Keeping Karma

I got a contract renewal for one of my older books this week and I spent some time rereading it, just for fun. I loved writing Keeping Karma because Alex, the main character, has a talent that I've longed for my whole life -- he can hear animals' thoughts. With the number of animals I have in my house, this would make my life a heck of a lot easier!

Here's a little excerpt, and you can buy Keeping Karma here.



Alexander Myers stared into the face of a small, black and white rabbit and was not swayed by the twitching nose or the soft, floppy ears.

“This thermometer is going in,” he informed the bunny. “And I don’t mean your mouth.”

The rabbit stared back at Alex impassively, not impressed in the least. Alex glanced up at the elderly woman who was stroking the rabbit’s fur with a withered hand. “I’ll try to hold him,” she said in a quavering voice. “But sometimes he kicks.”

Alex smiled at her. “I can do it.” And with one swift move, he pinned the rabbit to the table and inserted the thermometer.

The rabbit did indeed give one strong kick before pretending that its life had ended and going limp on the table. Alex snorted. “You’re fine,” he told it, waiting for the thermometer to beep.

The rabbit did not respond, preferring instead to play dead, so Alex shrugged and watched the digital numbers on the thermometer. It eventually beeped and he withdrew it, jotting the animal’s temp down on the chart.

“Is it high?” the woman asked, like they always did. “Can you tell what’s wrong?”

“A little high,” Alex admitted. “The doctor can tell you more. He’ll be right in.” He cleaned the thermometer and deposited it back in the drawer before making a hasty exit. Patients always thought Alex knew more than he did, just because he was the first one they saw before the doctor. He really wasn’t sure how weighing an animal and taking its temperature could be good indicators that he knew what was wrong with their pets, but they always asked him anyway.

The thing was, he usually did have an idea what was wrong with them. But not for the reasons the clients thought.