Author Spotlight - Kimberla Lawson Roby

Kimberla Lawson Roby is a New York Times bestselling author and has published 15 novels. Her novels have frequented numerous bestseller lists, including The New York Times and those in USA Today, The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, Essence Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Emerge Magazine, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, The Dallas Morning News, and The Austin Chronicle.

Kimberla’s first novel was nominated for Blackboard’s 1998 and 1999 Fiction Book of the Year Award, and she received the Blackboard Fiction Book of the Year Award in 2001 for Casting the First Stone. She is also the 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010 recipient of the Author of the Year – Female award presented by the African-American Literary Award Show in New York, the recipient of the 1998 First-Time Author Award from Chicago’s Black History Month Book Fair and Conference, and her fifth novel, A Taste of Reality, was a 2004 finalist for the Atlanta Choice Awards sponsored by the Atlanta Daily World.

 Each of Kimberla’s novels has dealt with very real issues, including social status, gambling addiction, infidelity, single motherhood, infertility, sibling rivalry and jealousy, domestic violence, sexual abuse, caregiving of a parent, racial and gender discrimination in the workplace, sexual harassment, overweight issues, and female illnesses to name a few.

Kimberla resides in Illinois with her husband, Will. Her 16th novel, Secret Obsession, was released today.  My review of Secret Obsession can be read here.

For more information about Kimberla Lawson Roby, visit www.kimroby.com. 

"Secret Obsession" by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Kimerberla Lawson Roby has just released her latest riveting novel, Secret Obsession. In it she explores a very complicated illness - delusional disorder. Delusion has been defined as "a fixed false belief that is resistant to reason or confrontation with actual fact." A person that is delusional is beyond reasonableness and sensibleness. It is a very dangerous state that can lead to obsession.

Paige Donahue is a picture of obsession. She has always lived in the shadow of her sister, Camille and Paige is consumed with jealousy. Camille has always excelled and she now has everything that Paige wants - a loving husband, children and all of the material comforts the world has to offer. Paige becomes obsessed with ruining her sister's marriage and gaining the love of her brother-in-law. She develops a plan, puts it in motion and is determined to let nothing or no one stand in her way.

Roby does an excellent job painting a picture of desperation in the main character. I could feel the utter hopelessness in Paige and she sincerely felt that there was only one solution - to ruin her sister. As I read this story, I could clearly see that Paige was delusional and I wondered how someone could be so far from reality. Roby really grips the mind and heart of the reader.

I was so enthralled with this novel, I couldn't put it down. I read it quickly and eagerly. I couldn't wait to find out how Paige's plan turned out. This book was very entertaining and it also made me think. It was very tastefully written and maintained dignity throughout. I would recommend this novel to anyone who would like to curl up with a good book this fall.

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