Category Archives: Writing

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It’s Fiction Friday Featuring…Netta Fei, Author of ‘A Most Useful Betrothal’

Hello World,

I’m back with a “Fiction Friday” blog post! Since I became a debut novelist back in 2019, I’m aiming to feature other novelists (debut novelists are my favorite since authors put their hearts and souls into their debuts) on After the Altar Call  in a more systematic way since I have historically favored nonfiction.  To that end, I’m pleased to introduce my fellow PK (Pastor’s Kid) Netta Fei and her debut novel A Most Useful Betrothal to you, my dear readers. Isn’t that an intriguing title? And her novel was inspired by her marriage — AND divorce (Y’all know I love me some tea)…Please see the synopsis followed by my Q&A with her below!

In the rolling hills of Kanaan lies the mysterious tale of Abyga’el, a fifteen-year-old girl whose sharp intellect and breathtaking beauty are overshadowed by her blinding passion to rescue children abandoned by their law-abiding parents, like she once was. When a curious marriage proposal ignites her soul’s desire to create a child sanctuary, she breaks cultural confines of the Eber Y’israelite nation and secretly arranges her own betrothal to a suitor she knows nothing of. She does this right before reuniting and falling in love with Dawit, the nation’s honorable and charming warrior, creating a two-fold dilemma: Dawit’s on the run from the nation’s vain and jealous king who wants him dead and, unbeknownst to Dawit, Aby is already married in the eyes of their law.

Will Aby find the strength to soothes the boorish Nabal, her legal husband, outwit his equally wicked first wife, liberate the slaves he calls residents and steer her own destiny, or will she succumb to the nonsense that could imprison her forever?

 

1.What inspired you to write A Most Useful Betrothal and tell Abyga’el’s story?

My inspiration began with the in I Samuel 25:3 story of Abyga’el who was described as a beautiful and intelligent woman who was married to a fool. That nagged me for a long time, so I sought to answer one question: how does a beautiful, intelligent girl end up married to a fool? Unfortunately, her story appeared in my own in life and those of some of my girlfriends. So, I blended my imagination and experience to weave my take on what happened with Aby. What happened to make her betrothed to a surly man?

 2. How did your life inform the story?

Twenty years into my marriage, I accepted the hard truth that my spouse and I were utterly incompatible. Divorce wasn’t an option for me, initially. So, I stewed in the disconnect for way too long, looking back to figure out how I—a smart and intelligent girl—could have gotten into such an antithetical, until-death-do-you-part relationship. Often when we should know better, we can still land in an unequally yoked or unproductive predicament. I realized, as Aby does in the book, that most decisions that take us there come from some kind of negative thinking about ourselves.

 3. So, incompatible relationships are a key theme covered in the book?

They are and I hope that the story is a wake-up call for people, especially women, to be wiser with eyes wide open before connecting themselves with people who don’t complement or progress our best selves. Yet, incompatibility isn’t limited to relationships. It can show up in our thinking and agreements made around finances, health, integrity, morality, and such. The book also highlights other themes, such as the status of women in ancient patriarchal societies; the strength of the feminine prowess to change situations; the importance of self-love, self-awareness, and self-acceptance; legalism versus spiritualism; and the ills of caste.

4. What draws you to write biblical fiction?

As a preacher’s kid, I was fed a steady diet of Bible. I understand how biblical narratives are easily buried away in old crypts or put on high, holy pedestals. I want to resurrect and bring down to earth biblical stories about women and present them as moral and spiritual truths that are relatable and relevant to us today. And I enjoy doing that with characters who have dark skin, broad noses, full lips, and textured hair. Some biblical enthusiasts may not see that coming.

 5. Why was it important for you to use ethnic names in this novel?

I did that to emphasize two things. The first is that names in ancient biblical times were a vital part of a person’s identity, reflecting their destiny, character, deity, family lineage, or some other trait. The second is the fact that biblical characters were more Afrocentric than not. The anglicized names we use today do not reflect that. I created a glossary to help readers see these two aspects more clearly and to know how to pronounce the names.

 6. This is your debut novel but A Most Useful Betrothal is already an award-winner?

Yes, it was a long time in the making and I feel grateful to say that it won the Georgia Writers Association’s 2023 John Lewis Grant for Fiction.

7. What else will we see coming from Netta Fei?

More of the same, I hope. I’m working on the sequel to A Most Useful Betrothal which is exciting even though I hadn’t planned on doing it. It tells the rest of Aby’s story, particularly what she experiences in the small city known today as Ziklag and through the child sanctuary.

Netta Fei is a practicing writer, enchanted by the eternal feminine energy that heals—especially when it’s pumped, paraded, and praised by bold women. Her writing journey began at her high school newspaper followed by her earning journalism and MBA degrees and honing her writing and marketing skills in the corporate arena. She draws on her preacher’s kid, southern black Baptist, corporate America, and misaligned marriage experiences to inform her historical, biblical, and women’s fiction storytelling today.

Netta Fei supports literary and sisterhood communities as a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Black Authors Association, Georgia Writers Association, Atlanta Writers’ Club, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. When she’s not writing, you can find her immersed in a good book, playing tennis, exercising, laughing with friends, and experimenting with plant-based recipes then enticing her family to try them.

For more information about Netta Fei, visit nettafei.com.

Any thoughts?

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Kirk Franklin’s Son Caziah Franklin & ‘War Room’ Actress Alena Pitts Are ENGAGED!!!

Hello World,

When I saw this on my IG timeline last night, I need I had to share it with my After the Altar Call fam! Kirk Franklin’s son Caziah Franklin proposed to his girlfriend Alena Pitts, who starred in the blockbuster movie War Room, when she was a little girl. Obviously she is now a young woman. See the beach proposal photos below…

I actually interviewed Alena and her mother Wynter Pitts back in 2017 when she was 12 years old (so according to my math, she is now 19).  Below is a snippet of the interview…

1. How does it feel to be the youngest, African- American female author to be represented by a major book publisher?

Alena: Kind of surreal still. Like it hasn’t really hit me. So it’s crazy. I’m just grateful that it happened to me! And then I’m like, ‘Thank you God!’

And how did you get a book deal for Hello Stars?

Alena: So, my mom was like, ‘Hey Alena, do you want to write a book together?’ I was like, ‘Sure.’ My mom was like, ‘That would be so fun!’ I really didn’t think that was going to happen, but she was like, ‘Let’s just pray about it.’  So I prayed about it not really expecting anything to happen. So like two weeks later, we got an e-mail from Zondervan asking if we wanted to write a book for them. So I was like, ‘Wow, this must be God’s plan!’ (Laughter)

Wynter: It literally happened just like that! It was just this random thought I had one day, and I just looked at her and said, ‘It would be so fun if we wrote a book together.’ And that was it. And then, a few weeks later, we got an e-mail from Faithgirlz saying they wanted to talk to us about the project. It was so bizarre. Because of my ministry with girls, I had done some Faithgirlz product giveaways and helped them promote some things so I had a relationship with the publicist there. Since then, I found out the publicist mentioned our names to their team over the last year or so, but I didn’t know anyone else on the team!

See the remainder of the interview at ‘War Room’ 12-Year-Old Actress Alena Pitts & Mother Pen Children’s Book ‘Hello Stars!’ (INTERVIEW).

When I heard about Wynter’s death the next year following my interview with her and her daughter in 2017, I was stunned and saddened, but I believe Alena’s mother is with the Father in Heaven where we all aspire to go some day. And obviously, our Father is still leading Alena today. May God bless Caziah and Alena on their new journey together!

Any thoughts?

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Famed ’90s R&B Star Montell Jordan Launches THIS IS HOW WE DATE NIGHT With Special Guest DJ Tony Tone…

Hello World,

Grammy Award-Winning and ’90s R&B icon Montell Jordan launches THIS IS HOW WE DATE NIGHT with special guest DJ Tony Tone.   This is the ultimate ’90s themed dance party for couples on April 12 in Atlanta, Georgia at Ponce City Market’s Rooftop Terrace.  Montell and his wife, Kristin have focused their ministry on marital counseling and coaching. Together, Montell and Kristin Jordan began both their marriage and music career journeys over 20 years ago. They entered the recording industry as artist and manager with the #1 hit song This Is How We Do It less than one year after saying “I do.” The challenges of being married in the music business resulted in an unpredictable story where after two decades of world tours and millions of album sales, they chose marriage over music, faith over fame, and significance over success. Ultimately, they allowed God to reinvent their lives to focus on their family values, their passion to see the covenant of marriage reestablished, and to restore hope in the hearts of men and women everywhere.

In a society where divorce has become commonplace and the very institution and definition of marriage is under attack, they have navigated some of the roughest waters and returned to help others in their marital journey.  Their marriage has endured and overcome some of the greatest trials imaginable, however, they now are able to serve as ambassadors of hope.  Recently, Montell and Kristin have co-authored their first book This Is How We Do It! Making Your Marriage A Masterpiece. They now travel the world with a goal of spreading that hope and love to help others.  A reconciled husband and wife make a stronger marriage; a stronger marriage makes a better family; stronger families make better churches; stronger churches make better communities and stronger communities make a better world.  With that said, the Jordan’s are bringing their world culture back to their backyard in launching THIS IS HOW WE DATE NIGHT.

The event will start for VIP early entry at 6pm and 7pm for general admission.  For more information, please go to ThisIsHowWeDateNight.EventBrite.com.

“Music has a powerful way of bringing people together, and ‘ This Is How We Date Night’ is all about creating unforgettable moments withloved ones,” says Montell.

For more information on Montell and Kristin Jordan, go to montellandkristin.com and Instagram.

Also, I saw this great interview with Vlad TV and Montell Jordan a while back. If you’re interested in that interview in which Montell recounts his childhood, how he got into the music industry, cheating on his wife, becoming a Christian and more, click HERE.