Monday, August 13, 2007

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dana Littlejohn was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, but she has called Indianapolis, In. her home for over 10 years. Since childhood she loved to write and it showed in contest winning poetry and writing short stories to entertain her friends. To date she has published three full length romance novels, three novellas and four short stories and will participate in two anthologies. Stop by her website’s and see what’s happening next with her.

www.danalittlejohn.net


ABOUT THE BOOK:

BLURB:

Angela Dean was free. She had spent the last 27 years as a stay at home mother, but has just sent her baby boy off to college. She had done her job well.

Her friends were envious of her new roll in life and her husband was proud of her, but she was at a complete loss. After doing it for so long she was used to all the running here and there for this function and that sporting event or helping at the church. Now that she was plagued with all this free time she had no clue what to do with herself.

Being busy didn't stop her from being a good mother and a good wife, it kept her out of trouble. Mischief never had a chance to catch up to her in her old life, but with her new life she finds out how easy it is to be led astray.


EXCERPT:

The sun shined brightly on the roof of Christ Followers Christian Church of Davidstown, Indiana. In the basement of the small church, Angela Dean moved the last table into place, hung the banner and rearranged the balloon bouquet one more time before she was satisfied with the room.

The forces of nature had been kind to her over the years. Marrying her beloved Robert at the tender age of eighteen, she had been a mere slip of a girl. Mother Nature waited until she was in her twenties to bless her with the extra weight that she needed to make her shape more like that of a woman and less childlike after she started having her children. Father Time waited another two decades before he began to sprinkle her hair with a few strands of silver, but he left her butterscotch skin untouched by his hands.

Surveying the room again she almost changed it again, but heard the footfalls on the stairs behind her. A woman’s head popped around the corner. “Angela, come on. Pastor says Matthew and Mark are on their way with Luke,” she said excitedly.

Smiling, Angela followed her out. Upstairs the sanctuary was buzzing with people and several conversations at one time. She pushed past the crowd to an even larger crowd to find her husband.

He put his arm around her shoulders. “Hi, honey, where ya been? I sent Toni to find you.”

“She found me. I was downstairs making sure everything was ready for the party.”

“You see that, Deacon Little? While the whole congregation is up here all excited about the party, my wife is downstairs making sure everything is in order,” he said with a laugh and slapped his friend on the back. “An excellent quality in a wife, don’t you think?”

Deacon Little laughed. “Yes, Pastor, it sure is. We all hope to be as fortunate as you are and marry a good woman like Lady Angela.”

“He who finds a wife finds a good thing, the good book says. I got mine. You better get yours!”

The pastor and his friend laughed again as a small child tugged at his shirt. “Pastor, Pastor, my mama said to tell you that the boys are coming across the street.”

“Ok, sweetie, tell your mama that we’re ready.”

The little girl bounced off and the pastor and his congregation followed.

*****

Mathew, Mark and Luke approach the church.

“So, what’s going on guys?”

“Now, Luke, what makes you think there’s something going on?”

“Just you saying that, Matt, makes me think something is going on.”

Would you believe him if he told you?” Mark asked.

“I don’t know. He doesn’t have a good history of telling me the truth.”

“What? I’ve never lied to you. What are talking about?” Matt protested.

“You what? Ok, what about the time when I was ten?”

Matt and Mark looked and each other and shrugged.

“Oh, now you have selective memory, huh? When I was ten you told me mom and dad were taking me to Chuckie Cheese’s for my birthday party and it was a secret. I was all pumped up thinking I was going to the party of the century and I ended up at the dentist office.”

Luke’s brothers stopped in their tracks, bent over with their laughter.

“I’m glad you guys can still laugh about that. I was traumatized behind it. I had three cavities because you had been feeding me candy everyday for a month. It’s a good thing mom and dad did have a party for me or I would have been connecting that dental experience with a party for a long time,” he said as a few laughs slipped out.

“Ok, well, you can’t count that. We all were young then. Now you’re a big man. Going away to college and everything,” Mark said trying to stop laughing.

“So you guys aren’t to tell me what’s going on?”

“Ok, they’re having a party for you inside the church,” Matt said.

Luke sputtered. “Yeah, right.”

Mark grabbed the door and smiled. “Why don’t we just go in and see what’s going on?”

Luke shrugged and walked in as Mark pushed the door open.

“Surprise!”

Luke jumped back startled, but his brothers pushed him into a sea of people slapping him on the back, shaking his hand and kissing him. As he walked into the basement he saw a large banner across the ceiling saying, GOOD LUCK at MOREHOUSE, LUKE! and all the balloons congratulating him. A huge grin replaced his shocked look.

“See, I told, you,” Matt said smugly.

He looked at his older brother out the corner of his eye and laughed. “Yeah, like I’d believe anything you’d say.”

“You hear that, Mark, I finally told him the truth and he doesn’t believe me,” he said with a laugh.

After some music, dancing and eating Pastor Dean stood up. “I want to thank everyone for coming out and showing your support to our family.” He nodded and waited for the applause to die down. “I also want to share that Matthew has just told us that he has asked his girlfriend Lisa to marry him and she accepted.”

Everyone clapped again as Matt hugged the girl to his left.

“Mark as you know is still attending Ball State and Luke has been accepted to Morehouse on a four year music scholarship,” he announced and the clapping and cheering roared up again.

“Yes, yes, praise God, we are truly blessed. I am blessed as a father, to have such wonderful sons. I am blessed as a husband to have such a good and faithful wife and I am blessed as a pastor, too. I know I haven’t been here as much these last few months, but it hasn’t been all for nothing. Our God is a faithful God! I wanted to take this time when we all were together to tell you, my church family and my family that our prayers have been answered. We have been adding to a building fund for years. We’ve had bake sales, fish fry’s, clothing drives skate parties all kinds of things for this building fund. Fund raiser after fund raiser into this fund and not so much as a new door knob has gone onto this building. Well, I just wanted to tell you that the building fund has not gone to a new car for your pastor,” he said with a chuckle. “Even though I know that’s what some of you think every time I get a new hat that I’m dipping into the building fund.” He looked around and chuckled again. “No, that isn’t the case it has. Your money is going to the new building that will be built for us.”

The congregation erupted in cheers again and Pastor Dean raised his hands to quiet them again.

“Our patience has been rewarded, my people, and the building fund put to the use that it was made for. Construction of the new building will begin in early November and will be up for us to have service on the first Sunday in January!”

The clapping and cheering was booming. The celebration went on for a little while longer before the people dispersed and went their separate ways. Later that evening Robert and Angela readied themselves for bed.

“Honey, I’ll only be gone three days, maybe four out of the week. I have it all planned out. Minister Green will help with the counseling sessions and take the Sundays that I’m not here and Minister Blackwell will visit and preach on whichever Sunday I ask him to.”

“Yes, but, Robert, you’ve been gone more than here all summer. A meeting in the city, Michigan, St. Louis and Chicago, too. You’re hardly ever here. I‘ve missed you.”

“Yes, I know, but the boys are older and they don’t need me like they used to.”

“Yes, Robert, but,” she sighed before continuing. “What do I do now?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do I do now that Luke is leaving, too? I thought that when all the kids were gone we would do more things together?”

“We will, honey, but you know the church needs this. I’ve worked and prayed a long time to get this project up and going.”

“I know, honey.”

“This is the most exciting part, baby,” he said with a beaming smile.

She sighed. “Ok, Robert, you’re right.”

She slid in the bed next to him and he pulled her into his arms. “As pastor of the church I have to sometimes make sacrifices. You understand, don’t you, sweetheart?”

She gave him half a smile. “Of course, Robert.”

He smiled and kissed her. “I knew you would. When this is off and running I promise, I’ll make it up to you.”

She moved closer to him and slipped her arms around his neck. “So, it’s not too late, you think we could…”

He pulled her arms down. “Uh, no, honey. We have to be up early for church. Did you forget about the breakfast the youth group’s putting on for Luke?” He kissed her again and turned over.

She sighed again and mentally added another line on the no sex side of the score card she kept, making it 42 lines since May. Staring at the ceiling for a little while longer she turned over and let Robert’s snores lulled her to sleep.


REVIEW:

5 Roses: "This story amazed me. The raw emotions that were set forth, the character's confusion and the proof that idle hands can get you into a lot of trouble. This story was a wonderful read, and I felt myself feeling for each character especially Angela. I was left utterly breathless by the heat that was portrayed between each page of this story. Ms. Littlejohn weaved a vibrant tale of neglect, and true love. The ending of this masterpiece will leave you sweetly shocked and satisfied. Bravo Dana!"
-- Angel Ortega
On Loan Reviewer to the REC



The Sanctified Wife by Dana Littlejohn
ISBN: 978-0-9789935-9-7
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novella
$4.00 from Amira Press



Purchase The Sanctified Wife by Dana Littlejohn HERE!!