About the Book

Book: Shaded Goodness

Author: Kathleen J. Robison

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: June 10, 2025

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?

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About the Author

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.

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.

Author Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about what readers can expect from your books?

Shaded Goodness is Book Five of my Bay Town Series. This series is clean romantic suspense where the characters’ lives are blindsided by tragedies. Often they complicate the circumstances by ignoring or not realizing the faith-challenge journeys that accompany such situations.

You’ll find the books heart-pounding page-turners with emotionally driven characters. It’s small-town America at its best, but the evil that infiltrates creates challenging dilemmas where the whole community gets involved. I love writing about flawed people in hopeless situations who rise above through the help of the Bay Town community and the guidance of God. He does His best work in desperate situations. You’ll come to love the stories of redemption and reconciliation, thanks to the help of the Bay Town neighborhood.

What is the greatest advice you have ever been given about writing?

I love this question. #1 Finish your book. #2 Never stop studying the craft. #3 Join critique groups. #4 Read lots of books in the genre you write. #5 Be teachable and put on a thick skin! Most importantly, pray every day, asking God to guide and use you for His glory. My advice is to encourage anyone who seeks you out for writing guidance. Hearing someone’s excitement when you’ve told them they can do it inspires my writing, no matter where I am in my journey.

Can you share 5 random facts about this book?

It takes place in a town I fell in love with when I was a little girl. It was small back then and still is today. Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, was the setting inspiration for Bay Town.

The Fat Boyz hangout in Waveland, where everyone goes for ice cream, was originally a Foster Freeze way back in the 60s when I lived in Bay St. Louis. As a little girl, my father would often pile my three sisters, my mother, and me in our station wagon, and we’d drive there to get hot fudge sundaes or banana splits. Yum!

The Mockingbird Café is a happening place in the book and in Bay St. Louis. Many shops often host artisans and musicians for events every weekend.

Tina is one of my favorite minor characters, and when Jacquie needs help styling her African-American hair, Tina comes to the rescue. That type of hair is significantly more challenging to style than that of other ethnicities. I had to ask my daughter, who is married to a Jamaican man, for help. She spent hours studying how to style her daughter’s hair and set aside ample time to do so. I used that information to create a fun scene, as is often the case when Tina is involved.

I created a character who was Japanese and had him handle Jacquie with humor when she reacted to his ethnicity. No racism, just realism. It’s a bit of what I experienced growing up, and it still holds true today.

What was the inspiration behind it?

I have an ex-brother-in-law (now deceased) to whom I dedicated the book. It’s not his story, but it could have been. Mickey was a troubled soul, sincerely good at heart, who made poor choices. Still, he loved people, and we all felt his kindness. When I needed the romantic counterpart to Jacquie, I thought of Mickey, and the story evolved from there. It reflects that true goodness comes from God.

What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

I hope readers will enjoy a good story and be amazed at the twists and turns!  I think they’ll enjoy investing in Jacquie, Mickey, and the other characters as their faith journeys intertwine. The best thing a reader ever told me was that she’d never thought of living for God so fully until she read my book. Yes! Living for the Lord with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength is the goal, and we don’t have to do it alone. I pray that the Holy Spirit will touch the hearts of readers to always turn to Jesus in trials and blessings, just as the people of Bay Town do.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Before you go, where can readers keep up with what’s next?

Thank you, Randi.  I sure appreciate the chance to share. My monthly newsletter is the best way to stay up-to-date with the latest news. If you sign up, you’ll receive a free little novelette! Here’s the link:

https://www.subscribepage.com/essentialingredients

I hope you’ll check out my blog on my website. Additional tidbits about my books and some inspiring snippets from my life are also available for you.

https://kathleenjrobison.com/blog

Here are the links to all my social media. I’m most active on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/kathleenjrobisonauthor/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3108667785916519
https://www.instagram.com/kathleenjrobison/
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kathleen-j-robison
https://www.pinterest.com/kathleenjrobison/