Informationen zum Autor ReShonda Tate Billingsley's #1 nationally bestselling novels include Let the Church Say Amen , I Know I've Been Changed , and Say Amen, Again , winner of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work. Her collaboration with Victoria Christopher Murray has produced four hit novels, Sinners & Saints , Friends & Foes , A Blessing & a Curse , and Fortune & Fame. BET released a movie in 2013 based on ReShonda's book Let the Church Say Amen in which she had a minor role . She also had a role in the made-for-TV movie The Secret She Kept based on her book of the same title. Visit ReShondaTateBillingsley.com, meet the author on Facebook at ReShondaTateBillingsley, or follow her on Twitter @ReShondaT. Klappentext A #1 "Essence"-bestselling author delivers a spiritual and engaging novel featuring the wife of Pastor Lester Adams! as she struggles to reconcile with her husband and the consequences of his adulterous actions. Say Amen Again Chapter 1 Get. It. Out! The scream started in Rachel's gut and felt like it traveled up her lungs and out her mouth, piercing the whole room. It hurts so bad! Rachel yelled. Granted, this was her third child, but the pain was like nothing she'd ever experienced. She'd had an epidural on her other two kids. This baby had come too fast for a spinal, and Rachel needed something, because the pain was unbearable. Breathe, baby, breathe, Lesterher husband of seven yearssaid as he leaned over and kissed her forehead. Lester, I am breathing, Rachel snapped, pushing him away. You can do this, he said soothingly. Shut up and get this baby out of me! she yelled again. He was the reason she was in this position. She'd had her first child at fifteen. Her second at seventeen. But now, eleven years later, her body wasn't cut out to deliver a baby with the same ease. Another scream filled the room. Rachel narrowed her eyes in suspicion. That one hadn't come from her. Lester, she said, reaching for her husband's hand. But he had vanished. She looked over to the other bed in the hospital room. Breathe, baby, breathe, Lester said sweetly. Rachel peered closer. This time Lester wasn't talking to her. Come on, Mary, you can do this. He was gently coaxing the woman in the bed next to hers. Unlike Rachel, Mary didn't shoo him away. Lester? Rachel cried. She couldn't believe she was delivering this baby in the bed next to her , of all people. Suddenly, Rachel forgot all about the pain shooting through her body. She jumped up and lunged at her husband. Hey, let me go! Rachel, what are you doing? That was coming from somewhere else, someplace more real. Rachel's eyes shot open. She was in their king-size bed, big belly and all, sitting on top of her husband, her hands gripped firmly around his neck. Lester scooted back against the headboard, his hands grabbing her wrists. Why are you trying to choke me? he panted. Rachel shook her head, trying to come out of the daze she was in. She looked around. She wasn't in a hospital room. She was in her oversize, Africa-themed bedroom. And she wasn't anywhere near labor. Oh, wow, Rachel said, pulling herself up off Lester and leaning back against the headboard. I was having a nightmare. Again? Lester said, his voice softening. Was it the He stopped, knowing he didn't dare utter the name of the woman that Rachel hated most in the world. Yes, it was, Rachel snapped. This was becoming a regular occurrence. It was bad enough that home-wrecking tramp had invaded her marriage. Now Mary Richardson was invading her dreams as well. ...

Autorentext
ReShonda Tate Billingsley's #1 nationally bestselling novels include Let the Church Say Amen, I Know I've Been Changed, and Say Amen, Again, winner of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work. Her collaboration with Victoria Christopher Murray has produced four hit novels, Sinners & Saints, Friends & Foes, A Blessing & a Curse, and Fortune & Fame. BET released a movie in 2013 based on ReShonda's book Let the Church Say Amen in which she had a minor role. She also had a role in the made-for-TV movie The Secret She Kept based on her book of the same title. Visit ReShondaTateBillingsley.com, meet the author on Facebook at ReShondaTateBillingsley, or follow her on Twitter @ReShondaT.

Klappentext

A #1 "Essence"-bestselling author delivers a spiritual and engaging novel featuring the wife of Pastor Lester Adams, as she struggles to reconcile with her husband and the consequences of his adulterous actions.

Zusammenfassung
The spirited Houston congregation featured in ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s Let the Church Say Amen and Everybody Say Amen has a major scandal unfolding—and, as always, the outspoken Rachel Jackson Adams is at the heart of the drama.

As the First Lady of Zion Hill, Rachel is not only Pastor Lester Adams’ wife—she’s currently his eight-months-pregnant wife, who’s going toe-to-toe with Lester’s onetime mistress, congregant Mary Richardson, also pregnant. Her baby may or may not be Lester’s, but Mary’s doing all she can to win sympathy and turn her fellow churchgoers against Rachel—even threatening to blackmail Pastor Adams with a paternity agreement. After all, where can an unmarried mother-to-be go but to the Lord? Rachel has a few choice answers for exactly where Mary can go . . . but as these expectant moms do battle, hostilities erupt into a drama unlike anything Zion Hill has ever seen! Something has to give, and while Rachel contemplates everything from transferring her lifelong church membership to packing up and leaving Lester, she knows deep down God is calling her to forgiveness. Will the arrival of the new babies bring a new understanding? Or harden forever the anger that’s dividing them?

Leseprobe
Say Amen Again

Chapter 1

“Get. It. Out!”

The scream started in Rachel’s gut and felt like it traveled up her lungs and out her mouth, piercing the whole room.

“It hurts so bad!” Rachel yelled. Granted, this was her third child, but the pain was like nothing she’d ever experienced. She’d had an epidural on her other two kids. This baby had come too fast for a spinal, and Rachel needed something, because the pain was unbearable.

“Breathe, baby, breathe,” Lester—her husband of seven years—said as he leaned over and kissed her forehead.

“Lester, I am breathing,” Rachel snapped, pushing him away.

“You can do this,” he said soothingly.

“Shut up and get this baby out of me!” she yelled again. He was the reason she was in this position. She’d had her first child at fifteen. Her second at seventeen. But now, eleven years later, her body wasn’t cut out to deliver a baby with the same ease.

Another scream filled the room. Rachel narrowed her eyes in suspicion. That one hadn’t come from her. “Lester,” she said, reaching for her husband’s hand. But he had vanished. She looked over to the other bed in the hospital room.

“Breathe, baby, breathe,” Lester said sweetly.

Rachel peered closer. This time Lester wasn’t talking to her.

“Come on, Mary, you can do this.” He was gently coaxing the woman in the bed next to hers. Unlike Rachel, Mary didn’t shoo him away.

“Lester?” Rachel cried. She couldn’t believe she was delivering this baby in the bed next to her, of all people. Suddenly, Rachel forgot all about the pain shooting through her body. She jumped up and lunged at her husband.

“Hey, let me go! Rachel, what are you doing?”

That was coming from somewhere else, someplace more real. Rachel’s eyes shot open. She was in their king-size bed, big belly and all, sitting on top of her husband, he…