Paint Me Fearless
(Shady Gully #1)
By Hallie Lee
Contemporary, Christian Fiction
Paperback, ebook & audiobook, 322 Pages
January 6, 2021 by WordCrafts Press
Although their petite appearances are strikingly similar, ROBIN and DESIREE (DESI) have little in common. When Desi moves to the small town of Shady Gully, Louisiana, the unpopular Robin feels diminished by the new girl's notoriety.
But fate has other ideas, and as these two isolated girls are drawn together, a friendship born in high school evolves into a bond that promises to last a lifetime. Even as their paths diverge, and they clumsily marry and plow through raising families of their own, they remain true.
Even as they nurse their respective bruises, and carry their traumas from childhood into their own marriages, they always have each other's backs. Even when a sordid secret from their past emerges to threaten their families, together...they remain a force to be reckoned with.
Until years later, when they're enjoying the prime of their lives, a stunning rumor surfaces that threatens their lifelong connection. The allegation suggests that one has betrayed the other.
Truth? Lie? Does it matter? Sometimes just the hint of betrayal is enough to ruin a lifelong bond.
As their worlds collide, and old insecurities rise to the forefront, the layers of Desi and Robin's legendary friendship begin to unravel.
Just when it seems they've lost everything, the truth brings them full circle...and in their brokenness they come to realize that there is only one true way to fill the emptiness inside, to quiet the lies...and to ultimately become...fearless.
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Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Sure! I was born and raised in Louisiana, and very much inspired by my mom, who was a voracious reader. Because she encouraged my aspirations, I began writing short stories in high school, then tried my hand at romance novels in my twenties. But it was when my family moved Santa Fe, New Mexico, that I really honed my writing skills.
The exposure to such a creative movie making town gave me the opportunity to attend writing conferences and classes. I learned to write screenplays, and met Ronnie Clemmer, the producer of A League of Their Own. He saw something in me he wanted to mentor, and I really feel his tutelage and insight made me a better, more mature writer.
We eventually left Santa Fe and moved to Kentucky, and the southern landscape inspired me. It brought me back to my roots, and I wanted to try – one more time – to write a novel.
Paint Me Fearless was the result, and with it, the Shady Gully Series was born!
What do you do besides writing?
I love to bake. I love to read. And I love to binge watch! Mostly though, I love hanging out with my family and my pets!
Do you have images you can share that come close to how you picture your characters? Do you like to find visual inspiration for your characters before or during your writing process?
Visual images are very inspiring, aren’t they? Because the story begins when my characters are in junior high, and ends when they are middle aged, my “pictures” of them evolved over time.
I’d LOVE to share with you a one-minute trailer I made for PAINT ME FEARLESS, where you’ll see a few “images/silhouettes” of Desi and Robin. Hopefully, you’ll feel inspired to read PAINT ME FEARLESS afterward.
Paint Me Fearless Trailer on Facebook Watch Paint Me Fearless Trailer at Hallie Lee's Website What are some songs that you listened to or inspired you while writing your book? What a great question! I’m one of those weird writers who can’t listen to music while I write. I LOVE music, and become absorbed in it when I listen, so it would be impossible for me to do both at the same time. However, there are many songs that inspired me with scenes such as Fear Is a Liar, by Zach Williams, Ain’t No Grave by Bethel Music, and Do It Again by Elevation Worship.
What message would you like readers to ultimately take away from the book? My hope is that Desi and Robin’s journey inspires readers, and that they come away with the strength to overcome the lies the devil tells them about themselves. I really believe fear, shame, and regret can steal our lives, and my biggest triumph would be for readers to get to the last page and say, “No more!”
What can we look forward to coming from you in the future? The Shady Gully Series continues on October 6, 2021, and promises thought provoking, relatable journeys whose cast of characters tend to be ornery, but loveable, dramatic, but kind, and quirky, but smarter than they appear.
Here’s a little teaser for Book 2…
The much-anticipated second book in The Shady Gully Series picks up five years after Paint Me Fearless, Hallie Lee’s Best Selling Contemporary Christian Fiction novel.
Book Two opens with a secret burial in the night. Amid a blinding, hellacious storm, a man digs a grave. He’s covered in blood, and he appears culpable. Guilty even. He also looks heartbroken…
About the Author
Born and raised in Louisiana, most of Hallie Lee’s screenplays and novels are set in the south. Inspired by a landscape rich with cantankerous, salt of the earth folks, Hallie’s characters tend to be dramatic, but kind, and quirky, but smarter than they appear.
A move to the creative community of Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2005 gave her the opportunity to take up screenwriting. As her screenplays were recognized with awards and placements in various contests, she had the opportunity to learn from award winning talents like Kirk Ellis (The John Adams miniseries) and Ronnie Clemmer (A League of Their Own).
But alas, her heart is southern, and when she and her family made another move to Kentucky, it renewed her passion for writing novels. And southern story telling.
Paint Me Fearless is the first in The Shady Gully Series, a series which promises thought provoking, relatable journeys whose cast of characters tend to be ornery, but loveable.
It’s women’s literature. It’s book club fiction. It's faith based. It’s Hallie Lee.
Tour Schedule
Tour Giveaway
Two audiobooks of Paint Me Fearless by Hallie Lee (US)
Two audiobooks of Paint Me Fearless by Hallie Lee (UK)
Ends October 6, 2021
