In the sequel to the enormously successful  Casting the First Stone , Kimberla Lawson Roby brings back a character readers love to hate. Curtis Black might be a man of the cloth, but with his irresistible looks, seductive charm, and charismatic personality, he's particularly beloved by his female parishioners––and almost every other woman he's ever met. The trouble is, Curtis is married. At first he tries to resist temptation, but not for long. His insatiable appetite for women quickly gets the best of him. Eventually, the women in Curtis's life find that with a little careful planning––sneaky and otherwise––they can help Curtis reap the punishment that he so richly deserves. In this captivating and dramatic sequel to Casting the First Stone, Kimberla Lawson Roby, with her trademark with and insight, sets sparks flying. In the sequel to Casting the First Stone (2000), Curtis and Tanya Black have divorced and moved on to new relationships. Curtis continues to struggle with the pull between his commitment to serve and his desire for wealth. Four years after he was ousted from Faith Missionary Baptist Church, his old members ask him to pastor their new church. He marries the perfect pastor's wife, Mariah Johnson, who has no knowledge of his previous misfortunes. Then slowly but surely, Curtis begins to revert to the behavior that got him in trouble. To squelch his dissatisfaction with his wife, he seeks out his former lover Adrienne. Even that affair does not satiate him, and he convinces Carmen, the mother of his son, to sneak around with him. Curtis' relationships with his wife, daughter, lover, and congregation begin to collapse, and he also becomes the victim of an assault. Roby leaves her fans eager to know more about the next chapter in Curtis Black's ministry. Lillian Lewis Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “A fast-paced tale . . . hilarious, heartbreaking and a blast to read.” - Crystal McCrary Anthony, author of Gotham Diaries The bestselling, Blackboard Award–winning author of the enormously successful A Taste of Reality spins a riveting tale about a philandering preacher that readers will love to hate. Curtis Black might be a man of the cloth, but with his irresistible looks, seductive charm, and charismatic personality, he's particularly beloved by his female parishioners -- and almost every other woman he's ever met. The trouble is, Curtis is married. At first he tries to resist temptation, but not for long. His insatiable appetite for women quickly gets the best of him. Overwhelmed by his sizzling love affairs and busy trying to convince the deacon board of the need for an ATM in the back of the church, Curtis has his hands full. Meanwhile Mariah, his second wife, is slowly discovering that beneath the tranquil and loving facade of their marriage a storm of lies and betrayal is about to rage. Not to mention that Curtis's already shaky relationship with his teenaged daughter, Alicia, has reached the breaking point. Feeling neglected and unloved, Alicia searches for solace in the arms of a stranger, and before long she finds herself in a dangerous situation. Eventually, the women in Curtis's life find that with a little careful planning -- sneaky and otherwise -- they can help Curtis reap the punishment that he so richly deserves. In this captivating and dramatic sequel to Casting the First Stone, Kimberla Lawson Roby, with her trademark wit and insight, sets sparks flying. Kimberla Lawson Robyis the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of the Reverend Curtis Black series as well as many other novels and novellas. She lives with her husband in Rockford, Illinois. Excerpt Chapter One A Year Later Mariah Johnson Black smiled proudly as her husbandneared the end of his morning message. It just didn'tseem real, him actually being senior pastor of Truth MissionaryBaptist Church or that he'd chosen her to be his wife. Itdidn't seem real that he'd wanted a woman who'd grown up in arun-down two-bedroom apartment on the West Side of Chicagothat also housed her single mother and five siblings. But he alwaysreminded her that he'd grown up with nothing himself. Still,every now and then, she had to pinch herself, because she couldn'tbelieve how happy she was. She couldn't believe they'd only beenmarried six short months, and yet Curtis had already bought her asix-thousand-square-foot house in Covington Park, the mostexpensive Mercedes that Daimler manufactured, and best of all,she didn't have to work for anyone. All she had to do was be thebest wife she could be to Curtis and the best first lady to their congregation - two things Curtis said his first wife, Tanya, wasn'tcapable of. Mariah almost felt sorry for Tanya, because shecouldn't imagine how painful it must have been, once Tanya realizedwhat she'd given up. Curtis had told Mariah about Tanya'saffair with James, and Mariah couldn't understand how Tanya even considered being with another man. Especial