FOX TALE

FOX TALE

by Karen Hulene Bartell

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GENRE: Paranormal Romance

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BLURB:

Heights terrify Ava. When a stranger saves her from plunging down a mountain, he diverts her fears with tales of Japanese kitsune—shapeshifting foxes—and she begins a journey into the supernatural.

She’s attracted to Chase, both physically and metaphysically, yet primal instincts urge caution when shadows suggest more than meets the eye.

She’s torn between Chase and Rafe, her ex, when a chance reunion reignites their passion, but she struggles to overcome two years of bitter resentment. Did Rafe jilt her, or were they pawns of a larger conspiracy? Are the ancient legends true of kitsunes twisting time and events?

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EXCERPT

I applied my makeup with an artist’s hand, blending three shades of eyeshadow and going heavy on the mascara. Then I slipped into the black cocktail dress I’d bought for the occasion–a fusion of chic and slutty.

Wish I knew what Rafe planned for my birthday. Dinner at an upscale restaurant? Pub food at a sports bar?

“A surprise,” was all he’d said.

What’s the fine line between dressed to kill and overdressed? Glancing at the mirror, I glimpsed the exposed décolletage, then examined my naked left hand. More importantly, is tonight the night? After dating for three years, the conversation had finally turned to rings and weddings, and with graduation a month away, I was eager to take the next step.

At six o’clock sharp, I sat by the door, butterflies fluttering in my belly.

Ten minutes passed, fifteen. I texted him. An hour later, I called. When he didn’t pick up, I left a voicemail.

At eight o’clock, I checked my email. No messages, no texts–radio silence.

At nine o’clock, I removed my makeup, the black, smoky taupe, mauve, and greige streaks on the cotton pad mirroring my mood. After showering, I picked at soggy leftovers as I studied my bare left hand. Leftovers…

When the phone dinged, I flinched. Rafe?

Mia–Guess who’s at Tootsie’s? And Rafe’s not alone. What’s going on?–

I sat back, stunned. He wouldn’t break up with me on my birthday–without even the courtesy of telling me–would he?

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Author of the Trans-Pecos and Sacred Emblem series, Karen is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, wife, and all-around pilgrim of life, who writes multicultural, offbeat love stories. Born to rolling-stone parents who moved often, Bartell found her earliest playmates as fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became her portable pals. Ghost stories kept her up at night—reading feverishly. The paranormal was her passion. Novels offered an imaginative escape. An only child, she began writing her first novel at the age of nine, learning the joy of creating her own happy endings. Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, Karen resides in the Texas Piney Woods with her husband Peter and her “mews”—three rescued cats and a rescued *Cat*ahoula Leopard dog.

Connect with Karen:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHuleneBartell
MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/karenbartell
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HuleneKaren
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/karenhulenebartell/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/611950.Karen_Hulene_Bartell
Website: http://www.KarenHuleneBartell.com/
Email: info@KarenHuleneBartell.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/karenhulenebartell
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenhulenebartell/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karen-hulene-bartell
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenhulenebartell/

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Q & A With …

Are there any occupational hazards to being a novelist?
Yes, there occupational hazards to being a novelist. Because some of my characters have met with suspicious demises, I have an online search history that (hopefully doesn’t but) probably does put me on some sort of FBI-CIA-NSA watch list.

For instance, in Fox Tale, I researched suicide by jumping from dangerous locations, drug overdoses, the Japanese Yakuza (organized crime syndicate), and Senicide (the abandoned of elderly relatives).

So far in Silkworm, my current WIP, I’ve researched how surface warships bomb the land with chemical warheads, as well as how fast DF-27 hypersonic missiles could invade Taiwan. I’ve investigated J-11 and J-16 fighter jets, H-6 bombers, YU-20 military transport planes, Mirage 2000-5 fighters, S-35s, and AWACS surveillance aircraft. I’ve looked up how to assassinate people with guns hidden in umbrellas and how to tell the difference between standard military codes and “friendly” IFF codes to clear planes into China’s airspace. I’ve learned how to hollow out electrolytic capacitors and set detonating caps for plastic explosives inside them to demolish a concrete wall to assassinate a character.

So one occupational hazard of being a novelist is wondering if you’re on any FBI-CIA-NSA watch list—okay, on which list(s).

What’s your favorite fruit?
Pomegranates are a holiday fruit that never disappoints. Once I learned how to cut and deseed them, I began enjoying their arils in salads and charcuteries.

But before I cut into these luscious fruits, I love to display them with my Autumn, Thanksgiving, and early Christmas decorations. Their beautiful cranberry-red color adds a seasonal touch to the earthy fall colors, as well as counterpoints to the Christmas greenery.

So why are pomegranates my favorite fruit? Because they’re great for both seasonal decoration and fancy cheese, fruit, and meat platters.

How many people have you done away with over the course of your career?
How many people or characters have I knocked off? I’m happy to say I haven’t killed any person over the course of my career, but I have done away with numerous characters.

In Fox Tale, one of the final scenes takes place in Japan’s Aokigahara (Suicide Forest). As you might guess, two characters are lured to their deaths, while a third struggles with the decision to jump to her death.
Kissing Kin (which is being released three weeks ahead of Fox Tale) is a multigeneration novel, so several characters pass away, but I haven’t even dispatched an antagonist in that novel.

However, my current WIP, Silkworm, is a suspense intrigue thriller–a departure from my more usual genre–paranormal romance. In its story, Sino-American diplomatic relations decline as tensions between Taiwan and China intensify. So far, I’ve killed off three characters in that novel, and another three are missing and presumed dead. Who knows how many more I’ll end up dispatching before I’m through 😉

Ever dispatched someone and then regretted it?
Can’t say I’ve ever regretted dispatching a character, but I do think long and hard before writing any scene where I kill someone off. (I hate to rewrite.)