Vanessa couldn’t help but smile. Her aunt always was dramatic. But she did have a point.
“You almost let the devil win, but I’m here to tell you, the devil is a lie!” Ida paused as they watched Dionne and Bruce walk toward them. “Your sister almost let the devil destroy her, but God gave her something precious worth fighting for,” Ida continued, lowering her voice.
“Hey, Auntie, why you out here getting all worked up?” Dionne asked.
“I’m just trying to tell your sister the Word. I was telling her how happy I am to see her give her marriage another chance.” Her eyes made their way down to Bruce’s hand, which was resting gently in the small of Dionne’s back. “’Bout as happy as I am to see this here.”
“Oh, no,” Dionne protested. “Bruce and I are just good friends.”
Ida fanned her away. “Go tell that nonsense to someone else,” she said. “That ain’t no friendship I see in that boy’s eyes.”
“Hello, Miss Ida,” Bruce said, his cheeks turning red.
Ida nodded in satisfaction. “Mmmm-hmmm, I got your friends,” she mumbled to Dionne.
Dionne shook her head as she took Bruce’s hand and led him away.
“’Bye, Auntie. ’Bye, Vanessa. I’ll be by later for dinner. I’m bringing Bruce.”
Bruce waved as he followed Dionne off.
Ida tucked her Bible under her arm. “Hmph. I ain’t never seen her at church with Roland. That dog ain’t never made it to Sunday dinner.”
“Aunt Ida, can you not speak bad about the dead?”
“He was still a dog, God rest his soul. But that Bruce, I like him. He’s gonna make a good baby’s daddy.”
“I really do think they are just friends,” Vanessa reiterated.
“Every relationship works best if the couple is friends first.” Ida stared after them. “Dionne better not let that boy get away. He’s a little funny-looking, but he looks like he loves the Lord. And her.”
“You got all that from two meetings, huh?” Vanessa asked.
“Yep, my third eye knows things,” Ida replied. “Like the fact that your marriage is something worth fighting for. So you need to tell the devil that he can’t have your marriage.” Ida’s expression turned vigilant. “What happened to the cuckoo bird?”
“Alana? She’s in a psychiatric facility. Her family says she hasn’t been right since her parents’ deaths. They actually had been trying to get her some help. But after she left her job and moved, they lost contact with her.”
“And that baby?”
“Thomasina is apparently with her real father. Alana’s ex, who didn’t even know she was pregnant.”
“Mmmm-hmmm, well, I hope he changes that poor child’s name. Don’t no child deserve to bear that kind of cross all her life.”
Vanessa hugged her aunt. “Thank you, Aunt Ida.”
“For what, baby?”
“Believing when I didn’t.”
“Child, you ain’t said nothing. I’ve been through too much not to believe that God can work anything out. Do you hear what I’m saying?” Ida continued, flashing a smile at Shelly as she came bouncing back toward them. “I’m a witness that you can weather any storm with God at the center of your relationship.” She nodded toward Thomas. “You’ve got a second chance, girl. With your husband and with a child. Claim the love God meant for you to have.”
Vanessa watched as Thomas made his way across the lawn and back over to them. She watched his stride, the way he smiled when he looked at her, and the love that was evident all over his face. Aunt Ida was right, she’d been given a second chance. And this time, she was determined not to mess it up.
Description
Can I Get a Witness? opens with Judge Vanessa Colton-Kirk presiding over yet another divorce in one of Houston’s most notorious divorce courts. Vanessa is quick to end the couple’s marriage, as she’s done with countless others, but when she chooses to work late on the night of her five-year wedding ann iversary, Vanessa’s husband, Thomas, lets her know he’s had enough. Thinking he’s overreacting, she visits him at his hotel the next night and discovers him with his mistress, Alana. Thomas then drops the bombshell that Alana is pregnant and he’s leaving to be with her.
Before the couple can divorce, their judge (and Vanessa’s colleague, whom she’s clashed with more than once) orders Vanessa and Thomas to attend a spiritual retreat together. In Vanessa’s mind, time and counseling can do nothing to save this marriage. But when loneliness and bitterness attempt to get the best of her, she must look to God to find peace in her life.
Questions for Discussion
Discuss the role of forgiveness in the novel. How do Vanessa and Dionne deal with the rough times in their romantic relationships, when they must learn to forgive their men? How do Roland, Henry, and Thomas deal with forgiveness when the tables are turned?
In one of the many sermons Aunt Ida delivers to her girls, she tells Dionne that “a man’s only gonna do what you allow him to do, and you allowed him to play you…” (26) How was Dionne “played” by Roland? Do you agree with Aunt Ida that she allowed this to happen? Why or why not?
Rosolyn takes a turn at preaching when she comments to Dionne, “I don’t know why we women do that…. We get mad at our man cheating and want to jump the woman.” (91) Why do you think Dionne and Vanessa feel anger toward Tasha and Alana instead of directing it at their men? Do you think that Rosolyn’s assessment holds true in the real world?
Discuss Aunt Ida’s advice to Vanessa and Dionne. What does she mean when she tells Vanessa to “get right with God”? (168) Is she right when she says, “Seeking revenge only deepens the hole in your heart”? (106)
Do you agree with Aunt Ida that everything good happens in God’s time? What does the book seem to say about this belief?
“Get to know Dionne. Fall in love with Dionne. Then maybe you won’t have a problem getting someone else to love you as well.” (85) Rosolyn gives this advice to Dionne. Do you think that Dionne follows it? If so, how?
Dionne’s friends and family make it clear throughout the novel that they don’t like Roland. Do you think they are justified in their dislike? Do you agree with Dionne that Roland really loved her, or do you agree with her friends and family that he didn’t?
Was Dionne right to seek revenge using her knowledge of Roland’s business dealings? Would you have done the same thing in her shoes? How do you feel about the illegal actions Vanessa took to ensure the speedy finalization of her divorce?
Did your opinion of Rosolyn change after you learned the truth about her marriage? Did you gain or lose respect for Henry after his secret was revealed?
Throughout the book, Vanessa denies that she has contributed to the deterioration of her marriage. What do you think keeps her from acknowledging her role in the breakup? Has she realized her mistakes by the book’s end or does she still hold Thomas accountable for their problems?
From the moment they meet, Vanessa is captivated by Shelly and the poems that the girl writes. What qualities about Shelly attract Vanessa to her?
Were you expecting the book to end like it did? Do you agree with Vanessa’s and Thomas’s final decisions? What do you think Dionne’s future holds?
A Conversation with ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Aunt Ida and Rosolyn have very strong ideas about God and have no problems bestowing their advice on others. Are their characters based on anyone you have known in real life?
They are a combination of the matriarchs in my life—my mother, grandmother, and aunts, who could care less about “getting in somebody’s business.” If they think you’re doing wrong, they’ll call you on it and they don’t hesitate to let you know you “ain’t right with God.” I also draw upon people like my best friend, Jaimi, who is quick to tell me, “Your blacks don’t match” and “I know you’re not going out of the house in that outfit!”
How much, if any, of Aunt Ida’s advice do you follow in your day-to-day life?
Oh, wow. That’s
a hard one. I try to follow a lot of her advice, but I still struggle in my walk with God from time to time, so I know there are some things that need improvement in my own life. But I’m a work in progress…God ain’t through with me yet.
Do you think that we should sympathize with and forgive Roland for cheating on Dionne?
Another hard one. I think people are so quick to judge, giving their opinion on what someone in that situation should do. But I think how you deal with a cheating mate is something you have to look at on an individual basis. I think that’s a decision only you can make. One of my favorite lines from the book is in the chapter where the spiritual counselors tell Vanessa and Thomas that just because God says it’s okay to divorce an adulterer doesn’t mean you should. I think in this day and age, particularly, we are so quick to throw in the towel and sometimes God wants us to really look at the “for better or for worse” part. Now that I’ve gotten the “What would Jesus do?” answer out of the way…personally, I’d have to pray long and hard if I were in either Dionne’s or Vanessa’s position. I’m just not that understanding. Hey, I told you God is still working on me!
Have you ever dated a man who was like Roland, Henry, or Thomas?
I plead the Fifth.
How does Vanessa compare to main characters in your other books? Are there any personality traits that they share?
Vanessa reminds me of Raedella from I Know I’ve Been Changed. She’s so busy pursuing her career, but at what cost? As with Raedella, it takes Vanessa awhile and a lot of heartache to realize her own shortcomings.
Vanessa has a difficult time balancing the demands of her career with her personal life. As a wife and mother of three with an extremely busy writing and touring schedule, what advice would you offer to Vanessa if you could?
Yes, following your dreams is important, but at the end of the day, there is nothing more important than family. No matter what dream you’re chasing, you have to make time for your family.
Do you still teach writing?
Not formally, although I’d love to get back in the classroom. I do, however, mentor a lot of writers. I feel like I’ve been so blessed in my literary career and it’s my responsibility to reach back and take someone else along for the ride.
You’ve commented on your MySpace blog that it upsets you when people criticize your books for not being Christian enough. What do you have to say to these critics?
It took me awhile to get to the point where I could say, “God is pleased and that’s good enough for me.” I’ve always been the type of person who wants to please everyone, but I’ve learned in this writing game that you’re not going to please everyone. I write reality, which often includes some ugly truths. There are critics that say, “Well, so-and-so should’ve prayed really hard and been delivered from his homosexuality.” Well, I know God is capable of anything, but in everyday life, you just don’t see people being delivered from homosexuality. My writing reflects the world we live in and there are some who believe if you’re writing Christian or inspirational fiction, you shouldn’t address those ugly truths. But to me, God is pleased because my books are reaching saints and sinners, many of whom would not be inspired if they didn’t see themselves in the pages.
You have an extremely strong fan base, which only continues to grow. You’ve also mentioned that meeting your readers is the best part about being a writer. How do your fans influence you and your writing? Do you ever draw inspiration for your books from them?
My fans make everything I do worthwhile. I absolutely love meeting readers. I love hearing people passionately discuss my characters to the point that I have to remind them: “These people aren’t real!” I also love hearing what works and what doesn’t work from readers. It helps make me a stronger writer. And I’m a people watcher. I can watch a person, their dress, their mannerisms, and so on, and create a character from there. My favorite thing to do is to go to Starbucks and write. I take in the ambience and get a lot of my character inspiration from people making their way in for a cup of coffee.
Your list of fiction titles just keeps growing. How did you manage to write eleven books in under three years? What’s next?
When you love what you do, you do what you love. I absolutely love writing and so I make time for my passion. I have been blessed with a gift, and I love sharing it with the world and that’s my motivation to keep churning out the books. As long as readers keep reading, this writer will keep writing! I’m really excited about my next book, which will be different from anything I’ve done in the past. It’s about a woman who wins the lottery and just as she’s about to collect her winnings, her estranged ex-husband shows up with the woman he left her for, to announce their divorce was never finalized and he wants his half of the winnings. I’m having so much fun writing this and I’m hoping the readers will enjoy it just as much. I am also excited about Let the Church Say Amen the movie! Which is in production now and coming to a theater near you soon!
Activities to Enhance Your Book Club
Log onto ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s MySpace page, http://www.myspace.com/reshonda_tate_billingsley, where you can read her blog and find current articles about her. You may even be able to use MySpace to connect with one of the many book clubs across the nation that are also reading Can I Get a Witness?
In the spirit of Vanessa, Dionne, and Rosolyn, share a traumatic romantic experience from your past. You may be surprised with what you find out about your friends.
For your next book club selection, read a book by one of ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s favorite authors: Jacquelin Thomas, Victoria Christopher Murray, Kimberla Lawson Roby, Jihad, or Eric Jerome Dickey. Or check out one of her favorite new and upcoming authors: Tiffany L. Warren, Latrese N. Carter, or Mikasenoja.
Table of Contents
Cover
Praise
Also by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Description
Questions for Discussion
A Conversation with ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Activities to Enhance Your Book Club
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