Shana Johnson Burton is the best-selling author of Suddenly Single, First Comes Love, and Flaws and All. She lives in Georgia with her family and is currently a high school English and Journalism teacher and the co-host of “The Lovely Magazine” radio show . She was a 2009 Georgia Author of the Year nominee for Best Fiction (First Comes Love). Her next novel, Catt Chasin’, will be released in 2011.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Faith, family, and friendship have always been top priority to lifelong friends Lawson, Reginell, Sullivan, Angel, and Kina, but each one is about to be put to the test during one turbulent year.
Lawson Kerry is a struggling single mother who has finally gotten her life together. Now, a fierce custody battle with her ex threatens to the tear apart everything she’s built.
Reginell Kerry is a starry-eyed singer determined to make it to the top of the charts, but will she change her tune when a chance at fame means shedding her clothes and her self-respect?
Sullivan Webb is the pampered wife of a charismatic pastor with political aspirations, but she just might destroy her husband’s campaign and their marriage if she can’t control her wandering eye.
Angel King has dedicated her life to nursing following the destruction of her marriage. Can she maintain her professionalism when she discovers that her newest patient is the woman who stole her husband?
Kina Battle has had enough of her husband’s verbal and physical abuse. When she’s pushed to the edge, the situation heads in a deadly direction, and there’s no turning back.
Nothing is sacred, all bets are off, and the lives of these ladies will never be the same. Will they have the strength to hold on to their friendships and put their trust in God?
Shana Burton talks about her latest novel, Flaws and All, and shares an excerpt.
Chapter 24 (Excerpt from Flaws and All)
“A true lady never kisses and tells.”
—Sullivan Webb
“Wow, Sullivan, you’re glowing!” noted Lawson over lunch the next day, poolside at Sullivan’s estate. “I guess ol’ Chuck hasn’t lost his touch.”
Angel lowered her shades. “She does have that morning after look, doesn’t she?”
Sullivan grinned and stretched out on the lounge chair next to Kina. “A true lady never kisses and tells.”
“But a freak details it blow by blow!” jeered Reginell, laughing and slapping hands with Angel. “Go on and tell us what happened.”
“Yeah, Sullivan, tell us which of the commandments you broke this time,” pushed Lawson, biting into a ring of pineapple.
Sullivan pinned her hands behind her head. “I can’t. It’s personal.”
“Personal gets checked at the door. You know that. Now, start talking.”
Sullivan cleared her throat and sat upright in her chair. “Well . . . I cheated on Charles,” she revealed.
Lawson nearly choked on her pineapple. “You did what?”
Reginell leaned back and crossed her legs. “Umph. I always knew there was a straight-up ho underneath all them designer clothes and foreign weaves.”
“It takes one to know one,” fired Sullivan.
“Sully, I can’t believe you would do that to Charles,” said Kina.
“Oh, I can believe it,” said Angel. “I just want to know with who.”
Sullivan smirked. “Vaughn.”
Lawson’s jaw fell. “The same Vaughn you said was rough around the edges?”
“He’s not so bad.” Sullivan giggled. “Actually, he was quite good!”
“It looks like Skankville just got a new resident,” muttered Angel.
“Hold up, now,” cut in Reginell, raising her hand. “I’ve got to side with Sully on this one. Sometimes you need to switch it up some. Variety is the spice of life.”
“Good. She can put that on a T-shirt. It’ll give her something constructive to do while she’s roasting in hell,” said Angel.
“God knows my heart,” rationalized Sullivan.
“You have one of those?” asked Reginell.
“Look at you. You don’t even feel guilty, do you? No repentance, no remorse,” charged Lawson.
Sullivan shook her head. “I can’t explain it. I do feel guilty, but it’s only because I feel bad about not feeling guilty at all. I feel . . . liberated, if you can believe that.”
“Sullivan, even if Charles never finds out, God knows, and He was watching you in the very act,” scolded Kina.
Sullivan poured a glass of juice. “Kina, that thought is disturbing on so many levels. Vaughn is so amazing, and I’m not just talking about the sex. He’s an artist, and he’s so intuitive and creative. He makes me feel more alive than I ever felt in my whole life. In the past three weeks that we’ve been spending time together, I haven’t had a single drink. I get love-drunk instead.”
“Enjoy it now. It may be hard to feel alive once Charles finds out, because he’s going to kill both of you,” replied Lawson.
Sullivan kicked back her heels. “I don’t even care if he finds out. I might even tell him myself. Maybe then he’ll finally divorce me.”
“All right, be careful what you wish for,” prophesized Angel. “The Bible says that you shall have whatever you say. Life and death are in the power of the tongue.”
Sullivan sighed. “Don’t even get me started on the power of Vaughn’s tongue.”
“Sully, you’re nasty,” said Kina with a frown.
This excerpt was posted with permission from the author. 2010 © Copyright. Shana J. Burton. All Rights Reserved.
Purchase the Book Online at:
- Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Flaws-All-Shana-Burton/dp/1601628528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281193452&sr=8-1
- BarnesandNoble– http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Flaws-and-All/Shana-Burton/e/9781601628527/?itm=1&USRI=flaws+and+all+shana+burton
- Borders – http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=1601628528
- Books A Million – http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781601628527?id=4715246323067
- Indiebound – http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781601628527
FOR MORE INFORMATION
- Visit the author at http://www.shanaburton.com/
- View the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/FlawsandAll.
Shana, it’s a pleasure to have you with us today. Please feel free to share with us more about FLAWS AND ALL and your experience thus far with the book and becoming a writer.
hi, tee. glad shana is stopping by today. she is a highschool english teacher, so she will probably drop in during her break or just after her last class.
.-= Dee Stewart´s last blog ..Fun Read- My Formerly Hot Life =-.
Thanks, Dee! How exciting for her.
I’ll be peeking in & out and looking for her arrival.
Nothing exciting about it, Tee! :0(
cool. i have a question for Shana?
How do her students feel about her also being a novelist?
.-= Dee Stewart´s last blog ..Fun Read- My Formerly Hot Life =-.
Dee,
That’s a good questions. I’d also like to follow it up with how do other faculty members or parents feel? Also,did you (Shana) consider writing under a pen name?
I considered a pen name, but Shana has such a fabulous ring to it! Lol! Plus, my mama wouldn’t let me :0( To this day, she gets pissed if my maiden name isn’t on the books. “You were a Johnson for 24 years before you were a Burton!” she says….
Sounds like something I need to read! Welcome Shana!
Congratualations Shana,
Believe it or not, I picked up Flaws and All in Walmart yesterday, started last night and am halfway through. It is fun reading and I must say Sullivan is something else. Love the way each person has her say!
Blessings!
angelia
.-= angelia´s last blog ..WHAT WE ARE TEACHING THEM =-.
I’m trying not to be jealous of your reading time, but it is soooooo hard not to.
Dont be, I had to sweep a gang of stuff off my plate: am still working over 55 hours a week, but I decided in July that I would read lots of books…and I am, next up, sleeping past 4am and not checking my work email on weekends…:}
Hi, ladies! My staff and students are all very supportive. Of course, the students are always like, “If you write books, why are you still teaching?” Great question!! Still trying to figure out the answer…Oh, yeah, because I have bills!!!
Thanks, chica! Sullivan is my favorite, too. She’s the b!tch I’ve always wanted to be!!!