Keeper
vs. Reaper
(Graveyard
Guardians#1)
Jennifer
Malone Wright
Genre: New Adult / Paranormal 18+
Publisher: Jennifer Malone Wright
Date of Publication: August 12th
2014
Cover Artist: Regina Wamba of Mae
I Design and Photography
When her father died, Lucy Mae
Estmond inherited the family business. She has known all of her life that she
would be in line to watch over the souls of the recently passed, keeping them
safe from the Reapers.
The soul eating Reapers have been
a plague upon the Earth, stealing souls and leaving the Keepers as the only
thing that stands between Heaven and Hell. The factions despise each other and
have warred for generations.
Then Lucy discovers an ancient
legend predicting the arrival of the Chosen One, destined to bring forth an end
to the Reapers. The surprises continue when she realizes she is that person.
For Lucy, being the Chosen One doesn’t change much. Fighting Reapers is just
another day in the life of a Keeper.
When she meets Jack Walker, they
both realize they have an insane, mutual attraction. Too bad that he’s been
sent to prevent the prophecy from coming true.
His only mission: to kill the
Chosen One.
Add Keeper
vs. Reaper to your
GoodReads To-Be-Read list today!
Excerpt:
Keeper vs. Reaper
Keeper vs. Reaper
Inch by painstaking
inch, the casket sank lower into the freshly churned earth.
The scent of lilacs
floated on the breeze, along with the heavy stench of perfume and cologne,
reminding Lucy of the fragrance aisle in a department store.
Lucy stood beside the
grave, dressed in a modest royal blue sundress. She had chosen it specifically
because her father always said the color looked the best against her hair,
which was a mix of reddish brown that shone burgundy in the sunlight.
Tilting her head up,
Lucy looked through the canopy of the aging oak trees that were scattered
throughout the cemetery. The breeze shifted the branches, causing a few of the
leaves to pull free and flutter off into the wind. There were almost no clouds
in sky, allowing the sun to shine down over the funeral.
Her brothers and
sisters surrounded the open grave opposite of her. All six of them also wore
something fitting for a funeral, but nothing depressing enough to send their
father into a rage in his afterlife.
Smiling, Lucy
remembered the argument she and her father had during his last moments. “Lucy!”
he had shouted at her. “Don’t you dare let them bury me in a suit. I am not
going to spend eternity in a stuffy ass business suit. Make sure I’m wearing my
khaki shorts and a Hawaiian shirt because I’m going on the vacation of a
lifetime.”
That was toward the end,
when the cancer was so bad that her dad spent most of his time in bed, moaning
about how he should be up and about doing something. They both knew that the
end was near, but Lucy had cried only in private. Her father wanted her to be
happy he was moving on to the next life, but she couldn’t understand in what
way, shape or form, his dying was a good thing.
So she shed her tears
alone in her room until there were no more left to cry.
The fog of the memory
lifted from Lucy’s mind and she looked across the grave at her brothers and
sisters. The entire brood of Estmond siblings were born with the same color
hair as Lucy had been blessed with. Each of them, as well as Lucy and Ethan,
held a white rose in one hand. Later, before the grave was sealed, they would
each take a turn throwing one down onto the casket, as a symbol of their wish
for their father’s peaceful journey into the afterlife.
Just behind her
brothers and sisters stood the mourners who came to pay their last respects.
Most of them were town’s people whom they had grown up with, except for one
group who stood close together, most of them around her father’s age. These
were the Keepers whom her family had been closest to over the years. She could
see Gloria and Edward White, the Keepers from one of the Napa Valley graveyards
standing solemnly beside Ellen and Stanly Evans, who worked in the hospital in
Santa Rosa. There were several other Keepers surrounding them who she
recognized and made a note to speak to them later.
Beyond them, further
out into the trees, the spirits began to show themselves. They appeared in the
form of their human bodies, a bit transparent, but solid for the most part. It
was harder to see in the daylight, but their misty blue auras swirled around
them, helping form the solidity of their bodies.
The spirits were
fascinated by funerals. When Lucy was little she used to think that they wanted
to say goodbye to someone, but really it was because there wasn’t much else to
do in a graveyard except talk to each other and attend burials.
Pastor Brown spoke
solemnly, saying kind words and telling her father’s life story. Inwardly, Lucy
cursed her father for choosing Pastor Brown, a man who had not known her father
and she was sure didn’t give a flying fuck about him either. Her father hadn’t
set foot in church since he was a child. Not because he didn’t believe in God,
he just didn’t believe in organized religion.
Sensing her tension,
Ethan squeezed her hand reassuringly. Turning to her left she looked up and met
her best friend’s eyes through the tint of his sunglasses. Even through the
dark lenses she could see the sorrow in his eyes. He had loved her father too,
just as much as any one of the Estmond clan. In response, she squeezed his hand
back and then turned back to stare at the grave again.
“And now, Lucy Mae,
Gregory’s youngest child, will say a few words about her father.” The preacher cleared his throat, signaling to
Lucy that it was time.
Lucy had no tears
staining her face. She had cried all those tears long before the day of the
funeral. Again, Ethan gave her hand a gentle squeeze and then released her so
that she could reach down and withdraw the folded piece of yellow legal paper
out of her miniscule handbag.
As Lucy unfolded the
paper she felt like it was taking an eternity.
This day is never going to end.
Finally, the paper was
open in front of her and she began.
“I know that this
speech is going to sound like the speeches given for so many others who have
passed on. But, when someone we love dies, we all feel pretty much the same way
… so here it goes. My father, Gregory Estmond, was the best person I’ve ever
known. Today, we stand here, not to mourn him, but to celebrate him. He didn’t
want any one of us to be sad that he was gone. Because … he isn’t gone. He will
always be with us. For those of us who spent each day with him, his teachings
and his love will always be with us. He taught us love, he taught us respect,
he taught us of our family heritage, and he taught us how to live.
“For those who are
acquaintances of my father, you may have met him only once and you are here
because he impacted you in some way.”
A few nods came from
the crowd.
Lucy continued. “He had
that effect on people because he had a genuine love and respect for human life.
Which is not something all of us can say we have. He treated everyone the same,
with kindness.
“Because my father had
cancer, he knew that this day was coming and he had time to prepare for it. We
had many discussions and the one thing he consistently told me was to embrace
life. He didn’t say this because he was dying, it was his mantra. This man
lived every day of his life like it may be his last. He didn’t wait until he
was dying to find the beauty in this world or the people in it. He was always
this way.
“Remember my father,
not with sadness, but with the memories he left behind. Remember him with love,
with laughter and knowing that he is exactly where he wants to be.”
Lucy stepped back,
reaching out for Ethan to grasp her hand once again. She eyed her siblings,
none of them were crying either. Daniel, the second oldest son, reached into
his gray trench coat and pulled out a silver flask. Lucy sighed and watched as
her brother didn’t even try to hide it and took a long pull of the whiskey she
knew was inside.
Sadly, as inappropriate
as her brother was being, she couldn’t help but wish she could take a giant
swig off that flask too.
It’s almost over.
“Would anyone else like
to say a few words?” Pastor Brown offered.
Sherriff Davis stepped
forward, he had his Stetson clutched in one hand and hitched up his gun belt
with the other. As always he was wearing his uniform. The Sheriff and her
father had been pretty close … well, as close as a Keeper can get to someone
without that someone thinking that they are out of their mind.
“I’d like to, if that’s
all right.” The Sheriff looked down into the grave before his eyes swept across
the crowd of mourners.
Finally his eyes met Lucy’s and she flashed him a smile meant to
encourage him to proceed.
“Greg was my friend …
and an old grump like me doesn’t have many friends. Greg knew a lot of people
in this town, but I feel damn sorry for anyone who lives here and never had the
chance to meet him. No one, aside from my own wife, Darcy, could make me laugh
like Greg could. He was loyal and respectful, even if he was a bull shitter.
Good grief that man liked to tell stories. Also, any man who can raise a brood
of children by himself and manage to keep them all out of jail is a good man in
my book.”
Lucy could have sworn
that she heard Principal Robertson blow air between his lips like he was
blowing a raspberry. A few people looked his way and then back at Sheriff
Davis.
“That is all I got.”
Sheriff Davis stepped back into the crowd.
Evelynn Andrews, the
librarian at the Summer Hollow library, raised her hand slightly. She was about
seventy years old, but didn’t look a day over fifty five. Lucy hoped she would
age that well as the years progressed.
Evelynn pushed her
glasses up her nose and closed her eyes for a moment before she began to speak.
“I don’t think I can say much more about how wonderful Gregory was, but I
wanted to make sure to pay my respects by voicing them. I’ve known the Estmond
family all the way back to when Kathleen was still alive, as far back as when
she and Greg were high school sweethearts. No one, could have been a better
father to these children. Sure, they have caused a fair amount of ruckus over
the years, but he did it all on his own and they are educated, mostly well
behaved.”
She paused to glance at
Daniel who had decided that moment would be appropriate for another pull from
his flask. “And above all, Greg gave these children a sense of loyalty. Anyone
who knows these kids knows that if you mess with one, you get the whole bunch
of them.”
A few people giggled,
even Lucy, knowing how true that statement really was.
“This may not seem like
a good thing in retrospect, but a family who stays together so closely is a
rare thing these days. It is to be cherished. Greg gave them this sense of
family and that is something to be proud of.” As she finished, she closed her
eyes again looked Pastor Brown.
“Would anyone else like
to speak?” Pastor Brown addressed the crowd of mourners.
Unexpectedly, Ethan
released Lucy’s hand and raised it up a little bit. “I need to say something.”
Pastor Brown nodded and
held his hand out beside him. Ethan moved over to the other side of Lucy beside
the pastor. “There are very few people here who don’t know who I am.” Ethan
began. “Gregory Estmond took me under his wing a long time ago, when Lucy and I
were both very little. My parents, who have moved away now…”
He paused and took a
breath, pondering if he should let out the deep dark family secrets. Well,
secrets that the whole town knew anyway. That was how small towns worked.
“They were, drug
addicts and alcoholics who barely took care of me. Greg came by the house one
day to see my parents for some reason and what he found was a little boy locked
in his room with no food or water and his parents passed out in their bedroom
surrounded by drugs and trash. The story is a long one, a long sad story. But
it ended with Greg and the rest of the Estmonds making sure I always had a
place to go, that I always had food. Greg even went so far as to pay me for
making good grades, just to give me incentive to do well in school.”
Lucy grimaced as he
told the story, hating Ethan’s parents for what they did to him. Ethan had
conveniently left out the part about how her father had beat the ever living
snot out of Ethan’s dad that day he found him locked up in his room half
starved. It was hard to believe Ethan’s parents came from a Keeper line, but
sadly, not all Keepers were immune to addiction. Keepers were human, just like
everyone else.
Ethan scanned the crowd
through his glasses. “No one, except for maybe the Estmond kids, owes more, or
loves that man, more than I do. He saved me and I will never forget that. I hope that none of you ever forget that
either.”
Ethan lowered his head
and hurried back to Lucy. She immediately took his hand again, knowing how hard
it must have been for him to say all that in front of everyone. He never spoke about his parents. They
moved away when he was fourteen and left him alone in the house. After that he
came to live with the Estmonds for good. She and Ethan were friends long before
the incident at Ethan’s house, but after he came to live with them, they were
inseparable.
Pastor Brown closed up
the ceremony with a prayer and then the bagpipes started on Amazing Grace. Lucy
stepped forward with Ethan’s hand firmly in her grasp and looked down into the
dark, deep hole where her father’s body would spend eternity. Luckily, she knew
better than most that his soul would not remain in that body.
She held the white rose
firmly over the grave. “I wish you peaceful passage.” She released the rose and
it drifted down into the depths of the hole. “I love you, Daddy.”
Ethan mimicked her
actions, familiar with the meaning of the ceremony from the many deaths of
Keepers past. Her siblings had moved into a line directly behind her and Ethan,
tossing their roses in as well.
The other mourners
milled about, giving Lucy and the family some time before they headed over to
her house for the wake. She caught sight of Gloria and Ellen chatting beside
the giant wreath of flowers with her father’s picture inside. She wandered over
to say hello. “Gloria, Ellen, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”
Gloria smiled, as did
Ellen. “Yes dear,” Gloria greeted her. “It has been some time. I’m sorry we
couldn’t make it sooner.”
“Or under better circumstances.”
Ellen added.
Lucy nodded. “Well, I’m
just glad that you could make it here now. I’m sure my father would be happy
that you are here now.”
Gloria and Ellen
nodded, they made a bit more small talk and then Ethan appeared beside her. “I
think we had better get over to the house now.” He whispered just loudly enough
for the older ladies to hear.
“Oh,” Lucy checked her
watch deliberately. “You are absolutely right. I’m sorry ladies, I need to get
some things ready over at the house.”
Gloria smiled again, a
loving gentle smile of someone she had known her entire life. “You go on dear,
we will see you over there.”
With a quick ‘see you
later,’ Lucy backed away and then turned to join hands with Ethan again.
“Thanks for saving me. I didn’t really want to talk to them, but I had to make
sure to say hello to them.”
“You doing all right?”
Ethan asked, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.
Lucy nodded. “I’m
fine.” She turned her head to try and see his eyes through the dark tint of his
glasses. “How bout you. Are you all right?”
He twisted his lip up a
little and she knew he was giving slight eye roll. “I’ll survive. I just miss
him and all this,” he gestured to the crowd, “actually makes it harder.”
She nodded again. “I
know what you mean. I feel the same way.” Her gaze strayed from the grave and
focused on her house. Their home sat on the edge of the cemetery, separated
from the dead by a white picket fence and about thirty yards of grass. The
yellow farmhouse had been in their family for several generations, and now it
was hers, as was the family business.
“Let’s head over.”
She nodded. Of course
they had to get to the house. But, it wouldn’t be for relaxing. There was food
to get out and serve. People would come up to her and tell her how sorry they
were for her loss, or how much her father meant to them, or some awesome memory
they had of him. It was going to be a very long afternoon.
Almost over, she told herself again. Almost over.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
She resides in the beautiful
mountains of northern Idaho with her husband and five children where she
practices preparing for the zombie apocalypse. Just kidding!
But seriously, between the
craziness of taking care of her children, Jennifer has little time left for
herself. The time she does have left, usually leading far into the night, is
spent working on her beloved fiction or chatting with her equally crazy
friends.
Jennifer also loves coffee, has a
passionate affair with red bull, wishes the sushi were better where she lives
and dances while she cleans.
GIVEAWAY
pre-order giveaway
-Entries will be accepted until
September 1st.
- Winner will be chosen on Sept
5th.
-To qualify for the B&B stay
you must live in the United States.
-You must be 21 years of age to
enter and winner must be able to verify their age.
- Date of B&B stay is
February 2015. The actual date will set by Jack and Lucy who will discuss it
with the winner to see which days would be best for them.
- The custom wine and chocolate
will be waiting for the lucky winner at the B&B
- The only items covered in this
win are the cost of ONE night stay in the bed & breakfast, the wine and the
chocolate, which will be waiting for the winner at the B&B when they
arrive. Winner is responsible for getting to the location, spending money,
meals, ect.
-Winner is responsible for any
damages or incurred costs during their stay at the B&B.
How
to Enter
To make this super easy, we are
just going to do a rafflecopter, so click the link to enter. Again, I am going
to state that you must be 21 years of age to enter and winner must be able to
verify their age.
There are several ways to enter,
however one is to pre order or purchase (after release on Aug 12th) Keeper vs.
Reaper. Unfortunately, there is no pre-order for Amazon, but the iTunes /
iBooks app and the Nook app are free to download. These apps can be used on
devices like tablets, phones, and computers.
Link
for Rafflecopter
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