When Willows Weep

Mark is a successful preacher and attorney who owns his church and has a seemingly perfect family. However, there is a secret he’s been hiding from his family for six years. He had a one-time affair with a black woman, who has just showed up on his door to reveal the child he knew nothing about. His perfect family is scattered as they all deal with his past sins.

His wife, Claire, cannot accept his child into their home because she is afraid that it will cause the whole church to turn against them. Mark’s daughter, Sarah, once modeled her life after her seemingly perfect father, until she learns what he did. She goes on a downward spiral filled with rebellion and anger as she lashes out against everything she once believed in. Ciara, Mark’s six-year-old lovechild, has lost everything—her mother, her aunt—and now she is living with a new family who doesn’t want her there. 

Mark cannot believe his sin has resulted in the Lord’s wrath upon his family. He has lost his daughter, his wife, and now feels as if God Himself has walked away. Will Mark be able to realize that his love child isn’t a curse from God but a blessing meant to humble his family and bring them closer to His presence? If not, everything Mark worked hard for will wither away.

Charlay Marie began her writing career by publishing fan fiction on the Internet. In 2012, she began writing her debut Christian fiction novel, Under the Peach Tree. She is currently working on her first film project called Keepin’ the Faith, about three young adults who are struggling to keep God in their lives as they fall apart. She is also being filmed on a reality show called The Social Crowd, which shows the lives of young entrepreneurs as they journey to success. Charlay Marie writes and lives in Columbus, Ohio.