Until Death Do Us Part: What Did You Vow? by Lakisha Johnson
There is no standard set of wedding vows. A man and woman can choose their vows, tailored to them, their beliefs, and their relationship. However, many times we vow what we don’t understand. When this happens, we tend to make a mess of things.
In this mini-series, we will explore traditional wedding vows from a fictional and Christian standpoint. Asking the question, “What are you vowing?” Although you vowed with truth and your heart, sometimes things can be hard to contend with and/or come back from. Yes, you had good intentions, but the stiffness of that “AND” will test every inch of your faith, love, and vow.
Find out if these marriages can survive the vows they’ve promised.
https://www.amazon.com/What-Did-You-Vow/dp/B0CH5TRQY7
What Did You Vow (6 book series) Kindle Edition by Lakisha Johnson
Book 1 – To Have and To Hold: Raymond and Sydney. She’s 36, unmarried and her mom won’t let her forget it. So, she takes a chance on love when she meets Raymond. He’s charming and says all the right things. A year after the wedding, she begins to see him for who he really is. His mother’s son.
Book 2 – For Better and For Worse: Yolanda and Leland Martin. She’s a pastor and professor while he’s an executive at the Art Consortium. Now, imagine walking in thinking you’re about to catch your husband cheating, and you do, but it’s so much worse than you ever could have imagined.
Book 3 – For Richer and For Poorer: Reginald and Georgia Harden. You married for love but apparently she married for money. So, when things aren’t up to par, she finds the fastest route out, but it may not be as easy as she thought.
Book 4 – In Sickness and In Health: Alexander and Jade Newman. They met in foster care when neither had anything, including love. After reconnecting, they marry and began a life together. One that is good until an accident takes more than Alex’s ability to walk.
Book 5 – Forsaking All Others: Russell and Raven Carter. Their eighteen-year marriage is threatened when he calls her name, Peah. Raven realizes she’ll never be able to compete when his love for Peah overshadows his love and vows to her.
Book 6 – Until Death Do Us Part: Nehemiah and Eden Coffee. He’s an executive Pastor and she’s a journalist. Yet, his love for God’s bride has taken precedence over his. When Eden confronts him, he has nothing to say and when she walks away, he lets her. Until she finds out the real reason for his sudden change.
| Soignée Sisterhood Conversation with LaKisha Johnson |
| LaKisha Johnson, an author of over thirty Christian Fiction novels, devotionals, and journals who throughout her career has had the privilege of winning the 2018 Drunken Druid Book of the Year Award for The Forgotten Wife, the 2019 Top Shelf Christian Fiction Book of the Year for Dear God: Hear my Prayer, 2020 Distinguished Authors Guild Award for I’m Not Crazy and was a 2020 TopShelf Women’s Fiction Finalist for When the Vows Break. In addition to being a self-published author, she’s a wife of 24 years, mother of 2, Grammie of 1, Pastor of Temple Church in Southaven, MS; Sr. Business Analyst, Devotional Blogger, Vlogger of Dear Sis, and a college graduate with 2 Associate Degrees in IT and a Bachelor of Science in Bible. If you know her and her writing then you know she writes from the heart and will never take the credit for what God does. If you were to strip away everything, you’d see she’s simply a woman who boldly, unapologetically, and gladly loves and works for God. Ask me and I’ll tell you, “It’s not just writing, it’s ministry.” SLM: When did you first realize you wanted to be a published author? Honestly, I didn’t choose this; it chose me. As cliché as this sounds, being an author wasn’t something I set out to do. One night, I sat down and began writing a book just for fun, never thinking it would become a gift and purpose. Now, almost thirteen years later, I can truly say that God has shifted me into places I didn’t think were possible. SLM: If you had to describe yourself as a writer in three words, what would they be? I am authentic. Who you see is who I am. I don’t claim to be anything other than who God says for Lakisha. I am bold in my delivery, dealing with topics we don’t always talk about, especially in church. Therefore, I must be courageous enough to do it the way God approves, which isn’t always considered “clean” Christian. SLM: Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing? Do you have other writers in the family? My husband because he allows the time and space to write, travel and “work,” even when it may interfere with home life. My twin sister, who has always supported everything I do and my family, who purchase and recommend my books consistently. I also cannot leave out those I’ve met on this journey. There are countless ones who support release after release. I won’t name names, but they know who they are. (THANK YOU!) SLM: How did you become involved with the subject of your book series? After being married over 20+ years, I realize a lot of times we don’t know what we’re vowing to when we marry. Especially if you were like me, getting married young. So, I prayed for guidance on how to deliver this in a way that would be understandable and relatable. God said ask the question, what did you vow. SLM: Share a summary of the six-book series, What Did You Vow, please. What Did You Vow is a series on the traditional wedding vows we’ve all heard, said or wished we hadn’t. You know the ones, “I vow to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part.” Yeah, those. Each of the books features a different couple who walk through what these vows mean from a Christian and fictional standpoint. SLM: Introduce us to your most recent book in the series. What is the key theme and/or message in the book? The latest release is Book 6, Until Death Do Us Part. It’s Nehemiah and Eden’s story. They’ve been married for over eleven years and things were great until suddenly they weren’t. Eden doesn’t understand and Nehemiah doesn’t seem to care. The key theme in the book is, sometimes we can think we know what’s best for a person when we really don’t. Even if the intentions are good, don’t assume you know. SLM: Can you share with us something about the book that isn’t in the synopsis? Hmm, I could, but then I’d spoil it for those who haven’t read it yet, because if you’ve ever read one of my books, then you know to expect the unexpected. This book is no different. I can say this… get your tissues ready. SLM: What are the most important elements of good writing? Having a story to tell, characters who are relatable and a storyline that’s realistic. Yes, I get we’re writing fiction, but Christian Fiction just hits differently. Therefore, I use the pages of a fiction book to minister to those who may find themselves traveling a road and feeling like there’s no hope or help coming. And by the time they finish, their trust in God is reignited or they find themselves booking an appointment for therapy. SLM: Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot, and plan, or is your writing more organic? There is no process to this madness. No, seriously, there isn’t. What works for me is writing, whenever I can. Sometimes, it’s the middle of the day while taking a break from work and other times it’s late at night. I’ve never been one to outline, plot and plan, because the story speaks at different times, and I’ll find myself changing or adding things up until the very last minute. Other times, God will stop me in the middle of my day with an idea, down to the characters, and I have no choice but to respond. So, yeah. A process, what’s that? LOL. SLM: Do you write while listening to music? If so, what music inspired or accompanied this current book? God no. I couldn’t dare write while listening to music because I know me. I’ll become distracted by the music and will never finish. Yes, there are times I’ll stop and listen to a song, but that’s only if I’m including it in the book. Do I love music? Absolutely, but I can’t listen and write at the same time. SLM: Have you been able to incorporate your previous experiences into your writing? When it comes to preaching, yes. You’ll find some of the sermons and Bible studies I use in my books are ones I’ve preached or taught before. However, when it comes to the topics, no. A lot of the things I’ve written about I’ve never experienced personally. However, I have used the experiences of others I know (with their permission). I do this because, although I haven’t been in their shoes, I need to know what it truly feels like so that I am able to reach the hearts of the readers. For example, I’ve never experienced postpartum depression, but my cousin has. It was through her experience that allowed me to write Savannah’s story in I’m Not Crazy. SLM: What is the biggest thing that people THINK they know about your subject/genre that isn’t so? People believe Christian Fiction is boring. This is the furthest from the truth. My hope is for more people to read Christian Fiction and see it’s not all preachy, scripture and boring. Sometimes, Christian Fiction can be just as exciting as any other genre. Maybe not as exciting as a steamy romance, but you get it. SLM: Did you learn anything personal from writing your book? Always. With each topic, I learn something. When I wrote Ava’s story in Almost Destroyed, I learned more about trauma bonds. While writing this last series, I discovered what it means to be a caregiver when your vows, In Sickness and In Health are called upon. In I’m Not Crazy, I learned about postpartum depression. In Wondah, I learned more about the emotional toil of divorce. I can go on. So, yes. Writing always leaves me with something personal. SLM: Share one specific point in your writing career that resonated with your present life journey. In 2017, I couldn’t write a book. I thought I was done. What I didn’t realize was, God was shifting me to Christian Fiction as a part of ministry. When I fully stepped into that, He opened doors I didn’t have to pray for and gave me creativity to pen over seven books in 2018. What this taught me is, always trust God’s timing. Even in writing. SLM: What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them? My goal was to finish this book and complete the series. I did that. I also set a goal for 100 reviews within the first thirty days, and to get this series in the hands of as many people as possible. Both are still in progress. Do I believe it’ll happen? I absolutely do. SLM: Can you share some ways that readers can support you? As an indie author, I don’t have the backing of a big publisher with thousands of followers. I’m not a celebrity who has a big name. I don’t have a messy life that plays out on social media. I’m a woman who God has called and who uses ministry through the pages of fiction books. Therefore, readers can support me by purchasing, recommending, reviewing, and reading my work. When a reader downloads a book via Kindle Unlimited or Prime, I am not paid until the book is read. READ THE BOOK, PLEASE! SLM: What other projects are you working on at present? I currently have two Kinde Vella books that I’m working to turn into a full story. There’s also another story I’ve had in mind that I believe I’ll release in the coming months. SLM: How can readers discover more about you and your work? Following me on social media, Amazon page, my website, and newsletter. SLM: Do you have a Goodreads, BookBub, or Facebook community? I am currently active on all of these communities. Although Facebook gets the most of my time. Here are a few pages to visit: Amazon page: www.authorlakishajohnson.com and https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0091JWVJY Lakisha, the PreacHERFollow me: https://authorlakishajohnson.com/ministry |