Book Tour + #Giveaway: Karma by Laura Simmons @LauraSimmons37 @SDSXXTours

Little Bits of Karma

by Laura Simmons

Genre: Paranormal Romance

A captivating story of reincarnation, redemption, and forgiveness. Even though Holly O’Rourke is having problems with her longtime significant other, James, she has never entertained thoughts of infidelity…that is, until the day she has a chance encounter with Charlie, a handsome coworker. James promises he will change and work on their relationship, but Holly’s feelings for Charlie just won’t go away. Distressed by her mixed emotions, Holly schedules an appointment for a reading with a psychic medium, where she discovers her adulterous past lives and their tragic consequences. Holly learns to do her own past life regression through self-hypnosis and uncovers not only lives that she shared with James and Charlie, but how the other people in her present life have been with her in the past—the threads of their lives interwoven for centuries. Holly is stunned by recurring themes and the issues of karmic justice that need to be addressed. Where will her karmic path ultimately lead? Find out in Little Bits of Karma, an entertaining new book about spiritual cause and effect.

Can be read as a standalone.

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Chapter Three - Three of Swords

On Sunday morning James woke up before Holly and went into the kitchen to make breakfast. The smells of coffee and bacon woke her up, and she walked into the kitchen. She was hungry.

    “I thought you would wake up when I started cooking,” James said to her.

    “Good morning,” Holly replied and yawned, still feeling sleepy. “I could have slept another hour except that I’m starved.”

    James noticed she seemed distracted and not her normal, happy self. “Is something wrong?” he asked.

    “I had another past-life session, and it wasn’t pleasant,” she replied.

    “Tell me about it,” he said as he gently flipped the bacon with metal tongs.

    “I was married to Roger in this past life and I was having an affair with one of our friends. Roger was a policeman and came home one day to find me in bed with this other man, and he shot and killed him. He covered his tracks by telling his police friends that the guy broke into the house to rape me. It’s hard to get the image of my lover’s dead body out of my head. Roger shot him in the heart and the head. He fired shots at me too, deliberately trying to scare me. It’s like I just witnessed a shooting death, even though it was sometime back in the 1800s,” she replied while pouring cream and sugar into her coffee.

James found himself feeling jealous of her past-life lover and recalling the times he watched men get killed for not paying their gambling debts. He didn’t believe in reincarnation and thought that Holly was having self-inflicted bad dreams. He was starting to wonder if there was another man . . . No, Holly wouldn’t do that, she’s not the type, he thought.

    “Who was the guy you were having an affair with?” he asked.

    “In the past life he was called David. I don’t know him in this life,” she lied . . . I don’t like lying to James . . . I don’t want to upset him. I don’t think I can get the image of David/Charlie’s dead and bloody body out of my mind anytime soon though.

    “I think you should take a break from visiting the past,” he suggested.

    “I think I will, although it was exciting to actually see some past lives,” she replied.

    “You didn’t go grocery shopping last night. We’re almost out of food,” James said to her, mildly annoyed and wanting to change the subject.

    “I know. I was on the phone with my sister for an hour, and then I got involved in a stupid TV show and I didn’t feel like grocery shopping,” she replied.

    “We can go today,” he said. “We haven’t gone grocery shopping together in a long time.”

Holly and James went to the grocery store later that day. It was another glorious, sunny, and warm day. They went to a Giant Food store near their house. Holly was looking at the produce when James noticed Amber Conner. She was several feet away looking at the gourmet cheese. I’ve got to hide so she doesn’t see me, he thought anxiously. Where the hell can I go? What do I tell Holly? . . . No, this can’t be happening to me . . . I don’t want to see her . . . I’ll tell Holly I have to use the men’s room. James pushed the cart over to Holly. This way he would be out of Amber’s immediate line of sight.

     “Hey, babe, I’ve got to run to the men’s room. I’ll be back,” he said and quickly walked in the direction of the restrooms. Holly nodded and continued to examine the organic pears, looking for the best ones. She heard a woman’s voice call out her name.

    “Holly,” Amber Conner said and waved to her from across the aisle.

    “Hey, Amber,” Holly replied and waved back. Amber pushed her cart over to the produce aisle so she could talk to the girlfriend of her romantic interest.

    “Do you have a rare day off?” Holly asked her.

    “Yes, finally. I serve people constantly. If I’m not wiping up after kids, I’m catering to adults,” Amber replied. “Is James here with you?”

    “Yes, he went to the men’s room,” Holly said.

    He probably saw me and wants to avoid me . . . Well, I’m not going to let that happen . . . I’ll keep making conversation with Holly until he gets back . . . Amber thought to herself.

    Amber Conner worked as a part-time waitress at American Steak in the evenings and on weekends. She worked full-time at a day care center during the day. It was expensive to live in the D.C. area, and she didn’t have a roommate to help her with rent. She was crazy in love with James. She was 33 and not interested in men her own age. She had her eye on James from the first day she started working at the restaurant. She enjoyed flirting with him.

    “Holly, I really love your sandals. Where did you get them?” Amber asked, trying to bide time until James reappeared.

    “Oh, I got these from DSW. They have the best shoe selection, and shoes are my weakness. I counted my shoes the other day, and I’m embarrassed at how many I’ve got,” Holly said.

    “Me too. I had 36 pairs the last time I counted,” Amber said.

    “I don’t feel so bad now. I counted 40,” Holly replied with a laugh.

    James made his way back to the produce aisle and saw Holly and Amber talking. Damn it . . . I was hoping to avoid this. I guess I’ll have to play along . . . I really wished Holly had gone grocery shopping last night . . . he murmured to himself. Oh well, here goes.

    “James, good to see you,” Amber said happily, intending to turn on the charm and see if she could make Holly jealous. Holly noticed how Amber’s face lit up when she saw James.

    “Hi, Amber. Enjoying your day off?” James asked, doing his best to remain calm and collected. He thought Amber looked good today. She was a hot little number, standing 5 foot 2 with a wonderfully curvy figure and long blond hair. She had a strong effect on him. Today she was wearing a short, black sundress that showed her ample cleavage.

    “Yeah, I’m taking a short vacation soon and will spend a few days at Ocean City,” she said, hoping to spark his interest. She had no plans to take a vacation, although she would make plans with James if he was interested.

    “When are you planning to go?” Holly asked.

    “Two weeks from now. It’s easy getting time off from waitressing since it’s just a second job,” Amber replied and continued, “Holly, did you know that James is the best chef at the restaurant? I’ve noticed that people leave less food on their plates on the nights that James is cooking than when the other two chefs are in charge. You are such a lucky woman.” Amber was looking at James like she could eat him up.

    “She’s exaggerating because I came up with the special recipes for the baked mac and cheese menu,” James said humbly, hoping to end this conversation as soon as possible. He didn’t have to wait long, as Holly was getting annoyed at Amber’s fawning over James.

    “Well, she’s right. I know you are the best chef there. We’ve got to get going though. We need to get our groceries and get back. It was nice seeing you, Amber,” Holly said.

    “Nice to see you too. James, I’ll see you at work soon,” Amber replied, and winked at him while Holly was looking in another direction.

Tough Karma:

A Race Against Time

From the Author of Little Bits of Karma comes a chilling new tale of loss, tragedy, psychic warfare, and eternal love. Amber Macklin’s world is cruelly shattered when she loses her baby girl three months after her husband’s sudden death. Her cousin, Bryce, comes to her rescue, moving her into his home for fear she will kill herself from the grief. He provides solace and a shoulder to cry on, and he has loved her as more than a cousin for a long time. Amber and Bryce soon discover they are not blood relatives, which opens the door for romance as he pulls her through her darkest hours. When Mike, a college friend of Bryce’s, stops by to visit, Amber senses a deadly secret behind his nice guy persona. She has a frightening dream that Mike is trying to kill her and recurring sleepwalking episodes where she draws detailed pictures of him torturing her. Deeply troubled, Bryce uses his ability to astral travel to investigate Mike and uncover his terrifying past. Mike has had his eye on Amber for some time, and when he learns that Bryce and Amber have become lovers, he is furious. Mike abducts Amber and takes her to his rural Georgia hideaway, and Bryce must rely on his astral abilities to track her down. But will he be too late?

Can be read as a standalone.

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Chapter 1 - Sad September

She was too devastated to cry. The shock of losing Belle early that morning upset her beyond tears. Bryce, her sister Jenny, and Amber’s other cousin Luke, rushed to her side for support. Bryce encouraged her to stay at his home that night, and for however long it took to get her through this. He didn’t want her to be alone, fearing she might kill herself from the heartache. He would have preferred that she stay with Jenny during her time of sorrow, but knew it wouldn’t be a good environment for her or Jenny’s family. Jenny had two young children and a husband, and having a terribly distraught relative residing at their house would be stressful for everyone. He had loved Amber as more than a cousin for most of his life, and her staying under the same roof with him was going to be a challenge. Although he was an incredibly self-disciplined and confident man, he doubted his ability to hide his true feelings having her so close for an undetermined length of time. He couldn’t think of any viable alternatives. She could have stayed with Luke; however, she was closer to Bryce, and it made more sense. Luke traveled frequently, and wouldn’t have the time to spend with her.

She agreed to let them help because the thought of staying in her apartment surrounded by Belle’s baby things and an empty crib was more than she could bear. Jenny and Bryce packed her suitcases, while Luke drove her car to Bryce’s house. She let them swarm around her; she was too upset to do anything other than stand outside on the balcony and stare at the vehicles in the parking lot. The evening air was comfortable, so she pulled the screen door closed to let some air in and keep the bugs out. She was replaying the events leading up to Belle’s death over and over in her mind, trying desperately to remember if she saw something which may have prevented it.

“Bryce, check her medicine cabinet. She used to take sleep meds before she got pregnant. She’s going to need them now, or she won’t sleep for days,” Jenny said with concern while packing her sister’s underwear and lingerie. She was three years older and five inches taller. Both of them were pretty, with long blond hair and blue eyes.

“That’s true. She’s always had trouble sleeping. Won’t these drugs make her sleepwalk?” he asked seeing the bottle of prescription sleeping pills in her medicine cabinet, and taking them along with several other items.

“I’m not sure. She used to sleepwalk a lot when we were growing up. I don’t know if she still does. You need to be on the lookout for that. I think severe stress triggers it,” she replied.

“I remember you telling funny stories about her nighttime adventures. I’ve got to hide stuff from her. Car keys, knives, pills, anything she can hang herself with. God forbid she decides to take a joyride on one of her sleepwalking strolls. I better go check on her,” he said, handing the sleeping pills and other items from the cabinet to Jenny and walking into the living room.

Amber was still standing on the balcony staring at the parking lot, trying to process the day’s tragic event. Sliding the screen door to his right and walking up behind her, Bryce wrapped his arms around her asking, “Are you hanging in there, sweetheart?” and kissed her cheek. He was a little over a foot taller than her.

She leaned into him tilting her head back into his chest, placing her arms over his and replied, “I feel numb. I want to cry but I can’t. I’m frozen. I’m sorry I’m not helping.”

“You don’t have to do anything right now. We’re going to take care of you,” he said hugging her closer. “We’ve almost got your things packed.”

“Thank you,” she replied softly, appreciating the comfort his arms provided and knowing she could always count on him.

He walked back into the bedroom and helped Jenny finish packing. Amber snuck into the kitchen and quietly opened up the cutlery drawer. The butcher knife will fit nicely into my huge purse . . . she thought discreetly slipping it into her oversized handbag . . . I know he’s going to be watching me like a hawk. He’s going to lock up all the knives and pills. He’s an angel, but I don’t know if I can get through this. She closed the door to the balcony, locked it and took a seat on the sofa. A few minutes later they were ready to go.

They loaded her suitcases and other items into his black H3. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jenny said sweetly to her sister.

“Thank you so much,” Amber replied hugging her.

“You know you can call me anytime day or night,” she said. “Don’t worry about waking up Zac. You know my husband sleeps like a log!”

“I know. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jenny got into her car and drove away. Bryce opened the door for Amber, and she stepped inside. It was dark now, and the sky was cloudy with no moon or stars in sight. He got in and started the engine. Pulling onto the highway for the ride to his house in Vienna, Virginia, he reached for her hand. She took hold of it with a death grip and closed her eyes. They rode to his house in silence except for the radio which was tuned to a classical music station. He hoped that type of music would be soothing to her, and she didn’t complain. She was so shattered and lost in thought that she didn’t even hear it.

When they arrived, he put her in the room next to his, a second master suite with its own bathroom. He lived in an enormous, five bed, four and a half bath home, with 5,000 square feet of living space on a half-acre lot. His home was valued somewhere around $2.5 million and looked like it should be in the pages of a magazine, with its soaring ceilings, light-filled rooms and mostly hardwood floors, except for the gourmet kitchen and large sunroom which displayed beautiful porcelain tile in a sandy beige color. He’d hired an interior decorator when he first bought the place, as his taste was masculine and industrial. The decorator brought his home to life and added warmth without seeming too masculine or feminine.

He was a wealthy man, and his accommodations were lovely and luxurious. He owned ten martial arts studios in the Washington, D.C., area, teaching some of the classes himself in the evenings and Saturday mornings. He was an expert in Tae Kwon Do and Hap Ki Do, although his company taught other forms of martial arts too. He had quit Luke’s underground gambling club shortly after Amber married James. He wanted to spend more time teaching classes, instead of being a bill collector for gambling debts and bouncing people out of the club. He was tired of playing a badass. His portrayal was convincing, and his physical stature helped it along. Standing 6 foot 3 with a hard, muscular body and shaved head, no one wanted trouble with him. Besides, his own legitimate business was thriving, and he had to stay on top of it. He was smart with money, and had made excellent investments in his younger years which had paid off handsomely. He could sell his company tomorrow and retire early - if he so desired. The Decker Martial Arts Company was having another record year – so much so that it was necessary to hire several new people to run the day-to-day operations.

I enjoy reading books on psychic phenomena and all things metaphysical. Most of my life I've been fascinated with astral travel, dreams, the ability to see the future, and reincarnation. 

I've wanted to write a book since I was a child, it was the first thing I can ever remember saying I wanted to do when I grow up. I love creating worlds in my mind and writing about them. My best days are when my characters decide to have lively conversations and I type them fast and furious.

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