We recently connected with Trixie Neal and have shared our conversation below.

Trixie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

After writing three books (the last one with a pen name) I realized more so that staying Tethered to Christ gave me strength to endure difficult challenges in my life. Having a blended family, with sometimes challenging situations that we lived through, helps me to have empathy for others facing similar circumstances now. This book, Tethered to Christ, mainly focuses on one of our teenage daughters who suffered from lack of love from a biological father, who had suddenly died. She did not know where she stood with him as he had not communicated with his four children for three years before his passing. For some reason this may have given her a desire at a very young age to have her own baby. We never ceased to pray during those years! My most recent book, Tethered to Christ, shows how God has an ongoing part in our life. It is a true beautiful story of that wonderful fact.

Trixie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

The first book where I used a pen name, Trixie Neal, “Living with LDS Alcoholics-Two Levels of Healing” shares a personal journey of my family (parents and three siblings) growing up and beyond with consequences of parental binge alcoholism that was well hidden from the outside world. Good times were out shadowed by constant fear and worry of when my parents would retreat to drink for one to two weeks, As I (Trixie) was the oldest, it seems I was most impacted by this, caring for my three siblings. All these years later, we try and make light of some things that happened in our past. We say that my family invented the ATM. When some of us could drive and groceries were running low, we would just knock on our parent’s locked bedroom door and ask for money to go to the store. Magically, out would roll some cash under the door! Our family, for the most part, was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it would have shocked members of the congregation to know what was happening behind closed doors now and then for years! Only a few leaders found out later when my youngest brother was preparing to serve a church mission and spilled the beans. Yes, my parents were livid. But after time, our parents finally halted/healed from this awful addiction in their early 60’s. To compound the difficulties in my (Trixie) life, my first husband became an alcoholic and passed away from liver disease after we were divorced. I wrote that first book to give hope because my parents had been forgiven and healed and were able to fully enjoy their later years in life. If not for our Savior’s Atonement, this could not have happened. Now, on to my most recent book, Tethered to Christ, and welcome to graduate school parenting 201! I was quite confident as a young mother and actually thought if I tried my best and loved my children unconditionally that we would be free from problems I had heard other parents complain about. But to my chagrin new clouds appeared as my children went through adolescents. My journey gives verification of how God’s hand is in our life. You will see as you read that it shifts to a beautiful story of how my troubled teenage daughter became my hero!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

At age 12 my parents were told I would not live long enough to get out of the hospital, having been diagnosed with osteosarcoma. God’s hand was in my life to turn this disease around, as it receded the next few years. And after my first child was born, when I was barely 19 years old, another biopsy was taken. Now it was a dead boney mass. Most doctors since have not accepted this miracle. I know it was a miracle because the first biopsy report came from two different medical labs in the U.S. with the same result. After that I felt a desire to give back to God and gained a passion of working with those with special needs. Being a caregiver (now and then) of my parents for most of my life, probably led me to that field of Special Education. After working in this career for 35 years, I wrote Look IN Me and The UP-side of Down about my experiences and also interviewed inspiring parents. When covid hit, I saw a need of these struggling parents to get a break and began my nonprofit Pamper Our Parents-Uplift those who uplift. My husband and I hit age 70 last year. Sometimes he relates that it is difficult to keep up with me as I thrive on staying busy. (He may call it being stubborn.) We are both striving to live healthy to continue to find joy in life and also give time to others.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to inspire those facing challenges and trials to recognize they can gain strength as they persevere. I would like to inspire them to trust that prayer will help them reach their goals and full potential. Staying Tethered to Christ has helped me through the rough times in my life, making them more manageable. Living healthy is essential to me. In my faith we have a health code that is easier for me to live than some. As I have had heartbreaking circumstances take place in my life because of alcohol, I would abstain from that regardless of my religious affiliation. My husband and I will stay active, even riding a tandem a bit differently at times, as long as we continue to have good health. This is such a huge blessing! Our eight children and 25 grand and great grandchildren give us the incentive needed there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amazon.com/Living-LDS-Alcoholics-levels-healing/dp/B0BYLWZ541 https://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=tethered-to-christ-amidst-my-teens-choices, https://www.pamperourparents.info/
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/Tethered-Christ-Amidst-Teens-Choices/dp/B0D68X8T6B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3H4IZVHIE36SS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.A5Cr-LjCxotUhOm2nF-iilp0NUwxyIfRZVhiqJwZHSMiFs-iYT5h1jnKtUkCdok5jxme49cBupRgS3qYD7eg3LYPjQWpSu-f8f24va6rB1M._WvAmSQrVOzJO6Ed9RM1vE24PeSGquw2YLHo1bg1FxM&dib_tag=se&keywords=trixie+neal&qid=1721081098&sprefix=trixie+neal%2Caps%2C195&sr=8-1
  Email: [email protected]