BEST FRIENDS FOREVER
In this page-turning marital saga, Roby tells the story of a
woman who, only days apart, learns that she has breast cancer and that her
husband is having an affair—yet this doesn’t stop him from leaving her for the
other woman.
After being rejected by numerous literary agents and
publishing houses in 1996, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author
Kimberla Lawson Roby started her own company and self-published her debut
novel. Now, Roby is releasing her 23rd family drama, BEST FRIENDS FOREVER,
which centers on a wife, her husband, breast cancer and infidelity. Roby has
sold more than 2.6 million copies of her books and is the 2013 NAACP Image
Award winner for Outstanding Literary Work, Fiction.
BEST FRIENDS FOREVER tells the story of Celine Richardson,
her husband, Keith, and their 10-year-old daughter, Kassie. But this once
loving marriage and happy family unit turn devastating when, only days apart,
Celine is diagnosed with breast cancer and learns that Keith is having an affair.
Worse, Keith still leaves her for the other woman. Celine then wonders how
she’ll navigate the difficult process of surgery and additional cancer
treatment, but comfort and support come in the form of Celine's best friend,
Lauren. They've been attached at the hip since they were children, and it is
Lauren who's there for Celine in her darkest moments. Of course, Keith may want
to come back home, forcing Celine to consider some tough decisions relating to
the marriage and otherwise—and for the very first time in her life, she wants
to give up. Lauren vows to help her best friend in any way she can, but will it
be too late?
Roby can discuss issues covered in this thought-provoking
read that many also face in real life via Skype, video chats, teleconferences
and over social media chats or in person meetings: “Regardless of what family
we're talking about, breast cancer affects all colors, nationalities, and
social status in a heartbreaking fashion—and sometimes so does infidelity in a
marriage,” Roby says. “So, in BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, I wanted to show what
happens when, only days apart, a woman discovers she has breast cancer and
learns her husband is having an affair. Additionally, I wanted to explore how
the family is affected when a husband leaves his wife for the other woman, and
the woman’s best friend is forced to step in.”
Roby’s novels—which address true-to-life issues—have
frequented numerous bestseller lists, including The New York Times, USA Today,
The Washington Post, ESSENCE, and Publishers Weekly magazines, Amazon.com,
Barnes & Noble, Walmart and many others.
READ THE ENTIRE CHAPTER ON KIM'S WEBSITE
Purchase Best Friends Forever by Kimberla Lawson Roby
About the Author
Kimberla Lawson Roby is the author of the bestselling works
The Ultimate Betrayal, A Christmas Prayer, The Prodigal Son, A House Divided,
The Perfect Marriage, The Reverend’s Wife, Secret Obsession, Love, Honor, and
Betray, Be Careful What You Pray For, A Deep Dark Secret, The Best of
Everything, Sin No More, One in a Million, Love and Lies, Changing Faces, The
Best-Kept Secret, Too Much of a Good Thing, A Taste of Reality, It’s a Thin
Line, Casting the First Stone, Here and Now and Behind Closed Doors. She lives
with her husband in Illinois. Visit her website at: www.kimroby.com
INTIMATE CONVERSATION WITH KIMBERLA LAWSON ROBY
New York Times Bestselling Author Kimberla Lawson Roby has
published 20 novels which include A CHRISTMAS PRAYER, THE PRODIGAL SON, A HOUSE
DIVIDED, THE PERFECT MARRIAGE, THE REVEREND’S WIFE, SECRET OBSESSION, LOVE,
HONOR, and BETRAY, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PRAY FOR, A DEEP DARK SECRET, THE BEST
OF EVERYTHING, ONE IN A MILLION, SIN NO MORE, LOVE & LIES, CHANGING FACES,
THE BEST-KEPT SECRET, TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING, A TASTE OF REALITY, IT’S A THIN
LINE, CASTING THE FIRST STONE, HERE AND NOW, and her debut title, BEHIND CLOSED
DOORS, which was originally self-published through her own company, Lenox Press.
Kimberla has sold more than 2,000,000 copies of her novels,
and they have frequented numerous bestseller lists, including The New York
Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, Essence Magazine,
Upscale Magazine, Emerge Magazine, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, The
Dallas Morning News, and The Austin Chronicle to name a few, and both BEHIND
CLOSED DOORS and CASTING THE FIRST STONE were #1 Blackboard bestsellers for
four consecutive months in both 1997 and 2000. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS was the #1
Blackboard Best-selling book for paperback fiction in 1997.
Kimberla is a 2014 NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding
Literary Work – Fiction, the 2013 NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding
Literary Work – Fiction, the recipient of the 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and
2013 Author of the Year – Female award presented by the African-American
Literary Award Show in New York, the recipient of the 2014 Black Pearls
Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award, the recipient of the 2014 AAMBC Award for
Female Author of the Year, the recipient of the Blackboard Fiction Book of the
Year Award in 2001 for CASTING THE FIRST STONE, the recipient of the 1998
First-Time Author Award from Chicago’s Black History Month Book Fair and
Conference, and in 2001, Kimberla was inducted into the Rock Valley College
Alumni Hall of Fame (Rockford, IL).
Each of Kimberla’s novels deal with very real issues,
including corruption within the church, drug addiction, gambling addiction,
infidelity, social status, single motherhood, infertility, sibling rivalry and
jealousy, domestic violence, sexual abuse, mental illness, care-giving of a
parent, racial and gender discrimination in the workplace, sexual harassment,
and overweight issues to name a few.
Kimberla resides in Illinois with her husband, Will.
BPM: Share with us your personal journey into publishing.
Was this a fun time in your life?
Writing was not a lifelong dream of mine, however, back in
April 1995 I sat down and began writing my debut novel, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. It
took me about seven months to complete, and I then began querying literary
agents in search for representation. I was rejected by all of them. Finally, I
submitted query letters directly to editors at publishing houses and received
rejection letters from them as well. This is when my husband suggested that I
start my own company to self-publish my book, and I did. My mom kept telling me
not to give up also. As it turned out, I learned a wealth of important and very
helpful information about the business of publishing, and I sold just over
10,000 copies within the first 6 months of publication. This was truly a fun
and exciting time in my life.
BPM: How did you get to be where you are in your life today?
Who or what motivated you?
My mother and my maternal grandmother were two of the
kindest and wisest women I have ever known, and they began instilling a certain
level of Christian and family values and wisdom in me from the time I was a
small girl. Even after all the rejections, my mom told me I shouldn’t give up
(I miss her tremendously), and my husband continues to be my biggest encourager
and supporter as well.
BPM: Who does your body of literary work speak to? Do you
consider authors as role models?
I believe my literary work speaks to everyone in one way or
another. I write about real-life social issues that can and do affect all human
beings. Corruption within the church, infidelity, domestic violence, drug
addiction, gambling addiction, adult sibling rivalry, care-giving of a
terminally-ill parent, childhood sexual abuse, racial and gender discrimination
in the workplace, social status, overweight issues, and the list goes on. There
is also always some level of redemption and forgiveness in every single book I
write. I don't consider myself to be a role model per se, but if someone does
in fact view me in that manner, my prayer is that I am able to represent myself
well, particularly to young people.
BPM: Could you tell us something about your most recent
work?
The latest novel is titled The Ultimate Betrayal, which is
my 22nd book and the 12th title in my Reverend Curtis Black Series. It will be
released, Tuesday, June 9, 2015. It’s been four years since twenty-eight-year
old Alicia Black, daughter of Reverend Curtis Black, divorced her second
husband, the most womanizing and corrupt man she has ever known. Since then,
Alicia has been dating her first husband, Phillip Sullivan, a wonderfully kind
and true man of God whom she’d hurt terribly by cheating on him. Alicia has worked
hard to prove herself worthy of his trust once more, and when he asks her to
marry him again, she couldn’t be happier.
But Levi Cunningham, the drug dealer Alicia had an
extramarital affair with, has just been released from prison, and he has
completely turned his life around for the better. Still head-over-heels in love
with Alicia, he will do whatever is necessary to win her back.
Remarrying Phillip is the one thing Alicia has wanted for
years, but she can’t get Levi out of her mind. Alicia and Phillip aren’t the
only ones in the middle of a crisis. Their best friends, husband and wife Brad
and Melanie Richardson, are struggling to keep their marriage together.
Workaholic Brad is never home and has begun losing thousands
on bad investments. Or so he says. Melanie, who is certain there’s more to the
story, is determined to get at the truth. At the same time, her frustration and
stress cause her to eat a lot less, and she behaves in an extreme fashion.
Alicia worries that she could be suffering from anorexia, but Melanie
steadfastly denies it. Their friendship begins to suffer, and it isn’t long
before they’re talking to each other like enemies.
Fresh betrayal leads to consequences no one saw coming, and
Alicia’s relationship with Phillip might not be the only thing that needs
saving. But is it already too late?
BPM: Where do your book ideas come from?
With every book I write, I first decide which social issue
I'm really feeling passionate about at the time and then I create my characters
around it. From there, I outline the story.
BPM: Are your books plot-driven or character-driven? Why?
My books can tend to be both, depending on which title. What
I hear most often than not, though, from the majority of my readers is that
they can always relate to both my characters and the overall storyline.
BPM: Are there under-represented groups or ideas featured in
your books? If so, discuss them.
In many of my books, there are. One example, is my novella,
A DEEP DARK SECRET where I wrote about a 12-year-old girl who was being
sexually molested by her stepfather who was an upstanding deacon in the church.
She was suffering in silence and so are millions of children in this country
who never tell anyone what's happening to them.
BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
Readers can visit my web site, www.kimroby.com. or visit me
through social media at www.facebook.com/kimberlalawsonroby or
www.twitter.com/KimberlaLRoby
Purchase The Ultimate Betrayal by Kimberla Lawson Roby
