Lady Jasmine (32 page)

In the months since the board meeting, when Sister Pearline had told them all that they didn’t need a new pastor, she had stepped back into Jasmine and Hosea’s lives as if she had always been on their side. And no one had been more thrilled when she and Hosea announced that they going to be parents again.

“Isn’t that great?” Sister Pearline had beamed as she greeted Jasmine and Hosea in the reception line. Then she’d grabbed Jasmine’s elbow and hauled her aside. Lowering her head and her voice she asked, “It’s his baby for real this time, right?”

Jasmine smiled now, as she had then. How could she get mad at that? Sister Pearline was only asking to her face what most were whispering behind her back. She’d assured the woman that the father of this child was the man she loved.

After a final glance, Jasmine took her seat. The music faded,
and Hosea stepped to the podium.

“While our hearts are heavy and we must face our grief, it is important to understand that there are two ways to grieve. We can do it society’s way, which brings despair. Or we can do it God’s way, which will bring peace. So I’m going to talk to you about God’s way, because the truth is, our Sister Pearline has made an exciting transition—I can assure you today that she is home!”

The mourners rose to their feet, shouted and applauded. Even Sister Pearline’s family stood, sending up praises.

Jasmine clapped from her front pew seat, but then, she whispered a quiet, “Oh,” and placed her hand on her stomach. Their baby was kicking, as if it wanted to be part of the home-going celebration.

Reverend Bush leaned over. “Are you all right?”

She nodded and took his hand. Rested it on the place where her child was doing its own little holy dance. Watched as Reverend Bush experienced for the first time the next generation.

In the middle of this sadness, joy illuminated Reverend Bush’s face. As people around them celebrated the end of one life, Jasmine and her father-in-law rejoiced in a life to come.

The look of awe in his eyes made Jasmine turn away or she would start crying for sure. She sat back and watched her husband as he raised his Bible in the air.

“I’m telling you, saints. There is nothing but goodness in God. In the middle of this tragedy, He will show you the wonder of His love.”

Jasmine nodded hard at her husband’s words, because if there was nothing else she understood, she got it now when it came to God’s love. “Thank you, Jesus,” she whispered. She closed her eyes, and as her husband preached, she made promises to God, pledged that from now on she would be different; she would get it right, no matter what the situation.

Her hand moved again to the place where her new joy still
jumped around. She couldn’t wait for this baby to get here so that she could love him as much as she loved her daughter.

Yes, she would love
him.

She knew her baby’s sex, but Hosea didn’t. He’d changed his mind after the ultrasound, and Dr. McKnight insisted that it was never a good idea for one parent to know, so Jasmine had agreed to wait until the baby was born.

Not! There was no way she was going to be able to do that. After that appointment, she’d gone home and, while Hosea was in the bathroom, called Mae Frances. Within forty-eight hours, one of her connections had delivered the news.

Jasmine was carrying Hosea’s son.

As Jasmine watched her husband stand at the podium and minister God’s love, she thought about how excited he would be to have a namesake. She had no doubt that he’d always love Jacqueline—she was his heart. But a son would be his pride.

Hers, too, of course.

Now she had two children whom she could raise in her own image. And as she sat in the middle of this sadness, all she could do was smile. Her life was one big happy ending.

She couldn’t wait for Hosea S. Bush II to be born.

H
ERE WE ARE AGAIN AT
that awful place—the part of the book where I have to talk about real people. My characters always know my heart—they know that I try to do the right thing when it comes to writing about them. But I can’t say the same thing about the real people and my acknowledgments. My friends and family (especially family) have said some things to me that I will never forget and would never repeat (because I don’t use profanity) after they’ve read previous acknowledgments. So to increase my chances of having a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas, all I will say to my friends and family is that I love you and thank you.

Whew! Now that I’ve made sure that I will have a great holiday season, I can move on.

First to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who always knows my heart. Thank you, Lord, for continuously keeping me and loving me even during those times when I don’t feel very lovable. I pray that every word that I write and every story I tell honors you.

To the team who helps me to keep these books coming: my editor, Trish Grader. Thank you for always demanding the best, because that’s what I want to be. I continue to learn so much
from you. To Elaine Koster, my agent, you’re simply the best. To Shida Carr, the world’s preeminent publicist. Okay, that may be what I call you, but just wait a few years—everyone will be saying the same thing.

I would have never been able to do all the “medical stuff” without Dr. Sherri Lewis, who is an extraordinary Christian fiction writer in her own right. Check her out, y’all! Thank you, Sherri, for making it look like I knew what I was talking about.

To my pastor, Dr. Beverly “BAM” Crawford. One of the things I hate about taking my characters out of Los Angeles is not writing about you! Pastor Ford has quickly become a fan favorite, and I am always so proud to say that she is based upon my real pastor. Thank you for keeping me covered, for always praying for and loving me! I truly would not be able to write these books without you.

Finally, to you, the reader. Whenever I write and ask you to buy a book or cast a vote or spread the word, you always respond. My career continues to grow only because of you and I am so appreciative. There are not very many ways I can tell you how grateful I am, but let me try…
merci, gracias, danke, grazie, spasibo, arigato, abrigado
…in other words, THANK YOU! For everything! And as long as you keep reading, I’ll keep writing.

Lady Jasmine

For Discussion

1. The novel centers around Jasmine Larson Bush’s deep secret—one that she is willing to do anything to keep concealed in order to save herself, her marriage, and her family. The reader is let in on the secret very early in the book, however. How does this immediate revelation affect your reading of the story? What assumptions did you make about Jasmine within the first few pages?
   
2. If you’ve read other books that feature Jasmine—
   Temptation, A Sin and a Shame,
   or
   Too Little, Too Late
   —what is it about this character that makes for such compelling reading? Do you find Jasmine likable? Do you identify with her in any way?
   
3. Though Reverend Samuel Bush is in a coma for most of the book, he remains an important and influential figure. How does his absence or presence affect the lives of Hosea, Jasmine, Pastor Wyatt, and the other church members?
   
4. Is Mae Frances being a good friend to Jasmine by doing whatever it takes to help her out when she’s in trouble, or is she simply enabling Jasmine’s scheming and devious ways? What’s your definition of a good friend?
   
5. Is Jasmine capable of being a responsible first lady of City of Lights at Riverside Church, or is she interested only in glamour and prestige?
   
6. What motivates Jasmine? Is she driven by pure motives such as love for her husband and child, righteousness in the eyes of God, a quest for truth, or a desire to change? Or is she driven by temptations like lust, money, fame, and revenge?
   
7. How would you characterize Jasmine and Hosea’s relationship? What is it built upon? Do you think they will have a lasting marriage? Why or why not?
   
8. The novel pulls back the curtain on the messiness and divisiveness of church politics. Have you ever been part of a church, workplace, or other organization that was nearly undone by disputes over leadership or direction? Describe that experience.
   
9. In Hosea’s debut sermon in chapter 12, he speaks of “the audacity to obey.” What does this phrase mean in the context of his story? What does the phrase mean when you apply it to your own life? Provide examples if you can.
   
10. In her search for her blackmailer, Jasmine seeks to bring down all her potential enemies—Jerome Viceroy, Pastor Wyatt, and Mrs. Whittingham. With a bit of digging, Jasmine discovers that all of them harbor secrets that would shock the church congregation. Do each of these characters get what they deserve? What does Hosea mean when he says, “No one else’s misfortune is God’s blessing to me”?
    
11. In the end, does Jasmine do anything that surprises you? She has the power to reveal some very dark secrets and destroy
    people’s lives, but she refrains from wielding that power. Why do you think she holds back?
    
12. Hosea faces a very difficult decision when he must choose whether or not to keep his father on life support. What would you do if faced with a similar situation?
    

This is your fourth novel featuring the beloved and despised Jasmine Larson Bush. When you wrote
Temptation
, did you envision her as a recurring character?

Never, never, never! When I first brought Jasmine to life, I never expected to write about her again. Look at her—she’s not very likable. Who would want to revisit her? Those were my thoughts, but those thoughts did not belong to the readers. Jasmine Bush has become my Erica Kane—she’s the woman that most love to hate!

Jasmine’s juicy secrets and schemes seem simply endless. Will there be additional books featuring this intriguing woman?

I can’t tell you that! But truly, how many more secrets can one woman have? Oops, we are talking about Jasmine, aren’t we? Well, the truth—I’m not sure if Jasmine has any more secrets, but there’s something that I have been thinking about: Doesn’t there come a time when one has to pay for their past sins? Hmmmm…

How do you relate to Jasmine personally? Is she inspired by anyone you’ve known, or is she a purely fictional creation?

Are you kidding me? I don’t know anyone like her. Jasmine is truly a figment of my imagination.

You’ve had such an interesting and inspiring life, spending many years in the corporate world and as an entrepreneur before giving it all up to write fiction. How do you share your story of faith and courage to other people who may feel a similar calling?

When I left corporate America to venture into this writing life, I never saw it as a big step of faith. That’s because I really
believed that I was supposed to be doing this. Plus, I do have a lot of faith and one thing I know is that you don’t need faith when you’re inside the box. You don’t need faith to keep doing what you’re doing. Faith is only necessary outside of the box. So stepping out gave me a chance to exercise my faith. I tell people that if you have faith, use it!

There’s certainly a religious theme to your novels, but it doesn’t seem to be heavy-handed or overly judgmental. What role do faith and religion play in your life, and how have they helped to shape the stories that you tell?

I tell people this anytime they ask this question. I am a Christian and I love the Lord. Period. For me, my Christianity is not an adjective—it’s a verb. It’s far more than a way to describe me; it’s what I do. I always say that if I were a bus driver, people would have said, “There goes that Christian bus driver.” Or if I were a teacher, people would have said, “Have you met the new Christian teacher?” My Christianity goes with me wherever I go.

You seem to love the characters that make the greatest mistakes, always treating them with a sense of humor, often giving them second chances or hope for forgiveness. Where do you get such compassion for “the sinners” in your stories?

I’ve got lots of compassion for sinners—since I’m one of them. I haven’t committed the same sins as my characters, but I sin nonetheless. And I thank God for His compassion and His grace, and His mercy every day. So it’s easy for me to have that kind of compassion for my characters and pass on to them the same forgiveness that God gives to me every moment of my life.

What do you hope readers will take away from a story like
Lady Jasmine
?

I’m not sure there’s a specific message—I don’t write my books that way. What I try to get across in all of my stories is that no matter what you do, no matter what you’re going through, no matter who you are, God is there for you.

Aside from the story of Hosea and Gomer, do any other parts of
Lady Jasmine
have subtle biblical parallels?

Hmmmm…I don’t know. I didn’t put any other biblical parallels in the story, but you never know what a reader may find.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse? What’s the significance for you?

I have so many favorite scriptures, but there is one that does stand out for me. Jeremiah 29:11. Although I’ve read the Bible completely several times, this scripture didn’t stand out to me until 2001—just days after my husband passed away. I was in a Christian bookstore with my best friend, Tracy, and as she was shopping, I noticed Christmas cards. I was overwhelmed with the thought that for the upcoming Christmas, I was going to sign cards with only my name on them. Grief rolled over me and I told Tracy that I didn’t feel like I had any hope; I didn’t feel like I had a future. Tracy tried to comfort me, but still she decided that we needed to leave. As we stood at the cash register, both of us noticed a poster behind the counter.
For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.
Tracy and I were both shocked—I had just said those words! From that point, I’ve stood on that scripture. And God has fulfilled His promise. He’s given me mounds of hope. And He’s given me quite a future.