Today, October 14, 2025, is one of those days that reminds me why I started Lake Drive Books—to help readers heal, grow, and discover through honest storytelling. I’m thrilled to announce the release of A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts: The Subtle, Insidious Nature of Spiritual Abuse and Life on the Other Side, the debut book by Katherine Spearing.
From the moment I met Katherine, I knew her voice was one we needed to amplify. She’s the founder of Tears of Eden, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting survivors of spiritual abuse. She’s also a certified trauma recovery practitioner with a master’s degree in religion and cultures. Many already know her as the host of the groundbreaking podcast Uncertain, where she led pivotal conversations about spiritual abuse in the church. But what stands out most about Katherine is her mix of clarity, compassion, and courage. She doesn’t just name what’s broken—she shows us how to begin mending.
Why This Book Matters
At Lake Drive, we publish books that help readers heal from what’s harmed them, grow beyond what’s held them back, and discover who they are meant to be. Katherine’s book fits perfectly into that mission.
Spiritual abuse is a difficult topic—often misunderstood, minimized, or ignored. Simply put, it happens when God, scripture, or faith systems are used to manipulate, control, or harm. It can be overt—like a leader using scripture to shame or dominate—or covert, hidden beneath the smiling veneer of a “healthy” faith community where questioning is uncomfortable and conformity is a given.
Spiritual abuse hides in plain sight. It’s often woven into the very fabric of communities we assume are safe. That’s what makes it so insidious—and why Katherine's subtitle calls it “the subtle, insidious nature of spiritual abuse.”
For many readers, this book will serve as a mirror, helping them recognize patterns they’ve experienced but couldn’t name. For others, it will be a window into a world they never imagined could exist in faith spaces. Either way, A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts invites all of us to see what’s really happening—because, as Katherine and I discussed in the video below, we can’t heal if we can’t recognize what happened.
Learning Through Story
Katherine’s book, also available as an audiobook narrated by the author, does something remarkable: it teaches through storytelling. She blends her own lived experience with reflections drawn from her work as an advocate and trauma recovery practitioner. The result isn’t just memoir or analysis—it’s something more powerful: an ethnography of the soul, as she moves between her story and the broader experiences of others.
She writes about the “collectibles” of abusers—the way manipulative leaders often “collect” competent, articulate, professional people as trophies to validate their image. She explores how overt and covert forms of control operate. She even weaves in satirical interludes—including one that parodies a training manual for cult leaders—using humor and art to make deep truths accessible.
These creative choices give readers space to breathe between heavy moments. As Katherine put it, those interludes are meant to “add a layer of artistry, levity, and insight,” helping readers absorb the weight of the subject without being crushed by it.
From “What Happened” to “What’s Next”
What moves me most about A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts is that it doesn’t stop at the trauma. Katherine writes honestly and personally about the damage caused by high-control religious systems, but she also writes beautifully about what comes after—the long, uneven, but very real process of healing.
She makes clear that healing doesn’t mean forgetting or minimizing what happened. It means learning to live fully again—to reclaim joy, voice, and purpose. As she says in our interview, “I should be in a ditch somewhere. But I’m thriving. I’m happy. I’m successful. I’m a boss.”
That declaration—“I’m a boss!”—has stayed with me. It captures not only Katherine’s resilience but also the spirit of this book. She’s built a new life, one where she can face life’s disruptions (like a broken air conditioner in the middle of summer, as she told me with a laugh) and still say she’s never been happier. That’s what healing looks like. That’s what it means to grow and discover again.
An Invitation to Heal
Katherine’s work with Tears of Eden continues to provide support, education, and resources for survivors of spiritual abuse. It’s also a hub for Uncertain's archives, where her interviews have helped countless people realize they’re not alone. Through this book and her ongoing advocacy, Katherine is creating space for others to heal, too.
So today, I’m not just celebrating the release of a new book. I’m celebrating the arrival of a much-needed conversation—one that will help many people name their pain, begin to untangle it, and move toward wholeness.
If you’ve ever wondered what spiritual abuse really is, or if you’ve felt isolated in your experience, A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts will give you language, empathy, and hope. And if you’ve never experienced it personally, it will open your eyes to a reality that’s been hiding in plain sight—and invite you to be part of the healing process.
Katherine Spearing’s story is one of pain, courage, humor, and transformation. And today, as we welcome her book into the world, I can’t help but feel immense gratitude that Lake Drive Books gets to be part of this journey.
Congratulations, Katherine. You are, indeed, a boss.
David Morris, Publisher, Lake Drive Books
