Looking out the Window: Award-winning Author Kathleen Neely Talks about Finding God's Purpose for Us and Her New Book, Though the Mountains Be Shaken. Gives Away a Copy.
A Warm Welcome to Kathleen Neely
Kathleen will give away either an e-Book or a print copy (U.S. Residents only) of Though the Mountains be Shaken, winner's choice. To enter to win see the Rafflecopter contest below.
The Missing Piece
Shel Silverstein is an icon in the world of children’s poetry. Where the Sidewalk Ends. The Giving Tree. Falling Up. I could go on and on. His simplistic illustrations, often in black and white, have become synonymous with his name.
He authored a book titled The Missing Piece. Here’s the quick premise. It looks like a cheese wheel with a wedge removed, or perhaps an open-mouthed Pac-man. It knows that something is missing, so proceeds to hunt for it.
Every solution turns out wrong. It squeezes misshapen objects in an attempt to fill the emptiness. Too large. Too small. An incorrect form.
Many lessons await us in this simple, yet complex children’s book. I’ve found myself trying to fill the emptiness with possessions, work, people, and even with writing. None of those things are bad, but they can’t fill the empty space. I’ve fooled myself with the ‘if only’ dream.
There’s only one perfect fit for the missing space in each of us. We were created to love and glorify God. Here’s the big problem. I think I do that, yet I still come up empty. If you continue reading Silverstein’s book, you’ll discover that It found a piece that fit, yet wasn’t satisfied. Why? Because the perfect circle caused it to spin past all the beloved parts of life. In the end, It chose to leave the space empty.
So, what’s our lesson? I believe that we can never fully fill that space on this side of eternity. I love going on vacation, but by the end of a week, I’m homesick. We were created for a different place. We are sojourners longing for that eternal home. I believe that when we reach our final home, nothing will be missing. Only then will we be complete.
My newest book, Though the Mountains Be Shaken, is special to me. I live with Parkinson’s Disease, and have long wanted to write a character with PD. I’ve done that through Kate Dunbar, a high-achieving working mother who finds her world crumbling. Here are some lessons that Kate and I have both learned.
1. Our work is not the slice of life that completes us. I love writing, and it’s a part of my life. But it’s not my life. If you’re like me, you need to remind yourself to keep it in perspective.
2. Remember that the ‘if only’ statements don’t satisfy. If only I could … Each of us can fill in our own blank. I’ve filled it in with some publishing desires and have seen some success. But sorry, it doesn’t fill the empty space. There’s always something more to want.
3. Don’t use all of your energy to become a people pleaser. After my first novel launched, I obsessed with reviews. I’d click on Amazon multiple times daily. My problem wasn’t the quality of reviews but the lack of them. As much as I reminded people about the importance of reviews, most people simply don’t post them. It was a burden lifted when I decided to stop agonizing about reviews.
4. Don’t spin so fast that you lose sight of what’s important. That poor little cheese wheel or Pac-man, or whatever you wish to call it, found a fit and spun so fast that it couldn’t enjoy life. Take time for what’s really important. Newsflash—it isn’t writing. Time spent with God, family, friends, church, leisure. In life’s big picture, they all surpass writing.
5. Our chief purpose is to love and glorify God. What a joy it is to call myself a Christian writer. I don’t write fiction with a forced message or hidden agenda. But I do weave the message of Christ as it fits the circumstances of plot. I believe that readers may be influenced by the message more than a Sunday sermon hidden in a novel.
About Though the Mountains Be Shaken
Kate Dunbar puts 100% into everything she does—a career as a literary agent, a mom of preschool twins, and the wife of Ryan Dunbar, a criminal defense attorney. She appears to have the perfect life, until it begins to crumble piece by piece—her marriage, her health, and her job.
Kate blames emotional stress for her fatigue, stiffness, and tremors. As symptoms begin to increase, Kate finds herself unable to control her body’s erratic movements. At the same time that she and Ryan separate, she receives a diagnosis of Parkinson’s. Determined not to tell her estranged husband of her diagnosis, Kate faces an unknown future and the possibility that she’ll face it as a single mother.
As glimmers of hope for a restored marriage begin to surface, more upheavals await them. A case that Ryan is defending endangers his family and his career.
Kate and Ryan both harbor secrets that threaten their marriage. Can they mend their broken family? How will Parkinson’s affect their future? For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others. Every vow they spoke eight years ago is being tested. Can they survive the storm?
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Bio: Kathleen Neely 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, Beauty for Ashes, The Least of These, Arms of Freedom, and In Search of True North. 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.
Kathleen continues to speak to students about writing and publication processes. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.
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