children are enough for me.\u201d He leaned over and kissed her forehead. \u201cSpeaking of the church, I\u2019m gonna get dressed and head over there. I have a meeting in a couple of hours.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cOkay,\u201d she said, dismissing him with words, though she\u2019d already dismissed him in her mind. Jasmine stayed as Hosea left her alone in the kitchen.<\/span><\/div>\nYou and the children are enough for me.<\/i><\/span><\/div>\nUntil a few minutes ago, she would\u2019ve agreed with her husband. But this conversation was a game changer.<\/span><\/div>\nHosea was right\u2014their lives were without drama, but it had gotten kind of boring. Every day it was the same thing\u2014getting the children off to school, then working on the women\u2019s committees at the church, then coming home to meet the children, then helping Mrs. Sloss with dinner, then . . . then . . .then . . .<\/span><\/div>\nNot that she had complaints; she loved her life, her family. But she would still love everyone, and maybe even a little bit more if Hosea were the head of the ABC .<\/span><\/div>\nOh, no. She wasn\u2019t going to sit back and let this opportunity pass Hosea. He needed this position, even if he didn\u2019t know it.<\/span><\/div>\nStanding, she moved toward their bedroom, the conniving wheels of her brain already churning. She stood outside the door of their master bathroom, listening to her husband praise God, the spray of the shower, his accompanying music.<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cI trust you, Lord!\u201d He sang the words to one of Donnie McClurkin\u2019s songs.<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cBabe,\u201d she said, interrupting his praise time. \u201cI\u2019m gonna run over to Mae Frances\u2019s apartment, okay?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cDon\u2019t you have a meeting at the church?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cYeah, but it\u2019s not till this afternoon and Mae Frances just called and she really needs me to help her with something.\u201dJasmine paused. It had been a long time since she\u2019d manipulated the truth to get somethingshe wanted. But it wasn\u2019t like she was going back to being a total liar again\u2014she just needed to get this done and after Hosea was in his rightful place, she\u2019d go back to being on the side of righteousness. <\/span><\/div>\n\u201cOh, okay. Is Nama all right?\u201d he asked, referring to Mae Frances by the name their children called the older woman.<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cShe\u2019s fine. You know Nama. I\u2019ll call Mrs. Whittingham and tell her that I may be a little late for my meeting.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nBy the time they said their good-byes and Jasmine grabbed her purse, she already had a plan. But she\u2019d need some help, and Mae Frances, her friend who knew everyone from Al Sharpton to Al Capone and his offspring, was just the person to help her.<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cSorry, Pastor Adams,\u201d she said to herself as she rode down in the elevator. \u201cWhoever you are, you can be the president of the ABC once Hosea and I are done\u2014in, say, ten or twenty years.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nShe stepped outside of their Central Park South apartmentbuilding and into the New York springtime sun. Slapping on herdesigner glasses, she laughed out loud.<\/span><\/div>\nOh, yeah, today was gonna be a really good day.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Chapter Two<\/i><\/span> <\/div>\nW<\/i><\/span>atch out, Michelle Obama!<\/i><\/span><\/div>\nRachel Jackson Adams smiled in satisfaction as shesurveyed her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She\u2019d had toleave the prestigious American Baptist Coalition regional dinnerand step inside the restroom to compose herself. After all, shewas about to be the first lady of one of the most prestigiousorganizations in the country. She couldn\u2019t very well be actinga plumb fool because she was overcome with excitement.But Rachel had wanted to do a backflip, front flip, toe touch,cartwheel, and anything else she could think of to express herjoy.<\/span><\/div>\nRachel fluffed her honey brown curls, then lightly refreshedher MAC Oh Baby lip gloss. She had come such a long way. Hermother was probably dancing in her grave at the sight of Rachelas not only a first lady, but a soon-to-be prominent one at that.Rachel had worked hard to garner the respect of the parishionersat Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church. She\u2019d grown up inthat church, so everyone knew her dirt\u2014all of it\u2014and it hadtaken God himself to get these people to respect her. And whileZion Hill had grown tremendously, it still wasn\u2019t considereda megachurch, and outside of Houston there were few whohad even heard of it. As the first lady of the American BaptistCoalition, her status would go to a whole new level. Shoot, if shehad to be first lady, she might as well be the top <\/i>first lady.<\/span><\/div>\nRachel savored the thought as she dropped her lip gloss backinto her clutch and stepped back into the corridor.<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cI was beginning to think you\u2019d fallen in,\u201d her husband ofeight years said before leaning in and lightly kissing Rachel onthe cheek.<\/span><\/div>\nLester Adams wasn\u2019t her true love\u2014that title belonged toher thirteen-year-old son\u2019s father, Bobby Clark. But Lester wasgood for <\/i>her. Her love for Lester was that agape love they talkedabout in First Corinthians. It brought out the best in her. Well,for the most part anyway. Life with Bobby had been filled withdrama\u2014Rachel admitted much of that was her own doing, but itwas drama-filled nonetheless. And although Bobby still remaineda part of Jordan\u2019s life, Rachel had finally gotten him out of hersystem and was focusing all of her attention on making hermarriage work.<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cWhat took you so long?\u201d Lester asked, snapping Rachel outof her thoughts.<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cSorry,\u201d Rachel said with a slight smile, \u201cbut you know I\u2019mabout to be the preeminent first lady, so I had to make sure mymakeup was on point.\u201d She tossed her hair back. \u201cCome to thinkof it, I think I\u2019ll change my name to Lady Rachel so I can havethe title to go along with the position.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nLester narrowed his eyes and glared at his wife. \u201cRachel,\u201d hebegan in that voice she hated\u2014the one that he always used whenhe was chastising her.<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cWhat?\u201d Rachel shrugged, already getting defensive.<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cI don\u2019t have the position yet,\u201d he said matter-of-factly. \u201cTheregional board just nominated me tonight. There\u2019s still a nationalelection.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nRachel waved him off. \u201cThat\u2019s just a formality. Did you hearthose election results? You beat Pastor Johnson seventy-three totwenty-five percent!\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nLester sighed. \u201cPastor Johnson also got his sixteen-year-oldstepniece pregnant.\u201d As soon as Lester said it, he looked like hewished he could take the words back.<\/span><\/div>\nThe smile immediately left Rachel\u2019s face. Lester was no sainthimself. He\u2019d had his own little pregnant-woman-on the-sidedebacle. But thank God, they\u2019d worked through that crisis.\u201cI\u2019m just saying,\u201d Lester quickly continued, like he wanted toprevent Rachel\u2019s mind from traveling down that rocky memorylane, \u201cPastor Johnson wasn\u2019t that hard to beat. I still have to runagainst whomever they nominate from the North region, andrumor has it they\u2019re bringing out their top dogPastor HoseaBush.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cThat jack-legged TV preacher?\u201d Rachel asked with a frown.<\/span><\/div>\nLester shook his head. \u201cPastor Bush is not jack-legged. He\u2019swell established, comes from a highly respected family, and heleads one of the largest churches in the country.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cSo? <\/i>He\u2019s. Not. You,\u201d Rachel said, reaching up and adjustingLester\u2019s bow tie. Lester had been an extreme nerd when theywere in high school\u2014which is why Rachel had never given himthe time of day. But he\u2019d pursued her relentlessly and eventuallyhad worn her down. He was willing to be a father to her twokids and he loved her unconditionally. So she agreed to givetheir relationship a try, but not before having him shave off thatred mop of a hairstyle he wore and introducing him to Proactiv.She\u2019d revamped his wardrobe, taught him how to have a littleswagger, and now, even she had to admit, he had it going on. Notto mention the fact that he was an awesome preacher. \u201cLester,sweetheart,\u201d Rachel said, taking her husband\u2019s hands, \u201cyou heardthat emcee tonight. For the past sixty years, the president of theABC has been a Southerner. That\u2019s not about to change. I don\u2019tcare how prominent this Rev. Tree is.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nLester let out a small chuckle. \u201cPastor Bush,<\/i>\u201d he corrected.<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cTree, Bush, Leave, whatever,\u201dshe said, flicking her hand.\u201cThe bottom line is, that position is ours. God said so.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nHe laughed again. \u201cOh, God said so, huh?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\nRachel nodded emphatically. \u201cHe sure did. And if God said it,then it\u2019s so.\u201d She grinned widely.<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cLook at my baby,\u201d Lester said proudly. \u201cAnd to think, youthreatened to divorce me for entering the ministry.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cWell, that\u2019s because I\u2019d spent my life as a preacher\u2019sdaughter. I wasn\u2019t trying to be a preacher\u2019s wife. But I\u2019ve gottenthe hang of it now.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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<\/a>It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/span> book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-sN30RutWzRE\/TxJ59CayDEI\/AAAAAAAAGsc\/tsktVPxp0jk\/s200\/Murray+Victoria+4++copy.jpg\")
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<\/a>Visit the author’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n![<\/a>](\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/_cESuxv-WNX8\/TA3PbPpKjHI\/AAAAAAAAEFE\/e9Dq6nSnpCA\/s1600\/FIRSTWildCardTours2.jpg\"){kind=link}