The Origin of the Flawed Series
Welcome to the Empath
Blog Tour! During the tour, Empath (The Flawed Series Book One)
is on sale for a discounted price of $0.99. Read on to find out more about the
idea of the Flawed series came about and why I enjoy writing about people with
superhuman weaknesses.
A New Twist on an Old Concept
Four and a
half years ago, I decided to try a creative experiment. With no prior writing
experience, I wondered if I had it in me to write a book – a full-length novel
– from start to finish. The question nagged at my mind like a dare while the
very idea of such a massive undertaking thrilled me to the core. So I decided
to take the leap.
Before I put
pen to paper (or more accurately, fingers to keyboard) I needed to have an idea.
Not just a generic plot, but that perfect, riveting idea that would keep me
going long after the honeymoon of inspiration had worn off. To do that, it had to be unique.
I began by
considering the type of stories I like to consume via books, movies, and
television. I’m a geek at heart and there’s always been something intriguing
about comic-book-type stories in which people have superhuman powers.
I didn’t
want to start with an overused concept as the diving board into this writing
adventure. So I tried to think about how to put a twist on the typical stories
in the genre. What could I do to really be different? I asked myself one
question that was key: what’s the opposite? Using that, I
discovered a fresh way of using an old trope for my own purpose. I explored the
idea of people with superhuman weaknesses. The concept instantly struck a chord
inside me, and I knew it was something I could write about. I had no idea it
would turn into a series.
An Empathic Sense - A Handicap?
When I tell people I write books about people with
superhuman flaws, I usually get a blank stare. That's probably because it
sounds like an oxymoron and doesn't make sense to most people until they hear
specific details.
Jade Edwards, the main character of Empath, has supernatural empathy as a character flaw instead of a
superpower – in other words, this young
woman is inhabited and controlled by the emotions of the people around her. Not
only is she powerless to influence them, she can't even experience her own
feelings when around others. Jade was sheltered from stray emotions by her
parents since she was a young child. Here's a little peek inside her head as,
now entering society, she wrestles with her first day of college.
Excerpt:
A wave of irritation hit her like a slap in the face, jerking her
away from the professor’s words. Her shoulders hunched and she dug her toes
into the floor as she fought the compulsion to kick someone. The pen in her
tightly clenched fist gouged into the table’s surface. She dropped it and
clamped her hands together in her lap, scanning the classroom. Where was the
source of this anger pounding through her skull and flooding her veins? There—a
guy on the end of the third row scowled, shaking his head at the professor.
Without warning, excitement replaced the agitation. Jade
straightened in her chair and fought the urge to bounce in her seat, though she
couldn’t keep the dumb smile off her face. Farther down her row, one girl
whispered something about a vacation to the Bahamas and another girl nodded
enthusiastically.
She was gulping quick and irregular breaths, telling herself to
regain control, when a surge of intense attraction hit her, knocking the wind
from her lungs. Her heart beat faster and a hot blush crept over her face. She
was acutely aware of every male in the room. Forcing herself to stop ogling the
guy in front of her with the armpit stains, she distracted herself by searching
for the culprit. Her gaze froze on a girl who was gazing at a guy two rows up.
Oblivious, he seemed to be one of the few faithfully taking notes on the
current topic: modern rationalism and the theories of Descartes.
Jade dropped her head into her hands and pressed on her temples,
wishing for the hundredth time that she could turn off her empathic sense. She
squeezed her eyes shut again and tried to focus on only her breathing. She had
to escape."
Grab Empath at a Discounted Price
Empath is on sale
during the blog tour for a bargain price of $0.99 (normally $2.99)! Grab your
copy today:
Or purchase it on paperback.
Book Blurb:
Supernatural empathy isn’t a gift, it’s a curse.
Anywhere she goes, Jade’s emotions are replaced by those of the people around
her.
Jade grew up in a suburb of Colorado Springs,
protected from other people by her parents. Now she faces college—and the
world—with nothing to shield her from unwanted feelings.
When Cam, a classmate with a major crush on her,
unintentionally hijacks her emotions, Jade struggles to keep from being carried
away in feelings of attraction. When Ethan, a psychopath with a thirst for
fear, fixates on her, the emotional impact could be lethal.
Caught in a deadly trap, Jade must untangle the
emotions and find a way to use her empathic curse to overcome this killer or be
overcome by him.
More About Becca J. Campbell:
Becca J. Campbell is the author of the New Adult
Romantic Science Fiction novels Foreign
Identity and Gateway
to Reality, New Adult Romantic Paranormal Thriller Empath (The Flawed
Series #1), and Sub-Normal, a series of Science Fiction short stories.
An avid lover of stories that tiptoe the line
between fantasy and reality (even when they plunge off one side or the other),
Becca looks for new angles on bridging the gap between the two. She holds a
special place in her heart for any story that involves superpowers or time
travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity. You can find
her on her Author
Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Amazon.
I liked the excerpt very much. Thanks for the review and good luck to Becca! :-)
ReplyDeleteI love this concept! Adding the book to my TBR list. :-)
ReplyDelete