Twelve
Spirits of Christmas
Tessa
Lamar Novels
Book Two
Kathryn M.
Hearst
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Wyndham House
Date of Publication: November 8, 2016
ASIN:
B01MQ09LJU
Number of pages: 315 e-book 354 print
Word Count: 86,000
Cover Artist: Marcela Bolivar
Book Description:
Two amazing men. A serial killer. A
Christmas to remember.
Tessa Lamar is dreading her first
Christmas without her beloved grandfather. They say the holiday season brings
out the best and the worst in people. This year, it’s brought out a serial
killer, who chooses his victims based on the carol, “The Twelve Days of
Christmas.”
As Tessa comes to terms with her life as
a Nunnehi, the Cherokee equivalent to fairy, she finds herself in cahoots with
a ghost to stop the Christmas Killer before he strikes again. She must wrangle
her magic, manage family responsibilities, juggle the men in her life, and
discover the person she was meant to be, in order to save…
Seven
Swans a Swimming
Eight
Maids a Milking
Nine
Ladies Dancing
Ten Lords
a Leaping
Eleven
Pipers Piping
Twelve
Drummers Drumming
Twelve Spirits of Christmas is the second
of the Tessa Lamar Novels, Paranormal Romances with a Southern twist. If you
like Southern humor, supernatural creatures, and a healthy dose of romance,
then you'll love this series. Be sure to check out Kindle Scout winner, The
Spirit Tree, to read the beginning of Tessa’s journey.
Excerpt 1
I rounded the corner to
the health and beauty department when the phone rang again. “Hi, Aaron.”
“Tessa, we have a case.
Can you meet me in Winter Park in an hour?”
I stopped in the middle
of the aisle and hung my head. “I’m at the store. What kind of case?”
“Suicide from the sound
of it. The deceased’s partner found him hanging from a tree in the backyard.”
Aaron’s voice lacked its usual humor. He’d either had a late night or rough
day, maybe both.
“Sure. Text me the address.
What’s the victim’s name?” I had no idea what I would do with the room full of
people waiting for me at the house, but skipping out on dinner with Darlene
made me happy.
“Thanks, Tessa. You’re a
doll. Partridge. The deceased’s name is Partridge.”
I glanced around to make
sure no one was watching before I loaded two containers of Mae’s fiber mix into
the cart. “What kind of tree was it?”
“Orange tree, why?”
It was probably a sin to
laugh at the dead, but I couldn’t help it. “We have a Partridge in an orange
tree.”
Aaron groaned. “I’ll
send the address. Try to hurry.”
EXCERPT 2
Aaron grabbed my arm.
“When I left the scene tonight, I planned to go home. I don’t remember driving,
but I ended up here.”
“That happens to me
sometimes. Life on autopilot.” I smiled, trying my best to normalize the
situation. I didn’t want to have this conversation without Bryson present.
“When you kissed me—”
I laughed. “You mean
when you kissed me?”
“Stop dancing around the
question. This is what Bryson meant when he said we were mates, isn’t it?”
I nodded. “I think so.
This is new to me, too. We should talk to him about it.”
“Will you show me?”
“Show you what?”
“The firebird. I was too
stunned to get a look at her, you, it is you, right?”
I considered the
question. I’d always thought of the spirit animal as a separate entity. “She’s
a part of me, but separate. Sometimes it feels like I have two brains running
the show, especially when I shift.”
“That’s why you need to
learn to control it?” He took a step closer.
“Yes.” I turned my face
to his.
“I understand. Since I
woke up in the hospital, I’ve want to touch you, but I know I shouldn’t. The
other night with you and Bryson was the first time I felt whole in months.” He
nuzzled my cheek. “I want to see her.”
It occurred to me that
none of us knew what parts of Bryson Aaron had gained. Did it work like a
brick? A chip off a brick was still brick. Or were the pieces unique like a
mosaic? Did Aaron inherit Bryson’s magic? His ability to shift?
“We should wait for
Bryson. I don’t know what will happen.”
“What do you think will
happen?” He ran his hands up and down my arms.
“For one thing, you
could change into a hawk.”
He laughed and nuzzled
my neck.
My knees turned to
rubber. Whether Aaron’s need to touch me came from ordinary human desires, or
something metaphysical, I needed to distract him. “All right. Let’s go out
back, but I refuse to take responsibility if something goes wrong.”
“Deal.” He took my hand
and half-dragged me out the back door.
I chewed the inside of
my lip. Showing him the firebird would involve me getting naked. “Turn around.”
“No. I want to see the
process.” Aaron folded his arms. “Do you morph into it like in the movies?”
I shook my head. “You
saw the process the other day.”
“Like I said, it was
fast.”
I motioned for him to
turn.
He threw his hands up
and turned around. “Happy?”
“Yes.” I stripped down
to nothing and focused on the firebird, easy to do considering she’d waited
just below the surface since Aaron arrived.
Aaron drew a breath.
I glanced up and met his
eyes. My cheeks heated, but I didn’t look away. My magic rose, and I threw my
head back as the firebird burst free. She stretched her wings at her sides and
soared into the night sky.
- $50 Amazon Gift Card
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Kathryn M. Hearst is a southern girl with
a love of the dark and strange. She has been a storyteller her entire life, as
a child, she took people watching to new heights by creating back stories of
complete strangers. Besides writing, she has a passion for shoes, vintage
clothing, antique British cars, music, musicians and all things musical
(including theater). Kate lives in central Florida with her chocolate lab,
Jolene; and two rescue pups, Jagger and Roxanne. She is a self-proclaimed nerd,
raising a nerdling.
The Order of the Sinistra Dei is her
first series and includes titles, Feast of the Epiphany and Feast of Mercy.
Kate's novel, The Spirit Tree, won a publishing contract with Kindle Press
through the Kindle Scout contest. Her short stories have been published in
various anthologies.
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