Welcome to Red Oaks, GA where the congregation of Red Oaks Christian Fellowship Church greets you with open arms! Although this book features traditional romance stories and is not written to be inspirational Christian fiction, the authors have captured the spirit of strong hearts and the power of undeniable love in each of their stories. Enjoy!
Can I Get an Amen (Arabesque)
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From the Author
Writing a story about the fictionalized town of Red Oaks, GA was a pure joy! Note to all you romance readers: Don't let the title fool you. Can I Get An Amen is a traditional romance complete with all of the quirky characters and love scenes that you've come to enjoy. The stories are not, nor were they ever intended to be, Christian inspirational fiction. Thanks for reading! Kim Louise
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Jared Kyles opened the sliding-glass door and stepped onto the patio of his new home in Red Oaks, Georgia. It was a beautiful May morning, and the sweet smell of wild jasmine was in the air. The temperature was cool. The dogwood trees were in full bloom. Fallen pink and white petals covered the ground around them.
He inhaled the heady fragrance of good, clean, fresh air as he stood there wondering which of the six burly black men presently removing huge squares of old sod from the lawn was Alex Cartwright. A big hand brought the coffee cup to his lips. He frowned as he sipped thoughtfully. The man was here, wasn't he?
He lowered his gaze to his watch. It was nine o'clock, and Cartwright, whom he'd hired over the phone, sight unseen, hadn't come up and introduced himself yet. Cartwright's secretary had promised he would show him the blueprints that had been drawn up for the final layout of the yard before the work progressed too far. Jared didn't like to be kept waiting. Time was money.
This was the last time he would hire someone based solely on the opinions of others. When he'd sent out feelers to various colleagues in the construction business in Macon, they'd all concurred: Alex Cartwright was the best to use when it came to landscaping, a consummate professional.
Looking at the vigor with which Cartwright's men per-formed their duties, Jared had to admit one thing: Cart-wright knew how to pick dependable workers.
He placed his cup on the only piece of furniture on the patio: a deep green, molded plastic chair which could be bought at any discount store. He made a mental note to buy patio furniture, and then he turned and walked up to the man closest to him.
"Excuse me, would you tell me which of these fellas is Alex Cartwright?"
The guy, who was at least six-four, over two-hundred pounds, with skin so dark it gleamed, ran a hand over his bald head before saying, "Good morning!" His grin was wide and white. The first image that flashed into Jared's mind was that of a black Mr. Clean. All the guy needed was a single gold hoop earring in his left earlobe.
"Good morning," Jared said, smiling back. People in small towns rarely forgot their manners. His mother would be disappointed that he'd forgotten his. "Alex ain't here yet," the bald man told him. "She went to pick up her brother, Sam, at the airport. He plays bas-ketball for the University of Florida."
She? Jared thought but didn't voice his surprise.
The guy saw it on his face. "Don't worry, man," he said with a short laugh. "She does the work of two men."
Jared laughed too, but it irked him that Alex Cartwright had misrepresented herself to him. Or had she? None of the men who'd recommended her had thought to mention her sex. They must be having a good laugh at his expense right about now! Then again, perhaps her gender had not mattered to them, just the fact that she was good at what she did for a living. He put his sexist tendencies in check and offered his hand to the guy. "Jared Kyles."
"Ruben Jackson," the black Mr. Clean said, with a firm handshake. "I'm the foreman. Alex told us to get started on removing the old sod, and by the time that was done, she'd be here to supervise the landscaping."
Jared nodded. "All right, Mr. Jackson, you fellas seem to have everything under control. Tell Ms. Cartwright she can knock on the patio door when she arrives."
"Will do," Ruben said, and promptly returned to his work.
[ornament22]
Alexandra Cartwright was in her element, speeding down I-75 with a Shemekia Copeland CD on low and her kid brother by her side, complaining. She'd missed this. There was a smile on her face and a happy light in her dark brown eyes. "All of my friends are either in Daytona Beach or Atlanta gettin' their freak on!" Sam said. He was nine-teen and the spitting image of their father: tall, dark-skinned, and rangy, with light brown eyes. Alex had been the only one of them to inherit their mother's dark brown eyes.
"How often do we get to see each other, Sam?" Alex asked reasonably. "I haven't seen you in nine months, and it's been longer for Vicky. She'll be here tomorrow after-noon, and we'll all be together for the first time in over a year. You know Momma and Daddy would have wanted us to stay close."
Sam sighed. He turned his head to look at his older sister. "You're gonna get me with the guilt trip now, huh?" His thick brows arched as he smiled at her.
"I'll use every trick in the book, little brother. You know I'm right," Alex said, her full lips curving in a winning smile.
"Yeah, I know you're right," Sam conceded. "But that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop giving you a hard time. You'd think something was wrong with me if I didn't."
Alex laughed. She pushed a lock of wavy, shoulder-length black hair behind one ear and briefly peered at him. Eyes back on the road, she said, "You know, I think you've grown an inch since I saw you last. When are you going to stop growing?"
"I guess when you stop treating me like a child," Sam countered.
"Never, then," Alex returned, still grinning.
Sam groaned. "I could be in Hotlanta right now with a sepia honey all over me."
"Sepia?"
"I've been paying attention in English class. I'm broad-ening my vocabulary."
"I'm sure the honeys are impressed."
"Well, you know, what can I say? I'm all that!"
"Oh, now, hold up. Don't go gettin' cocky on me. I changed your diapers!"
"See? That's why I'm never gonna bring a sweet thing home with me for Thanksgiving. I don't want to be em-barrassed by comments like that," Sam said.
"I have no doubt that one day you will bring a "sweet thing' home with you. But do me a favor, make sure she's good people before you get all up in her business."
"All up in her business?" Sam asked, shocked that his sister had suggested she knew anything about sex. Didn't she know it was taboo to talk to her brother about such things? No, he could answer that question himself. Since their parents' deaths, Alex had assumed the role of the parent. She thought she had the right to say anything!
"Don't you think it's a little too late for that talk?" Sam asked, sounding calmer than he really felt. He was a man, after all. A man who knew the score. He'd been sexually active since he was sixteen. Three years now. Not that his sister knew that. She didn't have to know everything!
"It's never too late for that talk," Alex said. "Oh, don't go looking all puffed up like Daddy used to when Momma would say something to upset him. I just want you to stay safe, Samuel Edison Cartwright. Choose your partners with care. Never, and I mean never, have sex without using a condom. Use two if you need them."
Tight-lipped, Sam turned on the seat so that he could see her face. "You're so interested in my love life, what about yours? Do you use a condom every time, big sister?"
"Honey, it's been so long since I did anything, I qualify for sainthood. But, yes, little brother, I most certainly did always use a condom."
If it were possible, Sam's face would have turned a bright red hue. "Good God! I thought you were a virgin!"
"At twenty-seven?" Alex asked with a short snort. "I'm not exactly a femme fatale, but no, Sam, I'm not a virgin."
"Who?" Sam asked, his curiosity piqued. He knew she'd dated Rick Washington, a local attorney, about two years ago. She'd never mentioned why they'd broken up.
"A lady never tells, just like a gentleman never tells," Alex said lightly.
"All right," Sam agreed. "But you know this conver-sation is creeping me out, right? Now I'm going to be looking at every man in town who's around your age and wondering, could he be one of Alex's ex-lovers?"
"There have been only two, so you can put your mind at ease."
"Oh, so the number of ex-lovers you'll reveal, but not their names."
"Their names are of no significance," Alex said. "I'm not still involved with them, and it's highly unlikely we'll ever interact with them socially. I only told you I'm not a virgin so that you wouldn't think me a prude for giving you advice about your sex life."
"Fair enough," Sam said, reaching over to turn up volume on the CD player. "Now, can we let Shemekia serenade us the rest of the way home? I'm afraid you're going to bring up something else embarrassing."
"Like that big bag of dirty laundry you brought with you?" Alex asked.
"I was hoping you wouldn't notice," Sam said, cha-grined. "I just didn't have time to do it before I left. I'll do it as soon as I get home." He lowered the volume.
"I know you will," Alex said. "You and the washing machine have been on good terms since you were ten years old. I hope you aren't letting some "sweet thing' do your laundry for you while you're at school."
"Well, if they ask, who am I to refuse?" Sam said, smiling roguishly.
"If I didn't need both hands to drive, I'd knock you upside your head! You don't use women like that, Sam. Do your own funky laundry!"
"It's not as if I don't do them favors," Sam defended himself. "It's the barter system. I fix their cars for 'em or something, and they do my laundry. It ain't nothin' negative."
Alex eyed him briefly. "Are you telling the truth?" "Cross my heart," Sam said. When they were kids, that had been the sign that absolute truth was being spoken. You had to believe whatever was being said. "All right," Alex said. "It's just important that you respect women. We work hard for it, and we deserve it. Daddy never disrespected Momma, no matter how much they argued."
"They argued?"
"You were only seven when Daddy died. I guess you don't remember much. Yes, they argued like any other couple. But I always knew they loved each other, so I never worried that they were going to get divorced. They were so close. You could feel the love coming off of them just by being in the same room with them. That's how much they loved each other." Her eyes grew misty at the memory.
"I can't believe it's been ten years since Momm... --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good...but not for the christian fiction purist.,
By BMAR (Northern USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Can I Get an Amen (Arabesque) (Hardcover)
This anthology focuses on the lives and romances of four women from the same community of Red Oaks in Georgia. This in itself makes for a nice continuity that is not often found in anthologies. The reappearance of favorite characters, such as Mother Maybelle, from story to story is pleasant. The first of the stories was rather good. It moved at an enjoyable pace and had two compelling leads. The third was just okay. The last two stories were slow-moving and not very enjoyable, or realistic, in my opinion.
All of the stories are variations of the classic "boy-meets-girl" romance. However, in each of these stories one the characters is a member of the Red Oaks Community Church. As such there are christian influences infused throughout the anthology. Many of the relationships lead to both parties becoming involved in the church. This is not to suggest that this is a christian fiction book however. This is where some readers, including myself to a certain degree, will meet with disappointment. I would rather described this book as pure romance with christian and/or spiritual overtones. The title, bookcover, and synopses of the stories seem geared to reach a christian audience. However, the book is heavy on intimacy and it occurs both in and outside of traditional christian boundaries. This would be fine in a christian novel if used to teach a story, but often the christian role models in the anthology are involved in such behavior and speak of it openly as acceptable. This includes joking of such matters with bold humor with church mothers and the pastor's wife! I'm certain that this will not sit well with many picking up the book for a good, pure chrisian fiction experience. Summarily, this is a nice romance anthology with chistian influences, but know that you are buying a classic romance collection with all the classic romance "bells and whistles". If you are a christian fiction purist, proceed with caution.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Amen it's over,
By Loni Smith (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Can I Get an Amen (Arabesque) (Hardcover)
I have just finished my First anthology read. Unfortunately, it had to be a romance novel that left me with a bad taste. I didn't know what to make of this christian romance or should we just call it a romance novel, because most of the sex scenes would cause the most holy christians to backslide.
The novel is based on a church called Red Oaks Christian Fellowship located in Macon, Georgia. The stories are based on particular members' lives. The mother of the church, Mother Maybelle, is a lonely, nosey, gossiping, busybody that has had five husbands and no biological children. She reminds me of the woman at the well when Jesus asked her where was her husband and the woman responded that she had none. Jesus said you have said well that you have none because you have had FIVE husbands. Just like Maybelle. Mother Maybelle married five rich men and they all died. I wonder if she's killed them off? I wouldn't put it pass her. She seemed like the type to do such a thing with her lavish lifestyle. Now that story alone would make a great read of a novel. The review is long because it's an anthology of four stories. So to summarize the short end: 1. A Love Supreme by Janice Sims: Churchgoing landscape owner, Alex Cartwright meets handsome business owner, Jared Kyles. Alex gets him to do something that he hadn't done in years---go to church. Naturally, they fall in love, but not before they make passionate love and then have the audacity to attend church the next morning with no sense of repentance. This story was the second best of the anthology. 2. Love and Happiness by Kim Louise: The third better story in the anthology. Anti-church goer, Renata Conner falls in love with church-going Devin McKenna. Renata is the founder of a non-profit organization that helps wayward children. She seeks Red Oaks financial assistance in helping to keep the agency opened. The busybody, Mother Maybelle, decides that Brother McKenna needs a wife, so she sends him over to the non-profit organization to interview Renata to see if her company is a match for Red Oaks to help. They are attracted to each other, but it becomes rocky. Eventually, they work out their problems, thanks to Mother Maybelle, and fall in love. 3. A Love Like That by Natalie Dunbar is the better story of all. Even though it was the least edited, (more errors than I care to mention, but that's BET for you), it was the most favorable story. Dominique Winston, born into a lap of luxury, meets racing car driver Blair Thomas. They meet at the church's Men's Day picnic where Dominique was a member and a volunteer of the event. Blair was just passing through the city and was invited by a friend to attend. This time, the pastor of the church, Rev. Avery, is the matchmaker of this pair, but he does it with finesse, unlike Mother Maybelle. When things start to turn shaky, here comes Mother Maybelle to the rescue to patch up the broken pieces. Dominique and Blair falls in love, hoping to have a lasting, happy marriage just like Dominique's parents. 4. Love Under New Management by Nathasha Brooks-Harris. Last and definitely least of the anthology. This story dragged on and on. Choir soloist, Valerie Freeman, joins Red Oaks and falls in love with dreadlock wearing choir director, Norman Grant, who happens to be Mother Maybelle's foster son and the most eligible bachelor in the church. Valerie is hurt over a past relationship and doesn't know how to let go and trust again. Norman has to use all of his tactics, along with the help of Mother Maybelle, to get Valerie to marry him. One thing I must say about this author is that she set some very visual chuch sermon scenes. I thought I was sitting in one of the pews. However, there was a sex scene that could have put the X-Rated author ZANE to shame. I was shocked to read how these two church going folks, not to mention being the choir director and his leading lady singer, could so easily make passionate love and attend church the next morning with no sense of repentance. As a matter of fact, you will find this sort of behavior in all four stories. It seemed that no one felt any sense of remorse or sorrow for their sins of lust and fornication. It appeared to be the norm in their church. It makes me wonder what Rev. Avery is preaching about--money or the salvation of souls? It left me with a sense of thinking that all of the couples' sentiments were exactly the same: "Before we get married, we gotta see if we're sexually compatable first." If you are one of those "Saints", then you wouldn't want to read this, but if you are one of those "Aints", then you can identify. This is a 2.8 on the SmithScale.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Titles Can Be Deceiving,
By Sister Camilla Norsfleet (Richmond, Virginia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Can I Get an Amen (Arabesque) (Hardcover)
I decided to use this book as my first review, although I've read many Christian novels (or so-called Christian novels). First, I agree with the previous reviews that the romance was overboard and sending a negative message to new Christians. This is a book written by four authors telling separate stories based on their affiliation with Red Oaks Christian Church in Macon, Georgia. The mother of the church, Mother Maybelline, is a terrible example of a role model. You'll find her in each of the author's story. She's a busybody, gossiper, matchmaker, gambler, and liar. The main characters were devoted church members and they could not seem to contain their flesh. They so easily committed fornication without regards to thought or repentance.
I also read other so-called Christian fiction novels and they were good books but showed Christians in the negative. These books are, Church Folks, Second Sunday, Casting The First Stone, Lust Of The Flesh, Let the Church Say Amen, The Preacher's Son. These books are all filled with sex and profanity, so beware. This is not to say that they are not good books, they just didn't seem like they should be called Christian fiction novels. Out of these, I must say that Lust Of the Flesh is on the edge of erotica (even though I know that many Christians live this way). I also must say that Casting the First Stone and Too Much of a Good Thing were on the edge of blasphemy (even though many preachers live this way). Let the Church Say Amen, Lust of The Flesh, and The Preacher's Son, were full of perverted church families (again, I'm also aware that this exists in church families). Even though these novels had good intentions with underlying messages, they should not be called Christian fiction. I don't mean to sound holier than thou, but I just want to know whatever happened to the clean and pure Christian romance? Now all we find is drama in Christian fiction. This may be okay for some, but for me and others like me, don't call these books Christian fiction, call them Christian drama or Church drama instead. I'm sure there is a huge audience for these types of books, but we must put a difference between the two so as not to confuse or trick the readers.
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