I caught up with New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby to discuss her new book, A Sinful Calling, her 13th Curtis Black novel. Roby will be at the Barnes and Noble in the Summit in Birmingham on June 23 at 7 p.m.
Tell me about your new novel, A Sinful Calling.
A Sinful Calling centers on Dillon Whitfield Black, Reverend Curtis Black’s firstborn son, who no one knew about until three years ago. This is also the same son who called himself into the ministry and now has 1000-plus members. At the same time, Curtis’s daughter, Alicia, has married Levi Cunningham, the former drug dealer, and is struggling with the guilt of betraying her first husband and how he died.
Why did you decide to write this story?
After writing the majority of the books in the series through Curtis’s voice, I wanted to show the sins of the father so to speak. Both Dillon and Alicia are struggling with very serious emotional issues, and much of it is a result of the many mistakes Curtis has made. He hasn’t been nearly the kind of father he should have been, and now his two eldest children are dealing with painful consequences.
What has surprised you most about the popularity of the Reverend Curtis Black series?
After all these years, I’m still very surprised to hear my readers, nationwide, share stories about real-life Reverend Curtis Blacks. Thankfully, Curtis has completely turned his life around, but sadly, there are many ministers who currently live their lives the same as Curtis did in the past. They are consumed with money, power and women.
Who is your favorite character from A Sinful Calling and why?
Interestingly enough, Levi is. He’s a former drug dealer and felon, but he has genuinely changed for the better. So when Levi says that he honors and respects God, he really does mean it—unlike some of the other characters in the book.
What is the biggest lesson you want readers to learn from this story?
My hope is that parents will see that whatever they do in life, bad or good, it will affect their young children for the rest of their lives. Additionally, I want readers to know that even though we all fall short and that we cannot expect our Christian leaders to be perfect, they should still be held to a certain standard. They should live as God expects them to live (as leaders of His children), both inside and outside of the church, and they should take their roles as ministers very seriously.
What is the biggest lesson you want readers to learn from your life?
That, no matter what, I try my best to treat everyone the way I want to be treated, and that I love, trust, honor and keep my faith in God.
What can readers who come to your book signing in Birmingham expect?
I’ll be speaking about my journey in publishing, talking about the reason I write the types of stories I do, and sharing how I self-published my first book. I’ll then answer any questions that readers/attendees have, and after that, I’ll sign books.
What’s next for Kimberla Lawson Roby?
My 25th book, Copycat, will be released in January 2017.
To learn more about Kimberla Lawson Roby and her books, visit her website and connect with her via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.