Sin of a Woman

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

  Reading Group Guide for

  Sin of a Woman

  by

  Kimberla Lawson Roby

  Discussion Questions

  Dillon claims that he has changed for the better. While there are hints that he has indeed moved on from his adulterous and vengeful ways, there are also indications that he may not have changed as much as he thinks he has. Do you believe he’s really changed? What do you think will happen between Dillon and Porsha?

  Porsha feels compelled to make a few changes in her life, but she initially has difficulty following through on doing the right thing. What are some reasons people might find it difficult to do the right thing? What are some practical things we can do to help ourselves follow through on our convictions?

  Raven’s social media channels become one of the main avenues through which she manipulates her congregation. In what ways do you think social media can be a pitfall for leaders? In what ways do you think it can be helpful? Should the boundaries in social media use be different for authority figures? If so, in what ways?

  Raven’s ministry grows tremendously despite the fact that she lacks a genuine desire to adhere to the Bible’s teachings or to help other people. What do you think were the main factors in the church’s growth? Do you think it’s possible to detect corruption within religious organizations? If so, what are some things you would try to look for?

  Porsha begins a women’s ministry called Daughters of Ruth (exclusively for single women), which was met with positive reception. Would you want to join a men’s or women’s ministry? If yes, what are some of the issues that you would want to discuss?

  Porsha undergoes a radical change of heart, even though nothing in her circumstances had drastically changed. What do you believe were the factors that brought about this change in attitude and perspective? Have you ever had an experience in which you felt like you had to change your habits and/or general direction in life? If so, please share.

  Raven blackmails Porsha by threatening to release Porsha and Dillon’s sex tape. If you were Porsha, what would you do? If you had known what Dillon was planning, would you have agreed to use D.C. to threaten Raven the way he did? Do you agree with how Dillon handled the situation?

  Porsha steps down from the pulpit because she knows that it is not her calling to be a minister. Why do you think some people choose professions or lifestyles that are not in line with their passions, talents, and purpose? How important do you think it is to live according to your calling? Do you feel that you are doing so? Please share why or why not.

  New Vision Ministries is hit with shocking and very disappointing news about its leaders. If you were a member of the congregation, what would you do? Would you forgive either Porsha or Raven and stay at New Vision Ministries? Or would you leave and find another church?

  Porsha has made many friends and enemies due to her vast wealth, and at times it can be difficult to differentiate between the two. All Porsha wants is to live in peace without drama, so what are some things that Porsha can do to prevent drama from happening to her again? How can she be more discerning with people who may be using her for her wealth?

  Raven is arrested, criminally charged, and will likely go back to prison. Do you think that this experience will teach Raven a lesson, or will it only fuel her desire to seek revenge against Dillon?

  This novel is full of characters, especially leaders, whose outward titles and appearances do not match their inner private lives. Do you think that leaders should be held more accountable for this inconsistency? If you saw an inconsistency in one of your leaders, what would you do?

  Q&A with

  Kimberla Lawson Roby

  Sin of a Woman is your fourteenth Curtis Black novel. When you were writing the first one, Casting the First Stone, were you already thinking of turning it into a series?

  No, and this is likely the most unknown truth about the series overall. When I wrote Casting the First Stone, which was my third novel, it was never my plan to write a sequel or a series. This was the reason I went on to write standalones for my fourth and fifth books. But at the same time, I continued hearing from many readers, either by email or at book signing events, asking when “the next Reverend Curtis Black book” would be released. Finally, my literary agent encouraged me to give my readers what they were asking for, and I’m so glad I did.

  Once you were set on continuing with Curtis Black, did you come up with a road map for a few books? Or did you figure things out book by book?

  Originally, I’d thought that I would only write a trilogy, but once Too Much of a Good Thing and The Best-Kept Secret were released, I received more requests from readers than I had before, asking when the next book in the series would be available. So from there, I decided I would continue, but with every book I’ve written in the series, I’ve not known what the next story would entail until it was time for me to sit down and write a short synopsis.

  The first three books were written from Curtis Black’s point of view. But the next one, Love & Lies, was written from two women’s points of view. Tell us how that came about.

  After writing the third book in the series, The Best-Kept Secret, readers were excited about the fact that Curtis had finally met his match with his third wife, Charlotte. So I decided that it might be interesting to write Love & Lies from Charlotte’s point of view as well as from the point of view of her best friend, Janine. I wanted to focus this particular book on the women in the series and their thoughts about their various relationship struggles.

  The books teem with real-life issues—infidelity, greed, sibling rivalry, mental illness, and so much more—and you don’t gloss over them. Why have you chosen to tackle such difficult topics?

  When I self-published my first novel, Behind Closed Doors (not in the series), what I heard from readers more often than not was that the reason they’d enjoyed reading it was because they could relate their own lives to those of the two main characters. Then, for those readers who couldn’t relate personally, they stated that they knew friends or family members who had experienced similar trials and obstacles. So from that point on, I decided that I would always try my best to write about real-life issues and particularly those that are somewhat taboo or controversial. Or if the real-life issues I write about don’t fall into either of those two categories, they are usually issues that I feel passionate about and don’t believe we as human beings talk about enough. I try to focus on issues that tend to be discussed privately, even though so many people would be helped if they were discussed more often and openly.

  You have a flair for creating characters readers love to hate. Do you find them easier or more interesting to write than characters who are good?

  That’s a very good question, and strangely, it’s one I haven’t thought a lot about. On the one hand, I do think it’s easier and more interesting to write about highly flawed characters who commit one sin after another, because you have lots of latitude when it comes to plotting the terrible actions of those characters. But on the other, it’s also easy to write about characters who try to do the right thing, because even though no one is perfect, good characters represent positive and pleasant scenarios. It’s really enjoyable for me when I get to write about characters who consciously treat others the way they want to be treated.

  In the case of some of Curtis Black’s children, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. How do you decide if what’s in store for them is come-uppance or redemption?

  Whenever a child grows up with a parent who makes many bad choices and hurts a number of people, there’s a chance that some or all of those children will follow the same path. But for some reason, Matthew has always had a big heart and noticeable compassion for others. So for him, instead of receiving come-uppance, he tends to end up hurt by the people he loves. For Alicia and Dillon, the two of them have made many bad choices, but to some degree, they’ve each experienced both come-uppance and redemption. Then there’s the youngest daughter, Curtina, who will soon enter
her teen years and will, no doubt, become a handful for her parents.

  Name your top three favorite characters and why.

  Tanya (Curtis’s first wife), as she is the ideal wife and mother from the very beginning.

  Matthew (Curtis’s second son), because he genuinely cares about everyone and tries to live a decent, respectable life.

  Curtis, because as bad of a person as he was, he has now completely turned his life around for the better and he’s remained that way for years. I love the fact that he is proof that anyone can change if he or she wants to.

  Curtis Black has evolved a lot over the course of the series. When you think about all he’s gone through and where he’s at right now in his life, is there anything that you hadn’t anticipated in the beginning?

  When it comes to Curtis, I’ve known for a very long time that he would become a true man of God, a faithful husband and an upstanding father. It is true that he always loved his children deeply, no matter what, but I also wanted him to become a great example for them. In the end, my ultimate goal was to have him do all the good things he spoke about on Sundays from the pulpit.

  You interact a lot with your fans on your tours and on social media. Have you noticed if your readers’ attitudes toward Curtis Black and his family have changed over the years?

  Yes, they definitely have. Early on, most readers could barely stand Curtis Black, and some openly stated how they hated him. But as time continued on, they began to tolerate him, and ultimately many readers began to like the new man he’s become. In contrast, however, many readers can still barely stand Charlotte, and they want her to get what they believe she has coming to her.

  Can you look into your crystal ball and give us a hint of what’s coming up for the Black family?

  There will likely be new problems that evolve with one of the children in the Black family, and of course, Curtis and Charlotte will be very much affected by them.

  Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Hachette Digital.

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