Southern Alberta Book Tour Photos

Here are a couple more pictures from the Magrath school event as well as the book signing at Chapters in Lethbridge. the Alberta events were both fantastic. Thanks to all who attended I had a blast with you all!

Student Titan Artwork

Here are some pictures of the Titan artwork that the Magrath grade 7 students did. I loved having these greet me as I walked into the school!

Discussing Titan and Writing at Magrath Junior High

Here are a few pictures from the talk I gave to the Magrath junior high on Thursday. I had a great time at the school with the students. I was amazed at the question the students had for me, many of whom had been reading the book in class.

Thanks to everyone at Magrath school for having me today. Was great to be back especially with something like my book to talk about with the students. I had some really great questions from the students as well. I truly loved all the Titan artwork they did too. I will be posting some photos very soon.

Titan Mini Serial pt. 4

The following is part 4 of the Titan mini serial:

Titan:

In the Clutches of the Leviathan pt. 4

            People craned their necks to look up as Titan soared high overhead. They looked on in wide eyed disbelief as he passed by at incredible speeds. Regulus, however, barely glanced down as he went sailing over. His sole focus was on his ailing son, and getting him the medicine he hoped would break his fever and make him better. He remembered the details of the little plant the doctor had described to him. He could practically picture it.

            The journey was a long one even for him, but finally he came to the hillside where he was to find the little plant. It was a lush area that was full of tall green grass and many small floral bushes and trees. There was a small village that he could see at the foot of the hill below. Regulus began to frantically search through all the plant life around looking for the bush that was to have the little berries he required. He scrambled through numerous bushes and small shrubs that littered the hillside.

            Regulus was sweating profusely with drops running into his eyes as he raced across the hillside searching. Then, at last, he found it. As he rounded one of the largest trees on the hill he saw the little purple berries that could save his son hanging from a small shrub beside the tree. He rushed forward and started to quickly pick as many berries as he could at once and placed them in a pouch at his waist. Once he thought he had more than enough of the little berries he once again took to the sky.

            Regulus leaped as hard and fast as he had ever done before. He felt he was racing the clock much more than he ever had while facing any threat as Titan before. Landscape and villages passed by in blur. Then he heard numerous loud crashes up ahead. Regulus landed atop a small rocky mountain the stood at the edge of the vast blue ocean. As Regulus looked below for the source of the crashes he saw two young boys scramble for cover at the base of the mountain while a giant rock monster towered over them about twenty feet up the rock face and lobbed large boulders at the boys.

            Titan we must help those boys form that creature.

            “All that I have to do is get these berries back to my son,” Regulus replied.

            Need I remind once again of the greater responsibility you accepted as Titan. A responsibility that has given you the ability to be able to save your son.

            Regulus did not answer. He dove down at the creature below. The rock monster was well over ten feet tall. It resembled a giant gorilla made out of nothing but different sized rocks. There was no real facial features on the creature. There were only dark hollowed areas facial features would normally be. When it opened its mouth it was like one giant rock ripping apart with its jagged edges alone to act as pointed teeth. When Regulus collided with the creature from behind they both went flying in different directions.

            Regulus gathered himself quickly and prepared to battle the rock monster. The monster itself let out an ear piercing roar that brought smaller rocks and boulders tumbling down the mountainside. As it tried to roll over and get back to its feet Regulus was already upon it. He thrashed at it with his sword and shield. The creature was very durable however and took many blows before it began to crumble and fall apart. At last the creature lay at his feet in ruin.

            “Thank you so very much,” one of the boys said, as they came out of hiding.

            Regulus never even glanced at them. His fists remained clenched and his teeth gritted tight as his face flushed red with anger. Every second was precious. With each moment he was delayed his son was that much closer to death. No other lives mattered to him.

“That was truly amazing!” the other boy said coming to his side.

He shot a quick glare at the two boys, stopping them in their tracks. Then he launched himself into the air with tremendous force kicking up large bits of rock as he did so. The two boys were reduced to specks in seconds. The only thing on his mind was his son. He only hoped the last image he would have of him would not be in his fevered state.

At last Regulus landed atop the hill that shadowed over his city and what he saw left him shocked. Much of the town lay in smoldering ruin. Buildings in a giant swath across the city lay in crumbled ruin. Regulus stood in stunned silence as long tendrils of the thick smoke of the city washed over him. Deep into the city he saw his greatest failure emerge as the Leviathan reared its head and let out a mighty roar.

 

To be continued…

Titan 3 Prep

I have just finished preparing the new story line for Titan 3 "Shadow Games". There will be two main villains throughout the book. The first is Mezmorrozo, who is a little different style of comic book villain. he has tremendous psychic powers that emanate from a third eye in his forehead. His psychic powers give him the ability to control the minds of anyone who comes under his stare. What effects will this have on Titan? We will find out soon. The other villain is Shadow who is a carbon copy of Titan. Dr. Frederich Marsh was a military scientist sent to find the source of Titan's powers. When he tries to duplicate them he finds that copying such powers as some unintended side effects. Shadow has equal powers to Titan but they have corrupted him into a being of pure evil. There is also more that will give Titan difficulty in stnding to his duty to protect Delta City.

Indie Author

being an indie author has many perks and has been a great experience so far. I have achieved far more with this first book than I ever thought I would. I have also had many great people who have been there to offer a great amount of support. In many ways the book and series has already taken on a life of its own. I just found out that "The Midnight Hour" is being read to a elementary school class in Kelowna. The only element to indie publishing that has remainde elusive is how to effectively tap into marketing and getting the book to a wider audience. I have been reading interviews with indie stars like konrath and Hocking which has been a big help as they have dropped lots of hints to how they did it. I have managed to sell over 1,800 copies of "Midnight Hour" now and can't wait to see what else lies in store of Titan.

Maintaining Momentum

To keep the Titan series moving at a good pace where there is little gap between the books release I am planning to begin writing book 3 "Shadow Games" while "City Under Siege" is being read, reviewed, and edited. That way once "City Under Siege" is released I will already have a jump start on book 3. When I was writing "the Midnight Hour" I used editors and literary consultants. That is effective but can be quite pricey. This time i want to use qualified people such as librarians and teachers who would be willing to read through the manuscript for a much more reasonable price and still give me the same results. the Titan series is not necessarily something where I would need heavy duty editing to complete. I am confident that book 2 will be out next spring. Once it is out i am hoping that by fall book three will be close to ready as well.

I'm nearing the end of writing the first draft of "City Under Siege". The story hasn't really changed from the planning stages, but I have added several scenes that i think add a great deal to the overall story. The most recent addition being a the climax of the big battle between Titan and Dr. Melodian. This new scene came from me wanting to add a little something more to the main villain. the way I was bringing in Dr. Melodian he does not actually appear himself until much later in the book. I wanted to make sure that his presence is felt and he definitely leaves his mark on Delta City and the Titan universe. There is no doubt that will happen now, the real question becomes what will be left of Delta City once Dr. Melodian is done!?!

Titan Merchandise

I took the first step toward securing some merchandise in the Titan line. For my book signing at Chapters last Saturday I had a small amount of T-shirts made. these shirts just  had the image of the front cover of "The Midnight Hour". I am hoping, over the next several months to be able to acquire some T-shirts that can be sold from the Titan website. I would like to get some that have some new Titan artwork too. I would also like to be able to sell some posters of original Titan artwork as well. merchandise was one of the other big factors of me not wanting to go with traditional publishing. As an independent I can go into any avenue available to me. the real trick is figuring out how to get much of it accomplished, but where there's a will...

Book Signing Pics

Here are a few pictures from my book signing in Penticton last month. Thanks again to all who came.

The book signing event at Chapters in Kelowna went very well today. Thanks to all those who came out. I sold a lot  books and was able to talk to a lot of people which was a lot of fun.

Vince

Here is Jena's sketch of Michael's brother Vince. He is quickly becoming one of my favourite characters of the series. It seems that many others feel the same way too. I see so many comments and so many from readers that say how one of the best parts of the book to them is the feuding between the two Novak brothers. As I have stated you will see a very different side of Vince in the next book and the relationship of the brother will go through some major developments through the course of the series. Vince's story is only beginning!

The People of Delta City

Here is Jena's sketch of Grandpa Dale, Vicky, and Chief Ross. All three of these characters take on slightly different roles in "City Under Siege". Titan's role with Vicky and Chief Ross takes a turn and Grandpa Dale plays a much bigger part that reflects more of the big role he plays in Michael's life.

I am very excited to announce that i will be doing an in store book signing at Chapters in the Orchard Park mall in Kelowna on Saturday September 15th from 10-2, hope to see you there.

I am please to announce that I will be doing a reading and discussion of writing and Titan to the junior high school in Magrath Alberta on Thursday September 27th in the Tom Karen Gymnasium. Thank you so much to Wand Gibbons and the staff at Magrath school for allowing me the chance to do this. I am really looking forward to the opportunity to come and talk with the students. I had harboured dreams of writing for so long and didn't have the slightest idea about how to write a full novel or then work at getting it published. If I can help one student who aspires to be a writer and point them in the right direction that would be fantastic. Many of the students will have had the chance to read some or all of "The Midnight hour" as well. So, it will be exciting to see what my target audience thinks of the book and series.

The Gang's All Here

The gangs all here! here is Jena's sketch of the rest of Michale group of friends: Perminder, Dave, and Monica. These three had a rather small role in "The Midnight Hour" but will definitely have a big role moving forward in the series moving forward.

Titan Mini Serial pt. 3

Sorry for the delay, here is part three of the Titan mini serial...

Titan:

In the Clutches of the Leviathan pt. 3

 

“Where is he?” Regulus said, as he burst through the front door of his home.

                The house seemed to be empty at first. There was no one as he walked in through the kitchen and into the main sitting area. He began to move frantically through the house. Finally, he got to his sons room and found he wife kneeling at the edge of their son`s bed. Their son was lying in the bed. He was very pale and beads of sweat pilled and sat all around his forehead. A short slender old man stood on the far side of the bed against the wall. Regulus recognized him as the town doctor.

                “What is wrong with him?” Regulus asked the doctor.

                “I am afraid it is fever. It has grown quite serious. I fear it is beyond my skill at this point,” the doctor replied.

The doctor looked grave and lowered his head. He looked down at his wife, who he noticed was openly weeping as she clutched her son’s hand. Regulus removed his helmet and let it drop to the floor with his sword. He moved closer and knelt, wrapping his arm around his wife’s slender shoulder.

“Are you sure that nothing can be done?” Regulus asked.

The doctor raised his head to meet the gaze of Regulus for the first time. A glimmer of hope could be seen in the old man’s eyes.

“I have seen a fever such as this, but it was many years ago and very far away. In that land there was a small bush that grew a purple berry. When those berries were boiled down and ingested the fever would break. It would be impossible to get those berries here fast enough, however,” the doctor said.

“Impossible! Nothing is impossible for Titan. You will tell me where to find these berries. I will get them back in time to save my son, that much is assured,” Regulus declared.

After getting the location Regulus rushed back out the front door. He was about to take to the air when he felt a tug at his shoulder. He turned to see his friend Seamus once again. This time Seamus had another man Regulus recognised from town.

“Regulus, I know you have pressing personal matters, but I thought it pertinent to tell you that this fisherman from town has just come to ask of your aid. It appears the Leviathan still lives and has attacked the harbour,” Seamus said.

Regulus paused as he looked at the distraught face of the fisherman and then back to the home that held his ailing son. He remembered the Leviathan well. It was enormous beast that had risen from the depths of the sea to attack the town he had been sworn to protect. It had proven one of his greatest tests. He had thought he had killed the beast and dragged its body back out to sea.

Titan, you must take carer if the Leviathan at once. You will have time. You know this creature now and should be able to dispatch it quickly.

“My son is all that matters now. This will simply have to wait.”

Seamus’s jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. The fisherman slumped his shoulders and hung his head. He then turned back down the path to town.

Titan, I know that your son means a great deal to you, but many more lives are stake if this creature persists. Think of all the people that will lose sons and daughters of their own.

Regulus let out a deep sigh. He clenched his fists and shook his head in frustration.

“Very well, I will stop the Leviathan quickly. After that there will be no distractions until my son has the aid he needs.”

“Regulus, you won’t regret this. Don’t worry, I know you’ll be able to save your son easily as well,” Seamus said, suddenly beaming.

Regulus did not respond. He leaped high into the air. He landed on a hilltop at the edge of town. From that vantage point he could easily see the massive leviathan as it thrashed anything in its path at the harbour. It was truly a fearsome beast. It had a giant body and four long fins that he was also able to use on land. A long thick tail flailed around behind. Its large triangular head sat atop a long sturdy neck. It used its fins and head to thrash buildings and carts along the harbour. It bit and snapped its large sharp teeth at the townspeople that scattered and ran all around.

Regulus leaped as hard as he could toward the leviathan. His right fist was thrust out in front as he hurtled from the hilltop to the creature. Just as the leviathan reared its head back with fresh meat in its jaws, Regulus came slamming into its lower neck with ferocious force. The leviathan was knocked over onto its back with a crash.

“I will teach you to meddle in my town once and for all, creature!” Regulus said as he climbed upon the beast’s stomach.

The leviathan seemed stunned as it attempted to turn back over. Its head swung and thrashed around wildly. Before it could turn, however, Regulus launched his fist again. This time he connected with the leviathan’s head. The force was tremendous leaving several of its long sharp teeth shattered. The creature was sent back to the ground this time no longer awake at all.

The townspeople cheered as Regulus stood at the head of the defeated leviathan. He looked on in anger at the smiling grateful crowd. The leviathan’s body was stretched all across the front of the harbour and shoreline streets. Dust still rose into the air as at least a half dozen buildings lay in ruins from the attack.

“The mess is yours to clean up!” Regulus told the crowd.

He then leaped high and away, making his way over the mountain range toward the plant he hoped held his sons salvation.

To Be Continued…

Shock and Awe (early sketch)

Here is an early sketch of the pair of villains that will be kicking off "Titan 2: City Under Siege", Shock and Awe. They are twins who just so happen to have an insatiable appetite for blowing things up. Of course this spells bad news for Delta City...unless Titan can stop them!

Carly

Here is Jena's sketch of Carly. Finally a face to go with the name. When I was naming Michael's girlfriend I had to turn to my real life muse, my wife, Carly. I really look forward to exploring her role in the series. I feel that the role of the leading lady in the superhero mythology has been largely unexplored and has plenty of room to play around in.