Wednesday, October 19, 2022

The Gryphon and His Thief by Karen Michelle Nutt - Haunted Halloween Spooktacular



Spirits from the Other Side by Karen Michelle Nutt

A couple of years ago, my friends and I went to see AJ Barrera, a psychic-medium.

There were about 158 people there for the event, so my expectations of having a reading were pretty slim.

Barrera explained that his communication with the other side was more like impressions, not actually chatting with the spirit in a way we have conversations. So, as he revealed the impressions and if it sounded like it could be one of our loved ones, he wanted us to stand. There was always a possibility of similarities, but as he continued to receive the impressions, it should eventually become clear who the spirit was trying to reach.

For the first reading, Barrera started by saying he felt the spirit was looking for someone in a particular area of the room, which so happened to be where my friends and I were seated. Then Barrera said the spirit's name, which was my father's. He then mentioned the spirit's complications with his health right before he died. That was my father's ailments. I couldn't believe it. Was it really my dad?

When Barrera named my mother and my siblings, my two friends kept nudging me and telling me the spirit wanted to connect with me. Stand up!

Don't get me wrong, I genuinely wanted to believe we could communicate with our loved ones, but there was that nagging feeling in the back of my mind wondering if this was all a sham, but yes, I finally stood.

However, as Barrera revealed other impressions he received, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with the possibility this reading was all too real. He knew my father's personality, physical appearance, and what he would say to us. Perhaps the psychic could find some of this online, but there were other things he could not have known or located with a Google search. My father passed away before cell phones with video cameras and social media were around to broadcast our every move. A primitive Myspace was the popular platform when my father passed away. So, there weren't any recordings of his voice or him talking anywhere online.

What proved even stranger— as if this wasn't already extraordinary— was the two people I thought about before I left home to go to this event were the very souls that came through the strongest. My father, for one, and of course, you could easily assume I'd want to speak to my father, but the other spirit was even a surprise to me. I've lost many family members I was close to, so there was no reason for me to think of my father-in-law. The man passed away before I met my husband, but for some reason, impressions of this man popped into my mind right before I left the house. So even if the psychic could have somehow found out information about my family, he wouldn't have known about the two people I hoped would come through for the reading? According to Barrera, my father wanted to introduce me to my father-in-law. Crazy, I know. According to Barrera, my father had quite a few souls with him, which I found comforting. Family and friends surrounded him.  

Everything considered I found the reading eerily fascinating. All I can say: It was an experience like none other.


The Gryphon and His Thief
Karen Michelle Nutt

Genre: paranormal/ shifter romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: June 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1509241774
ASIN: B09VZS3LLZ
Number of pages: 220
Word Count: 57k
Cover Artist: Kristian Norris

Tagline: A gryphon shifter cursed for centuries encounters a thief who unearths his secret identity.  

Book Description: 

Darrien Andros, a gryphon sworn to protect humans is cursed to live forever, safeguarding the items in the Museum of Cursed Antiquities. His mundane life between the world of the living and turning to stone as the sun rises is disrupted when a thief attempts to steal Hecate's Stone. He cannot eliminate her for her thieving ways. Not when she resembles his dead wife.

Cali Angelis, a thief for hire, needs Hecate's stone for her client. Only Darrien makes her question her client's motives. She'd like to think Darrien delusional, but she's seen the unbelievable. 

Will they unravel the mysteries behind the stone before history repeats itself?




“Get a grip,” she warned herself. The gryphon didn’t blink his eyes. Yep, and it didn’t fly from the back room and station itself at the door, either. She gulped and leveled the beam of the flashlight on the statue once more. Only what stood there now was a man, a large man with dark hair, a beard neat and trim…and eyes that glowed like the gryphon’s eyes had.

“You cannot take the item from the museum,” the man’s deep voice boomed with authority meant to intimidate, and his words were flavored with a Greek accent. “You must return it immediately,” he finished the threat. Sure there had been no threat voiced, but she all but heard the ‘or else’ just as clearly as if the words had been spoken.  

“Who are you?” she countered, even though she had no right to inquire. Obviously, this man must be the night guardsman. Her gaze slid over his attire and frowned. He wore garments she’d only seen painted on Greek vases and paintings—an intricately designed tunic, a dark colored cloak, and gold sandals adorned his feet. Her one eyebrow lifted. Perhaps he was a thief who liked theatrics. She had an uncle who liked to dress like a caped superhero when he went on his jobs.  

She straightened her back and met the guy’s gaze head on. “I think you need to leave, or I’ll call the cops.” She pulled out her cell phone and lit up the screen to prove her point. The guy didn’t have to know she was bluffing. She didn’t want the cops here anymore than he probably did.

He didn’t quite react the way she thought he would. Oh no, he had the audacity to laugh, a deep guttural laugh. “You amuse me human woman,” he told her.

“Human woman?” Okay, this nut-job was off his meds. “Fine, you stay here, and this human woman will say good evening. It’s been a long day. I need to head back to my spaceship before E.T. calls home and tells Mom and Dad I’m late.”  

The man’s brows furrowed, deep creases marring his forehead. Maybe she loaded on the crapola a little thick. It was best to end this conversation and get out of Africa—as her father would say—and make like a cheetah on the hunt. She took a few cautious steps toward the front door.

“You will halt,” he demanded with his palm up as if his stance alone could stop her. 

Well, yep it did, for a full three seconds. She knew some self-defense moves, but this guy was built like he lifted weights in his sleep just so his bulk didn’t decrease in the middle of the night. It didn’t appear like the front door was an option, but… her gaze latched onto the window next to it. “Oh, hell.” She charged and prayed this old building hadn’t been refurbished with safety glass.

Otherwise, this stunt was really going to hurt.



About the Author:

Karen Michelle Nutt resides in California with her husband. Though her three children are grown and starting their own adventures, she still has a houseful of demanding pets.

When she's not time traveling, fighting outlaws, or otherworldly creatures, she creates book covers at Gillian's Book Covers, "Judge Your Book By Its Cover".
Whether your reading fancy is paranormal, time travel or contemporary romances, all her stories capture the rich array of emotions that accompany the most fabulous human phenomena—falling in love.

Visit the author at her website: http://www.kmnbooks.com

Blog: http://kmnbooks.blogspot.com

Gillian’s Book Covers, “Judge Your Book By Its Cover”
http://judgeyourbookbyitscover.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkarenmichellenutt

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KMNbooks

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Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Michelle-Nutt/e/B002BLLBPE

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BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/karen-michelle-nutt

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/karenmichellenutt  

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenmichellenutt

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