Karma
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.
Giveaway
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.
Thank you for hosting me and taking the time to review!
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