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Rain #4
Rain Storm
When her hatred for life and men drives her into prostitution, Cynda Stephens gets help in the most unexpected person, a God-fearing man named Keith Hosea Williams who, accepting her lifestyle and addictions, is determined to make an honest woman out of her. Original.
- GenresChristian Fiction
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2007
About the author
Vanessa Miller
103 books933 followersVanessa Miller is a USA Today bestselling author, whose prolific body of work spans over 50 titles that explore deep themes of redemption, resilience, and faith—often spotlighting strong Black women in pivotal moments of history.
Miller’s book, The American Queen won the prestigious Christy Award, the Audie Award and was the 2024 American Fiction Award winner for Historical Fiction. The American Queen was a North Carolina Reads pick for 2025 and an Alamance Countywide read for 2026 and Our State Magazine book club pick for February 2026.
Her novel, The Filling Station won the Oklahoma Book Award for fiction and was named one of Booklist’s Top Ten Historical Fictions of 2026. One of Library Journal’s Best Books of 2025 and A Booklist Editor’s Pick. It is a Positively Charlotte book club pick, an Oklahoma County Big Read and was an instant USA Today Bestseller.
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The American Queen has been featured in GMA, Washington Post and Essence Magazine roundups. The Ladies Hall has been featured in People Magazine as a cover reveal.
“Stirring… quintessential story of brave people fighting for what they know they
deserve.” [The American Queen]—Washington Post.
“This powerful story must be told and retold.” [The American Queen] –GMA.
“Miller captivates with a propulsive historical based on a true story.” –Publishers Weekly.
“A novel that should be required reading.” [The Filling Station] -Library Journal starred review.
“Absolutely Worthy.” - Booklist
Vanessa also wears the hats of playwright, motivational speaker and retreat host, channeling her storytelling gift across multiple creative platforms. She is currently published through HarperCollins/Thomas Nelson. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and family. She graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication and is currently in a MFA program at Queens University, graduating in 2027.
www.vanessamiller.com
Don’t forget to join my mailing list:
http://www.vanessamiller.com/events-j...
Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author-Vanes...
Join me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorvanes...
Website: www.vanessamiller.com
Miller’s book, The American Queen won the prestigious Christy Award, the Audie Award and was the 2024 American Fiction Award winner for Historical Fiction. The American Queen was a North Carolina Reads pick for 2025 and an Alamance Countywide read for 2026 and Our State Magazine book club pick for February 2026.
Her novel, The Filling Station won the Oklahoma Book Award for fiction and was named one of Booklist’s Top Ten Historical Fictions of 2026. One of Library Journal’s Best Books of 2025 and A Booklist Editor’s Pick. It is a Positively Charlotte book club pick, an Oklahoma County Big Read and was an instant USA Today Bestseller.
.
The American Queen has been featured in GMA, Washington Post and Essence Magazine roundups. The Ladies Hall has been featured in People Magazine as a cover reveal.
“Stirring… quintessential story of brave people fighting for what they know they
deserve.” [The American Queen]—Washington Post.
“This powerful story must be told and retold.” [The American Queen] –GMA.
“Miller captivates with a propulsive historical based on a true story.” –Publishers Weekly.
“A novel that should be required reading.” [The Filling Station] -Library Journal starred review.
“Absolutely Worthy.” - Booklist
Vanessa also wears the hats of playwright, motivational speaker and retreat host, channeling her storytelling gift across multiple creative platforms. She is currently published through HarperCollins/Thomas Nelson. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and family. She graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication and is currently in a MFA program at Queens University, graduating in 2027.
www.vanessamiller.com
Don’t forget to join my mailing list:
http://www.vanessamiller.com/events-j...
Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author-Vanes...
Join me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorvanes...
Website: www.vanessamiller.com
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 11, 2019
I don't think I've read any of Miller's books but this definitely won't be my last one. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Rain Storm. The characters were realistic and some of their commentary was quite funny. The dark sides were sobering. One thing that stood out to me was how Cynda viewed her grandmother. I am a grandmother. I not only want my grand gifts to see me as a woman of God but also a woman that loved them in word and deed. I want them to remember me laughing with them and playing with them and not just being a disciplinarian. At the core, Cynda knew that her grandmother loved her but how it manifested was something else. Isaac, Nina, Donovan and the Dobbs were like people I knew. I liked the turn around with Janet and Cynda. It may seem farfetched but I've seen something similar happen. And Keith can have my heart any day 😍.
January 16, 2018
Love this series
I LOVE how true to the Word of God these books are. Real life situations and real life solutions. I love how everything isn’t a happy ending for everyone because that’s real life. And I love the supernatural aspect because that’s real life too.
I LOVE how true to the Word of God these books are. Real life situations and real life solutions. I love how everything isn’t a happy ending for everyone because that’s real life. And I love the supernatural aspect because that’s real life too.
March 9, 2024
Touching story as it made me reflect on women and children that have or is experiencing the lifelong trauma that Cynda, and Iona experienced. We may forget that our addicted friend/ relatives/neighbors are real people with a story, living a life that they perhaps would not have chosen. The poverty that is so hard to escape. The dreams that are stolen. The book touched my heart. Poor Cynda.
December 14, 2017
This book was so good and realistic. When you turn your life around the first thing to come against you is guilt and doubt. Thank God for the prayer warriors and the patient saints. another great read in the series!
May 12, 2008
Rain Storm Review.
Can you weather the storm that God buts before. What happens when you believe that God wants you o marry someone that is addicted to the tricking and drugs. This story is about a man that loves the Lord dearly, but doesn’t think a God decision is right for him.
Cynda Stephens is a prostitute that who has a nine-year-old daughter. The only thing that she knows how to do is be a prostitute. She wants a better life for her ad her daughter, but she’s in to deep. Her pimp Spoony is the only thing holding her back, he keeps her secret close and if she does anything then it will be revealed. Due to this she stays in her place.
Meanwhile Keith Williams is a God fearing man. He attends church every Sunday. He talks to Lord and believes the Lord is telling him to marry Cynda. When he goes to find Cynda he soon finds out that it won’t be as easy as he thought. He tries very hard to love Cynda the way God wants him to, but it seems she doesn’t want him to do anything for her.
Cynda and Keith relationship goes through all type of up and downs. Cynda soon sees herself loving Keith but doesn’t know what love is because she never been in love. She can see herself loving him but gets discouraged when he begins to tell her about he Lord. From her experiences she believe the Lord can’t do anything for at this point in her life.
I thought this book was going to very boring. I didn’t think that I would end up loving this book. When my friend referred me to this book I thought she was crazy trying to give me a religious book. I believe in the Lord but I didn’t think it would have a message that I would be attracted to. In the story my heart went out to her, I began to get very frustrated with her. Even though I had to love her. This is a great love story, it shows people that don’t believe in love there is love out there somewhere right under your nose.
Can you weather the storm that God buts before. What happens when you believe that God wants you o marry someone that is addicted to the tricking and drugs. This story is about a man that loves the Lord dearly, but doesn’t think a God decision is right for him.
Cynda Stephens is a prostitute that who has a nine-year-old daughter. The only thing that she knows how to do is be a prostitute. She wants a better life for her ad her daughter, but she’s in to deep. Her pimp Spoony is the only thing holding her back, he keeps her secret close and if she does anything then it will be revealed. Due to this she stays in her place.
Meanwhile Keith Williams is a God fearing man. He attends church every Sunday. He talks to Lord and believes the Lord is telling him to marry Cynda. When he goes to find Cynda he soon finds out that it won’t be as easy as he thought. He tries very hard to love Cynda the way God wants him to, but it seems she doesn’t want him to do anything for her.
Cynda and Keith relationship goes through all type of up and downs. Cynda soon sees herself loving Keith but doesn’t know what love is because she never been in love. She can see herself loving him but gets discouraged when he begins to tell her about he Lord. From her experiences she believe the Lord can’t do anything for at this point in her life.
I thought this book was going to very boring. I didn’t think that I would end up loving this book. When my friend referred me to this book I thought she was crazy trying to give me a religious book. I believe in the Lord but I didn’t think it would have a message that I would be attracted to. In the story my heart went out to her, I began to get very frustrated with her. Even though I had to love her. This is a great love story, it shows people that don’t believe in love there is love out there somewhere right under your nose.
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April 28, 2008 Being a book about prostitution, it was actually really religious. This book is about a prostitute named Cynda Stephens living a terrible life. She tries to manage, because she has a younger daughter trying to take care of. She gets pushed around by her pimp, Spoony. Meanwhile, Keith Williams, a Christian, feels that the lord told him to marry Cynda. At first Keith does not want to, because she was a lover of his longtime best friend Isaac and she was no good. Keith the realized to follow the lord’s decision and go find Cynda so he can marry her.
Cynda felt as though she was unworthy for a loving husband. Cynda stopped believing in God when her mother died. She asked to herself if God was real why he didn’t help her when she needed him. That’s why she rejected Keith, because he was good holy man and she wasn’t fit for him. Keith was always there for her, even if she treated him bad. At the end, Cynda finally accepted Keith as her husband.
At first I ain’t like the fact that Keith married Cynda because she was a whore and why marry a whore? He was a wonderful man and it seemed as if he was throwing away his life like that. But I came to realize that although Cynda was not the best woman ever she was still human and had feelings too. My favorite character in this book would be Keith, because he stood strong for the woman that he loved.
This was such a happily ever after story. I liked it a lot, because it actually had a happy ending to it. It’s not like one of those books where they just curse a whole lot and don’t be having happy endings. This book showed me that God can forgive you for all your sins, even with the really bad ones. I recommend people to read this book.
Cynda felt as though she was unworthy for a loving husband. Cynda stopped believing in God when her mother died. She asked to herself if God was real why he didn’t help her when she needed him. That’s why she rejected Keith, because he was good holy man and she wasn’t fit for him. Keith was always there for her, even if she treated him bad. At the end, Cynda finally accepted Keith as her husband.
At first I ain’t like the fact that Keith married Cynda because she was a whore and why marry a whore? He was a wonderful man and it seemed as if he was throwing away his life like that. But I came to realize that although Cynda was not the best woman ever she was still human and had feelings too. My favorite character in this book would be Keith, because he stood strong for the woman that he loved.
This was such a happily ever after story. I liked it a lot, because it actually had a happy ending to it. It’s not like one of those books where they just curse a whole lot and don’t be having happy endings. This book showed me that God can forgive you for all your sins, even with the really bad ones. I recommend people to read this book.
April 30, 2008
This book is so enlighten. This book talks about a prostitute that hated her mother ever since she was nine. That's when her mother's pimp killed her mother. The prostitute named was Cynda. Cynda has a ten–year-old daughter named Iona who lives with her employer (pimp). Spoony is Cynda employer, who allows her daughter to live with him only if Cynda works for him and brings his money on time.
I guess you’re say to yourself that “that’s not enlighten at all”, well that’s only a little of the story. You’re probably thinking, “Where is the good part of the story going to happen?”
There’s a good Christian gentleman named Keith who is uneasy with the thought that God wants him to marry a prostitute. Yes, this is the same prostitute with the ten- year-old daughter. Keith listens to God and goes to find his future wife Cynda. Cynda over heard Keith asking civilians if they had seen her but all of them said no. So Cynda caught up with him and ask him what he wanted. He told her, he wanted some time with her so he took her out to lunch. At the table, that’s when Keith told Cynda what God had put in his spirit about having Cynda’s hand in marriage.
I guess you’re say to yourself that “that’s not enlighten at all”, well that’s only a little of the story. You’re probably thinking, “Where is the good part of the story going to happen?”
There’s a good Christian gentleman named Keith who is uneasy with the thought that God wants him to marry a prostitute. Yes, this is the same prostitute with the ten- year-old daughter. Keith listens to God and goes to find his future wife Cynda. Cynda over heard Keith asking civilians if they had seen her but all of them said no. So Cynda caught up with him and ask him what he wanted. He told her, he wanted some time with her so he took her out to lunch. At the table, that’s when Keith told Cynda what God had put in his spirit about having Cynda’s hand in marriage.
February 7, 2009
I see that even a man that was as low and hardcore as Isaac, God was able to soften his heart to become a pastor. In real life, we are seeing pastors that were once hustlers, pimps, and players turning their lives over to God. Moreover, it also focuses on the story from the Bible Hosea and Gomer, where Keith is told to marry Cynda (prostitute that slept with his best friend and had Iona). How Isaac's wife married him after all the abuse he put her though...amazing transformations with these characters. How street life meets godly life!
On another note, some would argue why is Keith so weak and tolerating Cynda's mess...she even calls him "Isaac's boy and be a man." He had a good woman like Janet that would do anything for him, but He states it is God who called him to marry Cynda. Leaving me speechless. I am not married, and hope God does not pick a gigaloo for me.
On another note, some would argue why is Keith so weak and tolerating Cynda's mess...she even calls him "Isaac's boy and be a man." He had a good woman like Janet that would do anything for him, but He states it is God who called him to marry Cynda. Leaving me speechless. I am not married, and hope God does not pick a gigaloo for me.
August 27, 2011
This is somewhat like Francine Rivers' Redeeming Love but not as good.
Pastor Isaac Walker has some serious attitude, forgiveness, and acceptance issues to deal with, especially after the life he's led and been forgiven for. Keith's not a pastor and yet, he's the "bigger" man. He's this story's Hosea of the bible.
This one had some good moments, reminding us of God's love through others loving us.
***Somewhat of a SPOILER below***
It annoys me when a book is all wrapped up with a neat little bow. This one almost had that neat little bow but still, I find Christian books to be too perfect, with folks getting saved and lives being turned around by the end of the book. Really predictable.
Pastor Isaac Walker has some serious attitude, forgiveness, and acceptance issues to deal with, especially after the life he's led and been forgiven for. Keith's not a pastor and yet, he's the "bigger" man. He's this story's Hosea of the bible.
This one had some good moments, reminding us of God's love through others loving us.
***Somewhat of a SPOILER below***
It annoys me when a book is all wrapped up with a neat little bow. This one almost had that neat little bow but still, I find Christian books to be too perfect, with folks getting saved and lives being turned around by the end of the book. Really predictable.
April 4, 2011
This is the third book by Vanessa Miller that I have read, I am really enjoying her books. Her characters are all believable and there is a christian theme throughout, but it still involves real life events and occurances, which makes it realistic and relatable. If your not sure about this book in the beginning, stick with it, it turns out to be a really good love story and shows how love is more of an action and a way of life rather than an emotion. You can love even the unlovable with God's help.
September 5, 2015
This was the best book ever! This was my first christian fiction and the first book I have read by Vanessa Miller. Like wow it was such a page turner! God really does give us second chances and its never too late to accept His love that's been there all along.
October 8, 2015
Excellent novel! I wanted to share a me Cynda so many times while reading this novel! Wanted to smack Iona, Isaac & Nina a couple times as well! God showed His love & this story was definitely about a loving forgiving saviour. Great job Vanessa Miller, now on to #5 in the series!
July 5, 2008
This author knows how to capture her readers. This book captured my interest and it was hard to put it down. The Rain series is a must read, trust me.
January 14, 2009
Last book in the Rain series and I hope the first book of the storm series. Great book by Vanessa I recommend to any readers who might not have embrassed loving reading just yet.
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October 29, 2009*this book was good. I really liked it, it also touched me..*
December 20, 2009
A women, Cynda expects nothin from life because things havent been going good for her.She just been bitter and angry.she hates life and that grows. so she has a additon for men and is now a prostitue
July 21, 2011
Loved the characters. Was able to become friends with the main character!
May 10, 2012
All I can say is ugh. Christian fiction about a Godly man being told he is to marry a crackhead prostitute. Terrible. And full of typos, my biggest pet peeve.
July 11, 2012
She has done it again! I totally enjoyed.
March 23, 2013
Wow! A Hosea story in my modern day era. God is go. Great book. A must read for anyone!
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October 16, 2013Excellent
March 25, 2017
Amen. Amen. Amen.
GOD is mighty. Great read. A combination of real life issues seasoned with the WORD OF GOD. Souls coming to Christ. Amazingly written.
GOD is mighty. Great read. A combination of real life issues seasoned with the WORD OF GOD. Souls coming to Christ. Amazingly written.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews