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In My Prayers with My Legs Wide Open
Lord, I don't know why I GIVE INTO TEMPTATION? WHY DID YOU GIVE ME THESE DESIRES? I look toward Reggie's front door and he's standing in the doorway looking at me. He has nothing on but his boxers. Damn, he's sexy as hell! Speaking of hell, that's where I'm headed for eternity! When it comes to matters of love and life, the heart can be the most deceitful device we use. Our hearts takes us to places we wish we had never journeyed; but, without struggle in our lives, we would not evolve. We would not have a testimony for the person behind us, next to us, and in front of us. In My Prayers with My Legs Wide Open chronicles one woman's spiritual journey as she struggles with the desire to give into her flesh, love the man God has given to her, and let go of the people and the mistakes from her past.
116 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2008
3 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Jatana Anita Williams
2 books7 followersMs. Williams also know as Ms. Thang, was born in San Bernardino, CA but currently resides in San Diego, CA. Her family roots steams from Louisiana and Mississippi. Growing up as a military dependent, she had the opportunity to live aboard. “Moving from state to state and country to country allowed me to learn how to adjust to different situations and people. The experiences add to my imagination.” She states.
Ms. Williams received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix and is currently working to obtain her masters. She continues to work for a San Diego based hospice organization. Her personal mission is to continue her community outreach to improve hospice utilization for African-Americans.
Jatana first noticed her writing skills in high school. Her play “If Only You Knew” a story about an interracial marriage and the issues the couple faced was chosen amongst hundreds of plays to be produced and entered in a national competition. She hasn’t written anymore plays since then but states “If the opportunity presents itself I will.”
Ms. Williams received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix and is currently working to obtain her masters. She continues to work for a San Diego based hospice organization. Her personal mission is to continue her community outreach to improve hospice utilization for African-Americans.
Jatana first noticed her writing skills in high school. Her play “If Only You Knew” a story about an interracial marriage and the issues the couple faced was chosen amongst hundreds of plays to be produced and entered in a national competition. She hasn’t written anymore plays since then but states “If the opportunity presents itself I will.”
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 5, 2008
I know that the title is an eyebrow raiser..... This book is a wonderful read, once I opened it I could not put it down ,REALLY! It is basically about a women who is struggling to be faithful to her husband who is her "Mr. Perfect", she fights with herself of why she cheats on him when he is so wonderful to her.... But believe me there is way more to the story and I know anyone who reads it will LOVE it as much as I did!!!
June 23, 2008
Of course I love my own work so read below to see what a reviewer thinks...
Wow, what a title and the same goes for the content of this novel! Miss Thang has undeniably written a spell-binding story that covers her difficult and haunting childhood days along with the various sexual trysts that continuously occur during her adult years. This novel is one of surprise, surprise, surprise.
The main character, Jasmine loves to have multitudes of passionate sexual encounters with Mr. UPS, Mr Coffee, Mr. Gas Pump and Mr. Grocery Store, even though Mr. Husband is surprisingly close by and considered to be super fine. Her sexual desires are whacked and she believes it stems from a demonic curse placed on her deceased grandmother many years before. This intriguing tale of sex and pleasure will have the reader clinging to page after page because of its shocking revelations.
Be prepared to be mesmerized when reading this testimonial work of fiction because once you start the read, you will be hooked. The author made the statement, "Never let life take away your music." In this novel, the music is definitely playing a potent beat by beat. Zane has some serious competition with Jatana Anita Williams now on the literary scene, THAT'S FOR SURE!
Reviewed by Emily Means-Willis
Literary reviewer and author of "Looking for that Silver Spoon"
Wow, what a title and the same goes for the content of this novel! Miss Thang has undeniably written a spell-binding story that covers her difficult and haunting childhood days along with the various sexual trysts that continuously occur during her adult years. This novel is one of surprise, surprise, surprise.
The main character, Jasmine loves to have multitudes of passionate sexual encounters with Mr. UPS, Mr Coffee, Mr. Gas Pump and Mr. Grocery Store, even though Mr. Husband is surprisingly close by and considered to be super fine. Her sexual desires are whacked and she believes it stems from a demonic curse placed on her deceased grandmother many years before. This intriguing tale of sex and pleasure will have the reader clinging to page after page because of its shocking revelations.
Be prepared to be mesmerized when reading this testimonial work of fiction because once you start the read, you will be hooked. The author made the statement, "Never let life take away your music." In this novel, the music is definitely playing a potent beat by beat. Zane has some serious competition with Jatana Anita Williams now on the literary scene, THAT'S FOR SURE!
Reviewed by Emily Means-Willis
Literary reviewer and author of "Looking for that Silver Spoon"
September 19, 2009
Wow! My cousin (Ms. Quinn who is a cousin of the author) loaned me a copy of the book to read, because she know I love to read and I couldn't put it down. The name of the book was like someone looked in my life and saw my struggle then placed it into words. I read the book from beginning to end and loved it, the suspense, love, romance,& secret sins all in one great book. Your book in a very small but crucial part looks like something that I have been praying about and that is temptation of the flesh and being obedient to God...I am a single woman who loves God and also great looking men...but I know I should be waiting on the husband that God has for me and not shopping around for my own. All in all I enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to the next one. And from this book I learned that you should pray, listen, and wait on God.
September 29, 2008
Ms. Williams is a new author with definite talent. I found the book very interesting and fast-paced. I think many will enjoy it. You can read my full review on Amazon. Also, this is a book for adults due to explicit sex and language.
Read
August 6, 2008Great book couldn't put it down. Touched b/c of struggles I know male and females go through with temptations.
November 10, 2009
While I found the title of the book interesting, and more than a little salacious, I’m not a fan of erotica or any sexually explicit material for that matter. Usually, I’ll try to avoid it at all costs, not because I’m a prude, but because I’ve never believed in sex as a Spectator Sport. What inspired me to read this book was its description. JJ’s struggle is not unique: many, many people struggle with their sexual urges. Most of us were raised to believe that adultery is Just Plain Wrong, yet society tells us it’s okay to have sex whenever, that sex is just another bodily function, and that the majority of married men and women cheat anyway. Just don’t get caught.
That was JJ’s motto.
Finding a husband like Darius makes Jasmine “JJ” Jones The Luckiest Woman On The Planet. You know how I know?
Cause JJ keeps telling us.
Over and over again.
Every time she gets ready to step out on Darius with a one night stand.
Which, by the way, is way more often than any woman should have either the time or the energy for.
It made me wonder exactly who JJ was trying to convince, herself or the reader.
Yet why wouldn’t JJ feel lucky? Darius is a successful business man and avid churchgoer who picked JJ up out of the gutter and made sure she had the hair, nails, clothes and etiquette lessons necessary to navigate her new social status. Darius was kind enough to hire JJ’s best friend Eva to look after his kids and to be his wife’s personal assistant. He also financed every single one of JJ’s career aspirations, even though JJ’s never finished any of the courses she started.
Why then is JJ constantly having indiscriminant sex with countless strangers, knowing how “lucky” she is to have Darius? Although I knew the answer, and you probably will too, JJ believes she is “cursed;” the victim of a spell cast on her great grandmother (and passed down through the generations) that makes her want to have sex at least three times a day. At first JJ tried expending her excess sexual energy on her husband, but lately Darius has been working long hours, and taking more out-of-town business trips that last all weekend.
Eva usually watches the kids and covers for JJ. As her old partner-in-crime, and the keeper of all JJ’s secrets, it’s a role Eva has long been accustomed to. Recently though, Eva’s been acting ugly towards JJ. Tired of being JJ’s “maid,” Eva wants to move out. JJ knows she should be more concerned about her homegirl, but she is too busy juggling men to see the strife in her own household.
JJ’s plan has always been to “Get It & Go” and not get emotionally involved or even find out the names of the men she beds, but with one guy JJ can’t seem to help herself. As JJ gets more into church and Bible Study, she starts feeling guilty about her behavior. She wants to stop, and even prays about it, but finds herself unable to control this compulsion she has. Will JJ find the strength to stop before she wrecks her marriage? Or will JJ get caught up in her own game only to suffer dire consequences? What exactly is Eva’s issue and how far will she go to get what she wants?
In My Prayers with My Legs Wide Open is a gripping story told in no nonsense, straight forward and often raw prose from JJ’s point of view. There were a few editing issues, a syntax error or three, and the unconventional font Williams chose made the text look crowded on the page. I’d also suggest a fact checker: I’ve been caught with my literary pants around my ankles myself, so I speak from experience. However, these very minor complaints do nothing to diminish the fact that the overall product was well written and well produced.
While Williams is very careful to note on her website that this is not a “Christian” book, to a certain extent I disagree. JJ’s moral dilemma is stirringly captured as her awakening faith conflicts with her everyday behavior. Unlike some other readers, I understood poor JJ, and felt sorry for her. We don’t get saved immediately; even the Apostle Paul himself stated in the New Testiment that the things he knew he shouldn’t do he found himself doing while the things he knew he should do, he did not. That, in a nutshell, is the Christian Condition.
I believe there should be a category of Christian books geared towards those who maybe have not accepted yet, are leaning towards it, or are very new to the faith. People who still smoke and drink and cuss and get high and sleep around and don’t have any idea how to make themselves stop. People who don’t even think they can stop or aren’t convinced that they need to. Readers who can only be reached through books raw enough to accurately reflect their lives. This book is a little bit much for where I'm at in my Faith Walk right now, but a couple of years ago In My Prayers... would have spoken directly to my soul. These are the types of books I write; and I’m extremely glad to have discovered another author on that same bandwagon. After all: Christ did not reach out to anyone who was already considered “Holy.” He reached out to the tax collectors, the thieves, the adulterers, and all those on the fringes of society.
And He brought them into the Kingdom.
Books like this one have the power to change lives.
That was JJ’s motto.
Finding a husband like Darius makes Jasmine “JJ” Jones The Luckiest Woman On The Planet. You know how I know?
Cause JJ keeps telling us.
Over and over again.
Every time she gets ready to step out on Darius with a one night stand.
Which, by the way, is way more often than any woman should have either the time or the energy for.
It made me wonder exactly who JJ was trying to convince, herself or the reader.
Yet why wouldn’t JJ feel lucky? Darius is a successful business man and avid churchgoer who picked JJ up out of the gutter and made sure she had the hair, nails, clothes and etiquette lessons necessary to navigate her new social status. Darius was kind enough to hire JJ’s best friend Eva to look after his kids and to be his wife’s personal assistant. He also financed every single one of JJ’s career aspirations, even though JJ’s never finished any of the courses she started.
Why then is JJ constantly having indiscriminant sex with countless strangers, knowing how “lucky” she is to have Darius? Although I knew the answer, and you probably will too, JJ believes she is “cursed;” the victim of a spell cast on her great grandmother (and passed down through the generations) that makes her want to have sex at least three times a day. At first JJ tried expending her excess sexual energy on her husband, but lately Darius has been working long hours, and taking more out-of-town business trips that last all weekend.
Eva usually watches the kids and covers for JJ. As her old partner-in-crime, and the keeper of all JJ’s secrets, it’s a role Eva has long been accustomed to. Recently though, Eva’s been acting ugly towards JJ. Tired of being JJ’s “maid,” Eva wants to move out. JJ knows she should be more concerned about her homegirl, but she is too busy juggling men to see the strife in her own household.
JJ’s plan has always been to “Get It & Go” and not get emotionally involved or even find out the names of the men she beds, but with one guy JJ can’t seem to help herself. As JJ gets more into church and Bible Study, she starts feeling guilty about her behavior. She wants to stop, and even prays about it, but finds herself unable to control this compulsion she has. Will JJ find the strength to stop before she wrecks her marriage? Or will JJ get caught up in her own game only to suffer dire consequences? What exactly is Eva’s issue and how far will she go to get what she wants?
In My Prayers with My Legs Wide Open is a gripping story told in no nonsense, straight forward and often raw prose from JJ’s point of view. There were a few editing issues, a syntax error or three, and the unconventional font Williams chose made the text look crowded on the page. I’d also suggest a fact checker: I’ve been caught with my literary pants around my ankles myself, so I speak from experience. However, these very minor complaints do nothing to diminish the fact that the overall product was well written and well produced.
While Williams is very careful to note on her website that this is not a “Christian” book, to a certain extent I disagree. JJ’s moral dilemma is stirringly captured as her awakening faith conflicts with her everyday behavior. Unlike some other readers, I understood poor JJ, and felt sorry for her. We don’t get saved immediately; even the Apostle Paul himself stated in the New Testiment that the things he knew he shouldn’t do he found himself doing while the things he knew he should do, he did not. That, in a nutshell, is the Christian Condition.
I believe there should be a category of Christian books geared towards those who maybe have not accepted yet, are leaning towards it, or are very new to the faith. People who still smoke and drink and cuss and get high and sleep around and don’t have any idea how to make themselves stop. People who don’t even think they can stop or aren’t convinced that they need to. Readers who can only be reached through books raw enough to accurately reflect their lives. This book is a little bit much for where I'm at in my Faith Walk right now, but a couple of years ago In My Prayers... would have spoken directly to my soul. These are the types of books I write; and I’m extremely glad to have discovered another author on that same bandwagon. After all: Christ did not reach out to anyone who was already considered “Holy.” He reached out to the tax collectors, the thieves, the adulterers, and all those on the fringes of society.
And He brought them into the Kingdom.
Books like this one have the power to change lives.
October 22, 2011
I gave this book 4 stars. I have had a lot of problems trying to complete my reading of this novel, not because it was bad. -Just the opposite, I could not keep a copy! Every time I let someone look at it, I never got it back! I was told the book is good, the book is good, and I tell them all, "give it back, give it back." -Ms. Williams and I bare no relations. I have had the joy of meeting with her, she's a very nice young woman who's warm and down to earth.
The book is about 120 pages long, small font, and good page stock. The book is for matured adults, Ms. Jatana Williams gets very raw. The theme of the book comes straight from the title, but the book does not fall within the "Christian Fiction" genre. The book is fast, and an easy read. The downside of the novel and what stopped me from giving it 5 stars was that the book needed a little more editing.
I think Ms. Williams did very well for her debut novel, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
The main character in the book J.J. finds herself dealing with a typical problem many people face today, always in search of Great Sex! -J.J. has no reason to be doing what's she doing, she has a great husband who loves the hell out of her, but her problem is she's a Hoe and she knows this. She's not one of those hoes who will do anybody and everybody. J.J. is an addict in search of great sex, an addiction in conflict with marriage and her God.
I believe this book will have most of its readers questioning themselves and their own personal feelings in contrast with J.J's issues.
The book is about 120 pages long, small font, and good page stock. The book is for matured adults, Ms. Jatana Williams gets very raw. The theme of the book comes straight from the title, but the book does not fall within the "Christian Fiction" genre. The book is fast, and an easy read. The downside of the novel and what stopped me from giving it 5 stars was that the book needed a little more editing.
I think Ms. Williams did very well for her debut novel, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
The main character in the book J.J. finds herself dealing with a typical problem many people face today, always in search of Great Sex! -J.J. has no reason to be doing what's she doing, she has a great husband who loves the hell out of her, but her problem is she's a Hoe and she knows this. She's not one of those hoes who will do anybody and everybody. J.J. is an addict in search of great sex, an addiction in conflict with marriage and her God.
I believe this book will have most of its readers questioning themselves and their own personal feelings in contrast with J.J's issues.
November 19, 2009
This is an awsome book about a woman battling her flesh. Any person man or woman can relate with the struggle of the flesh. This story will send you on an emotional roller coaster. I can't think of a character other than Ike turner that I love to hate more. JJ is a serious trip and I guarantee you will not be able to put that book down once you pick it up. Jatana williams is a phenomenal author with unlimited talent. I look forward to her next book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews