Cloudy Rainbow

by Debbie De Louise

This revised edition celebrates the 10th anniversary of the author’s first published novel. When you lose a loved one, whether it’s a relative, friend, or precious pet, you wonder where that special soul has gone and if you will ever see him or her again. For Dulcie Mills, Long Island computer programmer, the answer may lie between a virtual world and the real one, between the past and the present, between dreams and reality. Unable to get over her fiancée’s death and facing the impending loss of her 15-year-old cat, Dulcie escapes to a virtual world. When Dulcie’s best friend accepts a job from a clairvoyant who offers predictions regarding Dulcie’s dead fiancée and Dulcie becomes attracted to an online stranger, history begins to repeat itself in ways that are both promising and terrifying. What Dulcie discovers through a virtual séance may mean the only chance she has left for love or death itself. Addressing topics of reincarnation and soul transfer in similar ways as Greg Iles’ Sleep No More and Nora Roberts’ Midnight Bayou, Cloudy Rainbow features an interesting mix of technology and the paranormal and will also appeal to cat lovers.

Audible Audio

First published November 20, 2008

About the author

Debbie De Louise is an award-winning author and a reference librarian at a public library on Long Island. She is a member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters-in-Crime, and the Cat Writer’s Association. She has a BA in English and an MLS in Library Science from Long Island University. Her published novels include the 6 books of her Cobble Cove cozy mystery series: A Stone's Throw, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Written in Stone, Love on the Rocks, No Gravestone Unturned, and Sneaky's Supernatural Mystery and Other Cobble Cove Stories, her paranormal romance, Cloudy Rainbow, her mystery thriller Reason to Die, her psychological mystery, Sea Scope, and her time-travel novel, Time's Relative. She also published a romantic comedy novella featuring a jewel heist caper, When Jack Trumps Ace and a cat poetry book, Meows and Purrs. Debbie also has a new series, the Buttercup Bend Mysteries, the first one of which is The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady. Debbie has also written articles and short stories for several anthologies of various genres. She lives on Long Island with her husband, daughter, and two cats.

Reviews

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a heartwarming book, and guaranteed to bring a tear or two to the eyes of cat lovers. Great first novel!

[Lisa Diaz Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

CLOUDY RAINBOW by Debbie De Louise
The tale's heroine is Dulcie Mills, a down to earth, likable character who chooses the people in her life very carefully. Along the way she finds great love and great friendships through the fifteen years she and her beloved cat spend together. The main character faces many highs, lows and heartbreaks but learns life can go on. The bond between Dulcie and her cat are remarkable and real to those who have ever loved a pet for so long. The romance factor is present with just a hint of some possible supernatural, giving the idea life comes full circle. The virtual world additions are easily understood and a plus as I am a gamer, myself. Contemporary romance readers and pet lovers will adore this book! I am giving it 5 stars and look forward to reading author Debbie De Louise's second novel, A Stone's Throw.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dulcie, who never had a pet growing up is at college when her roommate decided to bring a tiny kitten that she had been feeding outside in to the dorm room. Dulcie was nervous because no pets were allowed but became very attached to the little furball. She inherited the kitten when her roommate had to leave college. They ended up inseparable and moved with Dulcie when she did.

Dulcie's fiance died in a car accident and her kitty was getting older. She entered a virtual game where she met a person. You won't believe who it turned out to be! Then he was in a car accident--in a coma. There is a bit of soul transfer and reincarnation involved--then her kitty had to be put to sleep.

If you have ever had no choice you will recognize the emotional upheaval with losing a beloved pet. I found myself crying at the description-it is very realistic. So was the ending when her kitty came back in the form of another kitten. My cat Gremlin often visits me in my apartment while my current cat Baby is sound asleep----I feel something jumping on my bed. It has to be him!!

[Samantha Lundergn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very heartwarming and emotional book about love, loss, and heartbreak that happened to be centered around a beautiful cat. I loved the fact that an online game played a part in the story line as I also like to play games. This book had me tearing up at points but it also gave me hope at the same time. I would love to read more books set in this world so I have put the author in my watch list to see if we get anymore books.

[J.B. Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overview: Dulcie Mills, who’s unable to get over her fiancée’s death and facing the impending loss of her 15-year-old cat, escapes to a virtual world when pressures become too great. But, when Dulcie becomes attracted to an online stranger, and a clairvoyant offers predictions regarding her dead fiancée, history begins to repeat itself in ways that are both promising and terrifying.

The title of Debbie De Louise’s novel is oddly deceiving since “Cloudy Rainbow” sounds more like a children’s story than a contemporary romance thriller. Additionally, the plotline starts off with a bit too much saccharine as a young woman mourns her deceased lover and finds solace in her elderly feline companion.

Fortunately, as Cloudy Rainbow” continues, the pace of this story eventually picks up and turns tense and suspenseful as lead-character, Dulcie, chooses to spend a fateful weekend away at a work conference with her handsome and recently-divorced boss, Paul. Adding a sense of intrigue and urgency to this getaway, are dire predictions from a clairvoyant warning Dulcie that this particular weekend will be the most important time of her life.

The author’s injection of visions, dream therapy, predictions about the future, PTSD flashbacks, soul transfer, and reincarnation into her plotline, succeeds in livening things up considerably. De Louise’s foreshadowing skills prove to be the meat of this story, pulling readers through a tragic but familiar romance scenario with familiar characters and a cat-centric heroine, into a remarkable supernatural romance suspense thriller.

Overall, “Cloudy Rainbow” is a sound romantic tale with supernatural influences. Although it takes a while to pad through Dulcie’s endless musings about her former lover, Frank, and her relationship with her beloved cat, Floppy, De Louise’s work significantly picks up as predictions pan out and begin to affect Dulcie’s life in strange and terrifying ways.

Considering the adult themes and sexual situations contained in this novel, I recommend this paranormal suspense thriller for romantics and fans of the occult ages 17 and up.