Back Story: THEY CALL ME GOMER…
By JC Miller
Amid the madness of Covid19, I wrote a book. A very timely tale.
It's funny how stories can lie dormant inside of you until nudged or prompted out. Covid19, and the issues of racism and politics surrounding it, has sparked a time of rebirth in our nation. A time of uncertainty where humankind is reaching out for the stable right hand of God for understanding and repentance.
I started They Call Me Gomer... in 2017 upon completing my freshman project, the I Am Rahab: A Novel trilogy. But during the pandemic, the story resurfaced and worked its way out.
In the biblical story of Gomer, you'll find a promiscuous woman used by God as a portrait of humankind. Gomer was different. In a culture that held the institution of marriage in high regard, she cheated on her husband and did the unthinkable as a mother; she walked out on her children. Gomer drank and ran the streets after men who could afford her the luxuries she sought after. In my minds-eye, there's a story behind that madness. God used the prophet Hosea's marriage to his wife, Gomer, to convey His commitment to us even though we stray from him. I wrote They Call Me Gomer... to examine the backstory and relate that God doesn't need our explanations, only hearts full of recompense and praise.
Being raised by a single mother in a two-bedroom apartment in the Fordham section of the Bronx, New York, I used my imagination to navigate the impoverished, crime-infested streets where I grew up. I very well could have been Gomer. A troubled youth striving to recover her past by putting her future at risk. But God. I used the collected stories of my childhood, although at times hard to hear but reflective of the ghetto's soul, to highlight Gomer's backstory and bring a modernized take to a timeless tale. Through heartache and pain, trials, and tribulations, we rise. That's how I feel about what we're going through now. God sees, and He knows all.
I had a lot of fun reimagining Gomer's life, and I hope that you
all will enjoy it too. Read with an open mind and a receiving heart. The times
haven't changed, but God still offers His redeeming love.
JC Miller lives in the scenic Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania with her husband, children, and floppy-eared Bassador pup.
Raised by a single-mother in the Bronx, JC pulls from early experiences to showcase the soul of the ghetto through faith-based novels. She also dedicates much of her time uplifting women via her blog and creating content with partner MR Spain, through their publishing company, Jess, Mo’ Books LLC.
On her days off, you can find JC whipping up her famous Red Velvet Cake and listening to songs from her impressive vinyl record collection.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: www.authorjcmiller.com
Blog: www.authorjcmiller.com/blog
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorJCMiller
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAmRahab/
“Dear Diary, On September 3, 1982, two things happened that I’ll never forget: I acquired an older sister, and I fell in real love. But tell me, what does an eight-year-old know about love?”
For nearly a decade, Hosea Felix and Gomer Williams were inseparable. She loved him from the moment she laid eyes on him. Their friendship was iron-clad until temptation rocked Gomer to her core. Somewhere along the way, she fell for another guy and traded young love for instant pleasure. Not only is Jeri Cole fine—he is a bonafide gangsta, unattainable, and off-limits. Jeri was all Gomer could think about, and the only thing she thought she wanted. Despite her big sister already laying claim to him, not much could stop Gomer from clawing at the possibility of love and diva status. Getting with Jeri felt right…but at what cost?
Gomer never backed down. She is the original bad girl—ratchet, bougie, and insatiable. Feel like you wanna dislike her? Well, get in line.
They Call me Gomer… JC Miller’s sophomore spin-off novel enthralls readers with a deeply woven, emotionally heart-tugging take on the Book of Hosea. By examining rape culture, drug addiction, family secrets, and the vulnerabilities of young Black girls in pursuit of fortune and fame, this contemporary tale gives those in search of a good dra-mance all the feelings!
1 comment:
I truly love this
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