Tribulations of the Heart: An Over the Top Love Story (PB) (2021)

Jacks Hilton, a young beautiful Black Texan, is married to the wrong man when she finds God and Gabriel Knight, the loves of her life. Gabriel Knight is a hardworking entrepreneur committed to a celibate Christian lifestyle. Having been a bastard, and raised by his grandmother he is determined not to be a burden on anyone else. Jacks, on the other hand, was raised by a single mother that taught her girls to use what you've got, to get what you want. Jacks and Gabriel are both trapped in prisons of their own making, and must overcome life's trails to be with each other and receive the promises of God. The story of Tribulations of the Heart: an Over the Top Love Story shows how our relationship with God parallels to our relationships with other people and ultimately ourselves. The story is set in Dallas, Texas and South America.

Jacks thinks her life will become easier since joining church, but that's when her life becomes increasingly more difficult. After leaving her rich womanizing husband she discovers she is pregnant. In her spirit she knows she loves Gabriel, but she is hesitant to approach him thinking she is unworthy of such a man. Her new religion, impending divorce, and pregnancy strain an already bad relationship with her family. Her gold digging mother, Bert thinks a man is good for only two things. One is making babies. The other is paying for them. Jacks' older sister Sam is sleeping with as many men as possible including Jacks ex husband Mack. While her younger sister, Tony won't even look a man in the eyes for fear of what he might bring. Ezra and Eve Goodman, pastor and first lady of God's Little of Faith, become Jacks' extended family and give her the support she needs.

Before Gabriel met Jacks his life was all work. He was a grown man before he found out Ezra Goodman was his father. Eve Goodman, his stepmother, has the gift of prophecy, and can see that Jacks is Gabriel's wife. She works as God's facilitator bringing the couple together by suggesting to Gabriel that he hire Jacks to housesit for him while he works in Brazil. Just as the couple's relationship is established as love Gabriel disappears. Falsely accused and imprisoned for being a drug trafficker he is not allowed to contact anyone. Gabriel begins to preach to the other inmates and accepts his calling from God. Meanwhile Jacks is learning how to stand on God's promises as she prays for Gabriel's return. Her spirit is refined into gold as she struggles to hang onto love, help in a murder investigation, raise her child alone, and rely on God to supply all her needs.

When Gabe returns home he marries Jacks, and the story shifts showing the beauty of a covenant relationship. As the couple grows in their marriage their spirits merge as one. Jacks learns to submit to her husband just as she must submit to Christ. The Holy Spirit reveals to Gabriel the childhood sexual abuse inflicted on Jacks and her sisters by their mother's boyfriend causing the violence and distrust in the family. Jacks and Gabriel are able to work together to help bring their families and friends to Christ. The story ends with Gabriel preaching his first sermon. Together they live the abundant life available to all Christians.