The Spirit Chaser
Kat Mayor
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Romance,
Horror, Ghosts
Date of Publication: November 13,
2015
Book Description
Some places are too evil. Some
places should be left alone.
Austin Cole has it made. Star of
the hit television show Spirit Chaser Investigations, he has become the world’s
most famous paranormal investigator. Although hard work, a talented investigation
team, and favorable genetics have something to do with it, it’s his lack of
fear and willingness to take risks no one else will that make Spirit Chaser
Investigations cable’s number-one show.
When a ghost-hunt-gone-wrong
seriously injures his best friend and lead psychic, Austin is forced to find a
replacement for a team member he considers irreplaceable.
Casey Lawson can’t catch a break.
She’s been on her own since she turned eighteen and is scraping by as a
part-time psychic and cashier at a New Age store. When a desperate Austin Cole
calls her up and offers her a position on his team, has her fortune finally
changed?
He’s a control freak; she’s
stubborn and opinionated. It takes time, but when they finally realize they’re
working on the same side, everything clicks, both on and off screen.
Just when things are looking up,
a new threat emerges. Over the years, Austin has angered plenty of demons, and
one of them has set her sights on him. Now he’s the one in danger, and it’s up
to the team to rescue him from the riskiest investigation of their lives.
Excerpt
“I got your message. I guess that means Austin tracked you
down.”
“Yeah, he did, and I have some questions about that for
later.” Casey threw her purse on the entry table and flopped down on the couch.
“But first I want to talk about you. I saw what happened on the finale. It was
awful.” Casey paused for a moment. “How are you doing?”
“Yeah, that wasn’t my finest moment.” No it wasn’t. Casey
thought it was a crappy thing to do, televising what had to be the lowest point
in Barrett’s life. But she understood about ratings and the Almighty Dollar.
“I’m better now, though,” he told her.
“How did it get in your head?”
“She was strong. Very strong.”
“She?”
“Yeah, the entity self-identified as female. She got in
before I even knew I’d been attacked.” An involuntary shiver went through
Casey’s spine. Barrett had always been careful. If an entity could get hold of
him like that, then no one was safe.
“So, do you remember what happened?”
“Thankfully, no. I have vivid memories of everything that
happened before we entered the warehouse. But after that, it’s all kind of a
blur. This is what I do remember: She put the darkest thoughts of violence and
rage in my head.” It had been like seeing his friends through someone else’s
eyes. He had been crazy-out-of-control-angry at Gary and Luis. But the level of
hate he’d felt for Austin was off the charts. Not only did he want him to
suffer a slow, agonizing death, he wanted to inflict the pain and watch every
excruciating moment as he slipped closer and closer to the edge. Barrett
exhaled. “Anyway, the next thing I know, I’m in the hospital with a broken arm,
terrified of something I can’t name or describe. You remember how I was in high
school? When everything was hopeless and I was hating life?”
“Yeah,” Casey said. For as long as she had known Barrett,
depression had been a daily struggle. He was the typical high school loner, a
bit of a weirdo who didn’t fit into any of the usual cliques. He wandered
around the halls with a sad, empty look in his eyes. The dark cloud over his
head was what drew Casey to him in the first place. She was an outcast in her
own right. Being the preacher’s emo daughter who spoke to ghosts didn’t win her
any popularity contests. His vulnerability struck a chord with her. She wanted
to take him home with her, like a stray puppy, and hold him until he felt safe
and secure. But her comfort was not what he needed.
“That was nothing compared to the level of depression and
despair I was feeling after the … thing”—he
couldn’t bring himself to articulate the word “possessed”—“attacked me. I found
out later that the doctors placed me on a suicide watch.” Barrett shook his
head. “Weird. Sorry to unload on you. I’ll save the confessing and emotional
vomiting for my priest and shrink.”
“No worries. I shouldn’t have brought up a sore subject.”
“No, Casey. You’re one of the few people who’ve even asked
how I’m doing. My boyfriend, Derek, wants to ignore it, pretend like nothing
happened. He’s afraid if we discuss it, I’ll lose it or something. I think a few
of my friends are even kind of scared of me.” Barrett sighed. “Well, enough
about me. What have you been up to, Ms. Lawson? Something fabulous, I’m sure.”
“Not really. I’ve been working at my friend’s store. It’s a
low-stress job and not taxing on the brain. I’m kind of at an in-between place
in my life right now. Trying to figure stuff out.” Casey paused and took a
breath. “So, what’s the deal with this Austin dude? He tells me you’re the one
who suggested me as a replacement. Why?”
“Because you’re the best. And Spirit deserves the best. They’re great people and I don’t want
some attention-seeking charlatan screwing things up for them.”
“Well, if it’s so great, why don’t you want to go back?”
Barrett sighed and put his hand to his forehead. “That is a
completely fair question, especially since I’m the one who gave Austin your
name. But truthfully, I’m still in recovery mode. When Luis exorcised the
she-demon, he got rid of my familiars, too. And I relied on them a lot.” Unlike
Casey, Barrett came from a long line of seers. The familiar spirits that helped
him see the future and communicate with the dead had been in his family for
generations. “I mean, I can still see ghosts, but I can’t see the future
anymore, and that kind of sucks.”
“So ask them back.”
“No, I don’t want to do that. After the she-devil got in,
I’m not itching to open myself up again.”
Casey couldn’t blame him. “Well, even without your
familiars, you’re still a million times better than most of the so-called
psychics out there. And when you do get better, you’re going to want you’re
fantastic job back.”
“No. I have my own personal reasons for not wanting to
return that I’d rather not get into. It’s a great job, Casey, just not great
for me.”
“Well, I haven’t even interviewed yet. Once Austin meets me,
he might say forget it.”
“I know for a fact he has no one else lined up. The job is
yours to refuse or accept.”
“I don’t know. I’m going to tell it like it is. Some people
can’t handle that.”
“That’s what makes you the perfect choice. Austin is very
persistent, very charming, and very persuasive. It’s nearly impossible to tell
him no. And once he gets his mind set on something, he won’t stop. The team
needs someone like you to stand firm, because Austin can’t see the danger and
really doesn’t understand it. He’ll lead them all straight into hell without
even knowing it.”
About the Author
Kat Mayor is a native Texan,
wife, and mom. In addition to The Spirit Chaser, she has written a young adult
series, The Circle. She’s a full-time reader, part-time writer, and when she’s
not kicking a story around in her head, she loves to read and review books on
Goodreads.
Tour-Wide Giveaway
First Prize: $50 Amazon gift card
and signed Paperback of The Spirit Chaser
Second Prize: $25 Amazon gift
card and e-book of The Spirit Chaser in Mobi, EPUB, or PDF.
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