Shh! I'm masquerading as Renee this week. I'm just her puppet, bringing you the site news for this week. I'm sure she's up in the woods thinking, "Dance, puppet, dance!" LOL Okay, to kick off a week of Cia the sub, we have an exciting short by Andrew Todd. If you like sci-fi this might be right up your alley!

Reviewer: Renee Stevens
Status: Complete
Word Count: 13,996

This was the first story I’d ever read by this author and I have to say that after reading Empath’s Kiss I am sure that I will be looking at reading more by Andrew Todd. To say that I was intrigued from the start doesn’t quite give justice to how much this story captured me and kept me reading, despite the fact that I should have been in bed asleep. I just had to keep reading to the end.

Empath’s Kiss follows two teenagers, Damon and Kai. Damon just happens to be an empath, though it is stated from the start of the story that he wasn’t supposed to be. His generation wasn’t supposed to have any ability, so of course, I wondered, what made him different. Now, I could tell you, but the twist that gives him his ability is one that I think the reader should find out for themselves. I actually was quite impressed at the spin that Andrew Todd gave to explain the how and why behind Damon’s abilities. It was certainly not something that I was expecting.

Damon is not alone however, he has a very loving boyfriend who is there from the start of the story. Kai knows all about Damon’s abilities and is there to lend his support whenever Damon does more than he should. He, for lack of a better term, is Damon’s rock. It is quite obvious throughout the story that the two boys love each other deeply, and while young, the two boys share secrets that bind them together more closely than most couples could ever hope to be.

I normally am not one for teenage stories, but this was one of those that I am certainly glad I read. Not only did the story flow smoothly, but the characters were well thought out and portrayed. One of my favorite things about this story was that both boys' families played major roles throughout the story. Yes, at times they were background characters, but at others, they were right up there in the thick of things, lending their support.

Definitely a must read in my opinion and an author to keep an eye on.