INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY
The Adulteress
(Women Who Met Jesus Book 1)
(Women Who Met Jesus Book 1)
by Lucinda Weeks
The Adulteress is the first book in the Women Who Met Jesus series by Lucinda Weeks. Also available: Veronica.
Both books are ON SALE for only $0.99 to 30 June. The author stops by today for an interview and to share an excerpt from The Adulteress. You can also enter our exclusive giveaway for a chance to win some great prizes. Up for grabs are two autographed paperback copies of The Adulteress, two autographed posters, and ten bookmarks!
The paperback version of The Adulteress is due for release on 30 June but is currently available for pre-order.
Description
A Familiar Bible Story Comes to Life in a Whole New Way!
Adina was a proper Jewish girl. She was young and in love with Yeichiel, who was a thief and a drunkard. In order to keep her away from Yeichiel, her greedy father sold her into an unwanted marriage to Eleazar. Eleazar was filthy rich and more than willing to pay a hefty bride price for beautiful Adina's hand in marriage.
Adina finds herself in a world she never imagined, married to a man she doesn't love. As the third wife in a small harem, she finds herself longing for her true love, Yeichiel, and eventually the affections for other men.
Soon Adina's indulgent life of sin leaves her broken and ashamed. She cries out to the God of her childhood who she believes could never forgive her for her sins. Confused and desperate for love, she is eventually caught in an act of adultery and captured by Roman soldiers and the pious Pharisees. She is brought before Jesus with the demand that she be stoned to death.
The Adulteress is a story about sin and redemption. This exciting page-turner is filled with adventure, romance, and betrayal. There are many twists, turns, and surprises to this story to keep the reader at the edge of their seat.
Book Video
Note: The cover of this book has since changed.
Excerpt
1
“You’ve stolen my heart,” I whispered, kissing him softly. My arms encircled his waist. I gazed upward at the ceiling into the shadows, my body lying limp across the bed. I laid there breathless, reflecting on the night we had spent together. I knew in my heart I had fallen completely in love.
My fingers clasped the gold chain around my neck; fondling the seashell pendant, I thought of him. Two lovers strolling hand in hand along the Mediterranean shore - we enjoyed the feeling of the cool moist sand beneath our bare feet. With the wind blowing through his curly hair, he bent down into the sand scooping up the seashell, held it out in his hand, and placed it in mine. I received the seashell with childlike eagerness, quickly threading it through the gold chain that encircled my neck and dangled it next to my heart. Fine jewels he could not afford, yet I cherished his gesture of affection more than pure spun gold.
It was there next to the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea that his sultry, raven-colored eyes locked with mine. We shared a long lingering gaze into each other’s eyes that left me breathless and completely swept away with passion. It was then that his lips melted with mine - the first of a thousand zealous kisses. We had crossed over into a world of forbidden desires. Our lone night of passion quickly faded into the dawn’s light. The morning sun began to filter through the tiny cracks in the jagged corners of the limestone walls. I lay half-awake, nestled in my lover’s arms, feeling the warmth of his breath against my flesh as he slept.
Captivated by the sound of my heart beating with love, I was oblivious to the sound of drums resonating in the distance. I disregarded the sound of army soldiers preparing for war. I had tuned out the music, the angry voices, and the jeering laughter. I ignored the sounds of angry, bloodthirsty men. I was unaware that the morning of Rosh Hashanah, was upon me.
War, bloodshed, and tyranny was all around us. The Israeli armies had been at war for centuries against neighboring rivals on every side. The soldiers beat their drums and chanted war cries as they marched off for battle carrying swords and torches. Caught up in my love, I did not concern myself with them.
I smiled with fascination as I watched him sleep, certain of his love for me. Every time he looked at me, the way he gently touched my hair and skin with his fingertips - it was as if every nuance of his being expressed what words had never uttered, that he loved me too. I closed my eyes and breathed the sweet aroma of mandragora blossoms. I nuzzled closer to my beloved and began to drift asleep.
Moments later, I woke again, startled by a loud and thunderous knock on the door of my bedchambers and the chanting of an angry mob of fierce men. A sense of panic and dread gripped my heart. Outside were the voices of a militia of angry men ready to burst through the doorway. The blood drained from my face. Suddenly, I realized the morning of Rosh Hashanah had come. I clenched the covers of my bed tightly and pulled them close to my face. Frightened, I looked anxiously around the room. There was no way to escape! The windows were too small for me to squeeze through if only my bed would swallow my body whole! The voices outside the room became louder and fiercer chiding ambiguous threats in unison. Angry voices drowned out by the resounding beat of the drum. One angry voice took the forefront; he was louder and angrier than the rest. I recognized him instantly. He was my husband, Eleazar!
Praise for the Book
"I absolutely loved it! I have a hard time getting interested in a lot of books but this book had me hooked from the beginning and held my interest till the very end. Very touching story. Very heartfelt and emotional. I loved the characters. Definitely one of my favorite books I've ever read!" ~ Jennifer Springer
"This is an engaging and thought-provoking story filled with action. It sensitively deals with universal problems and shares the love and forgiveness that are central to Jesus' message of redemption without being preachy. I highly recommend it." ~ Christi
"This book has it all romance, scripture, love, hate and real world problems. I highly recommend this book. This book takes you to a new world and yet it isn't different from what women do today. If a wife isn't cherished by her husband or forced into a loveless marriage , how can anyone be faithful? This book gets you thinking and shows the love Jesus had for this women who was meant to be stoned to death." ~ coop
"I enjoyed the book tremendously. Very well written and compelling. I can't wait to read more books in this series or from this author." ~ brian pfleiderer
Interview With the Author
Hi Lucinda, thanks for joining me today to discuss your new book, The Adulteress.
For what age group do you recommend your book?
The book is targeted at women of all ages
What sparked the idea for this book?
I had heard a preacher do a sermon on using your God-given talents and I wanted to use my writing talent in a way that would honor God.
I had recently read a novel based on women from the Bible and said to myself that I could try writing something like that.
So, which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?
I would have to say the idea for writing the novel came first, as I just sort of pray about what to write each day and the ideas for what to write tend to flow out of my prayer life. I often don’t know in advance how the story will unfold, but so far I have been very pleased with the results as the ideas tend to be very creative.
What was the hardest part to write in this book?
The hardest part about writing the book was the research involved to adequately take readers back in time to ancient Jewish history and culture at the time of the New Testament.
How do you hope this book affects its readers?
I hope that readers will realize that no matter what they may have done in life there is mercy and forgiveness in Jesus Christ.
How long did it take you to write this book?
I began writing this book in 2006 and did most of the writing. However I wasn’t sure if I wanted to publish the book. Then in 2014 I started writing a completely different genre and said to myself, "Why am I writing this? I have this perfectly wonderful novel I need to finish."
I made several attempts to open the novel’s manuscript on my computer, but I kept getting an error message stating the files had been corrupted. It had been several years since I had looked at the manuscript.
Then I began to pray that if it was God’s will for me to finish the book that he let me open the manuscript. Instantly, the corrupted manuscript was restored. I began reading the novel and I impressed myself with how good it sounded. I did some editing and submitted it for publishing and was accepted for publishing. I also decided to make a Kindle eBook.
What is your writing routine?
I get very little time for writing. I work 90+ hours a week with developmentally disabled adults, which is something I truly love. Somehow in the past year I finished writing The Adulteress, the first book in the Women Who Met Jesus series, and wrote, edited, and submitted for publishing my second novel in the series, Veronica:The Woman with the Issue of Blood. I am currently writing my third novel in the series, Mary’s story. I write what little I can when I can.
How did you get your book published?
I submitted my book with Tate Publishing and was accepted right away. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to publish with Tate because of the cost of publishing. Tate continued to encourage me in publishing my book, giving me confidence in my writing. Tate was wonderful in working with me every step of the way to become a published author.
What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
Realize that writing can be a lot of fun but a lot of hard work.
After the book is finished it will need to be marketed.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
When I’m not writing or working, I spend time with my grown children and granddaughter and my three Chihuahuas.
What does your family think of your writing?
My family is very supportive, they love reading my work.
Fantastic. Please tell us a bit about your childhood.
I was born in Topeka, Kansas, and later moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota, where I lived until I was eight years old. At eight my family moved back to Kansas. I was at a strange new school and had a hard time making friends, so I discovered writing.
Did you like reading when you were a child?
I was always advanced in reading, but I spent more time writing than reading.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Writing has been a hobby since I was eight years old. I realized when I was in my twenties that I wanted to become published, and I wrote and published short stories and poetry for magazines and websites.
Did your childhood experiences influence your writing?
My grandfather was a writer he had self-published a couple of books. When his books came out it inspired my brother and I both to take up writing as a hobby.
Which writers have influenced you the most?
I’d have to say my grandfather, even though he only published his books for family to enjoy and I never actually got to read the very rare books he wrote that inspired me to take up writing.
Also my sister, Debra Simon, who has been a technical writer for over twenty years and my brother, David Simon, who has not written for publication but was always writing and encouraged me to write too.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
My book are very new releases, so I still have a very small but growing audience. Feedback I am getting is amazing, awesome, my books really capture the reader’s attention.
What can we look forward to from you in the future?
I have several more novels planned for the Women Who Met Jesus series.
I also hope to write a modern-day series called Jesus, Friend of Sinners and give true-to-life accounts of how God has changed women dealing with drug addiction and other problems.
Thank you for taking the time to stop by today, Lucinda. You are truly inspirational. Best of luck with your future projects.
Message from the Author
This exciting story is filled with Romance and betrayal, action and adventure while keeping the story clean and suitable for the Christian Audience.
The characters are vivid. Some characters you will love like Yeichiel who's undying love for Adina is evident throughout the story. He tells Adina that "My love for you is Eternal," Just like Christ's love for humanity is eternal. Yeichiel proves his love for Adina in many ways, just like Jesus proves his love for us.
Other characters you will hate like Adina's father Zohar who is blinded by greed and sells his daughter into an unwanted marriage to a man twice Adina's age to acquire a hefty bride price and to keep her away from Yeichiel. Will her father see the error of his ways?
About the Author
I have been writing fiction as a hobby since I was eight. I've written as a ghostwriter for national magazines and websites. I have been a Christian believer in Jesus Christ for more than thirty years and began writing Christian fiction as a way of sharing Christ's love and to share with others the talent he gave me to write. I strive to write in a way that glorifies Christ first of all and to show in my writings his divine love and mercy.
Giveaway
Enter our exclusive giveaway for a chance to win some great prizes. Up for grabs are two autographed paperback copies of The Adulteress, two autographed posters, and ten bookmarks (US only).
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