Giraffe Kisses & Cat Missives with Guest Blogger: Kate Lutter

Win an I-Tunes Gift Card and meet
debut author, Kate Lutter at the Book Boost!

She's here to tell us of her long neck-ed adventures and here's what she had to say...


Hi, my name is Kate and I blog about my exotic travel experiences with my hunky husband. The blog is called Hot Blogging with Chuck. But to be completely honest, Chuck isn’t my husband, he’s my cat.

Not many people take their cat with them when they travel. I know this. And Bob, my husband, does not jump with joy to know that Chuck is coming with us, stuffed in my carry-on, all the air deflated out of him, only to be pumped up upon arrival and raring to go.

But it is a reality born of necessity.

You see, Chuck was bored at home, and he was developing into a “over groomer.”

Feral and homeless, we adopted him, expecting some problems, but we did not expect that this cute and very adorable orange and white tabby would turn into an obsessively clean cat or that he would begin to groom the fur right off his body. In spots, of course.

The vet said Chuck was bored. He needed stimulation. Travel. Fun. That’s how it all began.

And when Chuck discovered that I had written a novel called Wild Point Island . . . well, that clinched it. Chuck wanted to go see the island, which was a bit difficult. So we began to take Chuck with us as we traveled around the U.S. and the world.

Even when we flew eight hours to London and then another ten to Kenya, Afrrica. ON SAFARI.

Yes, we figured it would be a bit risky to haul a rascal cat with us as we trekked across the Serengeti Plain in search of adventure, but little did we realize the number of scrapes the Chuckster would drag us into.

One in particular I have not revealed until now, but this is a story of friendship and love and perfect for Valentine’s Day . . .

We had stopped to visit the Giraffe Sanctuary in Nairobi when I was offered the unique opportunity to kiss a giraffe. Now I can imagine what you’re thinking. Would any sensible person put themselves in that position? But here I was--face to face--with the most beautiful giraffe I had ever seen. Her name was Daisy, and as we stood on the platform overlooking the fields where Daisy and other giraffes were romping around, one of the attendants at the sanctuary made the offer when all the other tourists disappeared into the gift shop.

“Would you like to kiss a giraffe?”

At first, I was appalled and then the idea became irresistible.

Because of Chuck.

He pushed me into it. He looked at me with that disappointed look on his face as if to say that his entire trip would be ruined if I didn’t do this thing.

But still I hesitated.

A giraffe’s tongue is long and very slimy looking. It darts in and out of its mouth with lightning speed.

I had been standing there for about an hour feeding Daisy pellets of food, and I had felt that tongue on my hand.

Chuck, perched in my smart bag, had been peeking out and watching the entire show. Now he whispered a quiet meow that sounded a bit like “chicken.”

All right. And I suppose the writer in me saw the story potential.

I agreed.

The attendant modeled how to put a pellet of food between my lips, which would lure Daisy to make contact and voila--the kiss.

My knees were shaking, but I did as he said--I placed the pellet between my lips, half closed my eyes, and waited for Daisy to swoop down. Her lips gently touched mine. Her touch was as light as a feather. There was no sliminess involved.

Oh, my.

“It was wonderful,” I whispered to Chuck. “It was the sweetest kiss. I am so glad I went through with it.”

And, frankly, I was quite giddy with excitement.

Chuck was smiling. But not at me. At Daisy. Well, mooning actually, as if he wanted to kiss Daisy, too.

“Chuck?”

He had a kind of misty look in his eyes.

I held out a pellet. “All you have to do--”

The rascal boy looked slightly unsure as I helped him out of my smartbag and onto the railing of the platform.

After all, a giraffe’s head is huge and compared to my Chuckie’s head, well . . . and what if Daisy decided to nibble on Chuck rather than kiss him. All these thoughts rambled through my mind.

But I figured Chuck wanted to make friends and you can never have too many friends.

Finally, Chuck opened his mouth, and I carefully placed the pellet in.

Daisy sauntered over.

“Courage, little man.”

Daisy has the most beautiful eyes. She leaned in and the Chuckster straightened up because I suspected he was quite mesmerized.

The pellet was exchanged, which meant DAISY KISSED CHUCK and Chuck began to purr.

Now, both of us were in love. Daisy would be a friend for life.

How fitting to tell this tale to honor Valentine’s Day!

A Note from the Book Boost: This is one wild story, Kate! I thank you for sharing it with us during this week of Valentine's love. You and Chuck are very brave indeed. Most romantic place I've kissed--hubby and I took our honeymoon in Ireland and enjoyed a romantic kiss at Ladies View in Killarney (the name stems from the admiration of the view by Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting during their visit there in 1861). Congrats on your upcoming release and I wish you much success!


Blurb:

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.


Excerpt:

He leaned in. “May I?”

I wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, but I nodded.

He touched my hair, running his fingers through the strands as if he were caressing delicate gold filaments. “When I look in your eyes, I see reflected there the life you have lived, the places you have been to.”

I heard regret, the sad awareness that he hadn’t seen all those places I could travel to on a whim, places he’d been kept from.

I reached out. The tips of my fingers skimmed his cheek, feeling the rough, uneven day’s growth of beard.

Here I was touching him. For the first time in my life I wanted someone. I felt desire. Despite the taboos that existed, I wanted him.

I leaned closer, arched on my toes, and in the fullness of need and want, not knowing how he would react, I kissed him.

Want More Kate?

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, is scheduled for release in 2012 by Crescent Moon Press. She is busy writing the sequel and her exotic travel blog entitled Hot Blogging with Chuck, which features her very snarky & almost famous cat.

Visit her on the web here: www.katelutter.com

Follow her blog here: www.katelutter.blogspot.com

Coming Soon from Crescent Moon Press!
Click here for details.

Contest Time:


















His Honor, Judge Chuck


Describe in 25 words or less the most romantic location where you have ever been kissed. The top two entries—judged by Chuck—will win a $20 I-Tunes gift card. Please include email address when responding.