FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Fresh Baked Lies blends 1960s Mississippi small town spiritual darkness, and one young woman’s struggle to bring the light back through impossible grace.
Gilbert, AZ – August 25, 2026 — Selah award-winning author Gloria Fennimore’s debut novel, Fresh Baked Lies (Redemption Press, 2026), transports readers to 1965 Mississippi, where buried secrets, and generations of bitterness have taken root beneath the charm of a small Southern town. Through seventeen-year-old Rosalie Picotee’s story, Fennimore explores what happens when rejection and heartbreak collide with the difficult choice to forgive.
In the fictional town of Grimly, Rosalie knows the pain of being judged for who she is before anyone bothers to know her. When she falls for William Dearie, the son of the town’s most powerful woman, their relationship sets in motion betrayal, manipulation, and the unraveling of secrets that have shaped their families for years. Blending Southern fiction with elements of Christian magical realism, the novel examines how unresolved bitterness can reach across generations, and whether truth and grace can finally break their hold.
For readers carrying wounds from betrayal, rejection, grief, or broken relationships, Fresh Baked Lies offers no easy version of forgiveness. Instead, Rosalie’s journey reflects the complicated reality that forgiving does not erase or excuse what happened; it can, however, keep pain from defining who you are. The story invites readers to consider the possibility that grace can reach deeply wounded places and that redemption remains possible even after profound heartbreak.
Fennimore wrote Fresh Baked Lies to address the unresolved bitterness she witnessed in her own family, and how clinging to unforgiveness can destroy a life. Her hope is that readers come away knowing forgiveness does not make the hurt insignificant, but it can bring freedom and allow grace and truth to have the final word.
Gloria Fennimore’s print copy will be available on August 25, 2026; with the e-book free to download on Amazon for 5 days through August 29, 2026. Early readers are already sharing how much the story has touched them. Here’s what a couple of reviewers have said:
Tillie Anne
5 Stars – Fresh Baked Lies – And Forgiveness
Fresh Baked Lies is such an engaging read! Gloria Fennimore’s writing style drew me in from Act 1, Chapter 1 and kept me turning the pages. Set in a small Southern town filled with secrets, the book follows Rosalie through betrayal and heartbreak as she wrestles with what forgiveness really means. Gloria weaves grace and redemption throughout the story without losing the intrigue that keeps you wanting to know what happens next. It’s a powerful reminder of the importance of forgiveness—a lesson we all need. Highly recommend!
TAWallace
5 Stars – Captivating!
Excellent storytelling! From the beginning, you will be engaged and unable, as well as unwilling, to stop reading. The characters are portrayed in a manner that makes you think of people in your own life; the settings and descriptions have you inhaling the smells and experiencing the emotions. Intrigue with a little mystery, but grace, forgiveness and mercy flow from this tale. I highly recommend!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Selah award-winning author Gloria Fennimore writes emotionally layered Southern fiction that weaves biblical truth into stories of grace, forgiveness, and redemption. Through her writing ministry, she encourages women to live restored lives rooted in truth and grace. Raised in the South and now living in rural Northern Nevada with her husband, Rich, Gloria enjoys gardening, hosting vintage tea parties, and spending time with her blended family.
For interviews, review copies, or speaking inquiries, contact: Gloria Fennimore
Email: gloriafennimore@gmail.com
Website: gloriafennimore.com
