Yay!
After so long with no news, I have more now.
White Crane is available for pre-order in all the usual places. Comes out June 28. Superheroic Contemporary Fantasy and the beginning of a trilogy, and a whole new world in which to play.
The Blurb:
Kai Di laments the death of her best friend, who, it turns out, lived a double life as a super villain. A secret life she hid from everyone, including Kai Di.
Kai Di’s anger at the world smolders, unquenched by family and the rituals of death.
How can Kai Di properly mourn her closest friend, the one person who understood her, while the rest of the world celebrates her demise? How can Kai Di get vengeance on the “hero” who killed her?
White Crane—the first novel in the fantasy trilogy “Modern Gods”—puts a new spin on the superhero genre in this enchanting, engrossing tale. This story explores coming of age while dealing with great power, the true meaning of good and evil, as well as what sort of payroll options you should give henchmen.
I had fun with it. The genesis of the whole thing was a short story I wanted to tell. In the process of plotting that out, I needed to add back-story. Which turned into more back-story. Eventually, I realized that what I originally had was a couple of chapters in the middle of book three. Which was a pain in the ass.
But in the end, I think it worked out. I really enjoy it. I sent a friend a copy for some favors he has done, and because he really doesn’t like superhero stories to begin with. Didn’t figure I should make him buy a copy, just because he likes my writing.
Couple hours later, I get this email back from him: “God Blaze,this is really good stuff-more later…”
And mind you, he hates superhero fantasy enough to bark at me for wasting my time writing it, when I could be doing for epic SF for him. (One of his favorite categories.)
So hopefully, I done good. It’s hard to categorize this novel, but here goes: YA/New Adult, Coming of Age, Literary (cringe), Superheroic Contemporary Fantasy.
Seriously.
And the cover looks amazing, as well as the interior.
For me, the best part was exploring the seedy underbelly of putting on a cape and cowl. Building a “secret” base. Hiring henchmen. Fighting other costumes. Handling payroll.
And doing it all in a way that “explains” where superpowers come from and why we went from almost none to lots of these people, what Burnham calls Modern Gods.
I already know what book two is about. And most of book three was fully plotted in the course of figuring out how much story I had to tell, so I’ll probably write them over the next two years, assuming I sell more than three copies of book one before Xmas.
I have really enjoyed setting up these characters for a long run, and a lot of depth. It also lets me tell other tales like it, by creating a larger sandbox into which they can play.
It’ll be awesome.
Also, I just got back from CampCon in Oregon this last weekend. Got a good start on the next novel, while camping in the middle of nowhere with friends from all over the northwest. The group is almost all writers (a few artists and spouses), getting together for a solid weekend in the woods with no internet to distract you. I have gone three years now. If you are a writer, and enjoy car-camping with showers and flames hot enough to melt cast aluminium, you should go. We do nothing for four days but write, eat, and sleep. Send me a note and I’ll connect you with all the information.
And more interesting, I’m going to edit the CampCon Anthology that will come out in March. The title will be “Steam. And Dragons.” (Note the period in the middle.) Already have my story done. At least four of the people there have good ideas coming as well.
Watch this space for more news.
bd
West of the Mountains, WA