Changing Your Universe

I'd like to welcome Louann Carroll, fellow Crescent Moon Press author, to Changing Your Universe. 

We're all the sum total of our life experiences, but there are moments when someone or something affects us, possibly even influences the direction our lives will take. Here is one of those stories.

I have a sense of humor and laughter has seen me through life. I don’t remember a time when there hasn’t been change. Sometimes I pray, “Can’t you just give me six months of peace?”

In that context, I’ll share a few precious moments with you.

One of my first memories is staring at our house from a neighbor’s window. The darkened windows speak of loss, the silence of change.

My father had died, the ambulance whisking him away to parts unknown. I was five and my dad was my hero. When he moved on, he taught me loss, fear, love, and faith. In a Shadow of Time, Kellyn learns to cope with the loss of her husband. She walks through grief, struggles though loneliness, and ultimately finds love again. Grief comes to all of us in one way or another, but it is in the walk that you learn to dance in the rain.

Twenty years later… Needing a quick pick-me-up, my husband stopped at our local 7-11 for a cup of coffee. A gang of kids, the oldest just seventeen, grabbed him from behind and stabbed him nine times. The next thing I knew, I received a phone call from our local emergency room. The police officer who called, said, “Stop at all stop lights. Do not speed, but get here as soon as you can.”

In one moment, my life changed. We had three children. The oldest was nine, the youngest six months old.  From that experience, I learned to say I love you even when just going to the store.  In Gemini Rising, Kate’s world changes in a second and her reaction to those changes is the basis for the sci-fi romance trilogy.

Another change came when I had to write a thesis for my philosophy class. Struggling to get through it, I finally stopped typing when a friend of mine came into the room. She asked, “Can I read it?”

Reluctantly, I let her.

Several moments into the paper, she shouted, “This isn’t a thesis, this is a novel!”

Johanna Laird wrote a column for our local newspaper. From her that was some compliment.

“You think?” I asked.

“Absolutely.”

From that moment on, I began to write. Since I’ve led a rather tumultuous life, I have plenty of material. Bits of my life is sprinkled throughout my books, lending my characters a reality they’d never have had had I not had my struggles.  

From my dad dying to almost losing my husband, sprinkled in with the birth of children, the loss of my mother, and various other life-changing events, I learned you are never given more than you can handle. Even though at the time, you might be overwhelmed. In some moments, I’ve dropped to my knees in prayer. Through this, I discovered that no one is ever alone.

 Each unique bit of my history has taught me something, but the most important lesson I have ever learned… is that good comes from bad.

Always.

You just have to have faith. 

http://louanncarrollbooks.weebly.com/

Gifting Your Universe

Kate Lutter's been with us all week, sharing a personal story and giving us a peek at Wild Point Island's cover and great excerpt.

AND she's graciously offered to host a giveaway. Check out her contest below.

Wild Point Island Contest

                                          

As a newly published author, I’m looking to expand my Email list.  (This list is never given or sold to anyone else. I use it only to announce release information of my books.)  So, if you’re willing to share your name and email address and answer the contest question in the comment section, you could win a free copy

of Wild Point Island!

First /Last Name

Email Address 

Contest Question:  What’s the name of your favorite novel  and why?   

(For me, Wuthering Heights.  I love the hauntingly intense aspect of the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine.)  






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As always, thanks for stopping by. Please join the blog through Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs. I enjoy making new friends and sharing my love of everything bookish!

Sharing Your Universe

Welcome to Sharing Your Universe. Today Kate Lutter is sharing a little about herself and her latest release with us.

Kate Lutter  

   Kate Lutter believes she was born to write. She wrote her first novel when she was in eighth grade, but then almost burned her house down when she tried to incinerate her story in the garbage can because she couldn’t get the plot to turn out right. Now, many years later, she lives in NJ with her husband and five cats (no matches in sight) and spends her days writing contemporary paranormal romances, traveling the world, and hanging out with her four wild sisters. She is happy to report that her debut novel, Wild Point Island, the first in a series, has just been published by Crescent Moon Press. She is busy writing the sequel and her weekly travel blog entitled Hot Blogging with Chuck, which features her very snarky and rascally almost famous cat.

Check out her beautiful cover!

                             Wild Point Island  

   Banished from Wild Point Island as a child, Ella Pattenson, a half human-half revenant, has managed to hide her true identity as a descendent of the Lost Colony of Roanoke.  Thought to have perished, the settlers survived but were transformed into revenants--immortal beings who live forever as long as they remain on the island.

   Now, Ella must return to the place of her birth to rescue her father from imprisonment and a soon to be unspeakable death.  Her only hope is to trust a seductive revenant who seems to have ties to the corrupt High Council.  Simon Viccars is sexy and like no man she’s ever met. But he’s been trapped on the island for 400 years and is willing to do almost anything for his freedom.

    With the forces of the island conspiring against her, Ella must risk her father, her heart, and her life on love.  

Wild Point Island   (excerpt)

         Despite what he believed, I never had a relationship where I felt so bound to someone and yet so constrained in behavior. Sitting so close to him on the beach, hidden from view, wanting to hold him, I hesitated. So I’m not sure how what happened, happened next. What kept us apart—the suspicions, the fact that time had elapsed and we felt a bit like strangers meeting again—all of it abruptly dissipated like so much fog when the sun shines through.

         His strong yet gentle grasp pulled me toward him, and he held me close, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I felt in the urgency of his grip how much he’d missed me, and remembered again the dream he’d arranged for me, how cautious he’d been only days before. But dreams could not satisfy me now, no matter how real they seemed. 

         We pulled apart, but our eyes met. I leaned in and pressed my lips against his, chaste at first, to taste him, to spur his reaction. But that tentative reaching out soon exploded into the confirmation I’d been waiting for. Our desires cascaded in upon each other. I wanted more of him, and soon lost awareness of the cold surf, which melted against our heat. The roughness of the sea also faded into the distance. The spray of salt water was forgotten.

         I couldn’t catch my breath. I didn’t want to think of the future or eternity. Only feel sweet sensations as he kissed me harder and harder.

         Helpless to resist this love-making, I was the sand being thrown about by the waves around me. Soaked with a longing for him.

         His kisses grew stronger, and I wanted all of them.

         “Ella,” he groaned, sweeping the stray strands of hair out of my eyes.

         I reached up to touch his face, to trace the outline of his strong jaw. Desire flickered in his eyes, a wildness mirroring my own needs, and I wanted to lose myself in that need, in that desire. I wanted him as I had wanted no other, knew for the first time in my life I had the potential for loving someone who knew me for who I really was.

         It was intoxicating.

         “Can you take me now?” I asked. “Here. Show me what I have to do.”

         Indecision flickered across his face. I saw it. A look of a man who walked a tight rope and risked falling to the depths below.

         “Ella.” His voice floundered in his own deep emotion.

         But I reached over to pull him closer, and he tumbled on top of me. The weight of his body anchored me to the ground. Within seconds, my back was pressed against the sandy floor. His eyes grew hooded as his lips played against my mouth. Teasing. Caressing.

         Suddenly, the kisses changed. Slow and carefully placed, I felt a heaviness to them that made me ache where I had felt warm and riled up before.

         Aching to be with him in that way that I knew was forbidden to us.

         But what did I care.

         He was kissing me, and I began kissing him back, as if I had been doing this all my life, as if I were some kind of expert, allowing the pooling warmth in my stomach to find release. His hands burrowed under my sweater, nudging, rubbing against my breasts, which swelled to his touch.

         The feel of his skin against my skin pushed me to a boldness I had not known until now, and I reached my hand below the belt of his pants, dared now to touch where I knew he wanted me to touch. 

         “Simon.” I whispered his name into the air, so sure that he was the one. Knowing as we wrestled together on the sand, in this sweetest of lovemaking, that I had a fire in me that he had set. He was the man I had been waiting for. This was the moment--

         I felt resistance. Simon seemed to be struggling for control.

         Over me. Over himself.

         “Enough.” His voice, raw and edgy, strained against the sea that roared in the background.

         Still breathing heavily, he released his hold on me, and pushed himself to a seated position.

         My heart pounded. 

         “Have I done something wrong? Tell me,” I demanded.

         “No.”

         “Then why are you stopping?”

         “We cannot be together, not now. I was wrong to even start.”

         “Wrong? But I thought... ” I struggled to sit up, to face him, to put my own thoughts in order. When two people wanted to be together, how could there be something wrong? “Don’t you want to be with me?”

         His gaze traveled down my body. I felt his stare, the desire in it. “Yes. I want to be with you.”

          “Then--” I touched his arm. I needed to understand what could possibly be strong enough to hold him back. 

          “What I want has already been decided. You must decide what it is you want...” His voice softened. “… to do with your life.”

         A chill coursed down my spine. And even though my flesh was still warm from his touch, I pulled my sweater down to cover myself, not because I was ashamed, but without his closeness, the early evening breeze now felt cold and damp. I guessed what he was saying, but I didn’t want to think about the future. Not here, not now.

         “I want you to make love to me, Simon.”

         “The Council forbids it,” he said.

         “I don’t care about the Council. They have no say in what’s between us.”

         He faced me then, and his finger touched my lips. “I could take you, Ella. Now. But it would not be the honorable thing to do.”

         My fists clenched. I didn’t understand.

         “I made a choice when I saved you from your uncle’s dangerous game. It was not difficult because I wanted you, Ella. But it was my choice. The moment our spirits fused, everything changed. Until you are sure I am what you want, I cannot take you. Until you are sure this island can be your home, I cannot give into my passions. My world is not like your world. There is no formal ceremony of commitment. There is the fusion and then there is consummation. When that occurs, you will be bound to me forever. There can be no turning back.”

Kate can be found at:

Website: www.katelutter.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/katelutternovelist

Blog: www.katelutter.blogspot.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/katelutter

Email: katelutter.author@gmail.com

Changing Your Universe

I'd like to welcome Kate Lutter, fellow Crescent Moon Press author, to Changing Your Universe. 

We're all the sum total of our life experiences, but there are moments when someone or something affects us, possibly even influences the direction our lives will take. Here is one of those stories.

                     “Changing My Universe—A Tribute To My Father”

The night I stood at the podium and faced well over 100 people, I wasn’t nervous.  They had come to pay tribute to me.  To say goodbye.

I was ready to embark on a new career. I was leaving a very successful career as an elementary school principal to write novels full time.  Some thought I was crazy.  But, at that moment, as I faced my colleagues and the teachers and the parents I had worked with for eight years, I could think of only one person.

          My father.

          Who wasn’t there.

          Who had died years before.

          But I wanted him to be there because I wanted to see his face and hear his voice.

          Yeah, even though I was a grown woman and had been in charge of a large school, and made decisions and had many people depend on me, at that moment I missed my father more than anything.

          The night I received the news that I’d sold Wild Point Island, my first novel.  After ten years of writing.  After writing four novels that I couldn’t sell.  After receiving letters that were this close to being letters of acceptance.  After receiving tons of rejections.  After thinking that I was never going to sell.  That night, after the excitement in my head had died down, I remember thinking how much I would have wanted to call him, my dad, with the news. 

          Because even though he was a famous engineer and inventor and well known in his own field, he’d also written and published a short story in his high school year book.  I’d only discovered this little known fact the week he lay dying in the nursing home. I’d stood vigil that week writing his obituary, going through his papers, and I’d discovered my father was a writer and I’d most likely inherited my writing talent from him.

          It is bittersweet to finally reach some measure of success years after your father is no longer alive.

          So by now you’ve guessed it—the man who “changed my universe” was my father.  He didn’t do anything dramatic.  He lived his life according to his own moral code, but he turned out to be the most exquisite role model. 

          Case in point.  My dad started his own business—a company to market the products he invented.  I remember he would invite to lunch the guy who came in to fix the photocopy machine.  He would throw something into the little toaster oven he had in the kitchen—kielbasa or chicken and make the guy a sandwich—and they would sit and chat.  When the bigwigs came to visit from the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C. he served them the same kind of lunch. Maybe he would send someone down to the A&P for potato salad. In my father’s mind, there was no distinction to be made.  He treated all people the same. 

          When I’m confused or unsure of myself, my dad is still my touchstone.  What would my father do?  How would he act? 

          When he was told he had Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s, he handled those last years with both dignity and grace.  He never complained.  The last time I remember having a conversation with him when he still knew me, he mouthed the words, “I love you.”

          He didn’t need to say anything more. 

          “I love you, too, Dad.” 

I grabbed his hands, which had begun to shake, and I tried to hold onto the moment, but I couldn’t for very long because that’s how time is.

It moves on, and you have to move on with it. 

          But here’s to you, Dad, for being there when you could be there.  For me. 

          Happy Belated Father’s Day!  

         

           

           

Reviewing Your Universe

Wild Point Island by Kate Lutter

Kindle copy provided by author

Rating:  4 Stars

Instinct screams you’re not alone. Fine hairs prickle the back of your neck. Your gaze scans the surrounding area, but no one is there. It’s that feeling you’re missing something that’s right before your eyes. For most of us it’s stress, lack of sleep or maybe just too much caffeine.

For Ella, it’s the fact she’s half Revenant and half human—and only Revenants can see Wild Point Island. Banished from her home on the island, she’s spent years struggling with the consequences of her genetics. The loss of her home and father push her to find a way to change things and make a difference through science. Her persistence pays off.

When Ella finds the means to help her family and others beat the condition that binds them to Wild Point Island, she asks her uncle for help in negotiating with the Council that controls the island’s population.

Unfortunately, not everyone sees Ella’s scientific advancement as a positive thing. Change can be terrifying, and not everyone has the courage to embrace it. Some want to bury Ella right along with her findings. When a Revenant named Simon steps forward to protect Ella, she is drawn to him. She has hope for a future with Simon. But unfolding events cause her to question everything she thought she knew and everyone she ever trusted.

Ms. Lutter has created a story that combines science and magic, faith and fact—and each character must deal with the circumstances these elements create. Whether one denies or embraces life’s changes, both the characters and readers experience the intrigue, betrayal and love in Wild Point Island!

Reviewing Your Universe

Electric Storm by Stacey Brutger

Personally Purchased Kindle Ebook

Rating:  5 Stars

At one time or another we’ve all experienced a feeling of separation from our friends, family or loved ones, but it’s usually a temporary distance. If not temporary, eventually other people come into our lives to replace the connections we’ve lost.

But what if separating yourself from others, living an emotionally isolated lifestyle wasn’t merely a choice but a necessity—the only one that guaranteed you wouldn’t kill the ones you love?

Raven knows because that’s the way she’s existed for the past ten years, after greedy men and greedier scientists changed her forever. They made her different, but they didn’t break her. Instead, they forged a will of iron. One she wields for justice on behalf of the Paranormals discriminated against in the human world.

She hides from the scientists in plain sight, working as a liaison for the police department on Paranormal cases, and investigating private cases on the side—never revealing who she is or what she can do.

Only those on her investigative team know about her, and she exists on the outer edges of even this private group. That is, until fate decides to shake things up. Raven becomes embroiled in the shifter world when she tries to save a slave named Taggert at auction. Instead of freeing him, politics and rules force her to bring him into her home and protect him—as well as Jackson, the man assigned to watch over him.

Raven tries to keep her distance. She can’t get close to anyone. But their seriously alpha personalities and distractingly gorgeous bodies are playing havoc on her emotions and libido. And when she thinks things can’t get any more complicated, the cases she’s working endanger not just her life, but the lives of everyone she cares for.

I LOVED this book. It’s equally plot and character driven. The plot is filled with enough tension and twists to propel the storyline at a breakneck pace. The characters are dimensional, interesting and resonate with genuineness and emotion. Yes, the heroes are total hotties—all of them. (There’s a list, so get ready for some serious character crush action!)

Have I kept things a bit general and not spoilerish? You bet. This story rocks, and I won’t give away any of the surprises. Electric Storm is the first novel I’ve read by Ms. Brutger—and I’m waiting on pins and needles for the next installment of Raven and her gang.

Read Electric Storm. You won’t be disappointed—well, except for having to wait for the next book in the series to come out!

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Electric-Storm-Raven-Investigations-ebook/dp/B007SBTUB4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340063725&sr=1-1&keywords=electric+Storm

Buy Link:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/electric-storm-stacey-brutger/1109996900?ean=2940014204064

Gifting Your Universe

Raven Bower has graciously offered a fantastic giveaway for one lucky winner. So check out what she's brought for us today, and leave a comment with your name and email!

She's offering a copy of Primal (Kindle or paperback, winner's choice:



























a Nene Thomas 16-month 2012 calendar and two Nene Thomas mini-prints. http://nenethomas.com/