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Optical Osmosis
It’s been said the eyes are the windows to the soul. What happens, however, when those windows crack? Tempe, Arizona resident Greg Gnops, is about to find out.
When an accident involving sunlight and a telescope alters Greg’s vision, he suddenly finds himself with a strange new ability that drains psychic fragments of a person’s soul from their body, killing his victim in the process. Despite trying to hide behind a pair of sunglasses, the slightest naked glimpse activates his power. And the next available appointment for a visit with an optometrist is weeks away at the earliest.
Meanwhile, Greg’s sister, Ashley, winds up spiraling out of control with a lack of a job, chronic drinking, and a boyfriend, Flint Kyles, who doesn’t seem the least bit interested in showing her any affection. When Ashley’s best friend, Dani Staras, beseeches Greg to help her persuade Ashley to leave Flint and regain some life stability, Greg’s efforts to lay low and avoid eye contact with people is thrown into peril.
Torn between wanting to help his sister and trying to keep anyone else from falling victim to his lethal stare, Greg turns to Serenity Fleace, a psychic who may not be what she appears. Can Greg figure out a way to stop absorbing people’s minds, or will Ashley’s latest drinking episode jeopardize Greg and everyone around him before he can get to the eye doctor?
When an accident involving sunlight and a telescope alters Greg’s vision, he suddenly finds himself with a strange new ability that drains psychic fragments of a person’s soul from their body, killing his victim in the process. Despite trying to hide behind a pair of sunglasses, the slightest naked glimpse activates his power. And the next available appointment for a visit with an optometrist is weeks away at the earliest.
Meanwhile, Greg’s sister, Ashley, winds up spiraling out of control with a lack of a job, chronic drinking, and a boyfriend, Flint Kyles, who doesn’t seem the least bit interested in showing her any affection. When Ashley’s best friend, Dani Staras, beseeches Greg to help her persuade Ashley to leave Flint and regain some life stability, Greg’s efforts to lay low and avoid eye contact with people is thrown into peril.
Torn between wanting to help his sister and trying to keep anyone else from falling victim to his lethal stare, Greg turns to Serenity Fleace, a psychic who may not be what she appears. Can Greg figure out a way to stop absorbing people’s minds, or will Ashley’s latest drinking episode jeopardize Greg and everyone around him before he can get to the eye doctor?
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First published June 5, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 19, 2020
I am going to keep this short and simple, much like this book is not. It is a complex story that is weaved with extraordinary skill. This simply put is a brilliant book that had me hooked, addicted, and disappointed when it was finished. The mark of a brilliant book written brilliantly.
August 7, 2014
You know the catch-phrase "if looks could kill"?
Well, it takes on a sinister meaning for 20-something-year-old construction worker and basketball fanatic Greg Knops, when after an eye injury, he develops a strange osmotic power. It's the ability to suck a person's soul from their physical body with a single stare... a "death glare" to be precise!
This story has a host of characters and their intertwining relationships form the basis of the puzzle pieces. Questions which plagued me as the story progressed: Would Greg and his wayward sister, Ashley be able to mend their on-again, off-again relationship? Who is the outlandish psychic Serenity, who seems so fond of Greg and always makes time for him? What about Greg's involvement with Dani Staras, Ashley's close friend, who grows closer to Greg as the story unfolds? Who is the enigmatic Flint Kyles? What does he want from Ashley? Is Greg's condition irreversible?
The ending pulls all the threads together in a totally unexpected way via an e-mail, which is the proverbial 'cherry on the top'...
You'll have to read the story to find out!
Well, it takes on a sinister meaning for 20-something-year-old construction worker and basketball fanatic Greg Knops, when after an eye injury, he develops a strange osmotic power. It's the ability to suck a person's soul from their physical body with a single stare... a "death glare" to be precise!
This story has a host of characters and their intertwining relationships form the basis of the puzzle pieces. Questions which plagued me as the story progressed: Would Greg and his wayward sister, Ashley be able to mend their on-again, off-again relationship? Who is the outlandish psychic Serenity, who seems so fond of Greg and always makes time for him? What about Greg's involvement with Dani Staras, Ashley's close friend, who grows closer to Greg as the story unfolds? Who is the enigmatic Flint Kyles? What does he want from Ashley? Is Greg's condition irreversible?
The ending pulls all the threads together in a totally unexpected way via an e-mail, which is the proverbial 'cherry on the top'...
You'll have to read the story to find out!
July 11, 2013
The story was fast moving and original... it was easy to follow and as stories go, I enjoyed it. The author's word choice is right up my alley... as I've said before, any writer that uses "cahoots" gets respect from me.
There were some questions of character motivation, but people are people... even if they are characters in a work of fiction, so...
The only thing that holds this story back, in my opinion, from being a five star book is slightly overly repetitive sentence structure...
There were some questions of character motivation, but people are people... even if they are characters in a work of fiction, so...
The only thing that holds this story back, in my opinion, from being a five star book is slightly overly repetitive sentence structure...
April 10, 2023
A construction worker named Greg Knops discovers a bizarre and unsettling ability after an eye injury - he can draw out a person's soul with a single gaze, which he refers to as his "death glare". As the story progresses, we are introduced to a variety of characters whose relationships become the pieces of a larger puzzle. The novel explores Greg's relationship with his sister Ashley, his friend Dani Staras, and the enigmatic Flint Kyles. Additionally, the story introduces the outlandish psychic Serenity, who appears to have a fondness for Greg. The reader is left questioning whether Greg's condition can be reversed and what Flint Kyles wants from Ashley. Throughout the novel, the characters' intertwined relationships create a sense of tension and intrigue. The ending comes together unexpectedly through an email, which brings everything to a satisfying conclusion.
July 8, 2025
After a strange accident leaves Greg with a deadly gaze that drains souls, he tries to stay hidden behind sunglasses. But when his sister’s life begins to unravel, he’s forced to step in risking more lives with every glance. Gripping, emotional, and refreshingly original.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews