Beautiful Ugly Blog Tour with Shelia E. Lipsey
Written by RAWSISTAZ · January 26, 2010 · 408 views
A Man To Call Her Own
Kacie Mayweather, stricken with cerebral palsy, has had her share of men—five baby daddies for six children, in fact. But she’s never had one man to call her own.
Take a Peek Inside Kacie’s Story 
(excerpt from Beautiful Ugly by Shelia E. Lipsey)
For the fifth time in a week, Kacie couldn’t muster up an appetite, not even for Coco Puffs, which was her all time favorite cereal since she was a little girl. The very thought of milk and cereal sent her to the bathroom heaving. Having given birth to six children, she didn’t have to go to a doctor, or run to the drugstore for a pregnancy test. There was no doubt about it. She was pregnant. Kacie freshened up and when her stomach settled, she drank an ice cold glass of pineapple –orange juice. Sitting alone at the kitchen table, Kacie stared outside at the orange and gold leaves as they fell to the ground. The site was beautiful to her. The leaves fell gently, one by one, some two by two. Kacie folded her arms inside each other and hugged herself like she was warding off the cool wind blowing through the trees in the front yard.
Standing, Kacie retreated to the living room and started picking up behind the kids. She paused a moment and massaged her belly. Looking down; she smiled at the idea of giving birth to the child of the man she loved – the man God had finally sent her way. “You’re going to have a wonderful daddy,” she whispered. “And, unlike the rest of the bums I’ve had in my life, this time, everything is going to be different. I wouldn’t be surprised if your daddy asks to marry me.” She drew back into the living room and leaned against the spotless wall. She turned with a start when the phone rang.
“Speak of the devil,” she said when she looked at the Caller Id then down at her tummy. It was Deacon. Kacie beamed with joy.
“Good morning, beautiful.” The voice on the other end of the phone forced her to smile.
She loved Deacon. The four and a half months they had been seeing each other seemed like a lifetime to Kacie. It was like she’d known him all of her life. Except for the times like yesterday when Deacon seemed like he’d fallen off the face of the earth, their relationship was good. Maybe he didn’t tell her he loved her, like she told him, but Kacie believed he did. “Actions are better than words,” Layla reminded her from time to time. Kacie retained Layla’s words in her mind to retrieve whenever Deacon didn’t call or when she wanted to hear him say those three special words.
“Deacon, honey. I’ve been so worried. You weren’t at church yesterday and you didn’t answer my calls. Are you okay?” Kacie asked with grave concern.
“What have I told you about getting yourself all in a tizzy when you don’t hear from me everyday? I got called out of town at the last minute late Saturday evening, after we talked. You know how those trips can be. Quick, exhausting and definitely spur of the moment. I’m sorry. I wanted to call you, but I was up half the night with a client trying to kiss up to him so he would sign a contract with our company. It was late by the time I convinced him to sign on the dotted line and I was exhausted. I didn’t make it back to Memphis until after midnight. I wasn’t about to wake you up then, knowing you had to get up early yourself to get your kids off to school.”
Kacie exhaled. ” I was so worried. When I talked to you Saturday, you said you were going to see me at church. I just started going out of my mind thinking all kind of crazy thoughts when I didn’t see you. I forgot how your job keeps you on call twenty-four seven.”
“Well, now that, that’s settled. How’s my favorite girl doing?” he asked.
“Perfect, now that I’m talking to my favorite guy,” she answered. Kacie walked around the sofa where she spotted one of the boys’ wrestling figures on the floor.
“I was thinking about coming by before going to the office this morning. You up to seeing me?”
“Do you have to ask?” Kacie sat on the back of the sofa.
“Do you want me to stop somewhere and grab you a sandwich?” Little thoughtful things like that is what made Kacie adore Deacon. He was such a considerate man.
“No, I’m not hungry this morning. I just want you. You’ll be my breakfast,” she crooned into the phone.
“Hey, hey, I like that. I’ll see you in about ten minutes, love.”
What Do You Think?
Like many women, Kacie has been searching for a man to call her own. Do you think Kacie is on the right track in the passage above? What do you think she may be or should be doing differently.?
Leave your comments below and DON’T FORGET to leave an answer for the contest question too.
To find out more about Kacie and her two friends, consider purchasing a copy of Beautiful Ugly. This book makes a great book club selection for discussion!
Win an autographed copy of Beautiful Ugly
Shelia Lipsey is the author of three other Christian Fiction novels. The trivia questions below are from one of those novels. Leave your response to the trivia question below in the comment section.
What was the relationship between Frankie and Rena? Tell us the title of the book.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author Shelia E. Lipsey is a multi-award winning author. Her novels are available at most bookstores nationwide as well as online. Lipsey’s books have been called gripping, life-altering, memorable and realistic. Lipsey was recently awarded the 2009 Top Shelf Award for Beautiful Ugly by Black Pearls Magazine. She also won 2009 Shades of Romance Readers’ Choice Awards for My Son’s Wife in the following categories: Author of the Year, Christian fiction Book of the Year, Christian Romance of the Year, Best Book Cover of the Year, Best Fiction Book of the Year, among several other awards for her novels, Into Each Life and Sinsatiable.
Lipsey is the proud mother of two sons and the grandmother of three blessed young men. She is president of UCHisGloryBookClub.net, founder of Living Your Dreams Now a non-profit organization and MAAW (Memphis African American Writers). For more information, visit www.shelialipsey.com.
Check the tour schedule at http://bit.ly/BeautifulUgly
RAWSISTAZ Literary Group was founded in 2000 to support and promote the work of African-American authors. The groups, on and offline, represent close to 600 readers, writers, aspiring writers, and others interested in literacy and the impact on our communities.
Shelia, thanks so much for joining us today! I look forward to hearing more about you and BEAUTIFUL UGLY.
-Tee
Good morning, Tee! I’m definitely excited anytime that I am visiting Rawsistaz.
You’re a sweetie, and I appreciate your comment and support of RAW!
Tee,
Thank you for hosting Shelia Lipsey on your blog today. I’m looking forward to the discussion today.
Don’t forget to leave your responses to the trivia question above for a chance to win an autographed copy of “Beautiful Ugly.”
Blessings,
Ty
Good morning and thank you chatting with us today.
Trivia Answer: They were lovers and the book is entitled My Son’s Wife. Which I’ve added to my to be read list and I can’t wait. It sounds intriguing.
Hi, Jamie! You are on point this morning (lol). Glad My Son’s Wife is on your to read list. I hope you will find it an enjoyable, enlightening read. Have a great day and thank you for stopping in in on my blog tour for Beautiful Ugly!
First, she needs to have protected sex (abstinence preferably, since she’s unmarried with six children and five baby-daddies). Next, she needs to focus on God and her children and seek fulfillment there (with God), not from some man. Relationships should complement our lives, not consume or define them. How can you succeed at a loving relationship, if you don’t love yourself? How can you sit in Church every Sunday with six children and five baby daddies and not feel convicted enough to recognize that something is wrong; instead, you continue in the same pattern (going from “I didn’t see you in Church” to “you’ll be my breakfast” to your boyfriend, in the same breath)? I think I want to read this one. I’m already fired up enough to slap some sense into her. At the same time, it’s sad. We are a community of Kacies. Women are so hungry for male companionship, we are settling more and more for less and less. Christian women, too. I’d love to see Kacie find redemption and self-love.
D. J., I responded to your comments in a previous comment, and I do thank you for your views. But the thing is, there are people who sit in church every Sunday and even at Bible study and maybe in the beginning they feel convicted. Yet, over time, we can quench the Holy Spirit so much and so often until it becomes silent. We tune it out. Then there are women in the church who should be seeking out women like Kacie to extend some help to her. After all, the Bible says the older women should teach the younger women. It should be obvious to someone other than her friends that there are some serious issues this woman is dealing with. Where is the church? That’s the problem with so many church folk today; they sit in church every Sunday and barely speak or reach out to those who obviously could use some help and guidance. Thank you so much for your insight on this topic.
Hello Rawsistaz! It’s great to be here with you. Thank you for hosting Beautiful Ugly today. I am totally grateful. I see that there is already some buzz about Beautiful Ugly – in this instance Kacie is the featured topic of the day. Unfortunately, like D. J. says, there are so many Kacies in the world today. Most of them are seeking love, compassion and companionship in another human being. We all have that innate desire for love and companionship, but in order to have a prosperous relationship, God has to be at the forefront ot it. Many women and men are fooled because of issues of low self esteem, low self worth and a lack of loving one’s self. But the church should be embracing people like Kacie instead of watchng her come to church Sunday after Sunday and it seems no one is reaching out to her other than her friends, who are just as tormented as she is.
This is so true, Shelia! I haven’t read the book, but do know people like this. The problem I find though is that they’re not open to receive the information. One can only do so much for another person.
-Tee
Shelia,
If you already mentioned this I apologize, but what inspired you to write Beautiful Ugly?
I wrote Beautiful Ugly first of all because the Holy Spirit moved me to write. I write from titles and Beautiful Ugly was in my list of titles. I had no idea what the story was going to be about but once I prayed on it I was inspired to write about the issues that so many people deal with today. That is the issues of ‘how we look’ to other people. In this world it seems we are bombarded with physical attributes of people, and often we are judged because of how we look. These three women for me placed everything into perspective because even though one was ‘beautiful’ on the outside, she felt ugly within, and the other ones equated physical beauty to how they viewed themselves. I pray that Beautiful Ugly will provide first of all healing and compassion to women and men who read it. Next, I pray that if we are one of the type of people who criticize and prejudge people, then maybe Beautiful Ugly will be the seed that leads them to stop judging and looking down on people who don’t fit into their status quo.
We sure do spend a lot of time concerned with how we look to others or what they may think of us.
So true! But Why?
I think it goes back to not knowing your self worth. Once you truly know your self worth you realize you’re valuable and the only one you should be conerned with is you. So you do things that make you feel and or look good. At the end of the day the others that you may be trying to impress may not have your best interest at heart in the first place.
That raises a valued point. I think it has to do with how we viewed ourselves as children too.
I agree with this too. As children, we’re taught to do certain things, talk a certain way, etc. I think many find it hard to step outside of the shadow of some of the things we learned at an early age–things which hold us back from things.
We also are afraid at times, so it’s easier to fall back on what someone else thinks than to make a stand and possibly fail.
-Tee
So true, Tee. Not only is there the concern with possibly failing, there’s also the concern about possibly being ridiculed by others.
I have enjoyed you all so much today! I look forward to returning and joining in future discussions with RAWSISTAZ. Until then, look at yourselves in the mirror and love the person staring back at you. We are fearfully and wonderfully made children of God. He makes no mistakes. I have had to learn this over the years as I struggled with some of the same issues of self acceptance. But today I am proud to say that I really do love ME! I deserve good things in life and I deserve to be treated well, especially by myself. I will never allow another human being to make me feel less that the uniquely created person God made me to be. As i sign off today, please know that Beauty is not to be equated with the physical but it is what is truly on the inside that brings out the physical beauty in each of us. Ugly In equals Ugly out. Beauty in equals beauty out. I love you all my beautiful sisters!
Thank YOU for joining us Shelia! I look forward to having you visit us again after some of the members have read the book.
-Tee
As stated Kacie has been on a journey of statisfication and has lost the value of her self worth. How do you know your self worth when no one is there to teach you? As said, instead of reminding Kacie what she should be doing, maybe showing her how to value herself before seeking others for love. Also showing her to have love herself and have faith in the Lord would help her greatly. But what is she to do when her church family aren’t offering her that support?
That’s a good question. I’m not downing all people of faith, but it is true that sometimes we sit up in church and turn our noses up at people like Kacie. All the time we probably have skeletons in our closets that would make Kacie’s issues seem trivial. Christians can be the most condemning people, and that is truly something that we should analze within ourselves to see that we are doing what we should as people of faith. Kacie needs someone to come to her rescue but if it isn’t the church, then like you say, Jamie, who will help guide her?
Right and the sad thing is there are more Kacie’s out there doing the same thing. I believe it’s because they lacked guidance and support to show them the value of self worth. If they weren’t blessed with parents that were able to provide this, then hopefully someone else will be able to. As you said, sometimes people in the church are quick to judge instead of offering assistance. It’s easier to do this sometimes instead of offering the help that someone may need. Then you have those few that are willing to help, but because others have abused this help are afraid to offer it again.
You’re right again. The thing is what are the options for people like Kacie who are in the church but are not being helped by the church?
Seems I’m stumped at the moment. Which is saddening because that is the one thing you’re taught when going to church to help your fellow man. Yet it doesn’t seem to be happening and raising questions as to why and how to rectify. Which makes me wonder what her Pastor is offering to her as her spiritual leader. Is he able to offer assitance or just more ridicule?
Interesting question, Jamie. It could be that the pastor isn’t offering Kacie the spiritual food that she needs. But, oftentimes it seems that we look to the church leadership for validation about what we should be doing, how we should be living, etc. The man Kacie is with is a deacon. HE should know better, even if she doesn’t.
Hope, I think that sometimes churches grow so rapidly and the membership becomes so huge, that there is ‘no time’ for nourishing the congregation with the sincere spiritual guidance needed. There was a time when churches were smaller and just by walking into the church, there was a sense of accountability. Now some churches are like fast food restaurants: in and out as fast as you can.
Good Afternoon Shelia!!! I just ordered Beautiful Ugly. Cannot wait to read.
Thank you for your support Rosa! I look forward to hearing from you when you finish reading it. Feel free to email me at lipseyshelia@yahoo.com or visit my website: http://www.perfectstoriesaboutimperfectpeople.com
Hi, Sheila. Thanks for joining us today. Beautiful Ugly sounds like a interesting read. To answer one of the questions above, no, I definitely don’t think Kacie is on the right track. I can see this wonderful relationship going quickly downhill once she shares her good news with the good Deacon.
The book is My Son’s Wife, Frankie and Rena are best friends.
Beautiful Ugly sounds like a great novel. Just your synopsis has me in an emotional state. I feel so bad for woman like that. Kacie is like so many woman today who have not accepted Christ as their savior. I also blame the men. Where is their sense of decency and morality. I also blame the TV and movie industry. They promote this kind of behavior. Kacie needed help after the first child. She like so many other people go to Church for show. It’s the thing to do. What she needed was some faith.
Angelo, thank you for your comments regarding Beautiful Ugly. I hope you find it just as interesting, and gripping when you have the opportunity to read it completely. May God Bless you lots and lots!