Karen Luellen

A little about myself...

My husband Joe and I live in the still wild open spaces about two hours northwest of Dallas. Our days are filled with business and our nights are usually spent working on a project together somewhere around the house or yard. We have two amazing adult kids out doing their part to make the world a better place, by the grace of God.

So, with the house feeling too quiet, we (read: I) decided we needed to find a baby cat we could dote on (and I could hold like a baby from time to time.)

And there he was. I saw him in an online ad.

He was one of 25 kittens born to a feral colony. It was love at first sight!

That was two years ago, and now the runt-of-the-litter who had to be bottle fed by the rescue volunteers, has blossomed into a handsome, super fluffy, 17lb Maine Coon named "Atlas the Destroyer!"***

He earned his name by freaking out the instant he came home to us. The rescue volunteer released him from his kitten-sized pet carrier carefully, trying to ease him into the unfamiliar environment, but the kitty had other ideas.

The scrawny flash of fur leaped up on the kitchen counter sending papers and dishes flying, dashed across the knobs of the stove, and sprang straight up in the corner of the cabinets, disappearing for an instant before landing eight feet up on top of the cabinets with a soft thud of his paws, and one more crash.

All this happened in less than 10 seconds!

I looked around at the destruction left in the wake of that frightened big-pawed, baby cat.

Dishes were broken on the floor, and freshly notarized documents were torn up. One of the burners on the stove glowed red hot as he must have turned it on running across the knobs, and the biggest Houdini move of all... We didn't even know how he jumped up and through the cabinets until we looked. Sure enough, there was a six-inch-by-six-inch opening in the back corner of the cabinets where they met.

Hence "Atlas the Destroyer" pretty much named himself.

So, a bit of a news flash, I changed careers (aka my day job) and with a wistful but ready heart, I hung up my kindergarten teacher's paint-covered apron and moved into a whole different career field.

But even though I no longer have to wear machine-washable clothes (in hot, with Clorox) to teach, I still have not given up my need to be surrounded by positivity, creativity, and light.

It's been a minute since I've released a novel, but don't worry. I've got something in the works and will share as soon as possible.

I do hope you're well and enjoying all the small things rather than taking them for granted. Small things, like a wild, scrawny, kitten, can cure the most cynical if given the chance.

With heartfelt prayers for humanity, I fervently work toward doing my part to return to an era of God-loving, hard-working, persevering, responsible, faith-filled Americans who treat others the way they want to be treated.

Respectfully,

Karen Luellen

***That was to have been read in a booming, echo-y, warrior's bellow that left everyone's ears ringing and tails tucked!

So, go ahead. Try it again. I'll wait.

"Atlas the DESTROYYYEEERRR!!!"

*grin*

(Or you can call him Attie for short - especially when approaching meekly holding a Costco-sized bag of salmon-flavored treats.)