Wages of Sin
Page 24
“Then please don’t,” the thirty-eight-year-old interjected in the most respectful tone that she could conjure up with a clenched jaw.
“All right. I’ll keep my opinion to myself, but I was merely going to say that you may want to consider extending Chanelle’s curfew. She’s practically an adult and it’s time you start treating her like one. Maybe then you’d be less likely to run into this problem.”
An electrifying jolt shot through Lisa’s body. The way she disciplined Chanelle had become a constant point of contention between her and her mother. Thank goodness Hattie would soon be moving into her own apartment! Lisa could not wait!
“That makes absolutely no sense!” she fired back. “What she is, is irresponsible. Why should I reward her for not being able to honor her curfew? And anyhow, she wouldn’t have been on punishment recently had she not been so smart at the mouth.”
“I wonder where she got it from…” her mother replied cynically, quickly disappearing into the kitchen and returning moments later. “Good night.”
“The same to you,” Lisa replied, continuing to stew as the clock read 1:21 a.m. The only other noise she heard was the emptying of the automatic ice machine until ten minutes or so later when a car pulled into the driveway. Lisa’s heart began racing when she saw flashing blue and red lights from the window. It wasn’t her car as she had thought, but a police cruiser. A gut-wrenching fear fell over her. Had something horrible happened to Chanelle? She felt guilty about being so angry and the missed curfew was now a minor issue compared to the concern that her baby might be lying in the hospital somewhere. Lisa was horrified by the unlimited possibilities of things that could’ve happened to her daughter. The pit of her stomach knotted as she sprang from the couch and raced to the front door.
Doug Melvin Photography
Yolonda Tonette Sanders was born and raised in Sandusky, Ohio, and moved to Columbus, Ohio, after high school to attend Capital University. While there, she double-majored in Political Science and Criminology and then went on to get a master’s degree in Sociology from The Ohio State University. For three and a half years, Yolonda worked with the state of Ohio as a researcher, but in 2004, she took a leap of faith and resigned from her job to focus full-time on writing. It was a leap that she has never regretted.
In 2005, her first novel, Soul Matters (Hachette Book Group), was published. In 2008, Secrets of a Sinner (Harlequin/Kimani Press) was released. That same year, Yolonda started Yo Productions, LLC, a Christian-based literary services and theatrical entertainment company. Yo Productions was used to launch Yolonda’s first stage production based on her debut novel, Soul Matters, which premiered at the Capital Theatre in downtown Columbus, Ohio.
After several years, Yolonda landed a four book deal with Strebor Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Her third novel, In Times of Trouble, was released in 2013. The remaining three works she has contracted with this publisher are part of “The Protective Detective” series, which stars a male protagonist. Wages of Sin is the first installment. Yolonda’s nickname for the entire collection is “mystery with a message” because it blends her fondness for the mystery/suspense genre with her love for Christ.
Currently, Yolonda resides in Columbus, Ohio and is the loving wife of David, proud mother of Tre and Tia, and joyful caregiver of her mother, Wilene. Visit the author at www.yoproductions.net, www.yolonda.net, and Twitter @ytsanders
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ALSO BY YOLONDA TONETTE SANDERS
In Times of Trouble
Strebor Books
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
© 2014 by Yolonda Tonette Sanders
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means whatsoever. For information address Strebor Books, P.O. Box 6505, Largo, MD 20792.
ISBN 978-1-59309-473-7
ISBN 978-1-4516-9564-9 (ebook)
LCCN 2013950689
First Strebor Books trade paperback edition April 2014
Cover design: www.mariondesigns.com
Cover photograph: © Keith Saunders/Marion Designs
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