For five years, Pamela Roberts, has balanced the demands of being a single mother and a devoted Christian. She unselfishly places the needs of her son, Matthew, above her own. Although she tries to convince everyone that she’s happy with Jesus alone, Matthew handpicks the perfect present for her—a husband. Everything about the man her son chooses is perfect, except for his past.
Micah Stevenson is excited when he learns the son of the woman he has been praying about wants him to join their family permanently. Believing Pamela Roberts is his soul mate sent from God, Micah pursues her. Once he is certain of her love for him, Micah reveals his dark history, shaking the foundation of the once loving and stable relationship. Trust is broken as judgments and prejudices threaten to deny the couple’s destiny.
Will the man he used to be prevent Pamela from loving Micah for the man he is now?
PURCHASE BOOK
EXCERPT
“What do you want to talk about?” Pamela asked calmly, although her heart rate and breathing increased.
Micah gathered her right hand in his and looked deeply into her eyes. “Pamela, you have brought me more happiness these past six months than I’ve experienced my entire life. You’ve made my life so complete, it’s hard for me to remember my life before you, and I don’t want to think about the rest of my life without you.” Pamela’s eyes watered. “I love you, Pamela.” Micah leaned forward and kissed her lips and she whispered the words back. “You are my soul-mate and I want you to be my wife.” Her tears flowed freely now. “But first, there’s something I need to share with you about my past.”
“What is it?” she asked in a voice just above a whisper.
Micah released her hand then arose from the couch. Her eyes followed him to the window and she tried to emotionally brace herself for what she didn’t know.
“I told you before about my childhood, how hard and lonely it was. What I didn’t tell you was how my environment affected me emotionally. Like I said before, I didn’t receive love and affection from my mother and my father died when I was a small child. I spent my childhood searching for love and affirmation. That’s one reason I kept going back to Comisky Park. The kindness the guards showed me was the closest thing I had to love.”
Micah turned and faced her, and Pamela’s heart went out to him, but she didn’t move to join him. “After high school I enrolled into junior college. I had this bright idea that I was going to become a high-powered lawyer or doctor, anything that could one day take me away from my surroundings.” Micah paused and exhaled deeply before continuing. “In my psych class, I was befriended by my professor who kept talking to me about church and how much God loves me. He invited me to his church, and one Sunday I went. That’s when I learned he was the Pastor of the church and not just a member. That was the first time I ever stepped into a church and it was my first introduction to God and religion. Over the years, my uncle had mentioned God to me in brief phone conversations, but I really couldn’t relate.”
A smile creased Micah’s face as he continued talking. “That day my life changed. For the first time, I knew I wasn’t alone in the world and that God had created me for a reason. It was like every word the Pastor said was spoken directly to me. From that day, I spent as much time as I could with the Pastor trying to learn as much as possible about God and the love He has for me.” His smile disappeared. “We hung out after class during the week and I told him about my life and he gave me advice. He was twenty years older than I and he soon became a father figure to me, both naturally and spiritually.
“He made sure I had food and transportation and clothes. He even gave me money so I could work part-time and attend school full time. At church, he assigned me as his personal assistant, so we were always together and I accompanied him on trips. I ate dinner at his house with his wife and kids. I was so happy because here I was, this poor fatherless kid from the south side, who now had the love and respect of a powerful Man of God. I craved approval and I tried to do every thing right, so I wouldn’t be alone again. I did everything to please him and to keep him in my life.”
Pamela didn’t understand. “Micah, I thought you said that’s when you became involved in destructive behavior?”
Micah breathed deeply, he couldn’t stop now. He had to get it all out. If he didn’t, he would have to let her go.
REVIEWS
Wanda B. Campbell has done it again. Another explosive novel that’ll take readers on an emotional rollercoaster. From cover to cover, Campbell delivers a captivating storyline that keeps the pages turning. Get ready to laugh, cry, become angry, and blissfully happy as the characters deliver nothing short of what we can always expect from the gifted author. I consider Right Package, Wrong Baggage to be one of the greatest novels I’ve ever read.
~ Nikita Lynnette Nichols, Author of A Man’s Worth and Amaryllis
Right Package, Wrong Baggage is an intricate tale that unfolds like an Alfred Hitchcock film. When Micah’s past is revealed, the reader will not want to put the book down. Wanda B. Campbell has penned another captivating story.
~ Dijorn Moss, Author of My Father’s House
Wanda B. Campbell has once again taken us beyond the veneer of Christian life and made us take a look at ourselves. Right Package, Wrong Baggage introduces us to Micah Stevenson, a great man of faith who has overcome his past to become a new creation in Christ. Micah is the perfect package for any sister including Pamela Roberts and it seems that the two are moving toward a common destiny until a disclosure by Micah threatens to derail his budding romance with Pamela. The innocent victim in this tale is Pamela’s son Matthew who adores Micah and loves his mother. Micah must press on in spite of Pamela’s perceptions. Pamela must be freed from a mindset that may cost her more than she realizes and the two must find unity for Matthew’s sake as danger surrounds him.
~ Bernard Boulton, Author of Do You Wanna Be Made Whole?
