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Born and raised in Groves, author Angela Angell is returning home this week to celebrate a book signing for her latest work at The Pompano in Port Neches.

The fun is planned from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the restaurant, 330 Twin City Highway, in honor of her children’s book series, “The Adventures of Keke the Kitten.”

Angell operates an animal rescue in Washington, and the books are about a kitten and his siblings that she rescued.

Deep roots

Angell graduated in 1986 from Port Neches-Groves High School and went to college in Dallas. She moved back to Groves to start her family. A major Port Arthur industrial closure in 2000 led to the family’s move to Katy, where they lived until 2014 before moving out-of-state.

She jokes to this day, that she bleeds purple.

“My hometown taught me the values of small-town living and family core values,” Angell said. “I would have stayed in Groves if it were not for the Texaco plant selling out to Shell. I really wanted my kids to understand what it means to be from the Golden Triangle. We have pride in our town that no one understands unless you are born and raised there.”

She had initial plans to pursue fashion designing but always maintained the desire to write children’s books.

She eventually became a successful realtor and found her way back to story telling with some help from a few furry friends.

“Three years ago my buyers moved into a home, where the seller left three dozen kittens,” Angell recalls. “She calls me to help her round the kittens up to rehome. I was able to get four kittens by the time I drove over Mt. Rainier to Yakima, where she bought the home (3-hour drive for me to her home). I brought the kittens home, found all but one a home, which is Keke. He is my little muse! He is so funny. The entire neighborhood knows who Keke is. He never met a stranger. He is what sparked the idea of the series, ‘The Adventures of Keke the kitten.’”

Animal rescue

Angell left her horses behind in Texas when her family moved to Washington.

She missed their smell, so her sister-in-law found a horse rescue farm that allowed Angell to help with horses.

The experience allowed her to work with the Bureau of Land Management on horse round ups.

“We started rescuing horses, then it moved to dogs, now we get mostly calls from people to rescue or surrender cats,” Angell said. “We have helped many dog owners find their lost dogs; cat owners rehome their cats. It is a very fulfilling job.”

To this day, she remains a full time realtor but admits her passion is writing books.

“The Adventures of Keke the Kitten” is a fun filled journey about adorable cats.

She incorporated the neighbor’s cats and her other cat, Kai, in the stories.

Part of the proceeds of every book sold goes to animal rescue.

Her website is angellbooks.com, and the books are available online through Walmart, Target, Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes and Nobles.