Carol F. McKibben
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Riding Through It

There's an expression that horse trainers use whenever a client's ride becomes difficult - "Keep riding through it." I've heard it at least a hundred times while riding my horse. It's a function of good horsemanship. If you give up or get off in the midst of difficulties, you might win the battle that day but lose the war in the long run. Learning to be really good at something takes persistence and time. Such it is with life; so it is with writing.

My Books

Interview with BK Walker Books

5/30/2013

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BK Walker Books recently interviewed me during my Virtual Book Tour. I received several positive comments and thought I would share it with you this week!

BK: Please tell us a little about yourself...  

CM: It almost seemed like I did everything in my power to avoid becoming a writer! I taught writing but didn’t really write or publish. I was a magazine publisher, but had to do a little writing in spite of myself. My excuse was always that I had no time. Then, when I couldn’t resist any longer, I sat down, put all those journals and pieces of paper together, and wrote my first book. It turned out to be a memoir, entitled Riding Through It. I consider it an exercise in leaving my past behind me and really becoming a writer.

BK: Please tell us a little about your book....

CM: Luke’s Tale is a story of a young couple’s search to find unconditional love, as told through the “eyes” of their blind dog, Luke. Luke, an intelligent, 89-pound yellow Labrador retriever, has an odd ability to understand human conversations and actions. When he discovers that Sara, his owner’s girlfriend, is hiding a secret and soon disappears, the dog uses all of his skills to help reunite them. Through clues that he provides to his master, Ashlundt, Luke is the catalyst bringing the two lovers back together. But this is only the beginning of the challenges the three must face. Ashlundt, who suffers from a tormented past, doesn’t understand how the conditions he places on those around him, prevent him from finding happiness. Luke, knowing how to give unconditional love, is the glue that binds them through a series of life-changing events. In the midst of it all, Luke is spiraling into blindness!

At the heart of Luke’s Tale is the story of two lovers and their struggle with unforeseen disillusionment to build a lasting relationship – as told through the eyes of the loving furry creature who is devoted to them beyond all reason.

BK: What inspired you to pen this particular novel?

CM: The premise for Luke’s Tale came to me in a dream about a year after I wrote my first book. I told my best friend Debi about it, and she encouraged me. So, I started to write the novel. Around that time, I went for a psychic reading for my birthday. I told the psychic nothing about myself…yet; she told me that the angels around me, my guardians, were urging me to write a book about unconditional love. This freaked me out! Then, afterward, I had the original dream again.

On top of everything, my yellow lab Luke is/was my hero. He was a therapy dog and so dedicated to me. When he was six, he was diagnosed with Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) for which there is no cure. Complete blindness was the result. Even after that, he continued to bravely go everywhere with me, gently feeling his way with his paws and sticking to me like Velcro. He continued his therapy dogging long after he went blind and brought joy to hundreds of hospital and nursing home patients. He was my inspiration.

I made the narrator of Luke’s Tale a dog, because the book’s message is unconditional love. What other creature except a dog exemplifies unconditional love?

BK: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

CM: The day my father read some of my newspaper articles, looked at me, smiled quietly and said, “Carol, you are a writer.” I simply believed it. I ignored it for a while, but I always knew it was true in my heart. When you can’t resist writing down your ideas and making something out of them for other people to read, you know you’re a writer.

 BK: How do you keep your story flowing?

CM: Oh, wow! William Faulkner said it best: “It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.” For me, that’s the way it works. Once I know my characters, they come alive and are a life of their own. They move through the story and fall out of my mind onto the page.

BK: Do you ever run into writer's block, and if so, what do you do to get past it?

CM: I’m fortunate. Not often. When I do, I take a break from it. I’m working on an episodic series for my publisher right now, and I’m half-way through having a first draft. I’m taking a break from it for a couple of weeks so that the characters will show me where we’re going next. But, that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped writing. Just working on other things until I feel inspired to go back to it.

BK: What is your writing process like? Do you have any quirks, or must-haves to write?

CM: I dream on the idea for a while and discuss it with trusted associates. Then, create my characters, outline it and let the characters lead me. I don’t think I have any quirks, except don’t bother me when I’m writing. My husband says I go into a “tunnel” and don’t come out until I’m finished. Oh, and I have to have my dogs next to me. They’re my muses, you know?

BK: Where do you hope your books/writing will be in the future?

CM: As far as Luke’s Tale goes, I want to get it into the hands of as many people as possible. Not for any other reason than I believe in its message of unconditional love. It’s important to me because too many couples give up on their relationships at the first sign of trouble. We often place expectations on others, and when they can’t live up to them, we give up on them. A dog is the only creature who loves us without question, without conditions, no matter how we feel, look, act…whether we are rich or poor…have a great job or are unemployed. If dogs can love us like that, why can’t we love each other unconditionally? The book lights the way, and that’s why I wrote it. I think in this time and place, it’s important for people to know how to love each other like that.

For the future, I just want to keep evolving as a writer. I want to experiment with different storylines. I hope people will find what I’m writing worthy of reading.

BK: What do you hope readers will take away from your books?

CM: I want them to be both “touched” and “entertained.” I want them to feel compassion for my characters and be willing to go along with them on their roller coaster rides.

BK: What is one piece of advice you received that you carry with you in your writing?

CM: Practice your craft. As Papa Hemingway advised, write every day. (Even if it’s your grocery list!) Writing is a disciplined art. It takes time and effort to become really good at it.

BK: What is one piece of advice you would give to new and aspiring writers?

CM: Practice your craft – see above.

BK: Are you currently working on any new projects? What can we expect from you in the future?

CM: As I mentioned above, I’m writing an episodic series from the point-of-view of yet another dog! It’s called Snow Blood. However, this one must have been inspired by something other than angels, because it’s filled with vampires, demons, magic and mystery!

BK: Where can readers find you?

CM: Visit my Web site at www.carolmckibben.com. Come chat with me on my Blog (www.carolmckibben.com/blog.html.) My books are on Amazon and Amazon Kindle (Click the links). Please “like” me on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/CarolMckibbenAuthor and follow me on Twitter @carolmckibben. Whew! Hope you can find me!

BK: Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. It's been a pleasure having you and I wish you much success in the future.


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Multiple Chances to Win a Free Copy of Luke's Tale

5/26/2013

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You can win a print or e-book copy of Luke’s Tale: A Story of Unconditional Love FREE! All you have to do is reply to the posts during the Virtual Book Tour on May 26-31st and write something about Unconditional Love and what it means to you. The Tour Schedule is listed below. Simply go the the tour site on the assigned date and post a reply.


May 26 - 
Introduction at VBT Cafe' Blog

May 27 -
Spotlight at The Official Blog-Zine of Terra Little
Spotlight at Bookalicious Traveladdict
Spotlight at Self-Publishing Examiner

May 28 - 
Spotlight at The First Link
Interviewed at BK Walker Books Etc.

May 29 - 
Guest Blogging at Reviews by Dee

May 30 -
Guest Blogging at Lori's Reading Corner

May 31 -
Author Fun Facts and Favorite Recipe Share at Writing Innovations
Guest Blogging at Wise Words Book Blogger 


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I'm Still Riding Through It!

5/23/2013

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I re-read the epilogue of my first book a few days ago and wanted to share it with you. It's really worth repeating. It's deeply personal, so if you don't go in for that kind of stuff, stop reading now. If you do, please feel free to share it, if you feel so inclined.

The sum of my years is divided into three distinctively different lives. My childhood was a kaleidoscope of two people who didn’t know how to love each other. As a result, I grew up not knowing how to love, or what love really meant.

My life with my first husband was one of confusion and weakness. I didn’t understand how everything could be better if I would only take control of my life, be responsible for it and believe in myself. Everything changed when I finally did.

In the third part of my life, the best part, I found a strength I didn’t know I had. I discovered a self-respect that emerged when I released my past and started living in the present without fear.

Mark helped me to do that, but I realize now that when he came into my life I had already started taking control and so I was able to let him into my life. I’m no longer that little fat girl who grew up to have an obsession about her body. It took persistence and time, and even though I still have bumps, I keep riding through them.

About 15 years ago I took up riding again. It was something I had loved in my childhood, but it was also a big challenge. Training with a horse takes a lot of time, discipline and hard work. You learn to keep trying even when you’re having a bad day, and you learn to hang on tight with your legs when the horse is giving you trouble. And, if you fall off, the old saying is true. You have to get right back on again.

It’s easy to give up when things get tough. The hard part is sticking with it to the end. Looking back at it all, I realize that I rode through the difficult parts of my life, stayed on and didn’t let them get the best of me.

When we let go of what other people expect from us and learn to love who we are, then we can live without fear and can make the needed changes in our lives. I didn’t do it alone, and you don’t have to either. But the key is to surround yourself with people who love you for who you are. For those of you out there in life’s saddle, hanging on for dear life, just keep riding through it.

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10 Things You Didn't Know about Luke's Tale

5/15/2013

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1.     It’s the story of a couple’s journey to find lasting love, and the dog who shows them the way.

2.     The central message is unconditional love. The message is clear. We all place conditions on others whom we love. It is up to us to remove those conditions and love unconditionally. If we do, the world will be a better place.

3.     The book is narrated by Luke, the Dog.

4.     Just like faith, one must suspend disbelief in order to believe… in a dog who can have the thoughts of a human being.

5.     The man and woman in the story are flawed.

6.     The dog pretty much stands for GOD spelled backwards, but this is not a book about religion.

7.     We can only find our way when we are open to facing our past and then leaving it behind us.

8.     The book is not about blindness or cancer. Luke’s blindness and Sara’s cancer are only present to test the conditions that Ashlundt places on them as barriers to love.

9.      Life tests all of us. It’s not so much how we handle it but what we learn from it.

10.  Many people find it a sad story, perhaps because it hits very close to home. It is meant to show people the way to lasting relationships.

I intended to provide a descriptive paragraph under each item on the list. But, I think they can stand alone. They capture the essence of the book, and I hope you will read it.

Til Next Time!
Carol


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Why Do We Hide the Truth?

5/8/2013

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Why do people lie? Not the white lies…you know, the ones to get out of something you don’t want to do. But the truly large, hurtful ones.

Is it because the person lying doesn’t like the truth, for whatever reason? It’s hard to accept that people lie just for the fun of it. Even if that’s what they think, there is usually a deeper problem. Some people lie because they are ashamed of the truth and think that living a lie will help them get ahead or gain whatever they want, even if it’s the love and respect of others.

In other cases, lies are told in order to avoid hurting anyone with the truth. One person confessed to me that he lied to protect others because he didn’t want them to be concerned with his problems. He even went as far as to admit that he hurt and didn’t want people to know.

Another person explained that she liked to cover up what she really thought because she felt people don’t really want to know the truth. Most times, truth does hurt. It is often uncomfortable. That’s why it’s frequently avoided. It’s the old, “Do I look fat in these pants” syndrome. Will your better half tell you that you don’t look fat because he loves you and doesn’t want to hurt your feelings? If he does tell you the truth, will you be angry and upset? And does that address a deeper problem?

A friend of mine privately told me that her husband lied to keep from being judged. He told everyone he knew that they owned his home, even though it is really a rental. He lied because he was embarrassed that he wasn’t further ahead in reaching his financial goals.

In Luke’s Tale, Sara lies because she wants to protect Ashlundt from the pain and suffering of her illness. She knows him and understands that his love comes with conditions. He needs those he loves to be healthy and happy, and, if they aren’t, he’s thrown into the throes of depression that stems back to the death of a younger brother.

So my question to you is this: do you feel that it is all right to lie to protect those you love from hurt and pain? Or, is the truth always better?

Tell me what you think. I really would like to know.

Until next time,

Carol


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5 Management Secrets I Learned from my Dog

5/1/2013

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This is so fantastic that I had to share it. It was written by Ryan Holmes, the CEO of HootSuite.
       What Ryan has to say is so very true, and I've learned many of the same lessons from my Luke and all the other dogs I have loved and lost.
    Click here. Read, learn and enjoy!

Until next time!
Carol

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