A Memory of Gratitude by Carol L. Wright
November 13, 2025 by Bethlehem Writers Group in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group tagged as Bethlehem Writers Group LLC, Carol L. Wright, From Scratch, gratitude, Sally W. Paradysz
The other day, I was thinking about how this regular “A Slice of Orange” column by members of the Bethlehem Writers Group (BWG) came about. It all began when one of our members, Sally W. Paradysz, wrote a monthly memoir/meditation from her “Cabin in the Woods” of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. When she started her regular contributions, she had already been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, but she didn’t waste her precious remaining time bemoaning her condition. Instead, she found many things for which to be grateful.
Bethlehem Writers Group was one thing she was thankful for until the end of her life. She was one of our founding members and grew as a writer during her years among us while helping other members to grow as well. I have always been grateful for Sal’s friendship and the time we had together.
After Sal’s passing in 2017 at the age of 77, other BWG members began writing their own thoughts for “A Slice of Orange” to fill the vacancy she left behind. You’ve seen us write original fiction, advice on writing, and thoughts on life.
Now, in the season for thankfulness, I want to honor Sal and share some of the many things that she appreciated most about this season–things that gave her life joy, love, and purpose. Below is a list of ten things I remember Sal being grateful for in this Thanksgiving season.
10. The fall palette that enhances Pennsylvania’s hills and woodlands, painting the trees in oranges, reds, yellows, browns, and greens against a clear blue sky in a natural masterpiece.
9. The scent of autumn after leaves have fallen when the air is crisp. It provokes a sense of anticipation of the changes to come: the bite of cold, a peaceful snowfall, and the contentment of being at home, snuggled under a blanket, stroking a cat, and reading a favorite book.
8. The trees that fell to give Sal a source of warmth through the colder months. Sal heated her house with a wood stove which gave a glow and fragrance that enriched the feeling of home. She thanked the trees for that gift.
7. The harvest that enhanced Sal’s vegetarian diet with fall flavors of squash and other vegetables that warmed the body and the heart.
6. The farewell honking of geese as they flew south for the winter. The songbirds that sang their gratitude for the many birdfeeders she filled as winter approached and food sources became increasingly scarce.
5. Deer and other wildlife, wearing their winter camouflage, that frequented her land, giving her a glimpse of stillness and beauty before disappearing into the gray-brown woods. Sal often wrote about the deer that eventually learned to trust her instead of fleeing from her presence.
4. The pets that owned her. Sal loved her gigantic Maine Coon cats. These long-haired beauties are friendly, vocal, loyal, and affectionate, even if they can be a lot to pick up and carry very far. They sometimes weigh in at over twenty pounds each.
3. The innumerable friends that shared parts of her journey, helping each other through the highs and lows, brightening joys and lightening sorrows. Sal’s heart was big enough to welcome friends wherever she went.
2. Family. Sal adored her children and grandchildren, appreciating each for their unique specialness. And, after a difficult marriage that ended in divorce, Sal found a true partner with whom to share the rest of her life. She was so very grateful for these much beloved people.
1. The blessing of a long life, affording opportunities to develop into her best self, to learn and grow, to become the published author she aspired to be . . . and to share these blessings with her readers from her cabin in the woods.
More of Sal’s Books
More of Carol’s Books
Q: What Do You Say To Pushy Readers?
November 15, 2019 by Rebecca Forster in category The Write Life by Rebecca Forster tagged as Craft, gratitude, preorder, The Witness Series, writers block
A: Thank you .
Lost Witness is in preorder. It will publish December 1 and I am stunned that this book is a reality. To explain why we need to rewind five years.
In October 2014 Dark Witness, the seventh – and I thought last – book in The Witness Series was published. Originally the first book, Hostile Witness, was presented to publishers as a stand alone novel. When an editor at Penguin/Putnam offered a three-book contract I accepted even though I had never written a series.
Silent Witness and Privileged Witness followed. In the three years it took the publisher to bring those books to market editorial direction changed hands, the marketplace started shrinking and the series progressed no further. My rights to the three books were reverted and, after writing for twenty-five years, I thought that perhaps it was time for me to kick back and retire. That was when my husband said: “Have you heard of this thing called Kindle.”
Fast forward to a career second wind as an indie author. I republished the first three books of The Witness Series and they spent over two years on Amazon’s thriller bestseller lists in the U.S. and UK. Over 2 million copies of the series have been downloaded to date. I continued to add books and finally penned Dark Witness. Not one for bow endings, I left one character walking into the sunset assuming my readers would imagine an ending for him to finish the story.
For five years while I wrote two more series – The Bailey Devlin Trilogy and Finn O’Brien Crime Thrillers – I got emails from readers demanding to know when the next Josie Bates book would be published. They wanted me to write the ending or the next chapter in these characters’ lives. They wanted the adventure to come from my head, not theirs.
I wasn’t ignoring these pleas; I simply had a horrible case of writer’s block. I loved Josie and Hannah, Billy and Archer, but I was terrified of making a big decision about their lives. I was also afraid that I didn’t have the skill to reclaim their unique voices.
At the beginning of this year I received one more email about Josie and the reader convinced me that it was time to meet the challenge of the next book head on. At first the dialogue was creaky, and the plot meandered. One day inspiration hit. I suddenly knew how to begin the book. I knew the end of the story. I knew the last words that had to be spoken. I had been ‘lost’ and because of the readers insistence I found my voice. In doing so I reclaimed Josie’s wisdom, I heard Hannah’s compassion, Billy’s unwavering devotion, and Archer’s steady guidance. I was home again and it felt darn good.
I want to thank the readers who pushed, prodded and cajoled. I didn’t know that I was missing Josie Bates, but the readers did. This Thanksgiving I am thankful to them for making Lost Witness possible.
PREORDER LOST WITNESS now ($.99) and join over 2 million fans of The Witness Series.
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