Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace

This past winter I was invited to participate in the Literacy Instruction for Texas (LIFT) 9th Annual Champions of Literacy Luncheon. As an author, I know you cannot have readers without championing literacy.

Champions of Literacy Luncheon
Thursday, September 17, 2009
12:00 Noon
Frontier of Flight Museum
LIFT Off With Books!

I will be contributing authored copies of Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace to LIFT but I also want to make other authors and Squidoo Members aware of how severe the problem is in the United States (and it's growing), as well as provide opportunities to get involved in your own community to help stamp out illiteracy.

With that in mind, I have developed a Squiqoo Page promoting this very important cause. Check it our under Featured Lenses.

Reviewer: Simon Barrett
www.zzsimonb.blogspot.com
What happens when you take a wealthy Minnesota family running a successful business and inject a truly wicked influence? Potential disaster is the simple answer.
Shades Of Darkness - Shades Of Grace is inspired by a true story, although I am pretty certain that Catherine Johnson would not want to elaborate on the source. If this is based on reality, and I am convinced it is, it goes to show that fact is indeed often stranger than fiction. We do indeed live in a strange and deranged world.
This is Catherine's first adventure into the world on Novel writing, although she is no beginner in the writing world, having worked for many years in the corporate communications world.
Shades Of Darkness is a very fine book, and it explores an all too common theme, marriage, family, divorce, and the fallout that results.
The Pierson's seem an idyllic family, Mom, Dad, and their grown up children Kay, Paul, and Jack have a successful family run Real Estate business. But happiness is often an emotion displayed on the outside, rather than the inside. And when Paul's wife dies unexpectedly the family watches with great concern as Paul retreats into himself.
About a year later, there is a glimmer of hope, Paul meets a new partner, someone who seems to inject the old vibrancy into him. It is with happiness and great expectations that the family heralds the marriage between Paul Pierson and Pamela Schaeffer. But is Pamela the young and vibrant bride, or does she have darker motives. There are cracks in her facade that cause some of the family members to worry. And before long the evidence is overwhelming that Pamela is not what she seems.
Infidelity is a label that she wears with pride, and rather than appear the 'guilty party' in the ensuing divorce proceedings, opts to go on the attack. This is attack with vengeance. No one is safe from her, least of all Paul.
This is a fascinating book, and very cleverly written, it creeps up on you. I have known several people that have lived through acrimonious divorces, and they are never a pretty sight. Written from sister Kay's perspective we get a ringside seat of the drama unfolding. Catherine Johnson has done a fabulous job of capturing the tension and intrigue, and also the fallout that effects not only the named parties, but their family and friends.
I once made the huge error of not completely reading a book before I interviewed an author. My rational was that there was only one chapter left, and I could 'wing it' and read the final chapter later. Of course I asked a question, and the author replied that she thought she had covered that quite well in the final chapter. Did I feel stupid! It is something I have never done again. Shades Of Darkness - Shades Of Grace is one book that keeps it's secrets to the very last page. This Scorpion has venom in its tale and tail, and the poison is lethal.
I have to admit that I was really surprised and shocked by the ending.

Reviewer: Sabrina Sumsion
Rated: Thumbs Way Up!
Shocking, stunning and compelling are the words that come to mind first when thinking about Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace. Inspired by a true story, this book takes you on a roller coaster ride that one family had to endure as one woman nearly ripped the entire family apart.
Paul Pierson finally found someone to replace the vacant hole in his life left when his first wife passed away. Surrounded by his close-knit family that all worked together in their own realty business, he looked forward to marrying Pamela. From the start, the family expressed misgivings about the marriage but instead of bringing up their concerns to Paul, they try to be patient and accept the marriage. After the marriage and a beautiful child, the whole family discovers that Pamela is the devil and they are in hell.
Pamela is all about material wealth and wants more and more and more from Paul. When they are taxed to the limit, she decides to move away to take a "better" job that will let them have more things. While Paul tries to make it work, he discovers that Pamela is committing adultery, embezzling funds from the family business and who knows what else. While things are bad while married, when Paul wants a divorce, Pamela's true claws come out and she gets Paul arrested, fined, milked dry for child support and publicly humiliated. She makes every woman look bad.
During this whole time, the family is powerless to do anything. They do their best to rally around Paul and even hold interventions to make him see how bad things are. While the family does their best to hold to their Christian tenets, Pamela stressed that determination to its breaking point.
This is a narrative that is gripping, frustrating and definitely a page-turner. The best part is an ending that you won't see coming! Read it, love it.

Reviewer: Prudy Taylor Board, author of A Grave Injustice and Murder a la Carte
Rated: 5 Stars out of 5 Stars
Wow! What a great read! I sat down Sunday afternoon with a copy of Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace and thought I'd read a few minutes before I did some chores. Forget that. Hours later, the sky was dark when I put it down because I had read the entire novel. Couldn't put it down. As a novelist myself, I was genuinely impressed with the quality of this author's debut novel. The characters were human and real ~ even the villains; the story was compelling; and the outcome was a stunner yet so skillfully foreshadowed that it was totally believable. Will I buy Catherine Johnson's next book? You bet. I'm already waiting for it.

The 11 discussion questions below are a starting point for book groups or classes reading Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace.

What is your definition of family?

How would you define the concept of evil?

Have you ever been confronted with a situation or a person that clearly involved acts regarded by societal or moral teachings as evil? If so, what was your response?

One of the main subplots of the novel involves alcoholism. Have you ever dealt with someone having an alcohol problem, be it a family member, friend, or yourself? If so, how was the problem addressed? Was it successful?

While more research indicates there may be certain genetic markers and family history that predispose certain individuals to alcoholism (and chemical dependency), there is also the school of thought that alcoholism is a learned behavior, influenced by environmental factors. What do you think is most accurate? Why?

The Pierson family takes steps to deal with Paul's alcoholism and drug abuse. Does the family make the right decision or is there a better way of handling Paul's problem?

One of the things I've heard from readers over and over is that so many relate to the theme of a family upended by an acrimonious divorce. Have you ever had personal experience with such a situation? If children were involved, how were they affected?

Referring back to the above question regarding a contentious divorce, how was the situation resolved?

Do you believe that anyone, no matter how morally grounded they might be, can be pushed to act in ways they would never otherwise consider? Why or why not?

Relating to the previous question, do you believe that there are clear-cut, moral standards for what is right and what is wrong, or can a situation or a person be morally ambiguous? In your opinion, why or why not?

What were the themes of the story that you related to the most? Why?