I was recently contacted by fellow writer Alex Chase and asked to participate in the “Next Big Thing” blog tour. Alex has some excellent stories in print with a shared publisher, Siren’s Call Publications. If you haven’t already, check out their series of anthologies for his work (and yours truly!)

The blog tour is a series of questions which focus on your upcoming works. With the finish line in sight, I’m getting eager to share more information about my current work in progress, so the timing was perfect. I’m pretty bad at sharing details – I can be frustratingly and intentionally vague when it comes to stuff that isn’t yet in print. I always prefer that others actually read the tales instead of listening to me summarize them and I don’t want to screw up that experience. Plus, I’m an author, I like to sell books not Cliff Notes! But, on with the questions:

What is the working title of your book?

Collateral Damage. Yes, I’m aware Schwarzenegger did a cheesy fireman-fights-a-bunch-of-terrorists sort of film of the same name. There’s probably a billion books with the same name too, so it’s subject to change. Right now, it captures the theme perfectly.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

A short story I started that kept continuing to grow. I can’t point to one place that gave me the idea. It was a combination of Busiek and Ross’ “Marvels” and plenty of pieces plucked from my own life.

What genre does your book fall under?

It’s science fiction technically, though as a sub-genre it’s Superhero fiction, something which I often think falls closer to non-swords and sorcery fantasy. I once saw a post from Orson Scott Card railing on the Avengers for having a flying aircraft carrier. They also have a Norse God or two, a dude with nearly infinite source of power planted in his chest, a guy that turned green and big instead of into a human chicken nugget from a gama ray burst, and an “unbreakable” mythic metal that derives it’s name from Socratic dialectic (Just remembered the shield is part Vibranium and googled the mythic metal: it pre-dates Adeimantus.) It’s hard to criticize the science of these things as it’s clearly not hard science. Pretty close to fantasy in my book.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Unknowns. I’d want fresh faces if I were allowed to choose. I don’t see it as a vehicle for a star and if it were, they’d need to considerably change the story (which they usually do anyway…)

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Spencer, the powerless son of a superhero, tries to rescue his family from the collateral damage caused by his father’s super-powered life.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Hopefully an agency though nothing is off the table at this point.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I have a few weeks to go, but so far nine months with a hard date of January 31st for the first draft to be completed.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

As mentioned, the comic / graphic novel “Marvels”. Apart from that, I believe it is a fairly unique take. I like looking at stories and going with the least likely protagonists. A powerless seventeen year old making his way in a world of Supers is just that.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I held a job where I would travel frequently and so the emotion wrapped up in missing out on, well, life in general has been an inspiration. I’m also inspired to make being normal, heroic.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It’s not all tear jerker, reflective stuff. Yeah, there’s that, but at the heart it’s very nearly a thriller. There’s plenty of fast paced action, superhero battles and even some trippy moments that I hope make it a very balanced book that anyone can enjoy.

Categories: Articles

Tags: blog tour, collateral damage, current projects, superhero