A Review of Samson by Jacquelin Thomas

 National bestselling author Jacquelin Thomas has hit it again with Samson, putting a modern spin on the biblical story of Samson and Delilah.  It has all of the elements of the biblical tale—love, betrayal and redemption. 

Despite major lifestyle differences, and against the wishes of his family, fifth generation pastor Samson Taylor marries beautiful Savannah Keys, the former girlfriend of his best friend.  The union of Samson and Savannan brings 2 Corinthians 6:14 to modern times (“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers”).  Samson feels that Savannah is going through a phase, and will eventually come around to his way of thinking.  Savannah, on the other hand, has made it clear from the beginning that she has no intentions of changing.  Samson tries to make his marriage work, but the lifestyle differences are too much, and eventually the marriage succumbs.

Samson loves God, but is fighting his lust for beautiful women, a trait he inherited from his father.  He fights hard not be like his father, because his father’s love of women ultimately took the lives of both his parents, leaving Samson in the very capable hands of his aunt and uncle.  The more Samson fights to be different from his father, the more like him he really is. 

Ms. Thomas is featuring everyday people, facing everyday problems.  Samson was very engaging and I was eager to see what was going to happen next.  The book was very easy to read and the characters and situations were believable, especially Aunt Hazel.  I would highly recommend that you add Samson at the top of your summer reading list.

Reviewed by Deniece C. Shelman

About the Reviewer

Deniece Shelman is a member of SistahFriend Book Club and the Site Leader for the Greenwood, SC branch of the club. She is married and has three children. To learn more about SistahFriends visit their site at http://sistahfriends.com

Samson by Jacquelin Thomas

Introduce yourself to my readers.  

I am a mother to three children, a wife, a believer and a woman who loves to write.  When I am not writing, I am studying and/or working on assignments for school.  My other love is psychology, so I'm pursuing a degree in counseling.  For those who are not familiar with my work, I have written over 30 books in the romance, young adult and Christian fiction genres.   

Tell us about your newest release, Samson.  

Samson Taylor is a man of God, but most definitely no saint. He is controlled by his lust for beautiful women, a weakness that stirs up trouble, heartache, betrayal, and damaging rumors.  Samson loves God and tries harder than ever to keep his temptations in check. Then he meets Delinda. . . .Beautiful, irresistibly sexy, and married to a famous NBA star, Delinda has Samson head-over-heels in love . . . in a dangerous affair that leads to a physical confrontation with Delinda’s husband. Samson begins a journey he could never have anticipated, where his heart is now his guide—not a heart of lust, but of new wisdom and a new kind of seeing.  

What was the inspiration by this story?  

Samson was inspired by the Biblical tale of Samson and Delilah.  I've always been interested in this particular story, and often wondered why Samson couldn't see what Delilah was up to--how could he not know that she would be his ruin?  It was these questions that prompted me to write this story.

What do you hope the reader will takeaway from this story?  

Despite Samson's earthly desires and the tragedy that befell him--I want readers to understand that it was his faith and his love for the Lord that made him whole.  We are nothing without God and sometimes it takes something terrible to happen to come to this realization.

Are you planning to tour? Where can readers see you?  

I am doing a Blog Tour and will be posting the schedule on my Facebook page.  I will be visiting several churches this time around, signing at local events, but not doing a lot of travel--I am recovering from knee surgery.

Where can readers find you on the web? 

I can be reached on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/jacquelin.thomas

MySpace:  www.myspace.com/jacquelinthomas

Twitter:  @jacquelinthomas

Email:  jacquelinthomas@yahoo.com

A Review of The Ideal Wife by Jacquelin Thomas

Synopsis

Marrying a handsome, wealthy lawyer and living in a Hollywood Hills mansion...it's a dream come true for twenty-four-year-old Jana, from the moment Lawrence Collins swept her off her feet and into his luxurious world. True, she put her studies at a local Bible college on hold in order to wed after a six-month whirlwind romance. Beautiful and vivacious, with a stunning body, Jana knows men like Lawrence don't come along every day, and she vows to be a perfect companion -- the ideal wife -- to this sexy, powerful man. But at what price?

From her wardrobe and hairstyle to her friends and her choice of church, Lawrence seems to want to change Jana into someone she's not...and soon, the man Jana thought she knew will test her values and her faith with a shocking revelation that goes against everything she believes. How far will Jana be willing to go to keep the man she loves? With her "ideal" marriage falling apart, Jana -- the real, modest, smart, and strong girl who knows what she stands for -- must put her trust in God, and follow His guiding light out of the darkness of a broken relationship.

A Review of the novel by Rhonda McKnight

I’ve been a Jacquelin Thomas fan since the beginning of her career. My very favorites have always been Singsation and A Change Is Gonna Come and more recently Redemption. Just when you think an author couldn't write a better story, couldn't possibly tug at your emotions more than they already have...they do it. The Ideal Wife was not a book I thought I'd enjoy. The title suggested a woman working hard at being the perfect Biblical wife and that's been done a million times over in Christian publishing. What I didn't fathom was the criteria for "ideal" in this novel. Without giving it away, being "the ideal wife" had a whole lot to do with a room in the house that was no where near the kitchen or an ironing board. This story took us into the bedroom - you guessed it, the marriage bed and what tangled sheets they were.

Ms. Thomas kept me in suspense with on the edge of the seat conflict and lots of "No he didn't" moments. I loved not knowing where this story was going. There were surprises around every corner, interesting characters and good, snappy dialogue.

I also applaud her for dealing with this taboo subject, while bringing home several spiritual messages, one of the most resounding being that "we" need to be careful to not let others twist the meaning of the scriptures.

About the Author
Jacquelin Thomas is the national bestselling and award-winning author whose many adult novels include Defining Moments, Saved in the City, Soul Journey, A Change Is Gonna Come, The Prodigal Husband, and Singsation. Her short fiction is featured in the Pocket Books anthology Have a Little Faith. A driving force in the world of Christian fiction, she is the founder and producer of the annual Faith-Based Arts Conference, an event showcasing authors in the field.

Visit her website at www.jacquelinthomas.com

Interview with author, Jacquelin Thomas

Today, I welcome author, Jacquelin Thomas, to Urban Christian Fiction Today. Any of you who read Christian Fiction probably know who Jacquelin is. Having stepped out on faith to write the novels the Lord called her to write even though she had a very successful career established in mainstream romance, Jacquelin is one of the early pioneers in this genre. I can still remember reading Jacquelin's first Christian fiction novel, Singsation and crying. Then almost eight years later, reading her novel, Redemption and being moved to tears again. She's way over due as a guest on this blog. For those who aren't familiar with her work, you've been missing out, but as you know, it's never too late to discover a great author. Today we're going to talk about Jacquelin's young adult fiction.

Welcome, Jacquelin. Introduce yourself to my readers.
Hi, I’m Jacquelin Thomas and I am published in romance, women’s fiction and young adult. I have over thirty books in print and have enjoyed a successful career that’s lasted 12 years. The highlight of my career has been seeing one of my books adapted into a television movie and being nominated for a 2008 NAACP Image Award.

Tell us about the Divine Series.
The series features Divine Matthews Hardison, the teenage daughter of two celebrity parents and sheds light on what it’s like to be a Hollywood princess who has been transplanted to a small town in Georgia, surrounded by ‘normal’ teens and away from the media spotlight. It is in Temple, GA that Divine learns some of life’s greatest lessons.

The books deal with real issues such as Internet dangers, teen domestic violence, teen pregnancy, virtual marriages and challenges faced by blended families.

Jacquelin, you've written four books about Divine. Tell us what makes this character standout from amongst her peers? Divine is a typical teenager, although she comes with a hefty trust fund. She’s a total fashionista and diva, but is fiercely loyal when it comes to family and friends. She’s not perfect and gets in trouble from time to time, but Divine is pretty good about learning from her mistakes.

Learning from their mistakes is something all parents desire for the children. Tell me what have you enjoyed most about interacting with young adults as a result of these books? I’ve always interacted with young adults in one form or the other. I enjoy their zest for life and their honesty refreshing. I’ve found that most teens just want a listening ear, but without judgment.

Share a special email or comment you received from a reader that touched your heart. I love the letters from teens who write to tell me that they are members of the Big ‘V’ Club just like Divine or that they read my books and that they’ve helped them make better decisions.

What’s next for Divine?
Readers have asked for stories about some of Divine’s friends, so coming this month is the first book in the Divine & Friends series: It’s A Curl Thing, which features Rhyann. Divine, Mimi & Alyssa will all put in appearances.

Rhyann Hamilton could not be more jazzed for her sophomore prom. The big event is one day away, and getting prepped is a family affair: thanks to her aunt's designing magic, she's got a dreamy Valentino look-alike gown, and her sister Tameka's doing her hair. But something goes terribly wrong -- and Rhyann's hair color is a total disaster! An emergency trip to a luxury salon saves the day, but how will Rhyann pay for the high-priced appointment? Thanks to the kindhearted owner, working at the salon becomes more than just a way to pay a debt -- for Rhyann is about to discover how beautiful things can happen when your heart is open, and how one bad hair day can be a blessing in disguise.

Sounds "divine", Jacquelin. How can readers learn more about the books on the Internet? They can visit my website: http://www.jacquelinthomas.com/ or http://www.simplydivinebooks.com/
I’m also on MySpace & Facebook.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Jacquelin. I look forward to having you back when your next women's fiction title The Ideal Wife is released in October.