I'm so psyched today to welcome a relatively new to me author who I e-met through social media (isn't it great), read her novel Karma and fell in love with her characters, her storytelling and her generosity.
So welcome to my stop on the Karma by Donna Augustine blog tour. Enjoy our interview, my review of Karma and Donna has graciously offered one lucky entrant an e-copy of Karma and a needle felted critter she made, US ONLY! exclusively for my blog.
There is also a tour wide giveaway that I'll post too!
I know that you'll be excited to read this amazing new urban fantasy series when you get to the end of the post.
Giveaway details below.
Take it away Donna!!!
- BN ID: 2940149703852
- Publisher: Strong Hold Publishing
- Publication date: 7/8/2014
- Series: Karma , #1
- Format: eBook
- Pages: 344
Overview
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 the position.
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.
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.
Read an 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.
“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.
