Donna Meredith

“Molly Culpepper is strong, witty, sensitive.”

                         -Royal Palm Literary

                          Awards Judge

       “An insightful and            poignant read.”

                          -Midwest Book Review

Released November 2011

First Place,

women's fiction, 2010 (unpublished)

Royal Palm Literary Awards

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Photo by Mickey Adair

Molly Culpepper believes her hometown is a place of harmony until a colleague chalks a racial slur on the blackboard during Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. In the chaos that follows, Molly begins to see her town and herself differently as she works with her neighbors to heal wounds, both old and new.

Praise for The Color of Lies

“The best novel about the complications of contemporary race relations in the South I’ve ever read. I was immediately hooked by Meredith’s oh-so-accurate depiction of a small Georgia town and her story of a vulnerable, heroic high school teacher trying to stay afloat in a flood of racial tension and family trials. I love The Color of Lies.  It’s funny, wise, heartbreaking and unputdownable.”

     -Elizabeth Stuckey-French, associate professor of creative writing, Florida State University, and author of The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady       

“The Color of Lies is billed as fictional, but as a ‘seasoned’ African American woman, I found myself in a period of personal reflection . . . painfully real and far from fictional. I lived the ‘Black and Blue Day’ sort of experience in my state’s capital city. The book is a marvelous read, and it contains enough fictional reality to stimulate those who want to work to make things better for all mankind.”

       -Freddie Groomes-McLendon, Ph.D., Retired administrator, Florida State University, and author of The Marginal Difference

The twists come fast and furious . . . and the journey is fun and ultimately hopeful.

      -Foreword Magazine

This novel magnificently captures the texture of small town life.

     - Southern Literary Review

“If you ever wondered what really lies behind the teacher lounge doors, or how anyone manages to actually impart wisdom in this day of down-turned economy and age-old tensions, The Color of Lies will surely satisfy. Molly Culpepper’s self-effacing humor shines through as she juggles her roles as a widowed mother, daughter, and dedicated instructor, all while dealing with a growing rift in her community.”

     -Rhett DeVane, author of Mama’s Comfort Food and The Madhatter's Guide to Chocolate

"Though there is a Cassandra King/Connie May Fowler flavor, The Color of Lies shines with Donna Meredith’s own strong voice. Intelligent, intuitive, and humorous, this tale takes us where most Southerners have to eventually go: smacking face first against our culture’s racism. Yet Meredith’s respect and love for her characters resonates as she spins this story of small town webs of connections that transcend color. There’s a reason this won a first place award even before it was published."

    -Claire Matturro, author of Skinny-Dipping and Sweetheart Deal

"In this complex tale of deception, love, and race, Meredith blends cringe-causing moments of fear with scenes of tenderness and connection to explore how lies are interwoven with the deepest truths of our lives. But while dishonesty grips the characters, you'll find none in Meredith's writing—a shoot-from-the-hip style to match her storytelling gifts."

     -Ron Cooper, author of Purple Jesus