Nobody’s Child (New Life Tabernacle Series Book 1)

by LaShonda Bowman

  Robin stepped back, her hand on Sophia's elbow. "Let me look at you." She shook her head. "So what? You decided to stop aging?"

  "That's what I think every time I see you on television."

  Robin rolled her eyes and waved her hand through the air. "Girl, please… Come on, let's get your bags."

  "No need. This is all I brought,” Sophia said, rolling her wheeled carry-on closer to her.

  Robin opened her mouth to speak, but Sophia stopped her before she could.

  "Look, I plan to be in and out. I'm going to talk to the doctors and see what's what. If possible, I’m taking mama back with me so she can recover there. The plan is to be gone before anybody even knows I'm here."

  Robin slowly nodded, but remained silent. She slipped one of her arms around Sophia's and they walked toward the sliding doors leading to the parking structure.

  "Well…” she said, "I can promise you, nobody's going to hear about you being in town from me. But as far as getting Ms. Patti to go home with you? That may take a miracle."

  Robin was right and Sophia knew it. But she was hoping since Jesus turned water into wine, He'd also be able to make her mother stop hating her long enough to let her help.

  * * *

  Robin pulled onto the freeway and Sophia stared out the window, looking for familiar landmarks. There were some she recognized, but most of what she saw was new, making her hometown nearly unrecognizable.

  But while much of the city had changed in the sixteen years she’d been away, some things remained the same. The humidity in the air, the smell of the trees, the paleness of the sky.

  In a way, the familiarity was comforting. But at the same time, it stirred up memories she didn’t want to relive.

  To distract herself, she grabbed the previous day's mail from her handbag and started sorting through it.

  "So when's the next book coming out? That last one was too good! I stayed up to finish it the night I bought it. Overslept and almost missed my flight, girl!”

  Sophia chuckled. ”Really? I rarely get to talk to readers. I always wonder what people's reactions are."

  "Well, I can tell you the bookstore at New Life sells out within the first week a new book arrives. Your last series was the reason they started a book club in the first place."

  Sophia did a double take. "Stop."

  Robin laughed. "I'm serious. Those ladies love them some Debra Millard!”

  "Yeah, well, if they knew Debra Millard was otherwise known as Sophia Wright, they probably have a book burning right there in the church parking lot."

  Robin poked out her bottom lip and Sophia went back to the pile of mail in her lap.

  “Come on now, Robin Jones. Tell the truth, shame the devil."

  Robin pursed her lips and squinted her eyes. Slowly, she nodded. "A book bonfire might happen…”

  Sophia chuckled. She loved Robin and knew that, if at all possible, she would try to spare her feelings. But she didn't need her to. Sophia already knew the truth. It was the very reason she wrote under a pseudonym. She had no choice as a professor at a major university, but at least as a writer, she could use another name to maintain her privacy.

  And recently, that had become more important than ever. From what she understood, Avery had built the congregation to mega-church status. If people knew who and where she was, she’d never have a moment's peace.

  That meant no interviews, book signings, author profiles or special event invites. Not that she minded. She didn't need to be famous. She kept to herself anyway. It was safer. For her heart, at least.

  She sighed as she flipped through the envelopes. "Publisher contracts, another speaking invitation I can’t accept, bill, bill, bill—“

  Sophia stared at the envelope in her hand.

  It was royal purple and the letters of the logo, NLT, were printed in goldenrod yellow. As usual, the envelope was addressed to her. And as usual, the return address was his.

  She wanted nothing to do with him. When was he going to get the message?

  Robin quickly glanced over before turning her attention back to the road.

  "What is it? Everything okay?"

  “Uh, yeah. Don't worry. It's nothing. But do you mind if we made a stop on the way to my mom's house?"

  * * *

  Robin waited in the car while Sophia ran into the post office. It was buzzing with activity and the layout was different from the one near her house, but she’d gone through the routine so many times now, she could’ve done it with her eyes closed.

  First, she purchased a five by seven manila envelope and a book of stamps from the self-service machine by the entrance. Then she applied the appropriate amount of postage. Next, she wrote across the front of the envelope.

  Attn: Pastor Avery Thomas

  c/o New Tabernacle Church

  After writing the rest of the address, she took the purple envelope with the New Life Tabernacle logo and ripped it in two. She stuffed both halves into the manila envelope and sealed it.

  Then she dropped it in the outgoing mailbox on her way out the door.

  A Message From LaShonda

  I hope you enjoyed Nobody’s Child. From the beginning, I’ve called it Robin’s story, but as you can see, it’s Marcus and Makayla’s story, as well.

  The question, What makes a family? is a major one in this novel. Some say only blood can. I disagree.

  I believe God creates families, not biology. If you were fortunate enough to be born into your family, praise God! If not, don’t be discouraged. Trust Him to bring the mother, father, sister, brother, son or daughter you’ve always longed for. He can do it!

  Now, on to book 2…

  In Restoration Song, you’re finally going to learn the story behind Pastor Avery Thomas. I know some of y’alls ears perked up when he made his admission to Makayla at the press conference!

  Yup, like others at New Life, he has some closely guarded secrets. And just like others at New Life, those secrets are about to come out.

  Years ago, his wife, Sophia, left without a word of warning. Despite several church members encouraging him to move on, he’d never been able to. When he learns she’s back in town, he’s overjoyed. But that joy is short-lived.

  Before it’s over, he and Sophia are going to confront parts of their lives they never wanted to face. But if they can find the courage to do it, they’ll each experience a restoration they’d never thought possible.

  If you don’t want to miss the release of Restoration Song or any of my other books, there’s several things you can do.

  If you submit your email address to my list, I'll keep you updated. Plus, you'll be one of the few to learn about early-bird discounts and subscriber-only giveaways. You can do that by clicking HERE.

  If you’d rather chat on Facebook, you can find me at my LaShonda Bowman Books page. I’m not there every day, but I promise to check in as often as I can.

  Last, but not least, you can click the FOLLOW button on my author page at Amazon, and they’ll email you when there’s something new.

  And if you’d just like to drop a quick note, my email address is lashondabowmanbooks@gmail.com

  I’m running out of ways to tell you all how much your kindness, encouragement and support have meant to me. Please know that every email, Facebook message and review mean more than you can imagine. I was floored to find people reading my stories, imagine my joy when I gained friends and family in the process!

  Please continue to keep me in your prayers. And hear me when I say, I love and thank God for you every day.

  Sincerely,

  LaShonda

  Book Club Discussion Questions

  Nobody’s Child

  1. Over and over, Makayla saw what a kind and caring person Robin was. Yet, she continually doubted that caring and kindness would be extended toward her. Why is it, with all the scriptural evidence we have of the goodness of God, we find ourselves doubting His goodness toward us?

  2. Adam and Eve hid from God after par
taking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They said they did it because they were afraid. Makayla refused to tell Robin who she was out of fear. Why does fear cause us to hide and be dishonest, even from those who love us?

  3. When Makayla went to Trey for help, he refused her. Do you think he was right or wrong? Why?

  4. Why do you think Carrie didn't mention the baby in her letter? Was her decision based on what was best for her family, herself, or the child?

  5. After learning the truth about who hurt Carrie, Emmett Jones resigned as pastor and stopped preaching altogether. Do you think he made the right choice? Why?

  6. Robin believed she, Marcus and Makayla were meant to be a family. Do you believe in divinely ordained relationships? Why or why not?

  7. Continuing from the above question, if you do believe these kind of relationships exist, do you think one could ever be as strong as a relationship bound by blood? Or do you believe blood really is thicker than water? Why?

  8. Marcus waited for nearly two decades to meet Makayla. Have you ever waited on God to fulfill a prayer request for a long period of time? What did you do when you felt like giving up?

  9. There are two scenes in the book in which the author used Robin and Makayla to mirror the relationship between Jesus and the Believer. Which two scenes do you think they are and why?

  10. Which scene resonated the most with you? Either in a positive or negative way? Why?

  11. Which scene in the book would you have written differently? What would your version be like?

  12. Out of all the characters in the novel, which did you most relate to? Which did you find the most perplexing? Why?

  Also by LaShonda Bowman

  The Langston Family Saga