The Book in Room 316
Page 21
To my BGB admin family: Jason, Cherritta, Kimyatta, Raine . . . thank you so much for all that you do. To our amazing partners . . . I’m thrilled to have you on our team.
As usual, thanks to my agent since day one, Sara Camilli; my editor from the beginning, Brigitte Smith, and my new editor, Marla Daniels; my wonderful publicist, Melissa Gramstad; and the rest of my family at Gallery. Thank you for continuously believing in me!
Editor extraordinaire John Paine, once again you worked your magic. My books soar because of you.
Thank you to some very special friends who helped my muse be her best on this book: Jay, Dishan, Eddie, James, Jihad, and my cousin, Moses.
A thousand thanks to my literary colleagues: Da Bad Authoresses, Tiffany Warren, Renee Flagler (you guys make this literary journey bearable ), Eric Jerome Dickey, Stacey Evans Morgan, Brian Smith, Victor McGlothin, Kwame Alexander, Karla Bady, and Kimberla Lawson Roby. Special shout-outs to: Monique S. Hall, Sharon Lucas, Yolanda Gore, Cecie Reed, Sophie Sealy, Nakecia Bowers, Eric Jamal, Sheretta Edwards, Lisa Paige Jones, Tres Dunmore, April Moore Gipson, Bridget Crawford, King Brooks, Tiffany Tyler, Lisa Meade Hawkins, Gina Torres, Michelle Chavis, Michelle Harden, Shawn Rushing, Pam Gaskin, Radiah Hubert, Lynn Clouser, Orsayor Simmons, and my sister-cousin, Shay Smith.
I could list book clubs for days. But I want to give a special acknowledgment to A Novel Idea, Brownstone Book Club, Sistahs in Conversation and Sistahs in Harmony, Black Butterfly, Cover 2 Cover, Savvy, Nubian Pageturners, Cush City, Black Pearls Keepin It Real, Mahogany, Women of Substance, My Sisters & Me, Pages Between Sistahs, Shared Thoughts, Brag About Books, Mocha Readers, Characters, Christian Fiction Café, Sisters Who Like to Read, Readers of Delight, Tabahani Book Circle, FB Page Turners, African-American Women’s Book Club, Women of Color, Zion M.B.C. Women’s Book Club, Jus’Us, Go On Girl Texas 1, Book Club Etc., Pearls of Wisdom, Renaissance, Lady Lotus, and Soulful Readers of Detroit, Brownstone (please know that if you’re not here, it doesn’t diminish my gratitude).
Thank you to all the wonderful libraries that have also supported my books, introduced me to readers, and fought to get my books on the shelves.
People often ask why I take time to thank my Facebook friends. But I’ve gotten so much love, encouragement, and support from my social media family. While I’m sure I’m missing someone, thank you to: Bernice, Allison, J’son, Natalie, Davina, Kiera, Rachel, Bettye, Ronnesha, Karen, Natalie, Sonja, Lisa, Lateefah, Gail, Juda, Ingrid, Vicki, Shelly, Charlene, Michelle, Karla, Tracey, Karyn, Crystal, Eddgra, Tonia, Kimberlee, Cindy, Annette, Nicole, Chenoa, Brenda, JE, Tanisha, Beverly, Noelle, Kim, Princis, Joe, Charlenette, Yasmin, Terri, Cheryl, Kelley, Katharyn, Bridget, Alicia, Arnesha, Tamou, Sharmel, Antoinette, Cynthia, Jackie, Ernest, Wanda, Ralph, Patrick, Lissha, Tameka, Laura, Marsha, Wanda, Kym, Allison, Jacole, Stephanie, Dawn, Paula, Nakia, Jodi, Cecily, Leslie, Gary, Cryssy, KP, Tomaiya, Gwen, Nik, Martha, Joyce, Yolanda, Lasheera. (Y’all know I could go on and on . . .)
Lots of love and gratitude to my sorors of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (including my own chapter, Mu Kappa Omega); our illustrious president, Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson; my sisters in Greekdom, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., who constantly show me love . . . and my fellow mothers in Jack and Jill of America, Inc., especially the Missouri City–Sugar Land and Durham Chapters.
And finally, thanks to YOU . . . my beloved reader. If it’s your first time picking up one of my books, I truly hope you enjoy. If you’re coming back, words cannot even begin to express how eternally grateful I am for your support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
Much Love,
ReShonda
About the Author
© ROCHELLE SCOTT
ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s #1 national 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, Fortune & Fame, and A Blessing & a Curse. Visit ReShondaTateBillingsley.com, meet the author on Facebook at ReShondaTateBillingsley, or follow her on Twitter @Reshondat.
FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR:
Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/ReShonda-Tate-Billingsley
MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT
SimonandSchuster.com
Facebook.com/GalleryBooks
@GalleryBooks
Also by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Seeking Sarah
A Blessing & a Curse (with Victoria Christopher Murray)
The Perfect Mistress
Mama’s Boy
Finding Amos (with J. D. Mason and Bernice McFadden)
What’s Done in the Dark
Fortune & Fame (with Victoria Christopher Murray)
A Family Affair
Friends & Foes (with Victoria Christopher Murray)
The Secret She Kept
Sinners & Saints (with Victoria Christopher Murray)
Say Amen, Again
A Good Man Is Hard to Find
Holy Rollers
The Devil Is a Lie
Can I Get a Witness?
The Pastor’s Wife
Everybody Say Amen
I Know I’ve Been Changed
Have a Little Faith (with Jacquelin Thomas, J. D. Mason, and Sandra Kitt)
Let the Church Say Amen
My Brother’s Keeper
And check out ReShonda’s Young Adult titles
Drama Queens
Caught Up in the Drama
Friends ’til the End
Fair-Weather Friends
Getting Even
With Friends Like These
Blessings in Disguise
Nothing but Drama
We hope you enjoyed reading this Simon & Schuster ebook.
* * *
Get a FREE ebook when you join our mailing list. Plus, get updates on new releases, deals, recommended reads, and more from Simon & Schuster. Click below to sign up and see terms and conditions.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox.
Gallery Books
An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Gallery Books trade paperback edition July 2018
GALLERY BOOKS and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or business@simonandschuster.com.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Interior design by Bryden Spevak
Cover design by Min Choi
Cover photograph of bed by Amy Neunsinger/Getty Images and book by Victoria Mary Bruce/Shutterstock
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Billingsley, ReShonda Tate, author.
Title: The book in room 316 / ReShonda Tate Billingsley.
Description: First Gallery Books trade paperback edit
ion. | New York : Gallery Books, 2018.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017060624 (print) | LCCN 2018001555 (ebook) | ISBN 9781501156670 (ebook) | ISBN 9781501156663 (paperback) | ISBN 9781501156694 (mass market)
Subjects: | BISAC: FICTION / African American / Contemporary Women. | FICTION / African American / Christian. | FICTION / Family Life.
Classification: LCC PS3602.I445 (ebook) | LCC PS3602.I445 B66 2018 (print) | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017060624
ISBN 978-1-5011-5666-3
ISBN 978-1-5011-5667-0 (ebook)