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Destiny or Free Will
© 2012 by Kat Bastion


Thank you, Jen for having me on That’s What I’m Talking About for Saturday Conversations to share more about my charity project, Utterly Loved.

Sometimes we don’t know our destined path… Until we choose to walk it.

Is our life governed by destiny or free will?

It’s an interesting question.

The topic so intrigued me, it became an underlying theme in a paranormal romance manuscript I started last year and completed in October, 2012.  When a heroine gets thrown far off her path into an unfamiliar world, her foundations rocked to the core, the inner journey is an amazing one.

I had no idea I’d foreshadowed my own life.

Surreal events began to happen to me before I’d even finished the final edits on my manuscript.  Without hesitation, I walked down the unexpected brightly-lit path surprisingly well-armed.

Destiny began with my shoe avi on Twitter, of all things:  Other friends decked in shoes (specifically stilettos) embraced me.  They raved incessantly about The Professor, a character penned by an author who up to that point was unknown to me, Sylvain Reynard.  I began to pay more attention to him on my Twitter timeline.

Fate continued through Sylvain Reynard:  He posted daily words of humanitarianism and he shared a poem by Robert Frost called Fire and Ice.  Both affected me, a shimmer slowly rising above my path like pavement warmed by the sun.

The next revelation:  I shared with my husband of twenty years my love for Robert Frost’s poem.  He shared with me his love for poetry, which I’d been completely unaware of, with his favorite being Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.

Another surprise:  Poems began to flow into my mind from my heart, and I posted them on my www.talktotheshoe.com blog.  The positive response overwhelmed me.

With our twentieth anniversary approaching, I decided to secretly make a collection of poems for my love as a gift.  Twenty poems for twenty years, plus one for the future.

Then I read Sylvain Reynard’s Gabriel’s Inferno and Gabriel’s Rapture.  The former became my new favorite book for multi-faceted reasons, but the latter... hit me soul deep.  A story about a man who had everything money could buy, but surrenders himself to fate with selfless acts of love with faith, transformed Gabriel… and profoundly changed me.

Epiphany struck like the brightest and most powerful bolt of lightning.

A gift I hadn’t expected needed to be shared with the world.  So many in this world are lost and have never had the opportunity to know love.  I wanted them to feel… Utterly Loved.

Instantly, my heart grew as I became a humble champion of those who need heroes.

Fearless, I asked Sylvain Reynard if he wanted to write the foreword to Utterly Loved.  Without hesitation, the true humanitarian graciously accepted the request.

The enormous support for the charitable project of Utterly Loved continues to grow.  Every day I’m amazed by the depths of the giving spirit lying in each of our hearts when the battle cry is sounded.

As you can see, the story of Utterly Loved came about from a very serendipitous chain of events, and yet, my journey down the unexpected path has only just begun.

Let’s answer that question about fate and choices…

What did I do when a shoe avi invited friends I hadn’t expected?
I embraced them.

How did I react when those friends raved about Sylvain Reynard?
I paid attention to him.

When an unexpected gift of poetry mainlined from my heart to my mind?
I went with the flow.

How did I face a new world of poetry and self-publishing? What happened when the cries of those desperately needing love were heard by my ears?

… I became an invincible warrior.

Is our life governed by destiny or free will?  
My answer is … yes.

What is your answer?  How has destiny and free will affected your life?

I hope everyone reading this is inspired to join the cause.  Utterly Loved is a book of romantic poetry being shared with the world for charity.  The book is currently available for sale on Amazon.

No dollar will ever line my pocket.  All proceeds, less costs and taxes, will be donated to selected charities.  So far, I've chosen World Vision and Covenant House.

Please tell all your social worlds and everyone you know about Utterly Loved.  Buy two copies.  Buy twenty.

Standing together around the world we each can do a small part to have a big impact.  United we can help those who desperately need it to feel... Utterly Loved.

Your humble shoe,

Kat Bastion

About the Author:
Kat Bastion is a multi-award winning paranormal romance writer, poetic warrior, and eternal optimist who loves getting lost in the beauty of nature.

Website:  www.KatBastion.com
Blog:  www.talktotheshoe.com
Twitter:  @KatBastion
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kat-Bastion/382546338470769
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GIVEAWAY
Thank you, Kat, for stopping by That’s What I’m Talking About.  Kat is graciously giving away a SIGNED copy of Utterly Loved. To be entered, please use the RAFFLECOPTER form below. As part of your entry, please leave a comment answering Kat's question: How has destiny and free will affected your life? You do not need to be a google friends connect follower of my blog, but it is always appreciated. Contest is open from December 1, 2012 until December 6, 2012 at 12:00 AM EST. Contest is opening internationally, where allowable by law. One (1) winner will be selected from eligible entries. I am not responsible for items lost in the mail. If you have problems with the RAFFLECOPTER form, please email me at twimom227 (at) gmail (dot) com.

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