Luke's
Tale
by
Carol McKibben
Author
Fun Facts
- Favorite Author
John Irving
- Favorite Book
To Kill a Mockingbird
- Favorite Movie
Forrest Gump (but I have
so many favorites!)
- Preferred Drink
Jack Daniels
- Favorite Activity
Riding Classical Dressage
- One thing readers would be surprised to know about you.
Besides fostering rescue
dogs (which probably is no surprise), I train and compete in
Classical Dressage (that’s the Olympic Sport where the rider
“dances” with her horse to music).
- Actor/actress you see playing your main character in your book.
Hmm… who would play Sara?
Jennifer Lawrence with dark hair.
- Night owl or early bird.
Early bird.
- Favorite dinner.
Steak and salad.
- Using the letters of your first name as an acronym, describe your book.
C – compassionate story
A - about
a couple’s search for happiness
R - romantic
O – obviously narrated by
a dog
L – loving unconditionally
Author Favorite Recipe
Macroni
and Cheese
I’m
from the south, so it’s comfort food all the way. This is my
mother’s recipe for Macroni and Cheese. My family always requests
that I make it during the holidays.
1/2
stick of butter
2
tablespoons sifted flour
1
teaspoon salt
Pinch
of pepper
Garlic
salt to taste
2
1/2 cups whole milk
2
cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8
ounces (2 cups) elbow macroni
Paprika
In
saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat and blend in flour, salt,
garlic and pepper. Slowly add milk while blending. Heat stirring
constantly until sauce thickens a little and is smooth. Add 1-1/2
cups cheese and heat until melted, stirring continuously. Meanwhile,
cook macroni as directed and drain. Combine with sauce in a 2-quart
casserole and top with remaining cheese and Paprika.
Bake
at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until nicely browned and bubbly.
Makes 4 to 6 servings. For my family, I double everything because
they like to have leftovers the next day (but there’s rarely any of
it left!)
Meet the Author: Carol
McKibben currently writes from the heart of a dog’s eyes. Often
telling her stories to Labradoodles, Basset Hounds and any stray that
happens by, it wasn’t long before people stopped to have a listen
as well. Now Carol writes for people and speaks to large audiences,
dogs included. Carol was a magazine publisher for more than 20 years.
She began a new career in freelance writing and editing in 2007, as
well as working with other authors to realize their dreams. She also
has published a Memoir, Riding Through It. Visit her at
www.carolmckibben.com.
One
lucky winner will receive a print or e-book copy of Luke’s Tale: A
Story of Unconditional Love FREE! All you have to do is reply to this
post and write something about Unconditional Love and what it means
to you. Please be sure to include an email address where we can reach
you for an address and we will pick one lucky winner at random!
About
the Author:
Carol
writes from the heart of a dog's eyes. Often telling her stories to
LaberDoodles, Basset Hounds and any stray that happens by, it wasn't
long before people stopped to have a listen as well. Now Carol writes
for people and speaks to large audiences, dogs included.
Genre:
Family Drama
Publisher:
Troll River Publications
Release
Date: January 1, 2013
Book
Description:
Luke,
an intelligent, 89-pound yellow Labrador retriever, has an odd
ability to understand human conversations and actions. When his
owner’s girlfriend, Sara Colson, discovers she has breast cancer
Luke is the sole secret keeper of her disease. Not knowing if she’ll
survive, Sara leaves her boyfriend, Ashlundt Jaynes, to shield him
from the pain. Luke, knowing how to give unconditional love, is the
catalyst bringing the two lovers back together and helps them stay
together while Sara and Ashlundt overcome a series of life-changing
events.
At the heart of Luke’s Tale is the story of two lovers and their struggle with unforeseen disillusionment to build a lasting relationship -- and the loving, furry creature who is devoted to them beyond all reason.
At the heart of Luke’s Tale is the story of two lovers and their struggle with unforeseen disillusionment to build a lasting relationship -- and the loving, furry creature who is devoted to them beyond all reason.
Excerpts:
Prologue
September 15, 2015
The
world is darker today. Not because I’m blind. My world is always
black. But this day my heart is broken.
I
sit for a very long time next to the door. I long for her smell of
fresh cut flowers, her touch and her gentle voice. I visualize her
face. I see the fullness of her lips and the deep compassion in her
dark eyes. She is the most caring human I’ve ever known. I long for
her comforting arms around me.
People
come up and pet me. One nurse offers me a bowl of water. I remain
aloof, not wanting to be distracted in case… in case there’s some
word. She couldn’t possibly be capable of being with me now.
Bay
leaf and ocean scent assault my nostrils as I feel Ashlundt pass by
into the ER. I stretch my nose toward him, searching for some sort of
hope. I feel his desperation as he hurries past me with two words,
“Stay, Luke.”
My
stomach growls. I suppress the hunger. It doesn’t matter now. In
trying to push away the anguish, my mind wanders back to when Sara
left us. I was younger and not blind. She wanted to protect Ashlundt
from the pain of her cancer. She must have known that he wouldn’t
be able to cope with her being sick.
I’m
not sure what makes him tick. It has to have something to do with his
brother’s surfing accident. He blames himself to this day. Maybe
that’s why he can’t cope with illness or imperfection in those
he’s supposed to love. I once was his golden boy. We went
everywhere together. Now, my blindness has pushed him further away
from me.
I
still feel Ashlundt’s athletic strength every once and a while.
He’ll brush his large hands over me, and I can visualize his big
frame and angular face bathed in his long, sun-lightened hair. I wish
he knew how to cope with my blindness. It’s hard not to take it
personally.
I
wish I could cope better with my loss of sight. I’d always been a
watcher. It must be part of my Lab nature. What scares me the most is
that I can’t observe my humans, or help them now. Sara has always
depended upon our unspoken bond. Ashlundt is another story. I’ve
been through tough times with each of them, and I’ve had to be more
like that human detective, Sherlock Holmes, than a dog for them. I am
the product of a broken relationship.
It’s
long past my evening meal when I feel Sara’s presence. I hear
nothing but the despair in her voice. “Come, Luke.” She takes me
by the collar and leads me to the car.
I
sit in the backseat and slowly lay down. I know what has happened but
can’t bare thinking of it. She is silent, but her pain is
unbearable and palpable in the air. I think back to how Ashlundt
pushed her away, even when he finally discovered she was sick. I
fought so hard to help him try and win her back…
I’m
jarred back to reality as the car stops. I hear the door open, then
the backseat door. Sara whispers, “Let’s go inside, Luke.”
Slowly,
I follow Sara into the house.
She
says nothing as she fixes my kibble and leftover chicken, then leaves
the room. My greatest fear has been realized.
After
sating my hunger, I go to find Sara in her bedroom. She is lying
across her bed in silence, tortured and bereft. Even though I’m not
usually allowed on the bed, she says nothing as I crawl up next to
her and place my head on her hip. I give out a whimpered cry of
sorrow.
We
lie together in silence for a long, long time. I have to go outside
so badly that my bladder hurts, but I don’t dare leave Sara. She is
so cold. I move closer to her, wanting her to feel my warmth, the
warmth that Ashlundt should have offered. Time passes. My stomach
begins to growl and adds to my discomfort, but it doesn’t matter. I
will not leave her.
Sometime
later the phone starts to ring. It must be morning. All those
distraught voices leaving messages of sorrow on the answering
machine. I crawl up to her face, pressing my nose on her cheek to see
if she is asleep. Her hand softly touches the top of my head. “It’s
okay, Lukey. Thank you for staying with me.” A ragged sigh escapes
from her and is joined by my own.
Still
we remain motionless. I think back to the chain of events until I
started going blind. But, I’ve gotten way ahead of myself. I need
to go back to the beginning so that you understand how we arrived at
our darkest moment in time.
