Visiting with Linda Rettstatt #TMPress

I'm over at Linda Rettstatt's blog, talking about the story behind The Lilac Hour. Come on by, pull up a chair and enjoy the scenery with us.

http://onewomanswrite.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-lilac-hour-story-behind-stories.html

Five Stars for Dancing in the White Room

Dancing in the White Room got a five star review from Michelle Robertson at Reader's Favorite

"Ute Carbone has skillfully written a highly enjoyable story filled with realistic circumstances and emotions, making it appealing to many different types of readers. The story itself has a transitional tone to it, popping from past to present, making it intriguing and entertaining, making the reader eager to read more."  
Read the rest of the review HERE

Dancing in the white room is slang for skiing or boarding in deep powder snow. The dancer is PD Bell, one of the best extreme skiers on the planet. Mallory Prescott, the woman who lives with him and loves him, is used to Bell’s exploits. A patrol woman at Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid, New York, Mallory is no stranger to risk. But this time Bell is taking on the West Rib of Denali, highest and most dangerous mountain in North America. It’s a descent that has never been done, though it’s been tried. Five years ago, Bell had tried it. The attempt nearly killed him. Five years ago, he promised Mallory he wouldn’t try it again.

     Over the six weeks in which he’s gone, Mallory begins to question her relationship with Bell. Does he really love her? Is he in it for the duration? What has loving him cost her?  Mallory’s life choices are thrown into stark relief when her daughter Emily takes a terrible fall. Together with her life-long friend Creech Creches, she must work her way through a maze of uncharted territory at a hospital miles from home.

            Dancing in the White Room is the story of the love we keep, the price we pay for that love, and the forgiveness it takes to hold on to what is precious.

Buy links:

Turquoise Morning Press

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

For more about this book, please visit the Dancing in the White Room web page

#Snippet Afterglow--Mitch and India

Update! Reader voting for best contemporary, the category in which Afterglow was nominated, begins March 17  and runs through March 23.

You can vote HERE

Because Afterglow was nominated for a RONE award this week, I've gone back and dug out one of my favorite snips from the story. Mitch and India have become friends--and maybe, just maybe, Mitch is looking for more


Here's the snippet--

“How’s Allie?” Mitch asked the next day when I went to pick up more shoes.

“Hurt. Angry.”

“I told her it was hard. I was pretty upset when my parents

split.”

“That was a long time ago.”

“And you get over it. I was totally annihilated when my

marriage split, but I got past it. It’s been two years now.”

“You were married? And divorced?”

Mitch nodded as he opened the door to his storage room. “Yup. You’re in good company. I know what it’s like to be the walking wounded.”

“What other secrets are you keeping from us, Dr. Tinker?”

Mitch turned on the light and stood holding the pull string. “Not that many,” he said softly. “No more than your average guy. If you stick around, I’ll share a few with you.” He smiled, but there was a hint of something else in his eyes, concern maybe, or longing. It matched my feelings and that made me a little uncomfortable.

“Like what, for instance?” I said, wanting to melt the discomfort away. It worked. The smile rose into his eyes .

 “I’ll tell one if you will,” he said.

“I like gravy on my French fries,” I said.

“Yummy. I sing along with my iPod when I’m alone.”

 “What kind of music?”

“Springsteen, mostly. No fair, that’s two. You owe me one.”

“The River is one of my favorite albums.”

“And?” he raised his eyebrows, waiting.

“Okay. I really like to finger paint. And sometimes after school I paint at a kid’s art easel.”

“Landscapes or portraits?”

“Portraits mostly. Your turn.”

“I still watch Scooby Doo.”

“Hallmark commercials make me cry.”

“I had a huge crush on you when I was ten.” The room went very still and we stood there staring at each other. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s fine. You’re not ten anymore. Heck, I’m not thirty anymore.”

“I have changed considerably. You haven’t. Not really. Not that much.” He turned towards the shoes. “So, how many boxes do you think your trunk can hold?”

Find out more about Afterglow HERE

Coffee with Ally

I'm having coffee with Ally Shields today, chatting about my new book and life and such.

http://www.allyshields.com/1/post/2014/03/coffee-chat-with-womens-fiction-author-ute-carbone.html?

#Snippet Dancing in the White Room--Bell's Return

Here's another quick peek at Dancing in the White Room. In this snip, Bell has come back from Alaska.

He looks as though the Alaska Mountains have leaned hard on him. His collarbone sticks out like a hanger for the T-shirt he wears. His eyes, usually bright enough to catch me up, sag heavy over deep lines.

I’m gathered into him before I have the chance to say anything at all. He smells of sweat, I imagine how many hours he’s spent crumpled in an airplane seat. For a minute, I want all time to end here.

He kisses my forehead, and I burrow into the hollow of his arm. We stand there for an endless amount of time.

For more about Dancing in the White Room, please visit my webpage, TMP, or Amazon. 

#SaturdaySnippet Bell's Accident from Dancing in the White Room.

I've got a few more excerpts from Dancing in the White Room to Share. In this one, Mallory remembers what happened the first time Bell tried a descent down the West Rib of Denali. He's gone to try again, and Mallory is upset that he would.  This is the reason why--

It’s been five years, and I can still hear Roddie’s voice. “We had to grapple him down. Copter’s won’t go that high. We’re shipping him off to Anchorage.” When I didn’t say anything, he added, “Hope I didn’t worry you, love.”

After we hung up, I called the airlines and booked the first flight to Anchorage. They had Bell in a room by the time I got there. He looked like he’d been the loser in a prizefight. One eye was swollen shut, one hand bandaged because of frostbite on two fingers.

I was trying at the time to unhinge an awful fear, the awful thought of Bell as fallible, as vulnerable. It sat in my head, reinforced by tape and bandages and the blistering on his face. It sat there and I couldn’t shake it. It still sits there, this heavy pulsing gravitational thought.

When I think of Bell on Denali, this is the picture I get. Bell vulnerable. Bell fallible.

For more, please go check out Dancing in the White Room on my website

White Room stops at the Lusty Penquin

I'm talking with Lori Zalewski about skiing, writing, and life in general, over at the Lusty Penguin. There's still a chance to put your name into the hat for some free books! Okay, it's not a hat, it's a rafflecopter. But still, you gotta be in it to win it.
I love the name Lusty Penguin. If I ever opened a pub, I think this is what I would call it...

http://lustypenguin.com/dancing-white-room-ute-carbone-interview-giveaway

#Ski Addiction at Gemini Girls

The Dancing in the White Room blog tour stops at Gemini Girls today, where I talk about being addicted to skiing.  There's a contest to enter for some free books by yours truly!

http://www.geminigirls.com/dancing-in-the-white-room-by-ute-carbone-plus-giveaway/

Dancing in the White Room #snippet An Unwritten Promise

We're on a break from touring today, so I thought I'd post another short snippet here on the blog.
Mallory has called her father after having a fight with Creech.

“So why are you really calling, sweetie?” he asks.

And I’m ready to cry again, except that I’m too old to go crying to Daddy. He wouldn’t know what to do with it, if I did.

“I thought me and Em might come visit once the season’s done.” The thought has just popped into my head, as likely an excuse as any.

“That would be great.” He sounds like he really means it. “About the middle of April, maybe? Bell ought to be home by then.”

The mention of Bell is enough to do me in, and I find I’m telling him all my troubles, about Roddie and Bell’s continuing despite what happened. About how scared I feel. “And Creech is pissed at me too,” I finish, though I don’t even try to explain this part.

“Creechie will come round. He always does.”

But I don’t know. He didn’t seem very willing to come around when he left here.

I don’t feel much better after I hang up. What I’d really like to do is pack up and take Emily down to Wells right now. If this was seven years ago and there was no Emily and no Bell, I might go running home. But it’s not seven years ago, and it’s not so easy to just pick up and go. I have my job to consider. I couldn’t leave Albie in a lurch. It wouldn’t be right.

I go to bed but I don’t sleep. I tell myself I better stop obsessing. I’m going to pay for my insomnia tomorrow, but it doesn’t seem to matter what I tell myself. I keep playing my conversation with Creech over in my head. How could I have made him see it differently?

Then I get mad, thinking it’s really none of Creech’s business in the first place. He has no right to be upset with me. But that doesn’t sit well either.

Then I switch channels and think about Danny and try to imagine Bell running to his grandfather because I wouldn’t marry him. 

There’s still some kind of promise between us. Even if it’s unwritten.

Isn’t there?