Destined Blog Tour with Patricia Haley
Written by RAWSISTAZ · July 22, 2010 · 557 views
Today we’re chatting with Patricia Haley about the release of her new book, DESTINED. Check out the excerpt below, see her question at the end of this feature and join in the discussion!
PATRICIA HALEY is the trailblazing, #1 Essence bestselling author of seven faith-based, novels, including Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, No Regrets, and Chosen. She’s a project manager with degrees from Stanford University and the University of Chicago. She is a born again believer and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Patricia lives with her husband and daughter in Philadelphia.
Visit her at www.patriciahaley.com or become a fan on Facebook.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Destined by Patricia Haley is the second novel in the Chosen series, inspired by the popular biblical kings David and Solomon.
Don, the eldest son and rightful heir to the ministry, returns from South Africa after three years of self-imposed exile.
With a renewed zeal to reclaim the leadership of his late father’s multi-million dollar ministry, his plans are short-lived when a stock transfer agreement goes wrong, rendering Don powerless. Don’s little brother Joel continues as CEO, careening down the path of personal, professional, and spiritual demise, as he drags the ministry down with him. The only hope to save their father’s legacy is Don’s intervention, and so clinging to his self-worth and faith, Don is torn between fighting for a company he wasn’t chosen to run and fleeing back to his South African refuge, a place where his peace, his growing relationship with Naledi, and his dignity aren’t in question. After much soul searching, Don comes to realize that his destiny is inescapable and that his future lies in his family’s legacy.
Combining spiritual themes with family tension, corporate intrigue, and romance, this series is an exciting addition to the faith-based fiction market.
EXCERPT – Chapter 33
(taken from Destined by Patricia Haley)
Thirty years. Every grueling minute of those years had been met with accusations, put downs, and flat out mean spiritedness mostly waged by Madeline. Loving Dave Mitchell was her joy in the beginning but realism had a way of stamping out the flame, leaving a smoldering whiff of love between them. Sherry tidied her desk in preparation for the upcoming trip to India. Her support for Joel was unquestionable. The decision he was making for his personal life was very questionable. She was overcome with doubt. Sherry went downstairs to Abigail’s office hoping for something, not sure what.
Abigail was finishing up a conference call but beckoned for Sherry to come in anyway. The wait was brief. “You were looking for me?” Abigail asked ending her call.
Sherry meandered to the windows located on one side of Abigail’s office. “You know Joel is,” she said and caught herself. She remembered Joel telling her the board of directors didn’t know about the trip to India, which probably meant Abigail didn’t know either. She needed to confide her concerns with someone but couldn’t risk betraying Joel’s confidence.
“I know Joel is what?”
The awful distress swirling inside threatened to overtake her hopes for Joel. She’d lived out a distressed marriage for what seemed to be the right reasons. Inhaling air of independence and self worth transformed her view of those years. She saw the marriage with Dave for what it was, awkward from the beginning and straight through until the end. There was more for her son and she wanted him to have it now, not waiting until he was fifty five years old to start living like she had.
“If the merger ever goes through with that Indian company, you know he’s going to marry the daughter.”
Abigail acknowledged Sherry’s comment through eye contact but didn’t respond. Maybe it was Abigail’s heartache, or her confusion, or worse, her lack of interest in Joel. Sherry wasn’t sure what the driving factor was behind the lack of interest. “Did you hear me?” she said turning her body to face Abigail, but staying by the windows with her arms clasped. “He’s going to marry another woman.”
“And what do you want me to do about it? Hmm,” Abigail said firmly setting her pen on the desk. “Do you want me to go and plead for his love, hmm?” Sherry kept her arms locked and looked away into the sparsely cloudy sky. “Do you want me to wrestle him to the floor or better yet, how about this. What if I clobber him over the head and tow his limp body back to my cave and make him mine.” Abigail let her gaze roll up to the ceiling and crash down to the desk.
“I know you love him,” Sherry said taking a few steps towards the desk. “You are what he needs, stability, and genuine love. I want my son to experience happiness every day of his life. The prospect of him engaging in a marriage for business purposes is absolutely frightening to me. I know Joel. Nothing good can come from that kind of arrangement.”
“Well,” Abigail said seemingly distracted, “maybe you’re worrying prematurely.”
“What do you mean?”
“If the board is effective, Joel won’t have the backing to finalize the merger.
They’ve blocked his funding, stalled his legal review, and turned down his request for approval. Unless he creates a miracle, the deal isn’t happening.”
Sherry wanted to share the truth with Abigail but couldn’t risk it. “I know it looks hopeless, but my son is Dave Mitchell’s child. Miracles aren’t beyond them.”
That got Abigail’s attention. “No disrespect to you Sherry, but Dave and Joel are very different leaders.”
“As they should be.”
“Well, Dave’s miracles came from the favor he had with God. I can’t begin to guess where Joel would find a miracle, but I’m pretty certain it’s not from God. At least not the same God that Dave and I serve. Joel has his own way of doing things.”
“I didn’t come here to demonize my son. Maybe I was wrong coming to you. I believed he meant something to you.”
“You’re right, he did, but that’s ancient history. I’ve accepted his choice, perhaps it would be helpful to all of us if you did too,” Abigail said and pushed the power button on her laptop
Sherry read the signal and departed gracefully refusing to let her son be maligned by anyone. She shifted energy to the India trip. There was much to be done for Joel and such little time.
Question taken from Reading Guide in back of book: Abigail was hurt by Joel’s rejection and marriage to Zarah. Will she ever be freed from Joel emotionally?
View the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/DestinedBlogTour.
*A Tywebbin Blog Tour
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.
Hi Patricia and thanks for stopping by RAWSISTAZ today. I will admit I’m not an excerpt kinda girl because I don’t like only getting a piece of something good to read, lol, but I will say…in reading this part, and knowing the genre, I would say yes…she can be free. Will it be hard and a long-time coming? Yes.
-Tee
I believe that she can in time. But it also sounds like she is doing her own to try to hurt him back.
She will be free but only after she learns to forgive herself as well as Joel. I can’t wait to read the book. Hello Patricia.
Sounds intriguing. And the writing is BOSS! The great thing about novels is that any character can free themselves, no matter the circumstances! The unredeemable can be redeemed in the end. The beauty of fiction!
Yes, I too agree that Abigail can get over Joel emotionally. The question is does she want to? At the end of the excerpt, she cut off the conversation with Joel’s mother. I couldn’t tell if it was because she was sincerely done with the topic and Joel or if it was just too painful to continue discussing. Only time will tell if we wants to let go. We’ll have to see in Destined.
Yes I think she will but it truly is gonna take some time…this book just from excerpt sounds like will be a very good read.
I don’t think she’ll ever be truly free because there will always be lingering thoughts that show up unexpectedly. I do think she’ll adjust over time and those moments may diminish it appearance but they will always be there.