Too Little, Too Late (35 page)

I’ve said this before, but I mean it this time. I’m not doing acknowledgments anymore! I took so much flak for my last acknowledgments that I’ve yet to recover! So, from this point forward, I will only say to my family and friends: you know who you are and you know I love you. That’s it for personal acknowledgments.

Now that that’s done, I can breathe and move on to the acknowledgments I must make.

First, as always, to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. You gave me the gift of using words, but I’ve yet to come up with anything that can thank you enough for what you’ve done for me. So my mouth says thank you, but my heart says so much more.

For the ten years I’ve been writing, God has blessed me with the best of the best!

I’ve had the best editors: first, Adrienne Ingrum, who in the very beginning taught me how to write, giving me an incredible foundation to build. (She was my editor for
Temptation,
y’all!) Then, I was blessed with Cherise Davis Fisher (congrats again!), who gave me such a gift by bringing me to Touchstone, changing the direction of my career, and teaching me how to broaden my thinking with my writing. And my blessings continue to flow with Trish Grader, who challenged me with this novel more than I’ve ever been challenged before. Because of you, I’ve continued to grow and I’m excited about that!

I have the best publicist in Shida Carr, whose hard work and commitment never ceases to amaze me. (You’re not the president yet?) And I have the best publishing home with Simon & Schuster, and everyone there who always makes me feel like I’m part of that fantastic team.

Talking about the best, I have to thank my agent, Elaine Koster, whose belief in me seems to grow every day. “Thank you” is not enough for all that you do.

I have to give thanks to my pastor, Dr. Beverly “Bam” Crawford. I often get credit for being the first African American to write in this genre, but the thing is, I wouldn’t have had anything to write if I hadn’t been under your spiritual guidance. You’ve taught me, prayed for me, loved me, and because of you, my gift was released. Because of you, this genre began. (And for those who don’t know, the pastor in my books, Pastor Ford, is based on my pastor! And she really, really is like that!)

Finally, to the readers who keep me and so many authors in this game—nothing happens without you. I thank you for casting your vote by purchasing and reading my novels, but I’ll never be able to thank you enough for passing the word. You have no idea how important your telling others about my books has been. I am forever grateful. Thank you! (And if I can ask one teeny-tiny favor—can you tell just one more person, please?)

Too Little, Too Late

Discussion Points

1. In
   A Sin and a Shame,
   Jasmine reached a major turning point in her life when she told Hosea the truth about her affair with Brian—a point she refers to as the distinction between the Old Jasmine and New Jasmine. In
   Too Little, Too Late
   , how does Jasmine’s “inner Jezebel” threaten to reemerge?
   
2. Hosea and Jasmine both are guilty of lying by omission when it comes to past relationships. What reasons do each of them give for never mentioning their former loves? Were you surprised to discover that Hosea had secrets of his own? Why or why not?
   
3. Why does Jasmine hesitate to travel to Los Angeles with Hosea? How does Natasia’s presence turn the tables on her?
   
4. In what ways do both Jasmine and Brian reconcile their respective “fresh starts” with the secrets they continue to keep? What kind of compartmentalization do they each have to create in order to convince themselves that they are making the right choices?
   
5. The author splits the novel into parts that exclusively follow each of the two main couples in this story. What effect does this have on your reading experience? In what ways do the two couples’ stories parallel each other? Where do they diverge? Explain why you did or did not like this technique.
   
6. Brian challenges Alexis: “If I had cancer, would you leave me?” Do you think this is “playing fair”? Why or why not? What effect do his words ultimately have on Alexis? Why, in the end, does she leave him anyway?
   
7. Like Jasmine, Natasia is smart, beautiful, and manipulative almost beyond imagination. How does she set her trap for Hosea, and how does Jasmine play right into it? What lessons do you think the author is trying to illustrate with this scenario?
   
8. In Chapter 69, Hosea tells Jasmine, “You’ll always be Jasmine Larson.” What does he mean by this? Jasmine swears that she’s changed—all because of Hosea. Has she really? Why or why not? What finally makes Jasmine realize the truth?
   
9. Both couples in this novel perform recommitment ceremonies. As with any ritual, these ceremonies have the power to effect change. What do the characters hope will happen when they renew their vows? What actually does happen?
   
10. Hosea is named for a prophet to whom God speaks. Identify moments in the novel when God is speaking, either directly or indirectly, to these characters.
    
11. Reverend Bush counsels Jasmine to stop trying to control her life and to let Jesus take the wheel. How does trying to take control work out for the various characters?
    
12. In some sense, this novel bears the message that it is never too late to ask for forgiveness. So what relevance does the title, “Too Little, Too Late,” have for these characters?
    
13. At the conclusion of
    A Sin and a Shame,
    Jasmine’s husband Hosea asked her if there were any more secrets she was keeping from him, and she said no.
    Too Little, Too Late
    ends with a similar conversation. How is this ending different?
    

Enhance Your Book Club Experience

1. Dr. Perkins emphasizes to Alexis the importance of her acceptance of Brian’s sex addiction as a “real illness.” Unconvinced and hurt, Alexis rages that claiming a sex addiction seems too convenient for a cheating man, something that men, in fact, probably made up. Do some of your own research and present your findings to the group. You can start at the Sex Addicts Anonymous web site: http://saa-recovery.org.
   
2. Victoria Christopher Murray is praised for her storytelling. Try tracing the intricate web of lies spun by the four main characters in this novel—Jasmine, Hosea, Brian, and Alexis—using a visual chart to help you appreciate just how intricate a plot Murray has concocted.
   
3. The characters in this novel all believe that God speaks to those who listen, and that He is trying to help them live a good, Christian life. But God isn’t always so direct. At your next book club meeting, go around the circle and share your own stories about moments when you’ve thought God was communicating with you, describing what happened when you did or did not heed Him.
   

A Conversation with Victoria Christopher Murray

Fiction often imitates life. Were there events in your life that inspired you to write this story? What personal elements might fans find in
Too Little, Too Late
?

Actually, this is probably the one story I’ve written that has absolutely no personal elements. This was not a novel I planned to write, but after
A Sin and a Shame
, I received so many e-mails from readers that I knew I had to continue the story. It was not my plan–I truly thought Jasmine’s story was over, but readers told me it was not. So, I developed this plot to reveal the answers to questions that were left open at the end of
A Sin and a Shame.

Paralleling the stories of the two couples—the Bushes and the Lewises—was an interesting choice. What were you hoping to accomplish using this technique?

When I write, I don’t think of techniques. I’m not thinking of what I can do to make the story different. Once I decide the story line, all I try to do is tell that story in the best possible way. I decided to write the story in three parts–first Jasmine and Hosea, and then Alexis and Brian, because I felt that was the best way to get the reader totally invested in each couple’s story before bringing all four characters together.

As it was in
A Sin and a Shame
, forgiveness is a major theme in this novel. Would you share with your readers a time when you struggled to forgive someone for a wrong they did to you, or had to ask to be forgiven yourself?

Forgiveness is the major theme in all my novels. Not because that’s what I set out to do, but when you’re writing books with these inspirational messages, that’s the basis of the Christian doctrine. As far as personally, I work very hard not to hold unforgiveness in my heart because I truly believe that I have to forgive to be forgiven. And, at this moment, I can’t think of a time when I’ve struggled with forgiving someone. About asking for forgiveness myself, I can think of a situation with one of my best friends, Lolita Files. While I will not share that situation specifically, I will say that her forgiveness of me was instant! In fact, I think that even though she was really hurt by what I’d done, she forgave me before I even asked.

Jasmine has long been your premier schemer, but Natasia really gives her a run for her money. What is it like getting inside the heads of women like these?

I love these kinds of characters, whether male or female. The bad girl/bad boy is so much fun to write because there are no limitations. These characters have no ground rules and are so self-centered that you are free to put them in all kinds of situations. That’s what makes it such fun.

Too Little, Too Late
takes place primarily in Los Angeles. How does Los Angeles compare to New York City as a backdrop? What was it like to bring your characters back to the origins of the series—where Jasmine’s story began?

It’s easy to write novels that take place in both Los Angeles and New York because I’ve lived in both cities. This time, bringing Jasmine back to L.A. was necessary for the story—for Jasmine and Hosea’s interaction with Brian and Alexis.

In
A Sin and a Shame
, Brian Lewis is just another smooth operator, a cheating husband that Jasmine hopes she’ll never see again. What made you decide to portray him so sympathetically this time?

Readers reacted so strongly to Brian in
A Sin and a Shame
that I decided to take the challenge and make them feel differently about him. I wanted to show that we make judgments about people without knowing anything about them. I wanted to challenge readers to understand that no one is all bad or all good.

Alexis struggles with the concept that no one addiction is more terrible than any other, that her addiction to coffee is in essence no different than Brian’s addiction to sex. How do you think this plot element will be received by African American women, for whom infidelity seems to be a major concern? Aside from the obviously juicy twist it provides, what prompted you to create this situation for your characters?

First, I find fascinating the statement that African American women have a major concern with infidelity. I don’t accept that statement as fact. I think past experiences as well as personal insecurities play a huge factor in issues of infidelity and those have nothing to do with race. But I digress–I chose the sexual-addiction story line for the reason I mentioned above. I wanted Brian to be a sympathetic character and, at the same time, it gave me a chance to explore a topic—sexual addiction—that I knew nothing about.

In Chapter 76, Reverend Bush tells Hosea, “Instead of doing what the world does—looking for a reason to leave—why don’t you do what God wants, and find the reason to stay.” That’s a pretty strong critique—does it reflect a personal opinion? What else does this novel tell readers about your own views on marriage and divorce?

I didn’t write about my views on marriage and divorce at all. I went straight to the Bible for those views.

In many ways, all of the Jasmine novels tell an entertaining story while imparting some robust food for thought. How do you use your fiction to challenge readers? What do you hope to achieve?

I don’t see my “Jasmine” novels being any different from my other ones. With my novels, I hope to challenge readers to think about their views. To get the readers to question long-held beliefs, or to perhaps answer a few questions.

Despite all the talk about doing what God wants and practicing forgiveness, Alexis does eventually leave Brian for good and files for divorce. And yet, we leave them on a somehow hopeful note. Their situation is so complicated and extreme—what do you think readers will relate to? What do you hope they will take away from this aspect of the story?

I never try to guess what readers will relate to because I am always so surprised what readers eventually take away from a story. I wasn’t writing for any deep lessons to be learned. I wasn’t sure if Alexis was going to leave Brian until I got to the end of the story. I allow the characters to tell me what they’re going to do and Alexis said that for now, she had to walk away.

Jasmine may be the woman readers love to hate, but it’s her humanity that makes her sympathetic. As her story unfolds and she grows as a Christian, she seems more desperate and confused than diabolical. How have the reactions from fans changed with each Jasmine novel?

Readers are becoming more and more sympathetic to Jasmine.

This is the third novel that follows Jasmine’s escapades. Have we seen the last of her, now that she finally seems happy and lie-free?

You know, I had never planned to even write a Jasmine sequel. I’d had enough of her after
Temptation
and then, I was sure the story was finished in
A Sin and a Shame.
I tried to leave Jasmine happy and lie-free in
Too Little, Too Late,
but I don’t know for sure. These characters come to me in the middle of the night, never leaving me alone! I know these people still have issues–like, will Brian truly walk away from Jasmine and his daughter, Jacqueline? And knowing Jasmine, it’s hard to believe that she doesn’t have deeper, darker secrets that could destroy not only her life, but Hosea’s as well. I don’t know–like I said, my goal was to stay away from sequels. But who knows…