A Wish and a Prayer (23 page)
She also planned to get a full night's sleep; tomorrow was another day in Henry Adams, and she needed to be ready.
 1.  How did the title
A Wish and a Prayer
resonate through the story?
 2.  Will the relationship between Jack and Rocky flourish or flounder?
 3.  Do you think Bernadine's guilt over the Stillwell family will affect her future philanthropy endeavors?
 4.  What did you think of Bernadine's and Mal's decision not to formalize their relationship?
 5.  Discuss Preston's story line. How did you feel about it?
 6.  Should a child's Internet activities be monitored by a parent or guardian?
 7.  Did Cletus have the right to defend himself, and did you agree or disagree with Judge Davis's decision in the case?
 8.  Have you or your family ever participated in a night-sky-watching activity?
 9.  Do you believe Dr. Margaret Winthrop and her mother, Lenore Crenshaw, will ever reconcile?
10. Discuss what you'd like to see happen next in Henry Adams.
A Wish and a Prayer
is the fourth trip to Henry Adams, Kansas. As in the previous installments, there were moments of joy, tears, and wishes coming true. I found Preston's story particularly satisfying because many foster kids never get a permanent loving family or make contact with their birth parents. He did both and can now continue to pursue his dream of becoming a renowned astrophysicist like his birth mom, and his hero, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, without worrying about having to adjust to a new home in the future.
The previous three books have spawned many questions from readersâchief among them: Will Mal and Bernadine finally get together? And Will Rocky ever give poor Jack the time of day? I hope those burning questions have been answered to your satisfaction.
Bernadine's wealth caused some issues in this story. Whether her guilt over the Stillwell family will affect her future philanthropical endeavors is unclear.
The idea of the Idol competition was sparked by a conversation I had with my mother-in-law. She lives in a small town on the western side of Michigan. Her community has been holding its version of
American Idol
for a few years now and I thought it would be a hoot for Henry Adams to have its own. Who knew the Paynes could tango, or that Sheriff Will Dalton could rock the house? I had a ball with the competition and I hope you in the audience had fun, too.
As always, questions remain. Will Cletus really find fame in Hollywood? Will Reg and Roni find love again? Will Crystal break Bernadine's heart by running away? And how much more whitewash can Marie Jefferson's fence stand? Stay tuned. The answers to these questions and more may be revealed in the next visit to Henry Adams. Until then, be a Blessing to a child near you.
See you next time,
B.
BEVERLY JENKINS is the author of twenty-five historical and contemporary novels, including three previous books in her beloved Blessings series. She has been featured in many national publications, such as the
Wall Street Journal
,
People
, the
Dallas Morning News
, and
Vibe
. She lives in Michigan.
Visit
www.AuthorTracker.com
for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
Praise for Beverly Jenkins and the Blessings Novels
“
Bring on the Blessings
is . . . a cheerful yet heartbreaking book about second chances.”
âSacramento Book Review
“Jenkins's dialogue crackles. . . .”
âPublishers Weekly
“This series is a winner.”
âExaminer.com/Minneapolis
“
A Second Helping
is a must read. A fantastic story that is unforgettable.”
âBooks2Mention Magazine
“4½ stars. There is a beauty in Jenkins's storytelling that should be the standard by which to judge fiction writing.”
âRT Book Reviews
on
Something Old, Something New
“Her stories are delicious and always leave behind both feelings of satisfaction and want . . . for her next novel.”
âFreshFiction.com
Something Old, Something New
A Second Helping
Bring on the Blessings
Â
Deadly Sexy
Sexy/Dangerous
Black Lace
Edge of Dawn
Edge of Midnight
Â
Night Hawk
Midnight
Captured
Jewel
Wild Sweet Love
Winds of a Storm
Something Like Love
A Chance at Love
Before Dawn
Always and Forever
Taming Jessi Rose
Topaz
Indigo
Vivid
Through the Storm
Night Song
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
A WISH AND A PRAYER
. Copyright © 2012 by Beverly Jenkins. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
ISBN 978-0-06-199080-9
EPub Edition © APRIL 2012 ISBN: 9780062101433
12 13 14 15 16
OV/RRD
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
http://www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4W, 1A8, Canada
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8JB, UK
http://www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022