I thank you for taking time to read In The Midst of Passion. I hope you found it to be a novel full of sensuality and mystery. Moreover, I hope you found the main characters, Alex and Topaz, to be intense as well as stirring in their attraction for one another. I was first drawn to the story when the idea for Alexander Rice’s character came to me. For me, this was his story—a testament of a man who desires forgiveness and solace from the demons of his past. I hope that in the midst of the dark elements prevalent throughout the story, the elements of light beamed just as powerfully. As always, I’m eager to hear your comments, whatever they may be. Please feel free to e-mail me at altonyawashington@yahoo.com.
Peace and Blessings,
AlTonya Washington
READER’S DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Did Alex atone for his crimes? In what ways?
2. Was Alex’s rehabilitation satisfactory or would it have been more acceptable had he actually served time?
3. Was Topaz so drawn to Alex because of the extreme circumstances of their relationship?
4. Was DeAndra’s dislike for Topaz because of skin tone or for reasons that may have been more deep-seated?
5. Lynetia Rice, Alex’s mother, said he was a man worth saving. Topaz believed that, too. Was his goodness a genuine part of his make-up, in spite of his work as a contract killer, or was it learned over time?
6. Alex said he justified his deeds by telling himself that the targets were bad people. As a contract killer, could he have fulfilled orders and murdered an innocent woman?
7. Was Topaz so trusting of Alex because of her attraction for him, or had he truly earned her trust? Should she have been more wary of him once he told her about his past?
8. After five years of therapy and medication, could Alex have killed Topaz in his dreams? Had he come too far to lose control like that, or were his fears justified?
9. Was Topaz the sole reason behind Alex’s desire to get better, or was she simply the catalyst?
10. One possible theme for this story is that strength of mind triumphs over the demons of life. How does this relate to the major characters (Alex, Topaz, Simon, DeAndra)?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AlTonya Washington is a South Carolina native. She began writing in 1994 after graduating from Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. After attending the HBCU, AlTonya had a desire to see more Africian American characters in the romances she’d come to love. Therefore, she began to create her own. When she signed her first contract in 2002, she had almost twenty manuscripts completed. In The Midst Of Passion is her seventh novel.
DAFINA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
850 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Copyright © 2006 by AlTonya Washington
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
ISBN: 978-0-7582-8164-7
