Karma
Series
Book
One
Donna
Augustine
Genre:
Urban Fantasy
Publisher:
Strong Hold Publishing
Date
of Publication: July 9, 2014
ISBN:
0692248463
ASIN:
B00LMNRWQ4
Number
of pages: 344
Word
Count: 72,000
Cover
Artist: Donna Augustine
Book
Description:
People
say karma's a...well, you know. Personally, I don't think I'm that
bad. It's not like I wanted this job. I wasn't even in my right mind
when I accepted it.
Now,
I'm surrounded by crazy coworkers like Lady Luck, who's a bit of a
tramp, and Murphy's Law, who's a bumbling oaf.
But
the worst is Fate. He's got a problem with transfers like myself and
I have to see him constantly. It's unavoidable, since we're hunting
the same man, my murderer.
Available
at Amazon
I
was immediately drawn into the story and once I started I couldn't
put it down. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
~ Review by BookGirl
Excerpt:
“No.
Just you. Everyone has their own department. You are Karma.” He
pointed toward me dramatically, the way someone would try and accent
a meaning to a person who didn't know the language.
“I'm
not sure I'm adequately suited for this position. Even for a month.
I'm more of a “bygones be bygones” kind of person. Don't you need
someone a bit more vengeful?”
He
looked down at the file spread on his desk. “I would disagree. Your
file said you would be an excellent candidate.”
“May
I see that?” I asked, eying up said file on his desk. How much did
Harold know about me? Everything? That was an uneasy feeling. Even
the best of us had our secrets and even though I considered myself a
decent human being, I didn't think I fell into the saintly category.
The
file didn't look big enough for my entire life to be in it. It didn't
even look thick enough for a short story. Maybe just a highly edited
Wiki version?
“No,
absolutely not.” He shut the Manila folder quickly, as if I were
going to jump up and try to peek. The guy took neurotic to a whole
other level.
Okay,
the file wasn't that important. I needed to keep the peace and simply
explain in better detail how I'd made an error in judgment. Be nice.
My southern mother had always said you caught more bees with honey
than vinegar. She had tried to drill it into my head since I was a
small child. It wasn't something I'd come naturally to, that was for
sure, but it was a valid tactic, even if that wasn't the lesson my
mother had meant to instill.
“Harold,
when I agreed to work for you, I was under the duress of seeing my
dead body. You can understand how jarring that can be, right? I
wasn't thinking clearly at all.” It sounded logical enough to me,
but I wasn't sure if he'd ever had the pleasure of dying and his
manner didn't scream naturally empathetic.
He
cleared his throat and I could tell by the set of his mouth that I
wouldn't like the next words. “I'm sorry, but that's not how things
work here. Like I told you, there’s a mandatory one-month trial
period. An active one-month.”
He
leaned back in his chair and pushed his glasses up closer to his
face. His almost black eyes, artificially enlarged from the lens,
stared at me in a bit of an awkward way. I wasn't sure if there was a
bite to follow up his bark but his magnified beady gaze sure made the
situation less than desirable.
Still,
beady gaze and all, I had to try one last time. Perhaps a different
angle. Regardless of my record, he clearly thought I was an idiot;
maybe that was the way to go. I had no problem playing a stooge if it
got me out of here quickly.
“As
you stated, I'm a transfer. You really don't want me. I'm a horribly
slow learner. The mistakes I've made in my life, geesh, you'd squirm
if you knew.” I twirled a finger in my hair for effect and wished I
had some chewing gum to smack.
“Yes,
I'm well aware.”
He
was? Hey, wait a minute; I didn't think I'd done too badly for
myself. What were these jerks writing about me in that file?
“Fate
will help you with that.”
And
just like that, I had bigger problems. I wasn't just stuck here; I
was stuck with him. “The guy who helped me so far?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“It
has to be him.” Harold threw his hands in the air, as if why am I
bothering him? Not his orders.
“Then
I'll work alone.”
I'd
be clueless but peaceful. There was something wrong about that guy.
There was something too bossy or too intense. I couldn't even
describe exactly what it was about him that was too much, but it was.
Even
the brief moment I'd actually been in my right mind around him, it
was as if his presence exerted some sort of gravitational pull,
stronger than a normal person’s. As if his intensity could throw me
out of orbit. And I didn't want to go out of orbit. I had enough
things to handle besides ping ponging around.
“Non-negotiable.
I've got orders.” Harold folded his hands and rested them atop his
desk, littered with paper.
“From
who exactly?”
“The
universe.” His chin notched up a hair.
“Would
it be possible to speak to this universe person? I'm sure they'll
understand that there is a personality conflict.” It was time to
bump my complaint to upper management.
“No
one speaks to the universe.”
“Then
how do you know what to do?” I leaned in a little.
“Simple.
Through my orders.” His eyes started to twitch.
“Which
you get how?”
“My
memos.”
“Then
you can send a memo to the universe. I won't work with him.”
“I'll
file your complaint but it won't matter. And don't forget, as I've
already explained, it has to be an active month.”
Twenty-five
days. I've dealt with worse for longer. One case in particular came
to mind. The guy actually tried to bite me when we lost. Harold
didn't seem inclined to bite and he didn't get into my personal
space. I could deal with him.
On
the other hand, Fate looked like he might be the biting sort.
“Do
the last five days count toward the thirty? Time served and all?”
“Yes.”
“These
first days were highly unpleasant. Do you think I could get extra
credit for those? Maybe, I don't know, you could knock off a day or
two? Like they do in jail for good behavior?”He squinted his eyes
and tilted his head. I was going to take that for a no.
About
the Author:
Donna
Augustine’s lifelong ambition was to become the crazy cat lady.
Unfortunately, when family allergies cut short her dream of living in
a house full of furries, she turned her ambitions toward writing.
Combining her love of fantasy, scifi, horror and romance, she tries
to string together interesting twists on urban fantasy.
A
native of New Jersey, when she isn’t writing, or overdosing on
caffeine, she can occasionally be spotted in disguise at the local
dog park.
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