A warm welcome to author Tory Temple joining us today to talk about her re release of “Keeping Karma”.
Welcome Tory 
Hello, friends! So glad to be here today for a guest post. Thanks so much to Love Bytes for having me.
Keeping Karma is a re-release, but it’s also been cleaned up and re-edited. It has a brand new cover that makes me smile every time I look at it! Of course, that’s probably due to the fact that aside from writing, animals are something I’m incredibly passionate about. My house is full of them! Current count is three large dogs, one weird cat, two tortoises, two snakes, and three prairie dogs. Yes, the small brown rodents who pop up out of their holes and make a barking noise. They’re hilarious!
One of my favorite things about Keeping Karma is that I got to write Alex’s pets’ thoughts as I figured he would hear them. I’ve spent many hours wondering what my own pets are thinking. Here’s what I’ve come up with over the years.
Scarlett (9 year old pit bull, AKA Big Dog, Mogwai, Scarlotta): I love you. I will lick you to show you how much. I will lick you some more. Can I lick you? I will lick you again just in case. I love you. Let me lick you.
Justice (7 year old pit bull, AKA Little Dog, Muppet): I will sit on your lap. I am too big for your lap but who cares. I will sit here. Right here. On your lap.
Liberty (3 year old pit bull, AKA Puppy, Monster, Moose): Please don’t leave me. I will be next to your side forever because I love people. I will follow you to the bathroom just in case. Forever.
Ringo (4 year old Siamese cat mix): I hate everyone but Tory and her husband, and sometimes I hate them too. I love the dogs, except when I don’t.
The other animals are pretty simple minded, and I’m going to assume most of them just think about food.
Here’s a little excerpt from Keeping Karma to show exactly what Alex hears when his animals talk to him. If you have (or had) a favorite pet of your own, comment below and tell me what it is for a chance to win an electronic copy of Keeping Karma!
Finding a clean pair of shorts and T-shirt was just a matter of digging through the fresh laundry in the basket. “Fold those for me while I’m gone,” Alex told Macavity, who had moved from sniffing the baklava to his usual perch on top of Alex’s dresser. The cat narrowed his eyes to slits and began to wash a paw.
Clean. Wash. Groom. Clean.
“Yeah, that trip from the kitchen to here must have been a dirty one.” Alex chucked the ginger cat under his chin.
He had just grabbed his keys and wallet and was leaving the bedroom when a very strong vibe assaulted him, enough to snap his head to the side and make Alex put a hand on the doorframe to steady himself.
Cold!
Whirling around to look at Macavity, Alex realized almost at once that the thought hadn’t come from the cat. Alex’s gaze traveled past the cat to the small bookshelf under the bedroom window and lit on the glass tank. He crossed the room immediately and checked the rubber heating pad underneath it.
“Aw, Violet.” Alex spoke soothingly to the young Rosy Boa and lifted her out of her tank. She curled immediately around Alex’s arm and lay very still, absorbing the heat from his skin.
Cold.
“You are, yes. I’m sorry, sweetheart.” With his free hand, Alex unplugged the heating pad and then plugged it back in, hoping it would heat up again. It didn’t comply, of course, and now he was on the verge of running late.
Muttering, Alex stomped to the kitchen and grabbed a plastic storage container from the cabinet. He filled it with warm water and then returned to place it in Violet’s tank, uncoiling her from his arm and placing her in the water. She settled in immediately with only her head out, resting it on the side of the dish.
“Stay there till I get home,” he informed the snake. “I’ll buy you a new heating pad on the way.”
There was no other response from the snake, which was pretty much the usual for Violet. It was rare that Alex heard anything from her, except for maybe the occasional aggressive hunt kill hunt when he offered her a mouse once a week.
Keeping Karma blurb
2nd Edition
Alex Myers is keeping deeper secrets than just his pet ferret, Karma, who is illegal in California. Both Alex and his twin sister, Tabitha, can “hear” the thoughts of animals. It’s an ability he puts to good use working at an emergency animal clinic while studying to become a veterinarian.
One night, local animal-control officer Dylan Travers comes into the clinic with an injured fawn, and it doesn’t take the two men long to act on their mutual attraction. But the closer they become, the harder it is for Alex to keep Karma and the rest of his menagerie from Dylan. And then there’s the matter of his ability…. Will Dylan even believe him if he tries to explain?
Add to that debilitating migraines from especially “loud” animals and a scheming coworker threatening the clinic, and Alex needs Dylan’s support more than ever. Alex just wants to keep his job, his pets, his lover, and his sanity. But he can’t do it alone.
First Edition published by Torquere Press, 2009.
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Tory Temple lives and works in southern California where she happens to spend a lot of time around firefighters. It makes for excellent storytelling, so Tory definitely uses that to her advantage! She is guardian to three pit bulls who only attack with kisses, two snobby cats, as well as other assorted friends from the animal kingdom. (Husband included.) Her fondest wish is to be a stay at home dog mom. You can tempt her with promises of cheese and/or Mexican food. On Saturday nights, she is usually watching Netflix and thinking about how to get the newest firemen in her head to hook up. Tory loves reader emails and looks forward to hearing from anyone who wants to drop her a line.
Website: www.torytemple.com
Blog: http://torytemple.com/blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/torytemple
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ToryTemple
Email: ragingpixie@gmail.com
