#TuesdayTreasures Guest Post by Katherine Fleet!

Good Morning Friends,

You may recognize our guest, Katherine Fleet, today as she shared some thoughts with us on June 16th and we spotlighted her book on May 28th. This time Katherine is sharing something she treasures with us!

Hi everyone! I’m so excited to be here today on Pam’s site. My debut YA, The Secret to Letting Go, from Entangled Teen, is about family and community and what it takes to really feel like you belong. So for Tuesday Treasures, I picked something that reminded me of my family and my roots – a computer memory stick I recently received from my dad. It may seem like an odd thing to treasure, but if there was a fire, it’s one of the first things I’d grab. Why?

Over the winter, my dad spent many, many hours scanning ALL of our old family pictures and slides, including the black and white pictures from when he was a boy. He scanned over five thousand images and labelled them all with dates and names of people in the photographs. This was a pretty impressive feat for a man in his late seventies with very limited computer skills!

When he finally finished, I shared them with my husband and kids for the very first time. It was an amazing experience to see these pictures again and even more special to provide my kids with this glimpse into my family. The photos reminded me of what a great childhood I had and, like a time machine, they brought back memories of days and trips I’d long forgotten about. Some of the images were grainy or scratched, but it didn’t diminish their impact or importance.

It also made me realize how nostalgic I’d become about my past. When I was a kid, I was always looking forward. Somewhere along the way, I’ve started to place more value on looking back.

In The Secret to Letting Go, the main character, Clover, loses all her pictures and personal belongings in a hurricane:

The thought of Mama’s typewriter and my books, pictures, and writing buried in mud, cut through me like an ax. A part of me, that part anchored to Mama and the only good memories I had, had been hacked away. It hurt so much to think of it even my teeth ached. I wrapped my arms around my belly and swallowed back the bitter taste. I knew I should be thankful. Caesar and I were safe, but hadn’t I already lost more than my share?

The hero, Daniel, tries to comfort her with the adage that belongings can always be replaced, but people can’t.

Yet, some belongings can’t be replaced – especially those with sentimental value, and I see that the older I become, the more value I place on sentiment. I know I should try to live fully in the present moment, but it’s hard to ignore the pull of the past…

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Are you the sentimental type? Are there things that remind you of your past, that you can’t imagine living without? Thanks again to Pam for hosting me and thanks for reading. 

You are SO right, Katherine, that is definitely something to treasure!

Originally from Newfoundland, Katherine Fleet gave up the cold winters of Eastern Canada for the year round warmth of the Caribbean. The slower pace of island life has given her time to pursue a long-time goal—becoming an author. When she’s not writing, she spends her time baking, chauffeuring her three amazing, talented kids around, and having sun-filled adventures with her husband and wonderful friends in Curaçao. 

She is also a very thankful breast cancer survivor. In 2007, she joined RWA and has enjoyed the support and camaraderie of the YARWA and OIRWA writing communities. She’s participated in NaNoWriMo since 2012 and is an active supporter of the associated Young Writers Program. 

Katherine writes Young/New Adult fiction. She is represented by super-agent Carrie Pestritto of Prospect Agency. The Secret to Letting Go is her debut novel. You can connect with her at her Website (be sure and sign up for her newsletter!). Also be sure to like/follow/etc Katherine on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Good Reads. 

Purchase The Secret to Letting go at Amazon, B&N, ITunes, Kobo, Amazon UK, Amazon CA and directly from the publisher.

I hope you enjoyed today's treasure as much as I did and I certainly hope to see you each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

#ThursdayThoughts: Guest post by Katherine Fleet

Good Morning from soggy Panama City Beach, Florida!

Florida is known as the 'sunshine' state...well today it's a bit soggy out there. It rained, actually stormed last night and now the Gulf waters are a deep, roiling green and the wind is saturated with moisture. Should burn off later and we'll be scorching later but this morning it's really nice out.

Today we welcome Katherine Fleet back to our blog to share some thoughts with us....

Hi! I’m Katherine Fleet, debut author of the YA Contemporary, The Secret to Letting Go. Thanks so much to Pam for sharing my Thursday Thoughts today!

My novel is set in a fictional town on the Gulf Coast of Florida during that magical summer after high school graduation when the whole world is out there waiting for you. It’s the story of two teens – Clover, a mysterious girl who shows up in town lost in her secrets and fears, and Daniel, a boy who’s drawn into her troubled world despite his better judgment. Life keeps throwing them together, but their secrets keep them apart. Ultimately, it’s a story about living through tragedy and learning to forgive your self.

The tagline for my book is “One summer can change anything.” Since my story is set over one summer and the lives of Clover and Daniel are transformed during this period, the tag line made sense. But it called to me for another reason. As a teenager and young adult, I remember feeling that there was nothing more exciting than the idea of an entire summer ahead. As I finished those last days of school in June, summer felt like a promise of something great on the horizon.

I remember what my room felt like with the windows open and that warm, summer breeze lifting the lace curtains. I remember the sound of lawnmowers and the smell of fresh cut grass. Growing up in St. John’s, Newfoundland, summer was the only time of year where you could count on some warm, sunny days, but even then, hot days were rare. I used to sunbathe on my back porch lying on a blanket. This was before we knew about ozone layers and skin cancer. When the sun ducked behind a cloud, I’d wrap the ends of the blanket around me, so I wouldn’t freeze! I spent a lot of time walking the trails in the city, daydreaming about stories that I’d only get the nerve to try writing years later. But mostly, I remember the feeling of freedom, and I remember it like it was yesterday.

I now have three kids, two of which are teenagers. They are reaching the end of the school year and my oldest son is graduating! Sometimes I wonder how they will remember their summers. We live in the Caribbean, and for us, summer is travel time. We normally return to Canada and visit family and friends. We’ve also travelled throughout Europe and the US. I wonder which feelings and sensations will stand out to them decades from now.

I’d love to hear from you. What are your favorite memories of summers past?

Thanks again to Pam for hosting me and thanks for reading.  J

Thank you, Katherine for sharing your story with us!

Katherine writes Young/New Adult fiction. She is represented by super-agent Carrie Pestritto of Prospect Agency. The Secret to Letting Go is her debut novel. You can connect with her at her Website (be sure and sign up for her newsletter!). Also be sure to like/follow/etc Katherine on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Good Reads. She was our Saturday Spotlight guest last month so be sure and check that out.

The Secret to Letting go can be found at Amazon, B&N, ITunes, Kobo, Amazon UK, Amazon CA and directly from the publisher.

Hope you enjoyed today's thoughts. Stay tuned weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!

Until next time....take care and God Bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Katherine Fleet and The Secret to Letting go

Good Morning Friends!

I pray you've had a lovely week and are looking forward to a wonderful summer. Today's guest is new to our blog so I won't take up too much of your time rambling before I introduce her....

Originally from Newfoundland, Katherine Fleet gave up the cold winters of Eastern Canada for the year round warmth of the Caribbean. The slower pace of island life has given her time to pursue a long-time goal—becoming an author. When she’s not writing, she spends her time baking, chauffeuring her three amazing, talented kids around, and having sun-filled adventures with her husband and wonderful friends in Curaçao. 

She is also a very thankful breast cancer survivor. In 2007, she joined RWA and has enjoyed the support and camaraderie of the YARWA and OIRWA writing communities. She’s participated in NaNoWriMo since 2012 and is an active supporter of the associated Young Writers Program. 

Katherine writes Young/New Adult fiction. She is represented by super-agent Carrie Pestritto of Prospect Agency. The Secret to Letting Go is her debut novel. You can connect with her at her Website (be sure and sign up for her newsletter!). Also be sure to like/follow/etc Katherine on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Good Reads.

Now on to Katherine's novel....

One summer can change everything... 

Haunted with guilt after his girlfriend’s death, Daniel Hudson has no interest in committing to anyone. At the end of the summer, he’ll be leaving Florida for a new start in college. If only he could avoid the mysterious new girl in town, who seems every bit as naive and eccentric as she looks. Trouble is, she’s hard to ignore, with her beautiful piercing eyes, pitiful-looking dog, and unsettling tendency of finding trouble.

Clover Scott lived her whole life off the grid and arrives on the Gulf coast in search of her grandparents. She never expected to nearly drown, or get caught in a hurricane, or fall in love with the boy who rescues her. Now, she has a chance to rewrite her life’s story, to finally fit in somewhere, but Daniel wants answers about her past. When the police start asking questions about the disappearance of her parents, she must make a choice: go to jail or confess her secrets—even if they might destroy her chance at a happily-ever-after.

Excerpt:

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow at noon?”

She nodded so hard, her teeth probably rattled. “I’d like that.”

It wasn’t like we were arranging a date, so why did her enthusiasm make me straighten up and puff out my chest? “We can meet at the beach next to the pier. My friends and I’ll be surfing. You bring the preserves, and I’ll bring the stove.”

Uncertainty flickered across her face, and her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

I should have used her reluctance to back out, but instead I reassured her. “We won’t be hard to find. We’re just north of the pier, and this way we can meet on neutral territory.”

Her expression turned blank.

“You know…in case I’m secretly a serial killer. There’s always safety in numbers.”

Her lips twitched upward, and she laughed. The sound tinkled through the air like wind chimes on a breezy day. “I already know you’re not a bad person.”

“Oh yeah?”

She nodded. Her unwavering stare made me want to squirm in my shoes. “True evil can never be hidden. It’s always there, if you know where to look. When I look at you, I see only good things.”

I snatched my gaze away from hers and tugged at the collar of my shirt. I wanted to know how she could talk with such authority on the subject. I wanted to know what evil she’d seen, but I wanted even more to escape the narrow store aisle. Warning bells pealed in my brain. She’s crazy. Don’t get involved.

Purchase The Secret to Letting go at Amazon, B&N, ITunes, Kobo, Amazon UK, Amazon CA and directly from the publisher.

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight as much as I did!

Check back each week for new Saturday Spotlight as well as Tuesday Treasures and Thursday Thoughts!

Until next time...Take care and God Bless.

PamT