| Jacquie Dupre has worked tirelessly to give her daughter, Destiny, a future free from the mistakes of her past. But when Mickey, her ex-husband returns to Bay Town, her carefully built world begins to crumble. He claims he’s changed. He’s conquered his addiction that destroyed too many lives, but can Jacquie believe him? As old wounds resurface and a dangerous figure from their past threatens their fragile peace, Jacquie must confront her deepest fears—about Mickey, about love, and about God. Can faith truly heal, can goodness prevail, or will their future be forever shaded by their past? Genre: Romantic Suspense Release Date: June 10, 2025 Click here to get your copy! |  |
Interview with Kathleen
#1 What was the inspiration for this book?
It was my ex-brother-in-law. Mickey truly was one of the nicest people I’d ever met. He grew up with my husband and married his sister. The marriage didn’t last long, and Mickey got into quite a bit of trouble over the years. Later in life, he came to Christ, and that goodness I saw in him from the beginning blossomed into God’s goodness. Shaded Goodness is entirely fiction, but the mannerisms and characteristics are Mickey. His son was so honored that I wrote the story with his Dad’s personality as the main character that he asked that I not change his name. It’s the perfect redemption story! And that part isn’t fiction.
It was my ex-brother-in-law. Mickey truly was one of the nicest people I’d ever met. He grew up with my husband and married his sister. The marriage didn’t last long, and Mickey got into quite a bit of trouble over the years. Later in life, he came to Christ, and that goodness I saw in him from the beginning blossomed into God’s goodness. Shaded Goodness is entirely fiction, but the mannerisms and characteristics are Mickey. His son was so honored that I wrote the story with his Dad’s personality as the main character that he asked that I not change his name. It’s the perfect redemption story! And that part isn’t fiction.
#2. How long did it take to finish writing this book?
Two months to the rough draft. I’m a fast writer and persistent about my writing habits. I try and draft a new story about three times a year during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), which takes place every April, July, and November. The goal is 50,000 words in one month, and thankfully, I’ve always completed it. After that comes rewrites, beta readers, editing, and the final draft, so that’s roughly twelve months to a polished final.
Two months to the rough draft. I’m a fast writer and persistent about my writing habits. I try and draft a new story about three times a year during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), which takes place every April, July, and November. The goal is 50,000 words in one month, and thankfully, I’ve always completed it. After that comes rewrites, beta readers, editing, and the final draft, so that’s roughly twelve months to a polished final.
#3. Do you have a favorite character(s) in this book?
Absolutely! It’s Mickey, whom I talked about above. He’s kind, giving and flawed. However, as in all the Bay Town books, my favorite characters from previous books return, offering wisdom and guidance. Just like in real life, God expects my characters to take their trials and help others with their experiences, and that’s what endears each one to me. I loved writing the Bay Town Series, and all my characters became my close friends, so they were all favorites!
Absolutely! It’s Mickey, whom I talked about above. He’s kind, giving and flawed. However, as in all the Bay Town books, my favorite characters from previous books return, offering wisdom and guidance. Just like in real life, God expects my characters to take their trials and help others with their experiences, and that’s what endears each one to me. I loved writing the Bay Town Series, and all my characters became my close friends, so they were all favorites!
#4. What do you hope your readers will take away with them when they read this book?
I hope they’ll enjoy a fascinating read. I also desire that they would long to live a life closer to God and trusting him even more than they did before.
I hope they’ll enjoy a fascinating read. I also desire that they would long to live a life closer to God and trusting him even more than they did before.
#5. Tell us a little about yourself, your family, friends.
I am so very blessed! I have been married to the same fun-loving man for fifty years. We have eight children; seven are married, and our youngest daughter lives with us at home. We barely see her because she’s so active at work and church leadership. We have twenty-one grandchildren who live in Japan, Washington, and Southern California. All of us (40) will be reunited in Yosemite in August! Our two eldest boys are missionaries in Japan, having married two sisters. We have a Deputy Sherrif son and a Firefighter son-in-law, so I have lots of fodder for characters in my stories. My greatest joy is that so far, all my children are walking with God and teaching their children to love Jesus. We have done nothing to deserve God’s gracious blessings, which inspires me to bring glory to Him through my writing.
It’s a pleasure to share how God is working in my life, and I love when readers share the same with me. Thank you for the intriguing questions and focus on the Lord!
I am so very blessed! I have been married to the same fun-loving man for fifty years. We have eight children; seven are married, and our youngest daughter lives with us at home. We barely see her because she’s so active at work and church leadership. We have twenty-one grandchildren who live in Japan, Washington, and Southern California. All of us (40) will be reunited in Yosemite in August! Our two eldest boys are missionaries in Japan, having married two sisters. We have a Deputy Sherrif son and a Firefighter son-in-law, so I have lots of fodder for characters in my stories. My greatest joy is that so far, all my children are walking with God and teaching their children to love Jesus. We have done nothing to deserve God’s gracious blessings, which inspires me to bring glory to Him through my writing.
It’s a pleasure to share how God is working in my life, and I love when readers share the same with me. Thank you for the intriguing questions and focus on the Lord!
More from Kathleen
Have you ever heard of a Shoofly? The word conjures up an annoying, buzzing insect, but a Shoofly is a magnificent white, wooden, raised gazebo-like structure built around giant oaks and sycamore trees. Back in the 1800s, in the south, they elegantly dotted the coastline of Mississippi. Almost every vacation boarding house boasted one. A relaxing venue for people to gather while avoiding the large horse flies that tended to hover closer to the ground, pestering guests and residents. The raised platform also allowed guests to enjoy the ocean breezes on sweltering hot summer days. Sounds romantic, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, due to storms, hurricanes, and erosion, Shooflys all but disappeared in the 1900s. Yet in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the setting of my Bay Town Books, you can visit a Shoofly today in the local park downtown. In 1989, a group of town women decided to resurrect the nostalgic structure and had one built. It was completed nearly one hundred years after the near extinction of most of the iconic Shooflys along the Gulf Coast. It’s a key setting in my book, Shaded Goodness.
Recently, my childhood friend returned to visit Bay St. Louis. I asked him to take a picture of the Shoofly, and his wife took the shot above of him waving from the deck. He remembers visiting my family in Bay St. Louis sixty years ago, and he said it still has the charm and hasn’t changed or grown much. Except that it’s now an artisan’s dream! Can you imagine? I can. It’s why I set my romantic suspense series in the fictional setting of Bay Town, inspired by Bay St. Louis. Shaded Goodness is the last in the book series.
“You got to forgive him, Jacquie. And no, I haven’t seen him. But I have been talking to Pastor Roland, and it’s a dark spot, one of many in my soul.”
“Dark spots? Is that what you call ’em?” Jacquie threw up her hands. “I can’t even go there. That man killed –”
Themes of forgiveness, second chances, and redemption are woven throughout Shaded Goodness. It was a joy to write because the male protagonist in this book was inspired by the character of my deceased ex-brother-in-law. Shaded Goodness is entirely fictional, but I loved using Mickey’s good traits to craft his character. He was a truly good soul who sadly made poor choices throughout his life. I like to think that if he had lived long enough, his life might have turned out like Mickey’s in this book, happily ever after. That’s why I enjoyed writing this story, as it allowed me to give Mickey a life of redemption here on earth, and I’m grateful that he’s living it in eternity. His love for the Lord in his last years proved contagious, just like his Christ-indwelling goodness. All glory to the Lord.
I pray for my readers that, as in all my books, you will be encouraged in your faith. That’s why I like writing about second chances and reconciliation. Because God is all about that, isn’t he? The Bay Town Series is a collection of stand-alone books. Still, the returning characters, after facing their own troubles and tragedies, help their neighbors as they face similar trials. 2 Corinthians 1:4-5 instructs us to do just that. Some characters choose the right path, and some don’t, just like in real life. But God’s promised hope is extended to all.
Shaded Goodness comes full circle from book one. Melanie Thompson Brooks champions through tragedy in the prequel and in Shattered Guilt. Her growth enables her to serve as the guiding voice to Jacquie Dupree in Shaded Goodness. With similar backgrounds, the pain of their pasts threatens to unravel their future. You won’t need to read Shattered Guilt, Book One, to enjoy Shaded Goodness, Book Five, but I think you’ll want to go back and get to know the lovely people of Bay Town through Restored Grace (First Place in the National Excellence in Writing competition), Shadowed Doubt, and Ransomed Peace. I think you’ll find some good friends and wish they really were your neighbors.
I hope you’ll fall in love with the setting where I lived for a short time as a child. It’s why I set my books in the deep south of Mississippi. Where life was slower, and the small-town community came together for events and rallied and prayed for one another during difficulties, much like the body of Christ should. Come on down to Bay Town; it just may become home.
“You got to forgive him, Jacquie. And no, I haven’t seen him. But I have been talking to Pastor Roland, and it’s a dark spot, one of many in my soul.”
“Dark spots? Is that what you call ’em?” Jacquie threw up her hands. “I can’t even go there. That man killed –”
Themes of forgiveness, second chances, and redemption are woven throughout Shaded Goodness. It was a joy to write because the male protagonist in this book was inspired by the character of my deceased ex-brother-in-law. Shaded Goodness is entirely fictional, but I loved using Mickey’s good traits to craft his character. He was a truly good soul who sadly made poor choices throughout his life. I like to think that if he had lived long enough, his life might have turned out like Mickey’s in this book, happily ever after. That’s why I enjoyed writing this story, as it allowed me to give Mickey a life of redemption here on earth, and I’m grateful that he’s living it in eternity. His love for the Lord in his last years proved contagious, just like his Christ-indwelling goodness. All glory to the Lord.
I pray for my readers that, as in all my books, you will be encouraged in your faith. That’s why I like writing about second chances and reconciliation. Because God is all about that, isn’t he? The Bay Town Series is a collection of stand-alone books. Still, the returning characters, after facing their own troubles and tragedies, help their neighbors as they face similar trials. 2 Corinthians 1:4-5 instructs us to do just that. Some characters choose the right path, and some don’t, just like in real life. But God’s promised hope is extended to all.
Shaded Goodness comes full circle from book one. Melanie Thompson Brooks champions through tragedy in the prequel and in Shattered Guilt. Her growth enables her to serve as the guiding voice to Jacquie Dupree in Shaded Goodness. With similar backgrounds, the pain of their pasts threatens to unravel their future. You won’t need to read Shattered Guilt, Book One, to enjoy Shaded Goodness, Book Five, but I think you’ll want to go back and get to know the lovely people of Bay Town through Restored Grace (First Place in the National Excellence in Writing competition), Shadowed Doubt, and Ransomed Peace. I think you’ll find some good friends and wish they really were your neighbors.
I hope you’ll fall in love with the setting where I lived for a short time as a child. It’s why I set my books in the deep south of Mississippi. Where life was slower, and the small-town community came together for events and rallied and prayed for one another during difficulties, much like the body of Christ should. Come on down to Bay Town; it just may become home.
 Kathleen J. Robison | Kathleen J. Robison weaves tales that inspire a walk of faith and a reliance on God’s guidance through life’s trials. With endearing characters, her stories are a testament to the resilience of broken lives, revived through hope and renewed through God’s grace. Kathleen and her husband call Southern California home residing near the beach and find their most joy in the company of their nineteen and counting grandchildren. |
It's Time For A Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Kathleen is giving away the grand prize of
a $25 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!
a $25 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!
Blog Stops
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Stories By Gina, August 27 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 28
Simple Harvest Reads, August 29 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, August 30 (Author Interview)
Fiction Book Lover, August 30
Guild Master, August 31 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 1
Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 2 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, September 3
Blossoms and Blessings, September 4 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, September 5
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, September 6 (Author Interview)
A Reader’s Brain , September 7 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 7
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 8 (Author Interview)
Stories By Gina, August 27 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 28
Simple Harvest Reads, August 29 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, August 30 (Author Interview)
Fiction Book Lover, August 30
Guild Master, August 31 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 1
Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 2 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, September 3
Blossoms and Blessings, September 4 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, September 5
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, September 6 (Author Interview)
A Reader’s Brain , September 7 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 7
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 8 (Author Interview)
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