Moaning Mondays presents Empathy by Carolyn Wren
Emotional
Chains
Book
1
Carolyn
Wren
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing
Date of Publication: 23rd March
2015
ISBN: 978-1-63105-537-9
Number of pages: 229
Word Count: 74,918
Cover Artist: Dawne Dominique
Blurb
What if you could sense the
emotions of everyone around you? What if
you fell in love with someone you’d never even met?
Oliver Lord belongs to one of
three special families, empaths who feel emotions as a physical sense. Quiet and reserved, and accustomed to keeping
his abilities hidden, Oliver is drawn inexorably to a woman he’s never
met. The woman who made his brother’s
last year of life so happy.
When Zoe Daniels, talented
sculptor, loses her fiancé before their wedding, she can’t imagine finding love
again, until she meets Jasper’s unknown brother, a man so different, yet so
achingly familiar to the man she adored. What is Oliver’s secret, and why is he
so determined to keep her at arm’s length?
A violent kidnapping and murder
forces the empaths from the shadows to seek justice for one of their own. Oliver turns to Zoe, needing her comfort and
love. Can she accept him for who he is?
Oliver and two powerful empathic
friends need to track down the kidnappers before they strike again, but how do
you solve a murder, when your only clue is emotion?
Book
Trailer: https://youtu.be/BH-4RtXcE3k
Available at Secret
Cravings ARe Amazon BN
Excerpt
Zoe sat with her
back to the tree as she always did, knees drawn up. Thin cords dangled from her
ears, attached to the smart phone at her hip. Her feet tapped out a rhythm to a
tune Oliver couldn’t hear. She put down the book in her hands and tilted her
head to the dappled sunlight peeking through the branches. A smile lit her face
as the beams played like mischievous children on her closed eyelids. The old
forest was lush and vibrant, a calm oasis of another age. Jasper had always
loved spending time here, lost in the peace and quiet. No doubt he’d brought
Zoe here. That she’d feel close to him in this isolated place they’d shared was
understandable.
Oliver shut his
eyes and reached out to read her. If he looked deep inside, he could find the
essence of the brother he missed so much. He tried not to. The first time it
had seemed an intrusion, but sometimes he couldn’t help himself. She was warmth
and goodness. Her calm was a soothing balm to his nerves and a link to a
beloved lost sibling. He indulged himself and took a tiny moment. She’ll never
know.
“Why don’t you
come out from behind that tree?”
Oliver’s eyes
flew open at the sound of her voice. He’d not planned on being seen, and
normally when he chose that option, he wasn’t. It was a simple, foolproof
empathic trick, one he’d been able to do since childhood. Remaining silent and
unmoving, he projected a low level of emotion in her direction. Disinterest. Indifference. Boredom.
Every gentle empathic nudge was designed to increase her need to walk away and
not look back.
She continued to
talk as she stood. Brushing leaves from her trousers, she walked toward him
with determination in her blue eyes. “If you keep lurking, it just looks
suspicious.”
The moment their
gazes met, he caught a flare of something. Surprise?
Confusion? Oliver regained his composure. “I’m sorry if I scared you. I was
enjoying the sunshine. You looked as if you were deep in thought. I didn’t want
to disturb your privacy.”
“What about all
the other times? Were you concerned about my privacy then, too?”
She’d noticed
him before? Oliver’s much vaulted confidence of his own abilities took a
distinct dive. “I’m sorry. It’s a pleasant spot, somewhere I enjoy and find
calming.” Only because you’re here.
“I won’t intrude on your peace any longer.”
“Do I know you?”
She tilted her head to one side. The filtered sun caught the blonde strands of
her short feathered haircut, making them shine.
“No.”
“Do you know who
I am?”
“No.”
“May I ask you
another question?”
Oliver frowned.
“Of course?”
“Why are you
lying to me? And who were you to Jasper?”
About
the Author:
Carolyn Wren is the award winning
author of a seven part romantic suspense series called, The Protectors. Having
spent her working life as a book-keeper and finance officer for international
companies, she discovered a passion for fiction writing in 2009. Assuming it
was some sort of mid-life crisis, she kept it a secret for six months. In an
impulsive move, she entered The Emerald, a prestigious writing contest for
unpublished authors run by the Romance Writers of Australia. Much to her utter
shock, she won it. This was followed shortly after by a finalist placing in the
International Daphne Du Maurier Awards for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.
Carolyn received a seven book
contract with Secret Cravings Publishing in 2011. Her debut published work Diplomat’s Daughter
won the RWA ‘Ella’ award for novella of the year.
To date, The Protectors series
has received four award nominations, resulting in two trophies.
Carolyn’s other works include a
very naughty ghost erotic novella Ghosts of Grace Cottage that she wrote during
a stormy winter day. Her new series, the
murder mystery urban fantasy Emotional Chains is her latest obsession.
She writes full time now, enjoys
every minute of it, and loves hearing from readers.
2015 ©Evelise Archer All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.
Intriguing excerpt. Hope toread more.
ReplyDeletedebby236 at gmail dot com
What an interesting premise. Loved the excerpt. synlab1 at yahoo dot com.
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