Leceila Turnage Offers a Glimpse Into the Challenges of Teaching and Standing For One’s Beliefs in Mercy, Mercy Me

Many people do not understand the challenges teachers and school administrators face to help underachieving students learn. Due to setbacks, often beyond their control, some students go to class fearing they will fail, some teachers fear their lessons won’t get across well, and some school boards and leaders fear they’ll lose ranking in the community and in the educational system if grades and test scores drop below a certain level. In Leceila Turnage’s new novel, Mercy, Mercy Me, readers will come to grips with the massive amount of work and time that goes into being the best in the field of education and producing the best in the world. Appealing to those in the school system and those making a difference in other ways, Turnage’s well thought out characters and story line is a realistic page turner of a school administrator and her determination to lead her school well.

Danielle “Danny” Foster is excited about her new position as the assistant principal at her childhood school. It’s a dream she has been hoping to come true for a long time. But when she arrives at the school and realizes that much more is involved than what she bargained for, she will have to rely on faith and truth to pull her through the personal and professional challenges that she faces.

Here is what others are saying about Mercy, Mercy Me:

A well-written, down-to-earth, easy read. Danny is a superb role model, the kind we need in this day and time. She sticks up for what is right and upholds her Christian values.
—Minister Barbara Linyear
Leceila has created diverse Black characters with humanity and dignity, but don’t fear it’s not short on drama! This novel showed both sides of the “class divide” between poor and middle class blacks without vilifying either side. The romance between the heroine and her wanna be suitor moves along at a nice, realistic pace. You will root for lil Fo’ever and Danny!
—Kisha Towns
Without God, we can do nothing. I admire the main character’s motivation and faith in God. She and the other characters at Douglass Elementary kept my interest until the very end. Great story!!
—Dee Dee
Once I started reading this book it was hard to put down. The story was very realistic and you actually imagine being a part of the events as they transpired.
—Natasha
Mercy, Mercy Me is a delightful and inspirational fun read. It would make a great Christmas gift! I loved the heroine, Danny, who is not only beautiful but who has strength of character, compassion and attempts to live out her faith in God. The story has romance, suspense and fascinating characters who are all too realistic. The storyline will be of interest to anyone who has worked in a school system, had children in a school system or been a student in the school system, as we are able to go behind the scene and learn how the system works and just how “human” the school staff can be. This was one of those books which made me want a sequel—Danny and her life had become so real to me and I did not want to say goodbye.
—Brenda
I give this book a rating of 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and their story lines. I was entertained from the first page to the last. I would love to see a sequel and know what happened next.
—Sylvia Vann

Leceila Turnage has been employed for more than twenty years as a school social worker in North Carolina. She has a Bachelor’s in Sociology from Fayetteville State University and a Master’s in Social Work from Washington University. Since childhood, some form of art has been an integral part of her life. As an adolescent, she sang in her church’s youth choir and her junior high school chorus. In high school, she joined the drama club. While earning her Bachelor’s in Sociology at Fayetteville State University, she sang in the university’s gospel choir. To accomplish her dream of becoming a published author, Leceila enrolled in classes and programs to learn the craft of writing. Mercy, Mercy Me is her third inspirational novel. Her other novels are A Gift To The Eye And More and Peony’s Daughters.  

For more information about Leceila Turnage, visit: www.LeceilaTurnage.com.

To book Leceila Turnage for speaking engagements and/or book signings, please email: [email protected].

Mercy, Mercy Me is available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, BooksAMillion.com, and PendiumPublishing.com.