With the trials twenty-three-year-old Jasmine Tate has endured, the paths of love and forgiveness are non-existent. A victim of rape and molestation by her father, pregnant at sixteen, and overcoming destitution by finding financial means within the adult entertainment industry, Jasmine has seen more dark nights than bright days.
That is until, Quincy, an unexpected love interest, crosses her path who not only challenges her to dream, love, and believe herself again, but to free herself from her past. Yet he has no idea what he’s getting into as Jasmine desperately tries to keep the door closed on her troubled life. Making matters worse, Jasmine finds herself engulfed in her brother Luis’ troublesome situation as he’s caught in a dilemma, potentially costing him his life.
While in the midst of this, Gerald’s, her estranged father, health takes a turn for the worse. Is this the answered prayer she’s believed for? And will it be answered in ways unforeseen? Now, with a man willing to love her the way she always desired to be, a father fighting for his life and a second chance with her, and a brother flirting with danger on the streets, will Jasmine successfully save her brother and choose that new path of love and forgiveness? Or will she continue to be a victim of her past, losing everything in the process?
CHAPTER 1“Gerald, don’t do this! Please don’t hurt me!” I screamed, but my cries for mercy were to no use. The man who was supposed to be my father, my protector, my hero was right now unwillingly my lover. He slammed me onto the bed, aggressively ripping apart my white buttoned shirt followed by my bra. As the volume of his sexual arousal grew louder, he laid his two- hundred-fifty pound body weight on top of me and snatched apart my skirt and panties. I could see the saliva forming in his mouth as he looked at my firm and perky breasts. His dark brown eyes focused in on my hardened nipples. I was his for the taking, and he was about to take all that he wanted from me.
I again begged for mercy, hoping he would somehow come to his senses and realize that what he was about to do was wrong, inhumane, and how it would forever alter my life for the worse. Yet all rationality in him was gone, and the choice was made to cover my mouth as he whispered in my ear, “Don’t worry, baby girl. Once I give you some of this good stuff here, everything will be all right.”
He quickly removed his white beer stained T-shirt, pulling down his sweat pants. Tears began falling down the sides of my face as my eyes were closed, feeling the excruciating pain. The thrusts of Gerald’s condom free penis penetrating my virgin vagina were unbearable. It felt as if he was pulling out my insides slowly with every entrance. “Aww, you feel so good” he said, moaning in pleasure.
He sped up while exhaling the awful stench of beer on his breath into my face. I sobbed openly while drips of his bitter sweat fell onto me and in my mouth. I tried to block what was happening to me by thinking about the positive things in my life. I thought about the homecoming dance and being asked by the quarterback of the football team, but it didn’t work. I tried thinking about making the dean’s list and the pride and joy that my mother would have. That didn’t work either. Nothing could mentally steal me away from the agony of my father stealing my innocence forever. I managed to open my eyes briefly to notice Gerald’s were rolling into the back of his head as he let out a loud grunt and collapsed his body on top of me. I thought he was dead. I wished he was dead. However, after catching his wind, he arose from the bed. Like a predator surveying the aftermath of its prey, he looked at my naked body covered in blood and semen.
“I want this cleaned up before your mother gets home. And if you tell her about this, I’ll kill you,” was all he said, putting back on his clothes and leaving me alone like a whore he screwed in some cheap motel room. I laid there, continuing to cry. I wondered what I had done in my short time on this earth to deserve what had just happened to me. Why was I being punished in such a way? Had I sexually teased him to a point that he couldn’t control himself? Was I that much of a distraction? Thoughts of self-hatred began to flood my head until I heard the blaring sounds of an alarm clock.
I sat up in my bed with my back resting on the head board, collecting my racing mind. Beads of sweat were trickling down my forehead, covering my legs, arms and upper chest region. I was experiencing the effects of a dream. And not just any run of the mill one either. No, it was a reoccurring one that haunted me for seven plus years. A dream that no matter how hard I tried to erase out of my mind, it appeared over and over more vividly. I was now a twenty-three-year-old grown woman, but every time I experienced that dream, I was transformed back into that scared little sixteen-year-old girl who constantly relived her past.
Q.1. What inspired you to write this novel?
A.1. I wanted to tell a story about that dealt with someone overcomming their past and achieve success in life. I also wanted to deal with some real issues that women have face such as rape, abuse and neglect. I was inspired by so many women who confided in me with their stories when writting this novel, that their stories fueled this creation.
Q.2. What message(s) are you trying to convey to the readers?
A.2. My goal with this novel is to tell a testimony and not a sad story. I wanted to show that a person can rise from their past and make it. I also wanted to convey the power of forgiveness and love, two things that we as humans need and have to have in our lives. I believe if were more of these two things in the world.
Q.3. What do you want the readers to feel when reading about the struggles of Jasmine and the other characters?
A.3. With Jasmine, I want the readers to feel her pain. To understand why she hates Gerald, her father, why she does want to be with Quincy, but is scared to let love in. I want the reader to feel the tesnion between her familiy and her, but also feel empathy not sympathy for her.
Q.5. What differentiates you and your novel from other novels in your genre?
A.5. The way I write is outside of the box. When I first wrote A Scent of Jasmine, I was afraid to make it where her natural father molested her. I thought readers wouldn't believe that. But the more I wrote, the more I saw how this could happen. I try to take a more creative approach to my work. I thinks some writers I've read will tip-toe to the line of controversy, but I jump over it. I believe in the end, the readers will respect you for that.
Q.6. What is your writing process?
A.6. I usually outline my characters such as personality and looks, but usually I just start writting. I believe in just getting the idea down and edit later. I like to let the story take a life of it's own. That's where creativity happens. I don't like to get stuck in too much struture. I try to write everyday, but if it's not there, I'm jotting ideas to further the story.
Q.7. What can readers expect from you in the future?
A.7. They can expect novels, plays, and screen plays. I don't limit my creativiy. When you limit yourself, you might as well quit cause it'll show up in your writtings. But as far as novels, the readers can expect stories with a purpose and entertainment. They can expect me to bring a message with a unique twist on things with a very detailed point of view.
Web Sites
www.AScentofJasmine.com
http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=Earnest+S%2E+Wingo&box=Earnest%20S.%20Wingo&pos=-1
http://www.amazon.com/Scent-Jasmine-Earnest-S-Wingo/dp/1441505644/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256791173&sr=1-2
www.twitter.com/Sircam1
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