Anticipation of the Penitent
A killer raised by Satan. A mother reaches for God. Can one young woman free them from Satan's control or will she be dragged into his world?
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Synopsis
From a young age, evil pursued Alezea. She survives a harrowing attack from a neighbor and escapes her family's drug empire. Still she becomes entrapped by Satan and bears him a son. Isolated with her son, who is raised to be a killer of little girls, she finds no way out. Until an old employer guides her to a holy place. There, Alezea will either fight for her own redemption or sink into total ruin.
While Alezea's battle rages on, her son Thomas seeks a young woman to continue his father’s lineage. He encounters and beguiles Rachel, who soon learns of Thomas’ atrocious history. From the teachings of a young prophet, Rachel believes she can transform Thomas. Her hope in Thomas might provide an opening for God’s miracles in both of their lives. Or it will drag her fully into the devil’s realm.
While Alezea's battle rages on, her son Thomas seeks a young woman to continue his father’s lineage. He encounters and beguiles Rachel, who soon learns of Thomas’ atrocious history. From the teachings of a young prophet, Rachel believes she can transform Thomas. Her hope in Thomas might provide an opening for God’s miracles in both of their lives. Or it will drag her fully into the devil’s realm.
Readers' Favorite 2014 Winner!
Woot! Woot! Anticipation of the Penitent is a winner of the 2014 Readers' Favorite Book Reviews and Awards Contest for Christian Fiction! Praise God!
Woot! Woot! Anticipation of the Penitent is a winner of the 2014 Readers' Favorite Book Reviews and Awards Contest for Christian Fiction! Praise God!
Review from writer, producer Kenya Cagle:
"Wow. What a heart pounding, riveting and powerful story. There is so much in this book that absolutely blew me away. The story of a woman who bears the child of satan. She then wants to redeem herself. Each page makes you want to turn to the next page. I was totally into this story. It is well written, smooth and filled with twists and turns. At times I though it was going one place and it would go another. I felt happiness, sadness and a whole range of emotions. There is deep undertones, parallels and subliminals. At times I had to go back and re read to make sure i got it the way it was written. This was very good because it had me thinking. At times it was frightening. Honestly Thomas character is so real and so well written that I was able to identify many 'Thomases' in my mind. All the characters are well written and defined. The author has a master of character development. I was able to feel for them. I was able to cry and talk to the characters. i was upset at some of the choice. This is a well written book that you must get. It is full of all the elements that makes a great book and because I am a movie producer, I could see this book being turned into a great film."
Editorial Review
Author Nancy LaRonda Johnson brings readers a dark tale of good versus evil in her book Anticipation of the Penitent. Alezea was merely a child when her parents took her out of school and introduced her to their financial enterprise. She was forced to make deliveries to her father's clients; one of them raped her within the first week. She was homeschooled by her Aunt Nell, who also tried to teach her a few Christian values. Upon leaving home, Alezea began a long affair with a man whom she thought was Satan and she bore him a son named Thomas. He raised Thomas in his image, creating a serial murderer. This was Alezea's life until she met Martha. After hearing Alezea's story, Martha suggests she and Thomas go to Gabriel. While there, Thomas meets Rachel. Thomas wants to turn his life around. But is he strong enough to win the battle?
How do I begin to describe Anticipation of the Penitent? It is dark, bold, shocking, riveting, violent, and wonderfully written. The theme of this book is hope and that salvation is possible for anyone. Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins on the cross. From the prologue, I was drawn into this book and could not put it down until I read the very last page. This is one of those books you will want to read again and again, each time getting something different from it. Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite
21st Annual Writer’s Digest Annual Self-Published Book Award Result for Anticipation of the Penitent
Entry Title: Anticipation of the Penitent
Author: Nancy LaRonda Johnson
Judge Number: 40
Entry Category: Mainstream/Literary Fiction
Books are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning “needs improvement” and 5 meaning “outstanding”. This scale is strictly to provide a point of reference, it is not a cumulative score and does not reflect ranking.
Structure and Organization: 4
Grammar: 4
Production Quality and Cover Design: 4
Plot: 4
Character Development: 4
Judges Commentary:
"Congratulations on writing and publishing your book! The packaging is polished and professional. I love the cover design: it really drew my attention and made me want to know more about the book. The back cover copy made me want to start reading right away. This is an extremely compelling story. Your passion and faith show clearly in your writing. The story unfolds at a good pace. The characters are complex and their situations held my interest throughout the book. Good job with grammar and proofreading. Your website and blog are great marketing tools for your books: it looks like you have quite a strong online presence! You should be able to use it to expose your book to a wide readership. The action and dialogue are the strongest part of your book...." Commentary by Judge, Writer’s Digest 21st Annual Self-Published Book Awards
Author: Nancy LaRonda Johnson
Judge Number: 40
Entry Category: Mainstream/Literary Fiction
Books are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning “needs improvement” and 5 meaning “outstanding”. This scale is strictly to provide a point of reference, it is not a cumulative score and does not reflect ranking.
Structure and Organization: 4
Grammar: 4
Production Quality and Cover Design: 4
Plot: 4
Character Development: 4
Judges Commentary:
"Congratulations on writing and publishing your book! The packaging is polished and professional. I love the cover design: it really drew my attention and made me want to know more about the book. The back cover copy made me want to start reading right away. This is an extremely compelling story. Your passion and faith show clearly in your writing. The story unfolds at a good pace. The characters are complex and their situations held my interest throughout the book. Good job with grammar and proofreading. Your website and blog are great marketing tools for your books: it looks like you have quite a strong online presence! You should be able to use it to expose your book to a wide readership. The action and dialogue are the strongest part of your book...." Commentary by Judge, Writer’s Digest 21st Annual Self-Published Book Awards
