Double Minds Read Online Free PDF

were upset.”
    Parker braced herself.
    “Jeff Standard is trying to buy out my contract.”
    “Jeff Standard? The guy who owns Standard Entertainment Corporation?”
    “That’s him.”
    Parker stared at her. The CEO of the record giant owned several other entertainment companies as well. She’d seen his picture on the cover of Rolling Stone last month. Something about his stellar skill in picking artists that made him millions.
    “Wow,” she said. “How does he know about you?”
    Butch leaned back. “There’s a lot of money in Christian music. And with the success of ‘Trying,’ she got his notice.”
    Parker lifted her eyebrows. This was huge. “But if he’s only interested in Christian music for the profit—”
    “Don’t be naïve,” Butch said. “Christian record execs are in it for profit, too. They’d go under if they didn’t make money.”
    “Right now I have one song on the secular charts.” Serene’s eyes sparkled. “What if all my songs crossed over? Think how many people I could reach.”
    Parker could see her point. She always meant for the songs she wrote to reach a broad audience. If they drew larger numbers to worship … well, that was success, wasn’t it? “So what do you need my help with?”
    “I need you to rewrite all the songs on the album.”
    Parker caught her breath. “What? I thought you were almost finished recording. You’re going to rerecord everything? ”
    “Not everything. The musical tracks are fine. He just wants us to tone down the lyrics for the general market.”
    Parker brought a hand to her chest. “What does ‘tone down’ mean?”
    Serene sighed. “Now, don’t go all judgmental on me, Parker. He just wants to make it a little more … what was the word?”
    “Ecumenical,” Butch provided.
    Parker knew that word. Ecumenical meant that no one stood for much of anything.
    “I’ve got a hard deadline,” Serene said. “The tour is booked and there’s a street date for the album’s release in the stores.”
    “The Christian stores,” Parker pointed out.
    “That’s right. But Jeff Standard owns the biggest chain of record stores in the country. If this works out, he’ll get them into the secular stores. He’s got the money to get the airplay on the radio stations. If that happens, Parker, we’ll both be rolling in money.”
    Parker sighed. It wasn’t supposed to cost money to get airplay on radio stations. Payola was against the law. But the big money knew lots of ways around the law. They hired promoters to schmooze and cajole program directors into putting their songs in their lineups.
    “Come sit down. Let’s talk about it,” Serene said.
    Parker dropped onto a chair. Slipping off her shoes, she pulled her feet beneath her. Serene turned off the television and stood in front of it, the star of the room. “Parker, think of it. You could live in a house like this. I could buy an even bigger one.”
    “I don’t want a house like this, Serene. I’m perfectly content with my own little house. I don’t write to get rich.”
    “Of course you don’t, but you wait salivating for every royalty check that comes.”
    “Sure, I take the money and pay my bills with it. It’s not wrong to be paid for what I do. But being a millionaire isn’t my goal.”
    “I know, I know,” Serene said, lifting a hand like she’d heard it a thousand times. “You’re in it for ministry. I totally get that. But what if you didn’t have to work as a receptionist? What if you could just spend all your time writing and living life?”
    Parker had to admit that sounded good. “Still, if we take out the lyrics that could point them to God … if we’re making them worship the wrong thing—”
    “Not every song has to be about worship, Parker.”
    “But every song is.” She got up and turned on the stereo, tuned the radio to a country station. “Listen to this. This guy’s worshiping the girl in the black dress sitting at the bar.”
    “No, he’s