INSPIRATION: THE YOUNG GUARDIANS’ ORIGIN

In the sample from The Young Guardians and the Genesis Spell I posted earlier today, you could see them being struck by an otherworldly being outside of a movie theatre.  The following image is the location in which this event occurs in the book.  The reason why I chose this place to be the sight in which the Young Guardians acquired their powers was because it is a place of great sentimental significance to me and my best friends.  Every year on my birthday, we would gather at this movie theatre and see the latest superhero film.  Between middle school and high school, we would discuss all of the possibilities of what our lives would be like if we became superheroes.  By my junior year in high school after we viewed yet another superhero film on my birthday, I imagined us experiencing something that would transform us into the heroes we dreamed to be as we walked out of the theatre.  That was when the idea for my series first began.

BOOK SAMPLE: THE YOUNG GUARDIANS AND THE GENESIS SPELL

Here is a sample from my first volume, The Young Guardians and the Genesis Spell.  This is the scene that changes the Young Guardians’ lives forever:

    “The mysterious object hit the ground in front of them. As the object hit the ground, shock waves of white energy shot in every direction. The shock waves hit Patrick and his friends over and over again, sending them flying in every direction.

Joshua flew at a tree, smashing it in two, and slammed through a window of a Corner Bakery Cafe. Derek landed in the fountain outside the theater with a loud splash. Gregory crashed into one of the theater pillars, landing on his back. Patrick flew straight up, falling back to the ground with a thud, belly up.

Patrick slowly raised his head. He looked in front of him. There was a large crater, with white flames surrounding its rim. Even though the heat was immense, Patrick tried to pull himself toward the crater, to see what the object was. He winced, his insides and eyes were  urning and his legs were numb, as he crawled towards the crater. He peered over the rim, and looked inside. There was a young girl who appeared to be his age, more beautiful than any he had ever seen, lying in the crater.

She wore a torn gray skirt, what remained of a gray tunic, a large silver shoulder pad strapped onto her left shoulder, and she firmly held a long curved silver sword in her right hand. Patrick could not see the girl’s face in the blinding light. She wore no shoes or boots, which revealed her long slender legs and small feet. Her arms were as long and slender as her legs. Her hands were small and frail-looking. Her abdominal area, which was muscular and had a small belly button, was also revealed. As far as Patrick could see, the girl was gorgeous.

“Aut mett,” the girl whispered.

Then Patrick’s world went black.”

WRITING UPDATE: SECOND EDITIONS

I had an idea of what to do with my writing in the future.  Because my writing style has improved considerably since I first started my series eight years ago, I am thinking of producing second editions of my work, which will be complete with new cover art.  This new project will take time to plan, but I believe it will provide interesting results in the end.  I will keep you updated on any further developments.

WONDERCON UPDATE: TWO MONTHS TO GO!!!

Only two more months remain until WonderCon and I have done a lot of preparations so far.  I have completed the basic layout of the complimentary fliers and bookmarks I will be handing out throughout the weekend.  In addition, I have done the groundwork for the posters and banner I will be hanging at the back of my booth.  After completing the overview of these items, I have researched various locations in which I could mass-produce them after my godmother refines them.  I also acquired other vital paperwork that the people in charge of the convention requested.  For the moment, I am waiting for a local school to produce the character concept art that will be put on display at my book signing and am eager to finally see my beloved characters with my own eyes.  Overall, it has been a very busy and productive month and I look forward to all of the developments that will follow.

PUBLICATION UPDATE: COVER ILLUSTRATION

I have exciting news regarding the publication process.  My publisher has assigned an illustrator to me and they received a detailed description of what the cover illustration will look like.  The illustration will feature the main villain of the entire series, Vogan as well as an object of immense power that serves a pivotal role in the third volume.  In addition, I sent the illustrator concept art from which they would draw inspiration along with the description.  I look forward to seeing the first draft of the cover illustration and I will post it as soon as I receive it.  I will keep you updated on any further developments.

PUBLISHING UPDATE: MANUSCRIPT

I received a very pleasant message from my publisher today regarding my third volume’s manuscript.  They said the following: “You have a terrific writing style. You have obviously done a significant amount planning and preparation in crafting your work. Your prose is nicely written with details that capture the reader. Right from the start your plot was very engaging. You do a nice job of slowly making your way through the story with details and a certain voice that allows your reader to really interact with the characters (who are all round and very nicely developed). Characterization is one of the most important elements of a successful fiction story. I always love it when I leave a story feeling like I know the characters. This is true for your novel. You have crafted another quality piece of writing.”  I am pleased that they enjoyed my next volume and look forward to the final product of the publishing process.

WRITING UPDATE: FUTURE WORKS 4

My mind has been very active lately ever since my third volume began publication, particularly when it comes to planning future works.  To begin with, I have planned my fifth volume out and even though Vogan will seem like a classic megalomaniac villain, in the end, he will be morally ambiguous.  Ultimately, his intentions are good, but the price he is willing to pay is too high.  I won’t explain what his plan will be or if he succeeds, but what I can say is that the depth of these revelations will be vast and elaborate.  Secondly, in one of my spin-off stories that I will write after my main five volumes are complete, I thought of the origins of one of the main characters as well as the abilities of one of the supervillains they will face.  Finally, I even thought of what happened when the Young Guardians were abducted by a shadowy organization in the first book.  The full truth of the Young Guardians’ abduction will be revealed in the fifth volume as well and it will be a twist you will not expect.  I will keep you updated on any further developments.

WONDERCON BOOK SIGNING UPDATE

My schedule has become very busy ever since I received confirmation for my WonderCon booth.  The development that I am most eager for is that a local school has heard about my signing and some of their students are interested in making concept art for my characters.  So we made a deal that the best artwork will be put on display at my booth at WonderCon.  I am eager to see how these kids will envision my characters.  Wish me luck!

WRITING UPDATE: THIRD VOLUME PUBLICATION!!!

Great news!  This morning, my third volume has started to undergo publication!  I will keep you all updated as the publication process moves along.

WRITING UPDATE: VOLUME THREE EDITING COMPLETE!!!

This morning, I have finally completed the editing process of my upcoming third volume!  Soon, I will commence the publication!  I will keep you updated on any further developments!