Thank you, Venture Galleries for featuring the 1st book of my Running Forward Series, "Sin, Secrets, and Salvation," on your website, today!
Tuesday Sampler: Sin, Secrets, and Salvation by Lynn Hobbs
DECEMBER 1, 2015,
In our mission to connect readers,
writers, and books, Venture Galleries has launched a new series featuring
writing samples from some of the best authors in the marketplace today.
Tuesday’s Sampler is an excerpt from Sin, Secrets, and Salvation by
Lynn Hobbs
Sin, Secrets, and Salvation is
book one of three in The Running Forward Series, a powerful faith and family
saga. The novel won first place in Religious Fiction for 2013 by the Texas
Association of Authors.
The Story
A powerful faith and family saga. A Christian wife,
Susan Penleigh, is unequally yoked to a non-Christian husband. Follow her
victorious journey through a shaky marriage. Inspiring and action-packed. Reader
will have a clear understanding of a Christian viewpoint by her actions. Scripture,
prayer, and intrigue round out this suspenseful, Christian women’s fiction
novel.
The
Sampler
“Susan,
are you and your husband saved, are you both Christians?” Pastor Dempsey
queried.
“Yes,
I am, but my husband Dave isn’t.” She answered.
“Let
me explain some things to you. If an unsaved man, or woman, has a choice
between doing right or wrong, he would choose wrong. The man would not have
enough strength to do right in a difficult situation. A saved man, or woman,
would have the faith to do right because he wants to serve God. He would want
to do right, no matter how hard it might happen to be. His faith would give him
strength to do the correct thing.” He reached for his glass and drank a long
swallow of the refreshing beverage.
“Reminds
me of my favorite verse, Psalms 28:7,” Susan told him. “The Lord is my strength
and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart
greatly rejoices; and with my song I will praise Him.”
Pastor
Dempsey nodded his head in agreement. “Susan, you and your husband are
unequally yoked,” he continued. “That comes straight from II Corinthians 6:14:
Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship has
righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion has light with
darkness?” The pastor closed his Bible.
“Unequally
yoked people don’t know what blessings they are missing. That’s sad.” She
sighed.
“Yes,
it is. Susan, I want you to picture two oxen, yoked together, pulling a plow.
Dave would be going off in one direction, while you are trying to plow
straight. A Christian couple would plow straight together in harmony.”
“I
do understand.”
While
he and Abby were leaving, he held the door open and turned towards Susan.
“You
are in an unsafe situation.”
“That’s
it! That is exactly what I felt. It was hard to explain, but you got it right.
Thank you so much for everything. I’ll always remember our talk, Pastor
Dempsey.”
“Abby,
thanks for being here when I needed you.” Relieved, Susan smiled as her
visitors got in their cars and drove away.
Kerrie
arrived within the hour, along with their parents, also. A major discussion
developed about Dave.
“It’s
a mere coincidence about the radio.” Kerrie announced.
Susan
shook her head, hurt that her sister ignored the facts.
“No,
this is all planned.” Sam spoke with the authority of being Susan’s
father, his tone of voice changed to harshness, clearly angry.
“We
believe Dave’s directly involved with the hang-up phone calls too. Someone is
following his instructions.” Brenda, being a typical mother to both daughters,
fumed and paced the floor.
“He
is sly and cunning, he’ll fight you like a fox,” Sam added.
“Remember,
Dave warned me he’d fight me like I’ve never fought before.” Susan reiterated.
“I opened the mail a few weeks ago and discovered Dave refinanced some property
we own. He received twenty-six thousand dollars from the transaction. The bank
sent a letter to thank him for his business. Dave has this money now, yet the
same unpaid bills keep being sent to us.” Susan stated.
“So,
Dave never told you about the money, right?” Kerrie inquired.
“No, and he’s not aware I found out about it. Let’s
go over the options about the money issue. I think three questions share
priority:
- what are his plans
for the money;
- where
is it;
- could
Dave be paying people to try and confuse me?”
Susan
also gave them a quick update on new developments, and told them about the guy
in the neighborhood, and the assortment of vehicles driving by.
Any
useful opinions were put on hold, and suddenly all ideas came to an abrupt
halt. School ended for the day, and Susan’s three kids hurried in the house to
see everyone.
After
they were greeted and properly hugged, Susan asked the kids to sit down and
join them in the living room.
“While
you are all together, I want you to know I talked to Abby and her pastor about
this.” She explained what Pastor Dempsey said. She mentioned being told she was
in an unsafe situation, and the kids squirmed in their seats.
“Mom,
the house has been open several times when we’d get in from school.” Scott
stated.
“What?”
Susan gasped, and leaned forward in her chair.
“It
started a few weeks ago. Sometimes the front door would be unlocked, and other
times the door was wide open.” Karen’s voice trembled.
“Nothing
was missing, though.” Molly bounced off the couch and ran to hug her mother.
“Guys,
please tell me if it ever happens again. I can’t stress enough how serious this
is. Call me at work. Anyone could have hidden inside this house when you
entered. Don’t go in anymore if you find it unlocked or open.” Susan hugged
Molly back and looked at each of her children.
“Okay,
don’t worry, Mom. We thought perhaps Dad left the house in a hurry, and that’s
why we didn’t say anything.” Scott assured her.
Karen
and Molly both nodded their heads in agreement.
“All
of you need to be cautious.” Sam advised. He and Brenda got up and walked
towards the door.
“Call
us anytime, and we’ll be right here.” Brenda added as they left.
Susan
attempted further discussion with Kerrie, who dodged issues and refrained from
agreeing with Susan. They quietly prepared dinner together, everyone ate, and
all went to bed.
Dave
came home hours later and spent the night alone in the bedroom.
Susan
groaned. The constant beeping sound emitting from the alarm clock rang out like
a car horn blasting away in a car parking lot. Large, red neon numbers glared
at her―5:30A.M. The fresh brewed aroma of coffee aroused her senses and got her
going.
Thank
goodness I remembered to set it on automatic last night. She
poured a cup of the strong, black liquid and sat on a bar stool near the phone.
Dave
strolled into the kitchen and got his coffee.
“The
phone will ring at six o’clock.” She told him.
Dave
just looked at her over his coffee cup.
“I
get hang-up phone calls, and there is a pattern established.”
“Why
haven’t you told me sooner?”
She shook her head. “Oh, I’m sure it’s a prank,
whoever is behind it will soon get tired.”
Even
though she anticipated it, the jangle of the phone unnerved her. She jumped and
hot coffee splattered on her blue chenille robe.
Dave
grabbed the phone.
“Hello?”
He glanced at the clock, straight up six o’clock. “Hello?”
He
hung up. “Some kid probably getting a laugh.”
“Probably.”
Susan blotted the robe with a paper towel. “I have to be at work. I need to get
ready.”
“I
have a full day also.” Dave replied.
On
the way to the museum, Susan turned the radio on. In between songs, the disk
jockey got her attention immediately.
“Good
morning, Greenville,” the announcer said. “Aren’t wake – up calls nice?” What
did he say? Maybe I should bring a recorder next time.
She
remembered last week a group of employees from the radio station came for a
tour. They all wore t-shirts with the call letters, KDUM.
I
wore my name badge, and I am listed in the phone book.
A
wave of nausea rolled over her as she reviewed the possibilities, even the idea
that Dave had a girlfriend. She was convinced he must, because his same past
behavior pattern was happening again. His girlfriend could be making the calls.
Maybe his latest flame is behind this.
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