A Look Inside My Next Novel

Several people who read my novel This Side of Tomorrow have asked what my next book is about, so I thought it might be nice to place an excerpt in my blog this week. The title of the novel is Empath and it’s another paranormal romance. I love reading them and writing them, so yeah, I’m sticking with the same genre for now.

The main character in Empath is Lucy Malone, a seventeen-year-old who is great at running and singing. But when she meets Anthony Sutton on a morning run, she discovers she has other talents in, well, a not-so-pleasant way:  

As I approached the bridge, I blinked at what appeared to be someone balancing on its railing—the frost-covered, very high railing.

Adrenaline rushed through my veins, and I sprinted forward, pulling out my ear buds. A tall boy, with dark hair, moved along the barrier as if it were a tightrope, his arms raised as he teetered above the river. Was he insane?

At the edge of the bridge, I slowed to a walk and wondered if I should try to talk him down. Sunlight painted the clouds bright pink behind him—a beautiful sight, tarnished by the ominous balancing act.

I tried to stay quiet, inching my way forward, but the boy spun to face me, tottering as his eyes locked with mine. I recognized him as a new student I'd seen at school, who I’d never actually met. His dark brows furrowed, and he struggled to stay upright, then jumped from the railing, landing in front of me. My heart raced—thank God he didn't jump off.

The boy held my gaze, and a rush of feelings overwhelmed me—anxiety, despair, confusion, curiosity. I’d never felt so much emotion. A tingling sensation moved from the top of my head down to my toes and a ringing sound filled my ears. The boy’s lips moved, but the only thing I could hear was a high-pitched, muffled buzzing. Spots darkened my vision, the world started to tilt, and my legs gave way beneath me. When my head hit the pavement, my brain rattled hard against my skull.

Then I slipped away into darkness.

Anthony, an empath, then helps Lucy and informs her she channeled his emotions and must be an empath, too. He becomes her trainer, but doesn’t know everything about using his powers because his parents, who were training him, were killed in a car accident. This is one of the many things that make Anthony unstable, and probably not the best trainer for Lucy, but he’s her only option. The good part is he’s gorgeous and the lead singer in a band.

 By now, you’re probably wondering exactly what empaths are, so I’ll explain. Empaths can feel other people’s emotions and also do a bunch of other cool things with their minds. Anthony considers it a curse because knowing what others feel all the time can drive you crazy, and there’s no way to turn off the ability once it manifests. Through training, however, empaths can find ways to control their minds and use their ability to make the world a better place. Or, of course, use their power for personal gain and to hurt others. It’s an inherited trait and Lucy realizes she must have gotten it from her estranged father, who she decides to find.

I don’t want to spoil the story, so I’ll just share that there’s a struggle between good and evil as well as a star-crossed romance between Lucy and Anthony. My critique partners are enjoying the story so far and I’m having fun writing it. The characters are kind of crazy compared to This Side of Tomorrow, but if you liked that book you will probably like this one, too. This story will be part of a series, so if you do like it, there will be lots more to come.

Feel free to post any questions or comments about my new novel below and have a great weekend!