A Sinful Calling (22 page)
Authors: Kimberla Lawson Roby
The Ultimate Betrayal
The Prodigal Son
A House Divided
The Reverend's Wife
Love, Honor, and Betray
Be Careful What You Pray For
The Best of Everything
Sin No More
Love & Lies
The Best-Kept Secret
Too Much of a Good Thing
Casting the First Stone
Best Friends Forever
A Christmas Prayer
The Perfect Marriage
Secret Obsession
A Deep Dark Secret
One in a Million
Changing Faces
A Taste of Reality
It's a Thin Line
Here & Now
Behind Closed Doors
- Dillon Whitfield Black decides to become a pastor and start his own church despite not being called by God. How does this affect his ability to really become a changed, better person? Do you think that his drinking and cheating are the reason he's fallen off the path? Or are they just a symptom of a false calling?
- Alicia doesn't like Raven from the beginning. Do you agree with Alicia? Why or why not? Do you believe Raven's childhood is the reason she treats people the way she does?
- Even though she knows there is something wrong, Alicia is too ashamed to tell anyone about the voice in her head. Do you think this is the case for many people who struggle with mental illness? Should Alicia's family have done more to help her?
- Despite saying that he truly loves Raven, Dillon repeatedly cheats on her. Do you think it's really love? Have you been in a situation where you hurt someone you thought you loved? If so, please share why you handled things this way.
- Alicia has an especially hard time being separated from her family, but she feels strongly that she shouldn't have anything to do with them until they accept Levi fully. Do you agree with her? Why or why not? Have you ever had to stand up to friends or family to support someone you love? If so, what was the outcome?
- Alicia's mother eventually sees the error of her judgment of Levi. Why do you think it takes so much longer for Curtis Black to change his mind? Do you think you could have forgiven Levi despite the mistakes he and Alicia made?
- Dillon's drinking and cheating escalate after interactions with his father. How do you think his relationship with his father affects his relationship with God? What advice would you give to someone in this situation?
- Were you surprised at Raven's reaction to Dillon's cheating? Do you think this justifies the way she treats him as her husband? Why do you think that Raven doesn't learn from her mistakes and change?
- Even today, many people don't believe women should be pastors. So what are your feelings on the subject?
- More than once, Levi stresses the importance of getting help after a traumatic situation even if you feel fine, but Alicia doesn't listen. Do you think there is a stigma related to mental illness and PTSD? And is there enough awareness about how to talk to a loved one or know when it's time to see a professional? What advice would you give someone who you knew or suspected was suffering from mental illness?
- Given Alicia and Levi's history, are you happy that they are finally married? Why or why not? Do you think their marriage will survive for years to come?
- Were you surprised that Curtis was finally able to forgive Alicia, Levi, and Dillon and bring them back into the family fold? Why do you think this happened? Are you happy that they repaired their relationships? Do you think it will last?
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 by Kimberla Lawson Roby
Reading group copyright © 2016 by Kimberla Lawson Roby and Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Cover design and photograph by Elizabeth Connor
Cover copyright © 2016 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author's intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author's rights.
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First Edition: June 2016
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Roby, Kimberla Lawson, author.
Title: A sinful calling / Kimberla Lawson Roby.
Description: First Edition | New York ; Boston : Grand Central Publishing, 2016. | Series: A Reverend Curtis Black novel
Identifiers: LCCN 2016001566 | ISBN 9781455559596 (hardback) | ISBN 9781478929901 (audio download) | ISBN 9781455559589 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Triangles (Interpersonal relations)âFiction. | African American womenâFiction. | Urban fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / African American / Christian. | FICTION / African American / Contemporary Women. | FICTION / Contemporary Women.
Classification: LCC PS3568.O3189 S57 2016 | DDC 813/.54âdc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016001566
ISBNs: 978-1-4555-5959-6 (hardcover), 978-1-4555-5958-9 (ebook), 978-1-4555-6893-2 (Walmart edition)
E3 201600420-DA-PC