#SaturdaySpotlight is on 3 Dogs & Their Authors (PAW)

Good Morning!

Today's spotlight is a little different. Instead of an author and his/her book, we're getting a glimpse into a highly secret organization revealed to us by Suzy Parish!

Take it away Suzy....

Three Christian authors found their love for writing and puppies made a great match. Kathy Neely, Carol James, and Suzy Parish were hanging out on Zoom discussing their writing and their dogs. The dogs gave their own input, and suddenly PAW was born. PAW (Puppies Assigned to Writers) is a fictional (don’t tell the dogs that) organization. PAWs motto is: 3 Dogs, 3 Authors. Love, Companionship, Loyalty and Excellence.

The authors dogs report weekly on the activities of their authors and on the life of an author’s dog.

The opening letter stated:

Brody Neely and Zoe James,

You have been selected to participate in a highly secret organization.

P.A.W. (Puppies Assigned to Writers). This is considered a high honor bestowed on us by the Great Creator, who gives us breath.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to report on the activities of your assigned author. To love, honor and obey your author and to help them become more like the Great Creator Himself. You may communicate with each other, but please do so when your writer is not aware. We know that authors are highly emotional creatures, prone to fits of melancholy. Therefore it is your job to remind them of the love of the Creator and the beauty of simple things.

In His Service,

Sandy Parish

You can follow the antics of PAW on Instagram at 3dogsandtheirauthors

https://www.instagram.com/3dogsandtheirauthors/

Suzy Parish is an award-winning Contemporary Christian Fiction Author. Her debut novel, Flowers from Afghanistan, was awarded a bronze medal by the Military Writers Society of America. The book was chosen as a Best First Book in Inspirational Romance by the National Readers' Choice Awards. Suzy wrote as a Community Columnist for the Huntsville Times. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). 

Suzy discovered her love of books as a child in Richmond, Virginia when she took refuge from the summer heat in the local Bookmobile. She believes in the power of literacy to improve the lives of individuals and stewards a Little Free Library. 

Connect with Suzy Parish's on SM Here: Suzy Parish's links are on linktr.ee

Hope you enjoyed today's post and will check out the antics of 3 Dogs & Their Authors and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God Bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes Kathy Neely & In Search of True North!

Good Morning!

I scheduled today's post yesterday before the ball game. Yep, as of this writing we're still in the running for Dixie Youth World Championship game. I'll let y'all know on Saturday how we ended up!

Today's guest has been here often sharing treasures and thoughts with us and in our spotlight so please welcome Kathy Neely back with some encouragement for inadequate writers....

Words From an Inadequate Writer

Many years ago, fresh out of college with my shiny new teaching certificate, I landed my first teaching position. Fourth grade. I walked around my empty classroom, the four walls that would be my domain for shaping young lives, and had a strange feeling. Me—a teacher?  How long until they all figure out that I’m out of my element, that I’m an imposter with no idea what I’m doing? 

Many years have passed since that fearsome first day. By the end of the school year, my confidence had grown and I settled into a career that I would love and eventually miss. Years later, my principal encouraged me to go into administration. I earned my principal’s certification and worked in leadership until my retirement. 

Today, I’m a writer. That truth took some time to solidify in my mind. When I began writing, I couldn’t help feeling like I had snuck into a culture where I didn’t belong, and soon people would find out. Others around me were versed in a lexicon that was foreign to me. They had published books while I had an over-edited five chapters. I say ‘over-edited’ because I couldn’t move past those early chapters. I couldn’t get the story on paper since my focus was on every little word. Did I have enough details? Were they too drawn out? Should I add more sensory language? Will this make sense to anyone but me? 

I didn’t have confidence and didn’t believe in myself. But Jeremiah 17:7 says “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” The real truth is this—I don’t have the ability to be a writer, or a teacher, or a parent, or much of anything on my own. It’s only through the power of Christ in me that I can write. 

So often, we allow what we do to define us. That’s a feeble concept because things of this earth are so fragile. Jobs are lost. Marriages fail. Books remain unpublished. My value is not because I write. It’s not because I taught students. My value is because I’m a child of the King. 

If you’ve ever shared those feelings of inadequacy, consider the following scriptures. Post them at your writing station as a daily reminder. 

• Isaiah 32.17 The fruit of that righteousness will be peace, its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. 

• Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 

• Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make straight your paths.

• 2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.

• Romans 8:28  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

In a recent interview, I was asked when I discovered that I was a writer. I think I discovered that I’m a writer when I realized that people actually liked what I wrote. 

My advice for new writers is this: Do everything in your power to hone up the skills of the trade, knowing that it will not be enough. Place your trust in the Lord and allow Him to do the rest. Don’t allow writing to define you. Yes, I’m a writer—a child of God who writes fiction for God’s glory and your enjoyment. 

Kathleen Neely is the author of The Street Singer, Beauty for Ashes, The Least of These, and In Search of True North.  She is a former elementary teacher. Following her years in the classroom, she moved into administration, serving as an elementary principal. Kathleen is an alumnus of Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and Regent University in Virginia. 

Among her writing accomplishments, Kathleen won second place in a short story contest through ACFW-VA for her story “The Missing Piece” and an honorable mention for her story “The Dance”. Both were published in a Christmas anthology. Her novel, The Least of These, was awarded first place in the 2015 Fresh Voices contest through Almost an Author. She has numerous devotions published through Christian Devotions. She continues to speak to students about writing. Kathleen is a member of American of Christian Fiction Writers.

She resides in Greenville, SC with her husband, two cats, and one dog. She enjoys time with family, visiting her two grandsons, traveling, and reading. Connect with Kathy by visiting her Website and connecting with her on Facebook, Twitter and  Instagram

Blurb In Search of True North: Heartbroken, Mallory Carter leaves home at graduation. She decides to never burden her family with her choices again. Twelve long years of loneliness are comforted only by the homemade telescope she uses to stargaze. Then she receives a call that her sister has died, leaving behind a son, the son Mallory gave up at the tender age of seventeen. When her family pressures her to raise Samuel, she agrees, despite the fact that he’s unaware of their true relationship.

 

Samuel’s uncle, handsome architect Brady Donaldson, welcomes Mallory to the family, but she doesn’t know how much she can trust him. Brady has a bond with Samuel that Mallory has only been able to dream of for the last twelve years. But Mallory holds secrets that could ruin her new life. As threats surface from Mallory’s past, the relationship she is building with her son is endangered. Will she lose Samuel a second time? She realizes she desperately needs someone to trust, and Brady seems determined to fight for Mallory and Samuel. Searching for true north has never felt so hard. Will Brady Donaldson be the one to guide Mallory home, and to the God she abandoned long ago?

Order your copy at https://www.amazon.com/Search-True-North

Love your advice Kathy, we all feel inadequate from time to time. Thanks for sharing and we wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with In Search of True North!

Until next time, friends, take care and God bless.

PamT

#TuesdayTreasures with Kathleen Neely

Good Morning!

Today's guest has shared treasures with us, been in our spotlight and shared thoughts with us twice so please welcome Kathleen Neely back once again with something she treasures....

Joy in the Journey

I was married in 1972, and raised three sons in the age before digital photography. That explains why I have photo albums with clear pages that contain years of photographs, sticky pages that loosen if you peel them back to rearrange the photos. Before digital photography, we took rolls of film to the pharmacy to have pictures sent away to be developed. No one-hour pick up. There was no option to peek and select the best of the roll. The result of that is multiple photos of the same pose, just to ensure that we’d get a good one. I never could bring myself to discard photos, so the extras ended up in a box, often with the negatives in an envelope, just in case.

Then came digital photography. The advent of photo books. No more sticky pages with pictures falling out. The first one that I created was my son and daughter-in-law’s wedding pictures. I knew that I wanted the same beautiful tribute to the years of raising my sons. The problem was, I had no digital photos. I had a disorganized mess of a dozen haphazard books and two boxes of jumbled pictures.

My sister and I set ourselves to the enormous task of creating three photo books, one for each of my sons. The book would highlight their lives from birth to adulthood. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. We spread photos over a long table and began sorting, selecting, scanning, and downloading. Then we set ourselves to the task of creating.

Another wonderful perk a photo book is the opportunity for creativity—adding quotes, embellishments, borders. I scanned and included newspaper birth announcements, scriptures, and some snippets of things they had written.

The joy of creating the books was topped by their pleasure when they opened them at Christmas. This little story contains so many things that I cherish. The years of memories when my boys were young, the time spent with my sister working and reminiscing, the fun creating, and the joy of giving. At the onset, the project felt overwhelming, but the journey became my treasure.

How precious, Kathleen! I've got a ton of photos that need to be in albums and a ton more on computer, phone and CD's that need to be printed and put in albums. I think we can all agree pictures are something to treasure. Thanks for sharing.

 Kathleen Neely is the author of The Street Singer, Beauty for Ashes (4-26-19), and The Least of These (5-30-19).  She is a former elementary teacher. Following her years in the classroom, she moved into administration, serving as an elementary principal. Kathleen is an alumnus of Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and Regent University in Virginia. She held certifications in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Principal. As a long-time member of the Association of Christian Schools International, she attended numerous leadership conferences. In addition to teaching children, Kathleen taught staff development workshops and led forums for teachers.

Among her writing accomplishments, Kathleen won second place in a short story contest through ACFW-VA for her short story “The Missing Piece” and an honorable mention for her story “The Dance”. Both were published in a Christmas anthology. Her novel, The Least of These, was awarded first place in the 2015 Fresh Voices contest through Almost an Author. She has numerous devotions published through Christian Devotions. She continues to speak to students about writing. Kathleen is a member of Association of Christian Fiction Writers.

 

She resides in Greenville, SC with her husband, two cats, and one dog. She enjoys time with family, visiting her two grandsons, traveling, and reading.

Website – www.KathleenNeely.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/kathy.neely.98

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NeelyKneely3628

The Street Singer is available at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

PBG

Beauty for Ashes will be released on April 26^th. Watch for the presale coming soon. 

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll drop by often to see who's sharing what!

Until next time take care and God bless.
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Kathleen Neely & The Street Singer!

Good Morning from Santee, SC!

We've been travelling since Wednesday and have settled here for a few days. Next week we'll head to south FL and hopefully visit the National Parks there.

Today though, please welcome Kathleen Neely back to our blog to share a peek into her novel, The Street Singer.

Trisha Mills, a student in her final semester of law school, has fond memories of listening to the music of Adaline, a once famous recording artist. She learns that Adaline, now Adda
Marsh, is a street singer in Asheville, NC. Adda’s sole means of support in her senior years comes from the donation box. Along with her meager possessions, Adda has a box labeled, “Things to Remember.” Adda agrees to show Trisha the contents. With it comes her story. Adda Mississippi, to fame in Nashville, and to poverty in her old age.

Trisha is busy cleaning out the home of her deceased grandfather, preparing to sit for the bar exam, and planning her wedding to Grant Ramsey. However, she cannot overlook the
injustices that Adda has experienced. Aided by Rusty Bergstrom, an attorney who will work pro bono, Trisha convinces Adda to seek restitution. Will her growing friendship with Rusty Bergstrom affect her engagement to Grant?

EXCERPT

Adda sat on the mattress to catch her breath before lifting the lid off of the remembering box. It was the fullest. There was a lot more to remember than there was to eat. Some of the remembering was good. But mostly it was hard.

Adda picked up a photograph of her family. She never questioned where they got it, or how they had afforded such a fine picture. It was black and white with a white border around the whole thing. Little curvy cuts made up the white paper frame. There was her mama and daddy, standing straight in the middle, all nine of their children surrounding them, everyone smiling for the picture.

She started with the one on her left because that was the way she was told to read—left to right. Leila, Jamal, and Rosa were first, next to Mama. Then Daddy was standing with Berta, Kande, Kioni, and Luther, beside him. Adda and Minny were in front of Mama and Daddy. They were the littlest. Adda figured she must have been around four years old, and Minny just a tad younger.

Adda looked beyond the people and saw her growing-up home. There was that old house with the two windows that always stayed open, trying to get some air inside those three rooms. The front porch had big rocks pushed under the corner poles to keep it level. Adda remembered the time Luther slithered under that porch, hiding when he was a’feared that Daddy was gonna whoop him. Didn’t take Daddy no time to find him cause that dry old dust started Luther coughing. Daddy whooped him, once for disobeying and twice for hiding.

The big pole furthest from the door had the clothesline attached. Then it stretched out to a big old Elm tree. There were no clothes hanging on it, which was a strange sight. Adda never remembered the clothesline being empty.

She placed the picture face down and pulled out a frayed piece of fabric, no bigger than a hand towel. The floral pattern was faded beyond recognition, but Adda saw it clearly. She had those tiny pink roses burned in her mind, their green swirly stems all sewed with hand stitches. Mama had sewn the blanket when Berta was a little child, but when she tried to hand it on down, Berta threw a fit. Adda kept sneaking to use it, and Berta would snatch it back. That was about the finest thing inside that little old rough wood building. Adda held the scrap to her face and brushed its softness against her cheek. Mama. Why didn’t you help me?

Kathleen Neely resides in Greenville, SC with her husband, two cats, and one dog. She is a retired elementary principal, and enjoys time with family, visiting her two grandsons, traveling, and reading.

She is the author of The Street Singer. Two other novels, Beauty for Ashes and The Least of These, will be released in 2019. Kathleen won second place in a short story contest through ACFW-VA for her short story “The Missing Piece” and an honorable mention for her story “The Dance”. Both were published in a Christmas anthology. Her first novel, The Least of These, was awarded first place in the 2015 Fresh Voices contest through Almost an Author. She has numerous devotions published through Christian Devotions. Kathleen's newest release, The Street Singer is available now from Pelican Book Group, Amazon & Barnes and Noble.    

Kathleen continues to speak to students about writing and publication processes. She is a member of Association of Christian Fiction Writers.

Website – www.KathleenNeely.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/kathy.neely.98

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NeelyKneely3628

Check out Kathleen's previous Tuesday Treasures and Thursday Thoughts and check back regularly for more.

Until next time take care and God Bless.

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts with Kathleen Neely

Good Morning!

I'm headed back to Louisiana from Bandera today but PLEASE welcome Kathleen Neely back as she shares some thoughts on writing with us....

When Building Characters, Go Deeper

By Kathleen Neely

When an author begins a novel, they will spend the better part of a year with the characters they create. It’s important to know them well. Let’s create one together. We’ll call him Maxwell.

****

Maxwell has dark brown hair, that likes to curl at the tips. His eyes have a golden sparkle in a sea of copper brown. Broad shoulders tell readers that he spends some time at the gym. His engaging smile lights up a room and all the ladies want to get his attention.

Sorry, that’s superficial. Go deeper.

Maxwell has some quirky traits. He lives life in the fast lane. I’m not talking about wild living, I’m talking about rapid speech, a pacer who can’t sit down for long. Maxwell jumps right in and gets the job done. He has one speed—overdrive.

Okay, that’s a little better. But if you want to engage readers, you better go deeper.

Everyone has a history, and Maxwell’s no exception. He grew up in a high achieving home. His father, a renowned criminal attorney, never hesitated to show his disappointment in his youngest son. Maxwell’s brother was the golden boy who could do no wrong. That is, until he died of an overdose. Maxwell tried to step into his place, but he couldn’t fool his father. He wasn’t as smart, as charismatic, or as ambitious. His father’s grief and disappointment never ceased to show. Maxwell spent his life trying to earn his approval.

Now we’re getting somewhere. We’re learning what makes Maxwell tick.

Maxwell plays out the main role in our story, but now, actions make sense. We know why he lives on overdrive. His behaviors are a result of his backstory. It’s made him who he is today. But wait—what happens when Maxwell has an opportunity to make it big? He’s on the cusp of an accomplishment that will provide recognition certain to impress his father. He just needs to step over a few minor ethical lines. He struggles, telling himself that the lines are slight and the reward is great. Sleepless nights and that tight knot in his stomach help him to make his decision.

We’re now glimpsing the deepest part of our character. We see Maxwell’s desire, his struggle, his rationale in decision making. We see a change.

****

That’s the long explanation for characterization, but it was fun creating Maxwell.

A brief recap for creating characters:

• Know them well before you begin writing.
• Move beyond appearances. Those are nice details, but they’re superficial.
• Let your reader know about their quirks and traits, but until we dig deeper, we won’t know why.
• Provide backstory. For each of us, our history has molded who we are today.
• Provide a deep look into your character by showing struggle. How does he make decisions and handle temptations, based on his history?
• Our character must experience some growth. How has he changed through the course of the story?
• Remember, in real life and in fiction, no one is totally good or totally bad. Show that in your protagonist and your villain.

What tips do you have for creating characters? I’d love to hear.

Kathleen Neely resides in Greenville, SC with her husband, two cats, and one dog. She is a retired elementary principal, and enjoys time with family, visiting her two grandsons, traveling, and reading.

She is the author of The Street Singer. Two other novels, Beauty for Ashes and The Least of These, will be released in 2019. Kathleen won second place in a short story contest through ACFW-VA for her short story “The Missing Piece” and an honorable mention for her story “The Dance”. Both were published in a Christmas anthology. Her first novel, The Least of These, was awarded first place in the 2015 Fresh Voices contest through Almost an Author. She has numerous devotions published through Christian Devotions. Kathleen's newest release, The Street Singer is available now from Pelican Book Group, Amazon & Barnes and Noble.    

Kathleen continues to speak to students about writing and publication processes. She is a member of Association of Christian Fiction Writers.

Website – www.KathleenNeely.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/kathy.neely.98

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NeelyKneely3628

Check out Kathleen's earlier Tuesday Treasures and Thursday Thoughts visits with us!

Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll check back weekly to see who's sharing thoughts, treasures and the spotlight.

Until next time take care and God Bless.

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts Guest post by Kathy Neely

Good Morning Friends and Welcome to the LAST Thursday Thoughts of April 2017!

Today Kathy Neely returns to share some thoughts with us. She was here last month with something she treasures, so please give her a great, big, warm welcome!

The Beginning or the End

Is it the beginning or the end? There’s an obscurity to those terms. When I click my keyboard with the final line of a novel, I have a conclusion to the story. Then the work begins. When the draft is completed, it’s time to go back to the beginning and re-do. Fix typos, grammatical errors, point of view issues, even plot changes. It doesn’t have to be done correctly on the first pass. There’s a chance to make it better.

Sometimes in life, the end is really the beginning. Graduations are called ‘commencement’. It’s a new beginning. When the wedding “I do’s” are spoken, it’s a whole new start. The end of pregnancy is the beginning of parenthood.

And yet, at those Hallmark moments, there is no do-over. You can’t erase choices from adolescence, decisions in parenting, wedding details.

There’s a beginning and an ending that trumps all others. Our journey in this life will come to an end—glorious or tragic. A point in time when there are no do-overs. Jesus used stories to teach. In one such parable, he said, “Therefore keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour.” Matthew 25:13. That’s an ominous truth. The good news is found in 1 John.

“And this is the testimony; God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:11-13.

We have the assurance to know that the end will be a glorious beginning.

Oh WOW, Kathy, definitely something to think about! Now tell us about yourself and your upcoming releases....


Kathleen Neely is an author and former elementary school principal. After growing up in Pittsburgh, PA, she and her husband Vaughn moved to sunny South Carolina. Together they have three handsome sons, one lovely daughter-in-law, and two incredible grandsons. She is a member of Cross N Pens and ACFW.

Kathleen won first place in Almost an Author’s Fresh Voices contest, and is a second place winner in ACFW-VA’s short story contest. She has two novels coming soon through Pelican Book Group. You can find her at http://kathleenneelyauthor.com.

What an accomplishment, congrats Kathy! Thank you for sharing with us today. We're looking forward to hearing more about your PBG books.

Thank YOU, Friends for dropping by. Check back weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT

#TuesdayTreasures Guest Post by Kathy Neely

Good Morning Friends!

Yesterday marked the first day of Spring and yet, our temps were in the 80's....more like Summer here but still snow in other parts of the US. Crazy right? This past weekend we went camping and really got to enjoy the spring-like weather....cool evenings, warm days....definitely something to treasure! I pray you had a great weekend too.

Today's guest is brand new to me and our blog, but soon-to-be a fellow Pelican Book Group author, so please welcome Kathy Neely to share treasures with us!

Bookends

Mornings are a refuge, only the sound of birdsong amid the solitude. Sunrises paint the horizon shades of red, orange, and yellow, the promise of another day. It’s a time to reflect, meditate, worship, and pray. A time when ears are tuned to listen without the chaos that everyday life brings. A time to prepare your heart and soul for what’s ahead.

Evenings are a gift of rest, a time to raise the foot of the recliner and allow the respite to renew tired muscles, stressed nerves. A time for family, for prayer, and for sleep, for prayer. A time to read God’s word, even if the reading lulls you to sleep. How sweet to sleep with praise on your lips.

Morning and evening are like bookends, designed to support what’s in-between. Bookends hold the middle upright, allowing it to stand tall and straight, without sagging or falling over.

Can you imagine a day without the bookends that support it? Days filled with busyness, decisions to make, relationships to nurture. Days filled with ringing phones, news of terror attacks, and political manipulations. Days filled with happiness and laughter, hurtfulness and tears.

Mornings and evenings are a gift from God, a time to be Mary and sit at his feet. Don’t miss it. Don’t allow this gifted time to meld into the middle. Savor the mornings. Protect the evenings. They will give you strength to stand upright.

Wow, Kathy, I never really thought of mornings and evenings like bookends of our day and you're right, both are definitely something to treasure! 

Let's find out a little more about Kathy.....

Kathleen Neely is an author and former elementary school principal. After growing up in Pittsburgh, PA, she and her husband Vaughn moved to sunny South Carolina. Together they have three handsome sons, one lovely daughter-in-law, and two incredible grandsons. She is a member of Cross N Pens and ACFW.

Kathleen won first place in Almost an Author’s Fresh Voices contest, and is a second place winner in ACFW-VA’s short story contest. She has two novels coming soon through Pelican Book Group. You can find her at http://kathleenneelyauthor.com.

What an accomplishment, congrats Kathy! Thank you for sharing with us today. We're looking forward to hearing more about your PBG books.

Thank YOU, Friends for dropping by. Check back weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT