The Spirit Chaser
Book One
Kat Mayor
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance,
Horror, Ghosts
Publisher: Kat Mayor
Date of Publication: November 13, 2015
ISBN:1517161479
ASIN: B01845NL8K
Number of pages: 424
Number of words: 134,300
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.
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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.”
My Review
Let me start this review of by just saying: For the last 2 days this book has scared the crap out of me. Yep there ya go I admitted it. I love a good paranormal story and this is one of the best by far I have read in a long time. At times the book drags on a little bit, but when it scary it takes your breath away. By dragging on I don't really mean this book is slow. There was the parts towards the first of the book when they were getting ready for the next season and it was a bit slow. Actually though those parts do help you understand parts of the book later on and why they were important. You just don't realize it at the time. My advice is keep reading. My other advice is read with the light on. This book is scary at least to me.
I really enjoyed the writing style of Kat Mayor. I loved the characters in the book. Their life like qualities were great and they truly flowed through the story. At times you wished some of the characters were real people so you could grab them and shake them. Mainly Austin Cole.
Austin is the lead investigator and founder of the Spirit Chaser investigations crew. Spirit Chaser Investigations is a band of friends who are also ghost chasers. He is also the world's leading paranormal investigator and is the star of cable television's most popular show which is also named Spirit Chaser Investigations.
At the end to the prior season of the show one of Austin's best friends and also the team psychic is hurt and resigns from the crew. After being asked by Austin to recommend someone in comes Casey Lawson. The fun begins. Austin is a self centered person and Casey is a no nonsense kind of girl. so the clashing begins. Sorry that's all you get about the story, I don't want to ruin it for anyone.
This book is not all about scary stuff it is also takes you down the path of each of the members lives. I love how every character in the book is a star in their own way. Now one gets pushed to the side so the 2 main characters do all the shining. I would love to see this movie turned into a series. I would really love to see this book turned into a movie truthfully.
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.
https://twitter.com/montemayorkat
https://www.facebook.com/montemayorkathleen1/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7222680.K_M_Montemayor
Tour
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.
