TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN
                                                                                                                             
          

                                                    

             Max Carson and Donna Randall explore their spiritual gifts.

             Fred Bennett wonders if there's life beyond womanizing.

              Merry Lucas wants money and revenge.

                      God has plans for them all

                     

                            Excerpts

                                   Max and Donna

    Max pulled up in front of Calvary United African Christian Church and to

his surprise, found a parking spot close to the door. He got out quickly, checking

his watch to see if he was on time for his appointment.

    I don’t want to keep Pastor waiting. I’m sure he’s got a lot to do besides talk to

me about whatever’s on his mind.

    Max went through the sanctuary, out the side door and into the hallway

containing the meeting rooms. As he rounded a corner, he heard muffled

conversations and movement of chairs from a room directly in front of him. The

door opened, and just like that his dream woman was coming towards him.

Max froze for a millisecond, even as his brain screamed at him to say

something before she could leave. “Uh, hello.”

    She smiled radiantly, and Max nearly melted. “Hi.”

    Max felt as though English was his second language. He forced his words

past a suddenly thick tongue. “Is, uh, is Pastor Nathan inside?”

    Donna struggled slightly with her own words. “Yes, he just finished with New

Members Class.”

     Some of Max’s nervousness faded as he sensed his opening. “Oh, that’s why

I’ve never met you before. I’m Max Carson.”

    She smiled again and extended her hand. “Donna Randall.”

    As their palms met, Max was overpowered by a vision. He and Donna were

in the midst of a large social gathering of some kind. He wore a black suit and

Donna wore a festive white gown; the implication was clear.

    Donna was stunned silent for a different reason. She was back in her dream,

in those same woods beside that same clear body of water kissing the same

man whose face she couldn’t quite make out, and it felt like Paradise.

    “Hey there, Bro. Max. I see you’ve met my star pupil.”

    Both of them jumped slightly as their joint focus returned to the here and

now. 

    Pastor Travis Nathan suppressed a laugh as he sized up the situation.

    “Sister Donna and the other new members will receive the Right Hand Of

Fellowship at the eleven o’clock service tomorrow, but it looks like you’re way

ahead of me.”

    Both of them immediately turned a shade of red neither of them thought they

could attain. Pastor Nathan looked pleased and decided to test Max further.

    “Brother Max, this is Donna’s friend, Yolanda Mason. Sister Yolanda, this is

Max Carson. He’s one of my “good members.”

     The pastor gestured to a woman Max hadn’t even noticed was there.

Yolanda stood near Donna with an amused look on her face. Max suppressed

his surprise and greeted Yolanda without a trace of nervousness

    I was right, the pastor thought. I believe Max knows what he wants, and

it’s not a date with Yolanda.

    “You’re right on time for our appointment, Brother Max. Everyone else has

gone, so we can meet in here instead of going to my office. Is that okay with

you?”

    Max was determined to muster up some shred of dignity. “Sounds good to

me. Ladies, it was nice to have met you. See you in church tomorrow?”

    Yolanda spoke for a suddenly speechless Donna. “Sure, see you

tomorrow. Nice to have met you too.”

    The two women walked out in silence. Max watched them until they turned

the corner.

    Pastor Nathan smiled. “Looks to me like we have more to discuss then just

establishing a church newsletter.”

    Max chuckled. “That’s an understatement.”

                            Merry Lucas

    Merry couldn’t figure out the best way to kill her father.

    She had thought through a dozen different scenarios, each of which would hasten his

admission into Gracelawn Internment Center. However, each of these methods would also

ensure Merry a very long stay in the Baylor Women’s Correctional Institute, and quite

possibly the notoriety of becoming one of the few women in Delaware history to receive the

death penalty.

    I can’t just walk up and shoot him, Merry thought, and I can’t just go set his house on fire.

It has to be something less suspicious.

    Merry had awakened screaming for the seventh time in as many days, and with little hope

of getting back to sleep, had chosen to get up and do some work. However, work failed to

distract her attention this time. Nothing could, not after her father had humiliated her yet

again.

    I should have known better than to call him, she thought. The only way I’ll ever see a

penny of that money is if he dies and I inherit it. And there are a whole lot of folks ahead of

me in the will.

    She made a mental checklist of those family members: Karl’s current wife Taylor, Merry’s

brother Bryan and Merry’s mother, Lorraine Lucas.

    It’ll be tricky, Merry thought, but I can make sure Karl dies and that there’s no competition

when it comes time for his estate to be settled. And when that happens, I can afford to live in

the style to which I’d love to become accustomed.

    Laughing, she turned on her TV and VCR and set to work again.

 

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                                                BLESSED ASSURANCE

                                       
                                         


The first of its kind, this Christian fiction anthology features six diverse authors bringing the Bible to life in a unique way. Each author took an account from the Bible and brought it to life in a modern context.

                                    THE AUTHORS

Maurice M. Gray, Jr. (parable of the Good Samaritan)- Traveling Mercies

Patricia Haley (Abraham and Sarah)- Baby Blues

Terrance Johnson- (Jepthah)- Sword Of The Lord

Victoria Christopher Murray (Hannah)- The Best Of Everything

Jacquelin Thomas (Tamar, daughter of David)- A Sprig Of Hope

S. James Guitard (Samson And Delilah)- Lust And Lies

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                                  ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER
                                                     
                                             

As Fred Bennett transitions from player to prayer, his heart leans towards his friend Yolanda.

 Child Recovery Specialist Raoul Carizales is at the top of his profession and seeks someone to share his success. He is determined to win Yolanda's heart, especially if it means humiliating Fred in the process.

Successful in her teaching career, Yolanda Mason believes her social life is at a standstill. Now she faces a choice: Fred or Raoul?

 After a whirlwind romance, Max and Donna Carson must adjust to the realities of marriage. Between the transition from single to married life and their increasing roles in the ministry of their church, their friendships with Fred and Yolanda are strained.

Dr. Randy Errell is physically rich, but spiritually empty. Is running his clinic enough or will he risk his heart again?

 When one of Yolanda's students is abducted, Raoul is hired to solve the case. Assigned by his newspaper to cover the story, Fred and Raoul must put their differences aside to bring the boy home safely.

 Fred, Yolanda, Max, Donna, Raoul and Randy are confronted with trials that seem beyond their ability to cope. God's presence in their lives or the lack thereof will make or break their situations.

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                                           THE SOUL OF A MAN

                                     

What lies in the soul of a man? Love, laughter, heartache and sorrow? Pride, fear, rage and contentment? The true measure of a man lies in his heart and in his soul. This collection of enlightening stories personifies the sentiment, faith, resilience and love embodied in the creation God made in His own image. The Soul of a Man is a divine truth and an affirmation of the passion running through the minds of men where hearts and souls are bared.

 

Winner of the 2009 African-American Literary Award for Best Anthology.

Contributors include Joe Thomas, Joey Pinckney, Brian Ganges, Marc Lacy, K.L. Belvin, Clarence "Baba Simba" Mollock, Alvin C. Romer, Jihad, Thomas Ashburn, Jr., William Frederick Cooper, Jarold Imes, Eddrick DeJuan and Tyrell Floyd.

                  Excerpt from Long Term (my contribution)

I get to work fifteen minutes early to lock myself in my office and pray. I thank God for all the things that didn't happen while I was ravaging the female population of Delaware (and the rest of the tri-state area). Despite having slept around to a ridiculous degree, I never caught any diseases or became anybody's babydaddy. Nobody ever stalked me or keyed my car or threw hot grits on me or anything like that. Folks might laugh about the grits, but a guy I went to high school with is in the hospital right now with third degree burns. Apparently his wife caught him with her former best friend. The next morning, she served him breakfast in an unexpected fashion. I hear he'll be all right once the skin grafts heal.

            Anyway, after I thank Him for all the bullets I dodged, I pray for the women from my past. I've encountered two since I got saved last year, and both were pleasantly surprised when I apologized. I know God has forgiven me, but I need to deal with the damage I did. They were all willing participants, but that doesn't excuse me using them.  

            The sound of high heels causes me to end my prayer and prepare to work. I'm Transitional Employee Coordinator for Statebank's credit card operation. I oversee all of the temporary employees in Customer Service (Correspondence and Phones) and Credit Analysis. My assistant Susan Lassiter is in my office every day promptly at nine A.M. to review the day's work. I tell her all the time how much I appreciate her. She made my transition from temp to HNIC easy, despite the fact that she was also in line for this position. It would be easy for her to sabotage me so she could get my position, but she's not like that.

            ““Nate, this is Medina Holloway. Medina, Nate Carter.”

            I'm used to Susan introducing me to temps on their first day, but this is a huge surprise.

            “He's the guy who approves your hours, so be nice to him.”

            We laugh, but two of us have to force it. Medina looks about as happy to be working under me as I am to have her here.

            Most men in my position would try to holler at Susan. Besides being such a great person, she is FINE. She's five seven (which puts her about at my chest), and her figure is provocative. But, I decided that dating coworkers isn't a good idea when you're the boss. I can tell Medina's gonna test my resolve.

            Medina is shorter and not as physically gifted as Susan, but she has this intangible something that drives men crazy. Her tangible isn't bad either; she's five feet five inches of brown skin and killer curves, and those brown eyes of hers can charm cash from a miser.

            Help me, Jesus.   

            I shake her hand while I fight to free my tongue from its temporary paralysis.

            “Welcome back to Statebank, Medina.”

            Susan raises an eyebrow. “I didn't know you'd worked here before.”

            Medina doesn't blink. “It was two years ago. Nathan and I were on the same long-term assignment.”

            I ignore the frosty attitude in her voice and the anger in my gut. The five minutes it took to get through my standard new temp spiel seemed like five hours, but Susan finally takes the heifer out of my office. When the door closed behind them, I prayed again.

            “God, I asked to find women I slept with, and You sent me the one that did me wrong! What am I supposed to do with her?”

            I remember something Pastor Nathan said in his sermon yesterday. “Prayer isn't just us telling God what to do and asking for stuff; prayer also involves listening.

            “Okay God, I'm gonna keep listening, but I better get to work before I get fired. I hope I hear the answer when You give it.”

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