Maybe that is another reason why Tweet was in her feelings regarding her relationship with the new New Birth pastor. She sensed he still had feelings for this first wife! And for the record, I think this is great news! As I said, I think Pastor Bryant should be married and if he can reunite his family then that is the best outcome possible! In case you don’t believe me, Gizelle confirmed their new relationship on with ex-husband Pastor Jamal Bryant during Part 1 of the RHOP Season 4 reunion last night!
However, when Andy asked at the reunion if the mystery man was her ex-husband, like he had heard, she confirmed the gossip and said she and Jamal reconnected last year.
Gizelle admitted that the transition from married couple to exes back to dating hasn’t been easy for her and Jamal’s three daughters, Grace, Angel, and Adore. “You know what, they’re a little confused, to be honest with you, because they’ve never seen us together in that way. We got divorced 12 years ago,” Gizelle explained. “So when he comes into town and he wants to take me to dinner, they’re like, ‘Wait a minute, aren’t we all going?’ Because that’s what we normally do.”
I wonder what brought the two back together? I haven’t read My Word as of yet, but the written word is powerful. Maybe reading their fictionalized relationship from her point of view opened his eyes to what broke down their marriage. Or maybe being in Atlanta and away from his ex-wife and their daughters made him realize that being with her and his family is what he wants and needs. Whatever the reason, as I said before, bringing a family back together is the best outcome! I hope his congregation lifts them up in prayer because the devil stays busy, but I do think a new thing is being done at New Birth in more ways than one!
Sorry I had to do it. Write in the third person that is. I just couldn’t figure out how to state the fact that I have written my first novelwithout being a little extra. And referring to yourself in the third person is as extra as you can get on a written page. So pardon me for being braggadocios. It’s just that I’ve written a novel that I’m extremely proud of and it’s finally time to tell you all about it!
When I first imagined myself as a writer at the adorable age of six, I saw myself weaving words into worlds as a novelist. Well, maybe not a quite a novel, but certainly a work of fiction. As I matured and began to grasp that writing was not as simple as it seemed, I gravitated toward journalism where real life (just the facts, ma’am) was written down and every story was thankfully short. I just didn’t think I had enough words to write a whole novel. But in my heart, behind the wall of fear, I wondered if I would ever summon enough stamina and skill to craft a world of words also known as a novel. In 2009, yes, 10 years ago, a real-life event took hold of me and demanded that I explore this topic as a novel. And it literally took me 10 years to learn how to write a novel AND get it published. So Destination Wedding written by Jacqueline J. Holness (oh so extra I know) will be released in December to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the real-life event that inspired me and captivated me enough to write a novel at long last! So below is the synopsis followed by my interview with 96Kix’s Kimberly Kaye, who interviewed me as I wrote Destination Wedding. (Read and or listen to the interview.)
Three successful best friends in Atlanta believe they are thriving in the Black Mecca. Bossy bank executive Senalda breaks down men from business to bed no holds barred. Hip hop PR guru Jarena praises the Lord and pursues married men with equal persistence. Famous and infamous radio personality Mimi fights with her fans and for the love of her on-and-off-again boyfriend.
But when an ABC News Nightline report, “Single, Black, Female — and Plenty of Company,” asks why can’t a successful black woman find a man? The friends are suddenly hyper-aware of their inclusion in the sad statistic: 42% of black women who have never been married. Like the women in the report, they are career-driven, beautiful black women living in Atlanta who have everything — but a mate. They resolve to defy the statistic by marrying in a year and have it all by tackling their goal as a project with a vision board, monthly meetings, and more. Project Destination Weddingis born. A “happily married” best friend Whitney is a project consultant.
But as the deadline ticks closer, the women wonder if they can withstand another year of looking for love in the media-proclaimed no-man’s land of Atlanta. Senalda wrests a marriage proposal from the male version of herself, but the proposal comes simultaneously with a devastating secret. Jarena unleashes hell when her call to ministry coincides with dating her married college sweetheart. Mimi faces losing her career and jail time chasing her boyfriend and marries another man in the process. Whitney’s power couple profile plummets when her husband, a pornography addict, announces he would rather pursue photography than be an MD.
Inspired by an actual Nightline report, Destination Weddingcharts four women’s journeys as they discover that love is not an experiment easily confined to a timetable.
These are the four main characters as I saw them in my mind as I was writing- Jarena, Mimi, Senalda & Whitney…Can you match the women to how they actually turned out on the cover?
Kimberly: 96 KIX. On the line with me, I have Jacqueline Holness. How are you Jacqueline?
Jacqueline: I’m great. How are you Kimberly?
Kimberly: I’m wonderful. Welcome back to the show!
Jacqueline: Thank you so much for having me!
Kimberly: You know the last time you we talked it was all about ‘After the Altar Call.’ Now, what have you been up to? I know I always read your blog. Always.
Jacqueline: Thanks so much for reading. I really appreciate that. You never know who is reading. Thank you so much.
Kimberly: How is it working with the blog?
Jacqueline: Well, I love to write so it’s a creative outlet for me. And I’m always surprised when people actually respond to what I write because it’s not something that I get paid to do. I just love to do it. Even if people didn’t read it, I would still write.
Kimberly: You said, regardless, you’re gonna blog!
Jacqueline: Yes! Definitely.
Kimberly: Now, how do you pick your topics to know what to blog about?
Jacqueline: Well, the most important aspect of my life is my faith so I always want to talk about my faith and whatever area I choose to talk about whether it be pop culture or whether it be more serious issues, I always try to look at it through the lens of having faith in God and how God would want us to see certain things that play out in our society.
Kimberly: Right, well that’s great. Now, also I saw that you are getting ready to write another book for us.
Jacqueline: Yes, I grew up reading fiction books, but when I got older, I just veered off into non-fiction books. But recently, I rediscovered my love of fiction and I decided to write a fiction book about three single black women in Atlanta.
Kimberly: Alright. Can you give us a little bit more? Or is that all you can give us?
Jacqueline: (Laughter) I’ll tell you a little more about it, but I’m not finished yet. But basically, I’m not sure if you saw the ABC News Nightline special that came on in December 2009 where it was quoted that 42% of black women have never been married?
Kimberly: Wow! That’s a high percentage.
Jacqueline: Yes, a very high percentage and they featured black women in Atlanta who had everything but a mate. And from there, there was a debate that was held in Atlanta. Steve Harvey was here. Sherri Shepherd. A lot of notables came in town to debate this issue in Atlanta. So as a black woman, I was single at the time, I’m married now, it really impacted me. And I thought what if I wrote a book about black women, fictional black women, who saw this report, and decided to defy the statistics and get married in a year.
Kimberly: Now you live in Atlanta?
Jacqueline: I do live in Atlanta.
Kimberly: Do you see that problem?
Jacqueline: Well, I see it all over. When I travel, I meet a lot of single black women, but for some reason, Atlanta seems to be the epicenter I guess of single black women. And because I was single and just got married at 40 years old, I know what it’s like to be single and I know what it’s like to wonder, ‘Why aren’t men choosing me?’ So I decided to write a book from my own personal journey and do it through the lens of fiction.
Kimberly: That sounds great. Do you know when you will be finished?
Jacqueline: Well, I hope to have the rough draft finished very soon. I’m going to work on it for the next few months. What interested you when you read, I know you read the blog post about me working on this book. What interested you? I’m just curious.
Kimberly: Like you said, we have a lot in common, Jacqueline. I got married when I was 40. Same thing.
Jacqueline: Oh really?
Kimberly: Yes, we have that in common. I was going through life, and I was like, ‘I don’t think I’m gonna ever get married.’ But once I quit thinking about it, dwelling on it, it happened so that’s what kind of intrigued me. It takes a lot. You wonder, Am I doing something wrong? Is it me? Why didn’t I get married when I was in my 20s or in my 30s? So that’s why I was interested.
Jacqueline: Wow! So I’m so glad we have that in common. We may have to talk off the air later about that as older women who have gotten married. That’s a category in itself – older brides. I may have to write something about that.
Kimberly: (Laughter) Yes! Well, I’m anticipating it.
Jacqueline: Yes, well, please go to my website AftertheAltarCall.com and you will see updates about the book. I’m really excited about, and I hope it will be on bookshelves as soon as possible.
Kimberly: And that’s also why I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to spread the word about your blog. I think it’s just terrific, and I want everyone to be aware of it.
Jacqueline: Oh, thank you so much!
(Note: There is just a minute or so more left of the interview, but I included what pertains to today’s blog post.)
Below are some advance reviews I have received about Destination Wedding!
“Jacqueline J. Holness has penned a delightful read that puts a new spin on the age-old dilemma of the beautiful, successful, single black woman finding a mate! Did I say beautiful and successful? Set in the Black Mecca – The ATL – Destination Wedding will have you asking, “Why is this so hard?” I found myself in the moment, rooting for these women – and thoroughly enjoyed their journeys to happily-ever-after.” – Monica Richardson, author of the Talbots of Harbour Island series
“In need of a getaway? Destination Wedding is the read you need. Filled with characters that will remind you of your girlfriends and unexpected adventures, it’s the perfect vacation read.” – Chandra Sparks Splond, author and blogger
“In Destination Wedding, Jacqueline J. Holness takes readers on page-turning twists and turns that hijack several friendships on the path to love. If you’re eager for an entertaining read that will leave you rooting for the characters as if they’re your friends, pick up your copy today.” – Stacy Hawkins Adams, multi-published author of Coming Home, Watercolored Pearls, The Someday List and more
So Destination Wedding will officially debut on Dec. 3, but it is available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, IndieBound and Target right now! And I’m not gonna be shy about this: I want this book to be a best-selling book so your pre-orders will help me achieve that goal! As a matter of fact, I will be offering some free gifts if you pre-order so come back here often for updates!
Finally, if you would like to be a member of my book launch team which means getting a FREE advance copy of Destination Wedding, email me at jacqueline@afterthealtarcall.com!
Thank you so much for reading this blog post, and I hope and pray you will be reading my first novel Destination Weddingvery soon!
Can I be honest with you? As a child, the Bible was a little bit intimidating to me although I come from a family of preachers who definitely thumped the Bible without apology. Although I loved words from the time I first began learning them, the Bible had so many of them and quite a few of them were thees and thous and or unfamiliar and hard-to-pronounce names like Zedekiah. In fact, most of what I remember about learning about the Bible had to do with cartoon movies about parables that were shown to the children in my church and school. I especially loved learning about “The Pearl of Great Price” because the pearl used in the cartoon glistened so. But reading the actual Bible itself wasn’t as much fun or even understandable unfortunately.
That’s why when I was offered an opportunity to review Zondervan’s NIrV, The Illustrated Holy Bible for Kids, I had do so. And I received a copy of this new Bible for free as I’m a member of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid. Below are book details about the NIrV, The Illustrated Holy Bible for Kids followed by my review:
NIrV, The Illustrated Holy Bible for Kids is a brand-new kind of Bible that allows kids ages 4–8 to read the full Bible without chapter and verse numbers and footnotes—study aids that are helpful for adults but can be very distracting for kids. This Bible presents the story of God’s people in a single column format with an extremely readable font. With nearly every turn of the page, children will encounter full-color illustrations and kid-friendly maps that illuminate the Bible story. For children who want to read on their own or with an adult nearby, this is the perfect first full-text Bible for kids who appreciate the power of story and of God’s Word.
Features of the NIrV, The Illustrated Holy Bible for Kids include:
Bonus full-color double-sided poster
Over 750 full-color illustrations throughout
Full-color, child-friendly maps
Single-column text
Easy-to-read Comfort Print® font
The complete text of the New International Readers’ Version (NIrV) of the Bible, created at a third-grade reading level just for developing readers
Vibrant and engaging cover
First of all, I appreciate that this Bible is written in language that is easy for children to understand. (Actual verse numbers for each verse are not included but that did not bother me as the message is more important than the verse number.) For example, “The Pearl of Great Price,” which is in Matthew 13, is referred to as “The Stories of the Hidden Treasure and The Pearl” and the illustration of the pearl does not disappoint. It is large and luminous, making the text more approachable. I also appreciate how the people of the Bible are depicted in this version. Without getting into a debate about how different Bible greats looked, we all know that many people have been depicted as white throughout history when that was highly unlikely given where Biblical times unfolded. In this version, Adam and Eve as well as Jesus are people of color. (Adam and Eve are a bit darker than Jesus in this version.)
Additionally, people of every race are depicted in this version which will communicate to children that every ethnicity is valuable in the eyes of God as we were all created by Him. For example, the angels illustrated to depict Isaiah 6 show a brown angel, a black angel and a white angel. See how “The Ten Commandments” are illustrated below.
I also appreciate how the wisdom of the Bible is depicted in this version. For example, as a child, I learned how not to brag on myself from Proverbs 27:2. (I have to remember this when I “humble brag” on Facebook. LOL) In the KJV version, it reads like so, “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.” In this version, it reads, “Let another person praise you and not your own mouth.” And next to this verse is an illustration of a young girl surrounded by quotes of accolades given by other people – “She’s kind,” “She has an A+,” and “She’s a fast runner.” This illustration perfectly captures the verse and makes it understandable for children.
Also, I’m a tactile person so I love the smooth feel of the pages. In fact, the feel of magazines versus newspapers was one reason why I preferred reading magazines over newspapers and subsequently majored in magazine journalism in college! This Bible is so well done that I’m considering keeping it for myself when I originally intended to give to my 11-year-old niece! LOL. Just kidding. Don’t tell her, but this Bible will be one of her Christmas gifts from Auntie Jackie this year.
