Titan 2 e-book For Sale

Titan 2: City Under Siege is now available as an e-book on Amazon.com for $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/Titan-Under-Siege-Titans-Adventures-ebook/dp/B00GWD60J4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385403100&sr=8-1&keywords=titan+2+city+under+siege

Titan Universe Expansion

With the first two Titan books I am fully exploring the solo superhero universe. I already with just two books have opened up nine villains, and a cast of supporting characters. With the third book, which I am in the process of writing, I will be expanding the Titan universe a great deal. the third book will have a number of new villains but also a large number of new heroes that will be introduced. many of the standard comic book stereotypes will also be examined and used. The world of Titan should be a much fuller and richer place once that book is finished.

Titan 2 Release

I am very happy to announce that Titan 2: City Under Siege is in the process of being published and should be available as an e-book on Kindle very soon. Also, I am in the proofing stage of the printed book and am hoping they will be available just in the nick of time for the holidays. Stay tuned for more details.

The Menace of Titan 2

Titan 2 was always one of my favorites of the series, and after reading through the last draft as I prepare to release it, I am very pleased with how it turned out. The first two thirds of the book is largely following Michael and the development of the other characters such as Perminder, Dave, and Vince. The main villain Dr. Melodian does not come into play himself until well into the book. The threat of him runs throughout, but it's carried out by his henchmen, Hawk, Sonic, and Hammerhead. That is my main concern right now is that does Dr. Melodian get enough page time to justify the menace of him. I think readers will see that it does, especially with chapters like "Death From Below" & "100 feet of Terror" that center around the Doc. And, if anyone feels that they don't get enough Dr. Melodian they need fear not, he will return in Titan 5: Trinity of Evil.

Don't Get Left behind

Titan 2: City Under Siege is just around the corner. I have decided to put Titan: The Midnight Hour e-book up for special free promo on Amazon.com which will run until Sept 5th!

The Superhero Symbol

The last piece I had to put together in designing the symbol that he would wear on his chest. I always had the overall look of Titan nailed down, but it was his symbol that had me completely stumped. I went through many variations until I finally designed the lightning bolt T. I'm not sure how it evaded me for so long. In the end there was really nothing else it could be. I think it mostly came from wanting to incorporate the lightning bolt into it. Lightning imagery in superhero symbols goes from many heroes like The Flash and Captain Marvel. It will be seen much more and become very prominent throughout the series.

Delta City

I think next couple of books Delta City will emerge much more in depth. I really want it to be a city and place that readers can picture and feel as they read. I really enjoy retracing some of the same locals from book 1 in the upcoming sequel. I would really like to have some illustration detailing certain aspects of the city in the near future. As it is now readers will be re-visiting many m=familiar spots in Delta City in new ways and there will be some new territory explored as well.

Titan 3 Update

The writing for Titan 3 is going slow but quite well. This is the first combined book of the series. It is what was originally books 3 & 4 and putting them together. I think I have a solid plan for seamlessly getting the two story lines to gel. I have added an extra character and altered a few scenes to make this work, and I think it will turn out rather nicely. Not sure yet what kind of time line will work as for release dates but I am comfortable with going with what works. I will not jeopardise quality for my own deadlines.

Titan 2 Complete!

I have just finished the last edits for Titan 2: City Under Siege. Now I am only waiting for the final page illustrations from Jena and I will be going to work on formatting for e-pub and print. I hope to have this done over the next few weeks and then will have a release date that I can announce. I am very pleased with the end result of this book and can't wait for it to come out. It was always one of my favourites form the series and I feel it turned out even better then I had planned. The first instalment of the next mini serial should be out within the next few days as well. Everything i smoving forward a little later than I had hoped but still much as planned which is nice.

 Soon the next job of marketing and promoting the book once its released will come....

Titan 2 Illustration #6

 

Here is Jena's 6th and final sketch for Titan 2: City Under Siege. This depict the final showdown with Titan and Dr. Melodian. I think Jena did an amazing job here. Pacific Rim eat your heart out!

Many Thanks

As Titan 2: City Under Siege rapidly approaches a completion and release date I just wanted to take this time to reach out and thank some people that helped my greatly in editing and preparing this manuscript so far. Diane Kelly, Wanda Gibbons, Greg Langham, Maureen Mieras all helped in editing this book and their insight and comments were all very welcomed and necessary in getting me this point and ready to release the book.

I am nearly done the last edits of this draft now, and then I think it will be done. Once Jena completes the inking and final versions of the illustrations they will get added in. After that all that remains is formatting for e-book and print which will require a whole new batch of very big thanks yous to people.

Titan 2 Illustrations # 4 & 5

Here are Jena;s sketches of Dr. Melodian's back story as well as the death of Michael's parents (You just knew Mr. Midnight had to make an appearance

Titan 2 Illustrations #2 & 3

Here are the sketches from Jena of Dr. Melodian's threat and Titan transforming and being spotted. I think this set of the transformation is my favorite so far!

Titan 2 Ilustration #1

 

Here is Jena's sketch for the Shock and Awe chapter! I am really loving her lay outs for these as you  will see in the images to come.                                                                                                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking Titan to the Masses

I am very excited to take all that I learned from the first Titan book right into the start of marketing Titan 2. A major part of marketing the new Titan volume will be getting my book to the target  age group of about 9-14. Getting it into schools and presenting it in schools myself will be a big part of this. Titan: The Midnight Hour got into about three schools and I did the presentation at the Magrath Junior High, which went amazingly well. I very much want to do more of them with Titan 2. I would like to go to schools around the province of BC and then see what happens from there. I will also most likely be doing a book giveaway through GoodReads soon as well. Titan 2 release will be coming soon!

Titan and the Lost Manuscript

I recently found one of the very early drafts of Titan: The Midnight Hour. I can't believe I even sent it to literary agents the way it was. So much changed from this draft, which had to have been my 2nd or 3rd draft of the book.

 Michael and his friends were 17-18 yrs old and just graduating high school. I felt that the teen superhero story was so overdone. I wanted something a little more fresh, and I thought that was the best age. How many kids envision themselves as they are about to enter the first stage of adulthood. I know I did. In the end I felt that the editors were right and that I 14-15 yr old kid was more relatable to my target audience. Plus, how can I write an authentic 18 yr old when I can't have him do anything more sexually than kiss (no tongue) without becoming an adult book.

Also, in chapter 2: The Museum Heist, I started right in the museum and followed the character of Ned as he found the power ring and was drawn to it and the crooks chase across the city to Michael's street. This whole first section was cut, and all we ended up seeing was the end of the chase and whatever Michael and Carly saw on TV. I was trying to show the power and draw of the ring as it made its way to Michael, but in the end I don't think it worked as I wanted it to.

There were also whole other chapters and sections that were missing from the final draft such as the basketball tournament, the rooftop showdown with Titan and Mr. Midnight and Kaizen. Also, the character of Mr. Edwards very much liked Michael. That was changed though when I realised in that first book that their relationship had to challenges to overcome. I needed someone who opposed Michael. I think that changed worked great too. I was able to have Mr. Edwards view Michael in the same frame of mind as his brother Vince which of course would not sit well with Michael to be compared to him.

As I round the end of Titan 2's writing process I can assure that there is nowhere near as much that changed. I think much of it had to do with how much I had to learn about writing, plot structure, and character development.

Titan 2 Merch Release

I am hoping that by this fall that with the release of Titan 2: City Under Siege I will also be close to having the first batch of Titan merchandise coming out as well. That was a bog part of wanting to release Titan independently was to have full merchandise and product control as to how the brand gets out there. I would like to have some posters, coloring and or sticker books, and T-shirts. This will be very helpful in going to the schools and presenting Titan to those younger audiences. I tried a small batch of T-shirt with the last book, but feel confident that I can do better this time around. Posters and other art products will depend on artists of course.

Eventually I would like to get to the point of having mini mate types figures for the entire Titan universe. My ultimate vision would be to have two character sets that come with a small block of Delta City that connects with other parts. sort of like the old micro machine cities for the late 80's early 90's.

I would also like to add a flash games and other interactive tools to the Titan website in time. I wanted Titan to be a complete online comic book superhero universe. I would like to release the mini serials through this and also maybe segue into full Sunday comic available through there as well. I suppose I will soon find out how hard all of this will be to achieve.

Nighthawk vs. Grandpa Dale

One of the new characters in Titan 3 that I am very excited about exploring more of is the old veteran vigilante hero Nighthawk. He is an old superhero form the 1940's that is now teaching a young apprentice superhero, Myst,  the ropes. Nighthawk was a masked avenger that fought against Mr. midnight when he first broke into the scene. Nighthawk's career was cut short due to injuries, however. He has laid low for decades and watched as the city he once protected has fallen onto some dark times, until Titan arrived that is. with Titan arrival, Nighthawk feels inspired to get back out there but does not know how, until he discovers the Myst. One of the intriguing things about this character for me now is how Grandpa Dale will become linked directly to this grizzled old hero. Grandpa Dale it turns out remembers Nighthawk all to well.

Jealous Guy

In Titan 3: Shadow Games Michael and Carly's relationship will be tested once again, this time by...well, just a regular guy. Carly will be having to spend some time with a new study partner and Michael gets jealous. This will definitely bring about something of a love triangle. I know it may seem weird to think Carly would even consider another guy when she is dating a superhero, but I think that the normal aspect becomes a big part of that for her. She may just be craving the normal, the dependable, and reliable. Michael may have to prove himself to her once again and show her thta he i sthe only one for her.

Titan 3: Shadow Games Writing Progress

I am now making good progress in moving forward with the first draft of Titan 3 as I move into chapter 2. I thought Titan 2: City Under Siege was hard to balance with the action, main plot, and related characters and development, but Titan 3 is going to be a pure herculean effort to balance. Not only are there two major villain plots as well as new sub plots with many of the main cast, but there is simply a ton of new characters coming with this book. Some of my most favorite moments from the series are going to be in this book. from my count there will be five allies introduced and 4 villains that will join the rogues gallery. This book should move like a roller coaster with rocket strapped to its back. More to come.....

Marketing to a Younger Audience

One of the trickiest aspects of building an audience for the Titan series is reaching the audience itself. I believe that it may be easier marketing adult fiction independently with all of the tools that are currently at my disposal. Blogs, message boards, social medias are all tools that make it so much easier to reach and build an audience. Reaching kids aged between 9-14 seems a bit trickier. I'm not even sure anymore that publishing independently is the best way to go with books for that age group. I am debating about whether to attempt traditional publishing with the next Titan book, which may result in nothing anyhow. If I do continue to do the series independently I will look at trying to do more presentations at schools and getting the books into more school and public libraries. I just don't any other way to get to those younger readers right now.

Titan Vs. the Ice Queen

Titan 3: Shadow Games starts right in the middle of an epic battle between Titan and the Ice Queen with the whole of Delta City caught in the balance. When the scene opens Titan finds much of Delta City frozen in ice. The Ice Queen awaits him in the vast expanse of Campbell Park, which is now nothing more than a giant ice dome. She has taken several prominent citizens hostage and wants Titan. Using her magic sceptre she intends to render Titan and the city into another ice age. The scene itself is proving much more elusive for me than I had ever thought. Usually I have these scenes already plotted out and the action pretty much fully choreographed. I'm finding myself somewhat blocked, however, as I map out the full course of the story in this opening chapter. I had always had a specific vision for this chapter and character, but for some reason right now I can't make it come together the way I wanted. I will work more on it in the coming week and see if I can't make it work better.

Into the Fire

I have the second Titan mini serial outlined and ready to start. It will be Titan Vs. twin villains Shock and Awe who start the next Titan book. Where the forts Titan mini was mostly about a Titan of centuries past, this story will actually be told through the eyes of the villains themselves. We will see what made these pyro destructive twins turn bad and want to get our hero, Titan. Into the Fire pt 1 should be out within the next week!

Titan 2 Nearly Ready for Release

I am just about to enter the last round of editing of Titan 2: City Under Siege. Everything is coming together really well with the plot and character development as I wrap up the manuscript and I am able to step back and look and see there is very little left to do. This has been a much different yet very positive experience then when I wrote Titan: The Midnight Hour. I have been working around the clock to get this book done to maintain series momentum and do in a little over a year and a half what previously took me over five years to do. Titan 2 is bigger, faster, and takes you way deeper into the world of Titan. There is way more villain battles, great side stories with supporting characters, and action scenes that nearly rip Delta City in two. I cannot wait for people to read Titan 2.

Titan: The Midnight Hour Special Promo

Here is one last chance to catch Titan: The Midnight Hour Kindle Edition for free through Amazon starting 6/20/13 before Titan 2: City Under Siege is released!

Titan mini Serial 2

I will be starting the next Titan mini serial very shortly, and the first instalment should be out withing a month. This time I am planning to pretty much have the entire story written and releasing it weekly over six weeks. This time the story will revolve solely around Michael Novak and will lead directly into Titan 2: City Under Siege. It will show how Titan first encounters and then battles nefarious pyro twin Shock and Awe. My thinking is to have the serial end right at the start of Titan 2. If you missed it you wouldn't be lost with the new book, but if you read it you should be well informed at the start of the next book. The mini serial will also feature some of the usual cast from Michael's life and neighbourhood. Stay tuned for more deatil to come!

Enhancing the Process

As I get deeper into the editing process of Titan 2 it now that I realize that this whole process is not just important to the book but also to my overall writing process. When I first started I was shocked when I read my first complete draft of Titan: The Midnight Hour. I couldn't believe it had seemed to come out nothing like the vision in my head. I soon discovered I had a whole lot to learn about writing a book. As I had the first book edited I made some gargantuan steps in improving and developing my process and overall knowledge. Even now I see all the little things I can do to improve. I have habits of using too many words in a sentence or not having them in a proper sequence or even one word too often. I not only try and fix these as I edit but also think of how I can eliminate them from my bad habits and tighten up my writing.

Reaching The Target Audience

One thing I still find kind of tricky with establishing my audience as an indie author is reaching the target audience of the Titan series, which is the teen and pre-teen market mainly the 9-12 age group. How do I find a way to get my book sin their hands? So far, I have done very well with that age group (big sigh of relief), but how do I extend that reach further? I did get into a few schools and public libraries, but is there something there I am missing? All I can think of now is to try and reach even more schools over the summer and maybe get into a few for readings/presentations come September. I do want to also try and include Titan products such as posters, stickers, and colouring books for kids, but again, how do I reach them to offer those? This will be my biggest hurdle as I prepare to market Titan 2.

Flip Of The Switch

From this last round of edits for Titan 2: City Under Siege I have a new element  add to Michael's character that is all together dark, twisted, and fun, at least to write. The funny thing is the whole thing came about by accident.Andrew Roberts, who was helping me with some editing, mentioned to me that he felt every time Michael transformed into Titan it was while some other crisis in his own life was happening. Yet, when the city was save d and Michael could transform back and address his own issue  he seemed reluctant like the urgency was gone and he just wanted to stay as Titan. At first I felt I had dropped the ball and need to re-write these sections to show Michale caring more and rushing back to his friends and family. Then it hit me, Michael is not superpowered in the same sense of Superman, Spider-Man, or Invincible, his powers are turned on and off like a switch. Wouldn't having access to that kind of power be somewhat addictive. That's what I want to explore, Michael feeling this need or desire to remain in Titan form to have this power at his fingertips and even putting his own personal obligations at risk to keep that power longer. We'll see where it goes, but I think it posses an interesting dilemma.

The Home Stretch

I just received back the edited manuscript of Titan 2: City Under Siege. Thank You Greg Langham! Your detail here is fantastic and will hopefully make this book better than it was. I will be busily at work making all the minor adjustments over the next few weeks. I always find that these editing stages can go very fast with very little time needed. I also had a friend, Andrew Roberts, read a version and he found some very constructive things for me to work on as well that I think will actually make the book much stronger over all.

It's funny sometimes a line or two can have such an impact on the overall meaning of a book. Really, that's all I think some of these changes will take so they have the proper effect and give the right balance to the story and characters.

Titan 3 Chapter List

Here is the initial chapter list of Titan 3: Shadow Games:
Chapter 1: The Ice Queen
Chapter 2: Break Out
Chapter 3: Jealous Guy
Chapter 4: Chief Ross
Chapter 5: Runaround
Chapter 6: Mezmorrozo
Chapter 7: Shockwave
Chapter 8:  Myst
Chapter 9: Nighthawk
Chapter 10:T.R.I.
Chapter 11: Azure
Chapter 12: Shadow Games
Chapter 13: Dave's Fate
Chapter 14: Working Together

As with Titan 2, there will likely be some minor adjustments to the chapter list as I go through the process of writing the manuscript, but this is the template that I am starting with.

Titan 3: Shadow Games, 1st Draft

I have now started the first draft of Titan 3: Shadow Games. I can't wait to get to some points that will become key moments in Titan's world. Titan 2 really focuses on the characters that were introduced in the first book as well as some major villain action. Almost everyone has some key development in Titan 2. In Titan 3 however there is not only more of the main cast but there is also some new major characters that will be introduced. Some will be heroes some will be villains (OK maybe more tan some, there are plenty of each), many of which I have posted about already. There will also be some new characters in Michael's East End neighbourhood. All this to say, Titan's little world is about to explode with a big over arcing cast of characters, and I can't wait to get them all into play.

Titan 2 is about to enter the last stage of edits and I am still hopin to get it out this summer, idealy July.

Titan 2 Release and Marketing

I have no firm release date yet for Titan 2: City Under Siege, but it should be early summer '13. I am busy preparing for the marketing and release of the new book. I feel with this being the second time around I am much more knowledgeable than I was when "The Midnight Hour" was released last year. last time I just put the book out and then fumbled along with any marketing and promotion as I was learning as I went. I already have a solid plan for getting Titan 2 in some stores, schools, libraries. I am also going to try getting some more promotion online via Facebook, Good Reads, and more. there will definitely be book giveaways through Good Reads. As well I will be trying to get some press releases in newspapers, starting in BC and then seeing where it goes from there. I also want to try and have some merchandising available like posters, T-shirts, and colouring book and maybe even stickers. There will be more to come in the coming weeks in regards to the upcoming Titan 2 release so stay tuned... 

Titan Universe Character Guidebook

Aside from the seven books of the Titan series I also want to add a character guide. This will depict every single character in the Titan universe and how they are tied to Titan/Michael. As I have stated in previous posts, I have even found myself having to comb through back pages to remind myself who was who and how tyey relate exactly, especially as certain characters have undergone minor changes over the development stages. I just remember being really into Spawn when I was younger and the "Spawn Bible" came out that was a single issue fully illustrated and each main character described. By the time the third book comes out there will be quite a few characters to discuss. So, really it may become two books that will fully details and explain all characters in this universe for people. In the end I just think it will be a nice volume to have even if it only ever sits on my shelf.

The Weakness of a Weakness

One typical comic book superhero trait that I did not give Titan was to have a weakness such as Kryptonite or the colour yellow. To me, this always seemed like such a lame plot tool. "OK, we need our hero to have some insurmountable physical challenge. I know, fire, he loses his power with Fire!" It just seems like something that makes you lazy and you start to rely on it. This is definitely more of a golden age and early silver age thing, but its still there just like masks, capes, and a sidekick. Kryptonite has been the most enduring of these of course and I will say they have used it in some very creative ways over the years, but it has also been used to death and  almost ruined it as well over the decades.

I think with a hero like Titan it comes down more to inexperience, limited powers, and the people he cares for that are his great weaknesses. If there are any other weaknesses they will be much ,ore subtle than 'look out, water, your one true weakness that can drain you of all your power!'

I will likely tackle the subject throughout the series or even in a mini serial about not extensively. To me, this is a superhero weakness in and of itself.

Titan, an Illustrated Novel

The Titan series went through many forms before it was finally released. I had been planning and developing the series for five years. I always knew that the cover art would be important to the tone of the series as an homage to the superhero monthly comics I grew up with, but it was the idea of what to put inside that I couldn't decide on. I knew I wanted interior artwork somehow, but how should it be laid out?

At one point I thought I wanted each chapter to have its own cover art. Since each chapter was to essentially represent a single issue of the Titan series as though it were a monthly comic. I also thought of having images run throughout the written pages, and really play with that as a style. Or, just have some kind of illustration for each chapter, sort of a representation of that chapter.

While I was working with my agent, Johanna Bates, I quickly came to realize that even getting the cover design I wanted would be unlikely if I went with traditional publishing. That meant, of course, that interior artwork was virtually out of the question. I found out quite a bit about how the publishing world really works. Costs and profit margins aligned to tell me that to get the book I wanted I would need to become an indie author. Only the could I maintain the creative freedom top put out the book as I actually envisioned.

At this point I could only get what art I could afford to get from freelance artists out there. Megan Furesz came in at the very end of the cycle and did a great job on short notice. her cover for Titan exceeded my expectations.  Now, I'm well into Titan 2, and Jena Stillwell is handling the artwork for this book. She has already done a fantastic cover that you can see several times throughout this blog.  I'm still paying everything out of my pocket, so it may not lead to my full artistic dream but it will be as close as I can get it. I hope to have double the amount of art pages in Titan 2, and time will only tell where things go from here. (Depicted below is art from Megan, Dan who was set to do the art of book one before he got tapped to work in video games, and Jena.)

Setting the Pace with Titan 2

The pace of Titan 2 will be somewhat different than the last book. I think, overall, it has something of an unconventional flow to it. When I stand back and look at it it seems to work very well, but it does defy story telling conventions to a degree. I think the main reason for this is that the entire series is to resemble a monthly comic series. Therefore, every chapter is to feel like an issue of the series. So, Titan 2 starts with issues #20 as Titan 1 had 19 chapters. I would like to hit 300 chapters, but doubt I will even get close. I will certainly get passed what would be issue #100 , however. If you look at the monthly comics and how the monthly comics tell a story over time with other sub stories oven through it the pace and flow seem to work rather well. I am very nearly ready for Titan 2:City Under Siege to be out and can't wait to hear some of the feedback.

Titan Spinoffs

When I first started to develop the Titan series I took all of the story lines and characters I had dreamt up while growing up an avid comic book lover and reader. Anything I had ever imagined that I had thought was decent I threw into Titan. A lot of new ideas blossomed as I went along as well. From about eleven years old right through my high school years I was always dreaming up new superhero characters ( among other stories) and always fostered hopes of them coming to life one day. One way or another they will through Titan, but it wasn't longer after the series was outlined I saw the possibility of doing some spinoff series with certain characters.

T.R.I. is a team I had always loved (see previous post about T.R.I. and who they are) and had to ensure they got their time in the series. I do have a trilogy of stories that act as a prequel to the team. T.R.I. is a team I had always been proud of and loved for many years and can't wait to get to them in Titan 3: Shadow Games. Once their own series comes out audiences will meet a very similar team but get to know them in a very different way. I will get to those books one day.

The other idea I had was for a super hero team known as Peace Force (I know the oxymoron and love it just for that alone). Peace Force will be a government sanctioned team that will comprise of members whom we have already met and some new ones as well. They will be a global force of peace keepers drawn from all walks of life, there will be a lot more on them later as their genesis will be after Titan 4: The Reign of Diablo. Their series will be 3-4 books.


I don't know if I will wait until Titan is over to start on these or they will start a little sooner. T.R.I may start after Titan 3, but I don't know for sure. All I do know is that I definitely want to get to these some day soon.

Titan: The Midnight Hour Now Available in the Apple Bookstore

I am pleased to announce that Titan: The Midnight Hour is now available through the Apple Bookstore for pre-sale and will be officially out May 15th. Thank you to Jim and the folks at Red Apple Publishing for getting this on there. After being exclusively for sale through Amazon for over a year I am very curious to see what additional market there may be for the Titan series on Apple.

The Expanding Titan Universe

Already, having written Titan 2, I can feel Titan's world expanding and growing immensely. We are delving deeper into established characters and adding new ones to this universe. The characters will go immeasurably deep in vol 3, and with vol 4 we will have, what I like to think of, as the first official Titan crossover. You will have Titan faced off against an extremely powerful villain (as depicted in previous post, 'The New Costume') . It will not be something that he will be able to do on his own, so we will see many allies return to his side as well as new. The crossover will essentially mark the halfway point of the series, and doing it this way not only tackles the comic book superhero crossover, but also showcases the world built around Titan.

It was so much fun to write Titan 2 and explore all of the characters that are introduced there. I also felt there to be something of a seismic shift with the regular cast of characters as well, which was fun to do. I had created them all years ago and am glad to finally see them come to life. I know that it will only get better with book 3 as many more characters finally come into play and some big developments happen as well. I See the Titan universe as almost a living organism that just continues to grow and evolve as the series progresses. There will definitely be an end for Michael/Titan as well. I will not give it away, but I've the end of the series for some time. I always felt the one difference between Titan and the more typical superheroes would be that Michael/Titan would not go on indefinitely like some. There is an end point here. There will come a time when Michael is no longer Titan.

Will he die? Will he be badly hurt? Will he just quit? These are questions I wouldn't answer now. But, there is a plan for him here. All I can say is that if Titan goes on beyond Michael it will be with someone else wielding the power ring and staff. That, I feel, is the great part of this character and its future is that to keep it fresh a new body can slip into that costume or its new variation. Stay tuned...

Titan 2 Villain, Dr. Melodian

I have been waiting to write Titan 2 since I laid out the storylines over six years ago now. It was always one of my favorite stories of the series, and Dr. Melodian on of my favorite villains from the Titan rogues gallery. He's a mad genius and the greatest threat Titan has faced to date. Unlike some mad scientist, however, he has something of a tragic backstory that gives him the motivation to do the bad things he does. he gives me the opportunity to come up with numerous ways to try and take down Titan as well. I think it is the responsibility of any writer to try their best to stack the deck against their hero as much as possible. It is only then that the hero can become as great as you imagine him/her. After re-reading the Titan 2 manuscript again I am really loving Doc Melodian and I can't wait for readers to meet him as well.

Titan 4, the New Costume

Every superhero goes through a costume change. Often the changes are temporary such as Spider-man's black costume. Sometimes, however, they are more permanent, such as Spawn's issue 32 upgrade (More Spikes!!!). Titan will be no different than any of those heroes as he will go through a costume change in vol. 4 "Reign of Diablo".

Titan 4 will largely represent the massive crossover event of superhero comics. The new villain, Diablo, who is all powerful will require the skills and abilities of all the heroes of the Titan universe (Titan, T.R.I., Myst, Nighthawk, Inferno*, Spartan**) to take him down. Titan will be granted ultimate power from Azure to battle Diablo, which just so happens to come with a bit of a costume upgrade. Will it be permanent? How will it differ? These are questions that will remain to be seen.

I am currently in the process of drafting the full outline for vol. 4 as I prepare to do the first draft of vol. 3.


* Yes, Inferno is back, and this time he is one of the good guys...I think.
** Spartan is a former Titan come to aid in the battle of Diablo, he will be intrioduced in vol. 4 itself

Titan, the Giant Robot Killer

One thing that I feel is not used enough in superhero comics anymore is the use of the giant monster, robot, or villain for the hero to face. It seemed to be something that many golden aged heroes had to face off against, and I want Titan to face one as well, at least once. In Titan: City Under Siege he will face off against a giant robot menace piloted by main villain Dr. Melodian. This robot will be the trump card in Dr. Melodian's hand of havoc. he will unleash untold terror on Delta City, but in the end it is his giant robot that poses the biggest(heh) threat to the city. All I can say right now is that it will be an epic battle with the city's civilian populace in the middle.

Titan 3 Villain No. 2

There will be two main villains in Titan: Shadow Games. The second main villain will the evil Titan doppelganger, shadow aka Dr. Philip Marsh. Dr. Marsh is a military scientist not too unlike Dr. Melodian, the villain form Titan 2. Dr. Marsh is charged with coming to Delta City and capturing Titan and acquiring his power. the military wants to get and use the power that Titan has. So, they have T.R.I. tasked with apprehending Titan and then Dr. Marsh to extract the source of his power for military use.

Titan's power is not to be handled and manipulated or duplicated by mortal means, however, and when Marsh attempts to recreate the jewel in Titan's staff it transforms him into a negative copy Titan who becomes known as Shadow. To do this Marsh is able to remove the jewel and manages to pull Azure into the mortal world. So, in Vol. 3 we will see the spirit guide for the first time. Shadow is not blue and yellow but black and red and has the same powers as Titan. However the new jewel makes the user, Marsh in this case, turn evil. It will give a whole new meaning to clash of the Titans...

Titan 2 Final Stages

I am now just about finished the complete third draft of Titan: City Under Siege. As of now I see only one more draft and then it should be ready for release. I am really pleased with the book so far. There is tone of character development as well as some very serious threats to Titan and Delta City. Titan is battling much more than some average thugs in this one, and Delta City suffers some serious damage in the process.

The biggest issues I have now are writing up and acknowledgements page, a synopsis for the back cover and I will also be having a page in the front of the book for review of the previous Titan adventures. I am hoping that it will only take up to two months for tis last draft to be completed.

Titan 3 Villain

The first big villain Titan will be facing in vol. 3, Shadow Games will be Vincent Morozo aka Mezmorozo. Vincent was born with different and very unique abilities. He has very strong telekinetic powers that are largely manifested from a third eye that opens in the middle of his forehead just above his eye line. This eye gives him the ability to control the minds of others around him. he is a very powerful telepath and can read minds as well as control them, and he can control many minds at once and even by using some of the puppets he is controlling. He can take control of very large groups very quickly and make them do his bidding.

Obviously this power makes him very potentially dangerous and causes many people to fear him. Due to his power Vincent was institutionalised from a very young age out of the fear of what his power can do. A special helmet was created to go over his third eye and block his power from use. This makes him quite a victim of circumstance. He did not ask to be different, he just is, but he is being persecuted for it. So when Vincent escapes the institution and becomes Mezmorozo it goes without saying that he will be looking for some payback to those who wronged him.

Titan 2 Delayed

Unfortunately I do not think that I will be able to keep to my deadline of a May 2013 release for Titan: City Under Siege. I was really hoping that I could, but now I just don't think it possible. I refuse to simply rush it by a month or so and release something that was not ready. I do not write Titan full time, and have just not had the time I needed to do many of the edits and re-reads on this latest draft. It is going fairly fast when I do get the time, however, so I don't think the delay will be very significant. Right now I would say that Titan 2 will be released by the end of June 2013.

Third Draft

I have always loved the second and third draft stage of the writing process. After the first draft I am usually left with a very rough outline of the story and the character development. with the stage am at is the story starts to really take shape and become solid with texture and depth. It's now I can look over what I wrote through the first draft and see how good it was at capturing what I saw in my mind's eye back when I wrote it. Now is also when I can take that and tighten it up and give it the proper detail and emphasis I think it may need. Right now I am very happy with how the story comes together and more importantly how the characters work, and interact, and go another step into their overall character development. It has been said that writing is 10% writing and 90% re-writing. I definitely felt that sentiment the firs time around with Titan: The Midnight Hour, but right now I have found a very good groove and feel that it is 70% writing and 30% re-writing. I may be pushed back until June for the release of Titan: City Under Siege, but in the end I think it will be better and more exciting than its predecessor. we will soon find out.

Duality

I am finding something that is very satisfying yet also challenging about writing the Titan series is that it almost does feel like two different stories that are happening along parallel roads. I have the story of Michael Novak on one hand and the story of Titan on the other. that to me is a great part of the superhero dynamic. The alter egos play out separately yet together. With Titan you have him against all of these villains, the mayor, the police, and media. with Michael I have his relationships with his friends, his girlfriend, his grandfather and brother, and so many more. Yet, so much of the story of Michael is obviously impacted by Titan, but so many in his life have no idea about his secret identity. It does help while writing to think of them for the most part as two separate characters and then through editing bridge them nicely together. By the end of the series this will be a main focal point, this duality and maintaining it.

Spoiler Alert!

FYI, the following will contain some spoiler alerts for future volumes of the Titan book series!

As any superheroes alter ego, Michael Novak has two best friends that help to keep him grounded in the real world as his super alter ego continually pulls him into from the normal life and into the stratosphere. Those friends are Perminder and Dave.

Perminder is a tall and skinny kid of East Indian heritage. He comes from a rather large family and is usually light hearted and up beat, which is something that Michael needs in his life more and more. In 'The Midnight Hour' We didn't get to see a whole lot of him. Mostly I wanted to show who he was and something of his overall personality. In Vol. 2 we will see a whole lot more of him and in a very different light. Perminder will become the next person to discover Michael's superhero identity as Titan. It is something that happens purely by accident which makes it something that was not in Michael's control, but has to work with none the less. Michale now has to learn not only to handle it but trust his friend with this big secret, something he is not known well for. Carly also has her apprehensions about him knowing. She doesn't think that he will be able to stay quiet about it, and she is also a little jealous as up until now she has been the only person to know about Titan. In the end it is the beginning of an inner circle of support for Michael in all that he has to cope with as Titan and in his own life.

Dave is of a very similar build to Michael and of Chinese heritage. he comes from a rather strict but much smaller family than Perminder. Dave is generally a little more intense and sarcastic then Perminder is. We saw about as much of Dave as we did of Perminder in 'The midnight Hour'. In vol. 2 Dave's story takes a very different turn. We see Dave fraternise with Micheal's bully and suspected criminal older brother, Vince. This obviously does not sit well with Micheal. It also makes him much more protective of Dave finding out about his secret. This story line of Dave's will be further played out in vol. 3 'Shadow games'. In vol. 3 we will find that Dave is seduced, like so many others from his neighbourhood, by easy money for criminal activity. Michael will find out and it will send Titan on a race to prevent his friend from getting into anything over his head. In the end Titan will be too late. Dave will be shot and paralysed from the waist down, but that will not be the end of his story either...

Sibling Rivalry

Some of the most positive reader feedback that I have had for 'Titan: The Midnight Hour' is the feuding brothers in Michael and Vince Novak. Vince is clearly the arch enemy to Michael as Mr. Midnight is the arch enemy of Titan. The dynamic of these two characters has grabbed readers attention and I can definitely say that they will not have to wait long before they get to see this sibling rivalry play out even more. In 'City Under Siege' We will get to see plenty of Vince and he and Michael will be clashing head on before long. Unfortunately, Grandpa Dale may also get caught in the middle.

I also want to show a different side of Vince then we saw in the last book. I want readers to get to see a much more vulnerable and human side to Michael's older brother. By the end of vol. 2, my hope is, readers will come away with something of a different opinion of Vince and perhaps some very conflicting emotions regarding him as well, I think it's safe to say that Michael sure will.

This will be the next big step in the over all development of the character of Vince. His arc will see Vince go through a complete character 180 and will end somewhat tragic for him. there will be very little of Vince moving through the next couple volumes after vol. 2, but he will come back with a vengeance.

The Ice Queen

In the opening chapter of Titan vol. 3 Shadow Games Titan will be in the climax in an epic battle against a chilly foe called the Ice Queen. She will be a villain in the vein of Captain Cold or Mr. Freeze. I am currently in the throws of fully developing her and how her powers will work exactly. I am also working on what kind of henchmen or helpers she would have if any. All I know right now is that she will be in her ice fortress in the middle of Campbell Park, and Titan will be about to storm her fortress before she is able to completely encase Delta City in ice, leaving it at her mercy.  Vol. 3 will be the biggest Titan yet with a great number of villains and character development.the most pivotal books in the series.

Chapter Update

Sometimes, despite best laid plans, things just don't work out as you intended. Case in point, Chapter 8 of 'City Under Siege', originally titled 'Martial Law' now titled 'City Under Siege'. I had a rough idea of the things I wanted to accomplish with the chapter, but it simply didn't come together the way I hoped that it would. Sometimes, especially when I am guiding myself by loose plot lines and not being as structured, I just try and let the chapter take me away and see what comes of it. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. This time it didn't. But now I am coming back at what I have on the page and I think I have truly found something much better.

**Spoiler Alert!!!***
What I really just wanted to convey was the serious threat that could not be ignored now of Dr. Melodian. Also I wanted Grandpa Dale to picked up from the hospital by Michael and taken back home (no, I will not say why he was in the hospital.).  My ideas at first, though, for conveying the threat just didn't quite meld together all that well. But now I have added in a sweet little Titan scene that I am working on now. Originally there was no Titan in this chapter just Michael. Now there is and he even will have a little run in with the police. Once the chapter is done the book will be very close to done. Only one last edit to go I think.  

Superhero 101

One of the main purposes of my creating Titan was to be able to have a superhero character that could easily slip into anyplace on the time stream of traditional superhero comics as though he fit right and was there all along. In other words my hero had to feel timeless and completely conform into the parameters of what these heroes are. I had to fit all the cliches and trademarks to fit into the overall mythos.

my hero had to have a costume with mask and symbol, check.
He had to have a secret identity, check.
He had to live in a fictional or real city, fiction check.
He had to have an arch enemy, check.
He would need a rogues gallery, check
He had to have a mentor to teach him the ropes, a little unconventional sure but check.
He had to have a sidekick, to come.

And there's so many more that will be touched upon through out the series. I want to also be able to expand upon those characteristics as well. For example,Titan does have a girlfriend right from the beginning where as many heroes pine for their lady love over time. I wanted Michael to already have that relationship built and simply try to maintain it through these improbable circumstances. Plus, when it comes to sidekciks, Titan will get to be one and then later he will get one.

Editor's Touch

I look at my two Titan books and the impact that editing has had on them and I start to wonder what many of the published books I see in bookstores would look like had they not gone through editing stages through traditional publishers. What changes were put forth to authors and forced into a manuscript that may otherwise not have been there. Does this change the overall message of the author? Would Titan have turned into some noble hearted sparkling vampire with a wand instead of a staff, and a lightning bolt scar instead of a lightning bolt T? This truly represents the key reason that I chose to go independent and did not even try to go through publishers (which may not have been successful anyhow). I want control over my own work. Any editing notes I receive now, I can choose, right or wrong, to take the advice or not. Titan is truly a product of my own vision. I get plenty of help producing that vision, but it is still principally mine, and I can decide the fate of the series and do with it what I wish, how I wish.

Titan: The Midnight Hour Kindle Edition Free Promotion Ends Today!

Titan: The Midnight Hour Kindle Edition will be completing its last free promotion run on Amazon.com today! Get in on the ground floor of the exciting superhero book series now before the second Titan adventure is released!

Titan Vol. 3

While I am in between edits of Titan: City Under Siege I am finalising the structure of Titan Vol. 3, Shadow Games. It is a very fine balance, but as it's all under the same series I find it not too bad to keep everything straight as far as characters and time lines. I did create a Titanverse guide for myself to reference while I was writing and plotting on part of the series including the mini serials. It not only helped me keep characters straight and remember what already happened and when, but it also it also helps me with everything that I have planned for future volumes. Also, now that I am well into 2 and about to start 3 I get feel things really beginning to pick up and I cannot wait for readers to get into these volumes. So much happens and the pace picks up so much and I can honestly say that it comes to a nice mini conclusion at the midway point with book 4, The Reign of Diablo, before I move on to the final three books.

Show vs. Tell

One of the biggest things I had to learn in my writing process was the difference of showing versus telling. It seemed that from going from my mind to the page only wanted to straight up narrate the story and not add in all the colourful detail that can make a book stand out. For example, when writing an action scene in "The Midnight Hour" I would tell the reader how the cop with the gun aimed at Titan may have been nervous instead of showing him shaking or sweating or anything else to indicate this without coming right out and just saying it.

I ended up having to incorporate it completely in my writing process. I was able to quickly realise the impact of how I was writing it in the overall effect of my story. It seemed like such a simple thing yet, in the early stages of "The Midnight Hour" I was doing it again and again. I can't understate the importance of the entire experience I had in writing that first book. I look back now and I truky can't believe how far I have come. It took me five years from when I first started planning the Titan series to when "The Midnight Hour" first came out. Now it will be just under eighteen months from that book to the second. Show Vs. Tell is one of the big things I am looking for now in this next draft of the book. Hopefully it helps make the reading experience a little better.

The Complete Titan Series

The following is the list of all seven Titan book titles and the names of the villains Titan will be facing in each one:

Vol. 1
The Midnight Hour: Mr. Midnight, Kaizen, Inferno
Vol 2
City Under Siege: Shock and Awe, Dr. Melodian, Hawk, Sonic, Hammerhead
Vol 3
Shadow Games: Ice Queen, Mezmorozo, Shockwave, Shadow
Vol 4
Reign of Diablo: Diablo, Tuok, Hyak, Molten Men
Vol 5
Trinity of Evil: The Claw, Mr. Midnight, Dr. Melodian, Mezmorozo, Serpentine, Wolfbane
Vol 6
Multiplicity: The Reaper, Shadow, Warlock, Siren, Kaizen
Vol 7
Midnight's Dawn: Mr. Midnight, Diablo

Titan Special Promotion

Titan: The Midnight Hour Kindle edition will be available for special promotion on Amazon.com Friday March 8th through Saturday March 9th!

Dialogue Daze II

As I have stated previously, dialogue is extremely important in writing a manuscript. Anyone will tell you the value of writing good dialogue into the writing process. Some people do just seem to have a certain knack for it. Others, and I place myself in this category, have to work at it and develop it over time.

While I was writing Titan: The Midnight Hour my editors told me I wrote dialogue well, mind you I said well not great or fantastic. I really worked at making the dialogue feel natural and real. For that book, when I was dealing with Michael and his friend least, I simply envisioned myself as Michael and having these same conversations with my friends when I was his age.

Since I started 'The Midnight Hour' I have paid very close attention to dialogue in the books I read for pleasure, movies I watch, and the way people around me talk. I have done what I can to study the very nuance of speech. That's still not to say that I've figured t all out and can now write characters and dialogue like Stephen King, who I've always felt was one of the greats in this department. When I first read Stephen King I was blown away not by the fantastic story elements of his book but by how well his characters were drawn out and communicated.

When I was going through the first draft of Titan: City Under Siege I've tried to let a lot of the dialogue drive the manuscript. I even wrote many of the dialogue parts more like a film script than a book manuscript. I'm really trying to let the talking do the walking with this new book. I really try and put myself in the pace of my characters and answer or speak as I would if I were them. Now that I'm in the full second draft stage I am really looking to polish this aspect up as much as I can.

Truth is I'll always be doubting myself and how good I may or may not have written a book. I will, however always be looking to practise and improve. What else can you do?

A Writer's Tools

When I was in school one of my worst areas in writing was punctuation and grammar. I had o idea what I was doing so I would toss out commas and semi colon's like they were toy at Christmas, wherever they landed they landed. I just knew they were supposed to be in there and had no idea where they should go or how I should even use them. When I decided to start writing that's actually where I started. I went like an exploring searching the Amazon for Eldorado. I knew there was secrets and information out there I had to be privy to in order to write successfully. I went back beyond basics and went straight to what the rules of grammar and punctuation were and started from there. What was a hyphen and a apostrophe? How do apply all of these tools of literature? So I learned a lot, and then once I sent my manuscript for Titan: The Midnight Hour I learned a whole lot more. When I look back I'm actually embarrassed by how little I still knew and had to learn. I'm surprised they had anything nice to say about it at all. I've always been good at creating a story line and structure and pacing, but putting those pieces dw with detail and texture has been something I've had to learn and develop. I'm not saying I'm great at it either. I'm just saying I've gotten a whole better since I started writing, and I am working at continualy getting better still.

Tighten Up

I am well under way with the second draft of Titan: City Under Siege. Other than having to make some big adjustments to one for the middle chapters, everything is well on par for the May release I was hoping for. Most of everything now is just tidying and tightening up the manuscript as a whole and making sure that all the loose ends are closed up nicely. I am mostly correcting spelling and grammar and minor sentence structure changes. I also can laugh at all the ridiculous little mistakes that  I seem to make on a regular basis as I am speeding through and not looking back very much. Such as my constant knack for swapping form form from or teh for the (still not sure why my spell check never catches teh). I quite enjoy doing the later drafts as opposed to the first. The first draft is great, but it is quite a challenge starting from that blank page. It's like building a house from scratch as opposed to just doing some renovations. Plus, it does, for obvious reasons, go much faster in the subsequent drafts. This time around there is nowhere near as much changes to make. When I got to the next drafts of 'The Midnight Hour' there were some pretty big changes that had to be done the had ripple effects through the entire manuscript. As I have said before I am going from a five year production cycle to just over one year, so I am very happy with that.

1st Anniversary of Titan: The Midnight Hour

Well, it has now been just over a year since Titan: The Midnight Hour first became published as an e-book back on February 16th 2012.A lot has happened since then, and this crazy ride has taken me places I never thought that I would go. I never thought I would be doing a book signing already, especially as many as seven. nor did I ever think that it would be read in a school classroom let alone four. I also never thought I people would be able to go to a local library and take it out. I am actually doing or have done many things I always dreamt writing would allow me to accomplish, but was never sure I would. Doing it as an independent has had me doing it in a slightly different way than I may have envisioned, but it has made it all the more rewarding. I can't believe that I am at the point already where another Titan book is getting ready to come out to the world. It has been so hard to turn around another book within just over a year, and I couldn't have done it alone. Thank you to all you have supported me and read the book this past year!

Titan mini serial 2

The second Titan mini serial will be ready soon followed shortly by the second Titan novel, Titan: City Under Siege. the new mini serial will have following the lead on a pair of twin pyro's who are trying to blow up Delta City. their name's are Shock and Awe. Unlike the first mini serial which largely dealt with a Titan from centuries ago this story leads directly into the new full length Titan novel. I'm sorry to say that the mini serial will not conclude after part six this time, instead it will lead directly into the start of Titan 2 and conclude within it's first chapter.

I want each subsequent Titan book to start in the climax of a lesser Titan storyline. This will hopefully give  the impression that the Titan story does not simply start or end with any of the novels involved, but is always ongoing and we just happen to jump in at any given time during its run to see what is going on. Unlike many comic book superheroes who are always stuck in one time and of one age, I want Titan to grow up as readers follow his adventures.

Chapter List 2.0

The following is the final chapter list of Vol. 2 Titan: City Under Siege:

Chapter1:Shock and Awe
Chapter 2:Warnings and Threats
Chapter 3: Apologies
Chapter 4: Sonic
Chapter 5: Vince
Chapter 6: Hawk
Chapter 7: Aerial Attack
Chapter 8: City Under Siege
Chapter 9: Pieces of the Puzzle
Chapter 10: Hammerhead
Chapter 11: Passage of Doom
Chapter 12: Double Down
Chapter 13: Dr. Melodian
Chapter 14: Death From Below
Chapter 15: One Hundred Feet of Terror
Chapter 16: Picking Up the Pieces

There were a few changes after the first draft but this should still end up being the final list until release date.

Novel Vs. Comic

The Titan universe, even though they are books, is designed to feel more like the monthly comic book superheroes that I grew up with. The first book, The Midnight Hour, is paced much more like a novel. The second book, City Under Siege, still has more of a novel approach but also starts to have the pacing change a little bit. By the third book, Shadow Games, the pacing will feel much more like a comic book. Each chapter will come to feel like a monthly issue of the ongoing saga of our hero, Titan. The series will get inundated with characters and side stories that either fit in between or within and around the main stories the novels are telling. It is then my job to maintain a healthy balance with all of that.

Since I am no artist and knew no comic artists this was the only way I knew to get my own superhero world out there to the masses. I have tried to keep the covers for the books as close to comic book style as I can. I have even tried to keep the interior artwork as close to the interior panelled art of comics. I hope to be able to get more art in the coming books, but as I can only do what my budget allows as I am paying freelance artists we will see. I wanted at least double the art in The Midnight Hour, but had to settle to to budget. I should be able to get double in City Under Siege and who knows from there.

Strong Female Characters

One thing I quickly realised when I was laying all the framework for the Titan series was that I wanted to make sure that I had some strong female characters in the series, something  I think is lacking overall throughout the history of comics.

Carly, as I believe I have already stated here, I did not want to be the typical damsel in distress but something more of a partner for Michael/Titan. She does start out as the damsel in 'The Midnight Hour', but by the end of the book she is right by his side.

I also want to have the character of Vicki the reporter who I want to have as a strong character throughout the Delta City and use her and her actions in that world to show a strong professional woman.

I do have a stable of female villains as well. We already met Kaizen in 'The Midnight Hour' and there is Awe in 'City Under Siege' and there is still the Ice Queen in 'Shadown Games', and Serpentine in 'Trinity of Evil plus several more to come as well. I have always had  a fondness for the female villains and there are so few of them.

Part of the reason to have some good strong female characters that go a little beyond the usual cliche is for sales and the hope of luring in female readers, but its also as my wife pointed to me that there are so few great ones in the genre. My females may not be great but hopefully they add a little something positive into the superhero culture.

Action Vs. Drama

Now that the building blocks of the foundation for the Titan series have been laid I want to make every Titan book bigger and bigger but at the same time balance very carefully the development of the characters. As I lay out all seven books I am trying to make the action, villains and plots bigger and more exciting than the last. I also have a very clear vision for our hero Michael and where I want him to go by the end of the series. You see in a lot of movies or even comics that the stories get so big and there are too may characters that many of the key elements get lost and end up not working because the world created as a whole is just too busy. I think Titan 2 is a pretty good example of this and I think people may agree once they get a chance to read it. The story moves at a very fast pace and there are still plenty of character moments even though the film boasts six villains throughout (not to mention some of the mechanical menaces that the principle baddie, Dr. Melodian, unleashes on Delta City and Titan.). through all this action Michael still has plenty of drama with Vince, Grandpa Dale, Carly, Dave, and teachers at school. In the end only all of you out there who may read the book will be able to tell me if I have struck this balance correctly.

Titan Trinity

In Titan: City Under Siege, Michael will find out that not only does he have Carly in his corner he will now have one of his best friends, Perminder. Perminder spends most of book 2 processing all that he has learned about his friend. By book 3 he will be ready to leap head first into the fray to help Michael in his role as Titan. Book 3 will form the brain trust of the Titan  being Michael, Carly, and Perminder. There will also be Azure guiding Michael's actions through it all. By the end of book 2 we will see that these three friends will be going forward more together with Titan than ever before. The questions of course will linger as to what the roles of Carly and Perminder will be exactly, but we will have to wait and see for now.

2nd Draft

So far the second draft of Titan: City Under Siege is going very well. There are no where near as many big changes and rewrites that will have to be done as there was with the first book, Titan: The Midnight Hour. There is one chapter that needs some major attention, but otrherwise the structure of the manuscript is looking very good. After that there are just some minor alterations that need to be done throughout. Also, due to the fact that Jena had started some of the character designs before i had written the characters, some of the villains will need to be re-designed. Villains such as Hammerhead were only a idea when she did the initial sketch for him and once I started writing his chapter it started taking on a bit of a life of its own. Otherwise, I feel like I am definitely on plan to have the second book released by the end of  the spring barring any unforeseen circumstances, which is a drastic improvement over the course of the fist book being written so I am very pleased.

Shadow Games

I am just finishing off the plot outline for Titan 3 'Shadow Games'. It is going to be, I think, the most exciting Titan adventure yet. There is a lot of villains and also a lot of heroes. I should have an initial chapter title list soon for the new book. This is when the whole thing starts to come together for me a s a real tangible super hero universe. After the third book the rogues gallery and character list will be rather long. The teaser I can let out now is that Michael will finally get to meet Azure, someone else may find out Titan's identity, Mr. Midnight may rear his head, and someone close to Michael may die, and it wont be who you might think.

Supporting Cast

One of the things I have tried to do with the Titan universe was to add a plentiful and diverse supporting cast the adds some extra layers of depth to the overall world I want to immerse readers into. I wanted to have the main cast, which was never just Michael, but of Carly, Perminder, Dave, Grandpa Dale, and Vince. This was the core of the books right here, but I have created and tried to establish far more than just those. I have actually broken the additional supporting characters to several groups so that I can keep them all together. I have the characters of the Courier where Vicki works and her editor Charles. Then there's the people from the neighbourhood such as Mr. Carruthers and Dylan Thompson, and people from the school and other family members like Carly's parents. many of these characters were mentioned very briefly in 'The Midnight Hour' and will be further explored in 'City Under Siege'. This,, I flet helped to create the esence of Delta City itself. As the series goes on some will even get pulled directly into being key parts in various story lines. I can already say that Carly's father, Les, and Dylan will become key players in the books to come, and hopefully in ways no one sees coming.

Price Point

When I first published Titan: The Midnight Hour one of the big decisions I had to make was how to price the e-book on Amazon. There were many theories around how to select your price and what would work best. With Amazon you can choose the 70% royalty rate or the 30% royalty rate. The 70% sounds best as the author trying to make money with your book, but there are many who believe that the 30% model works best as you can sell for $0.99, and that is how you sell the most books as an independent. I thought the $2.99 price line at 70% royalty was best for me at the time. I am thinking, however, that I may switch 'The Midnight Hour' to $0.99 after the second book is released. That, I think, is the only way to really test both sides and then I will have a much better idea what will work best.

Of course I also want to test the e-book market on other platforms and not be sold exclusively on Amazon. My sales have been okay (1700 books total so far) but I have no reason to think that what I have done is far from the best model to use. For those of you deciding to do this on your own as well I would suggest you do lots of research and read testimonials from otehr authors who have done the saem things you are thinking of. Of course there is no way to know until you jump in and try things out.

With Friends Like These

Two characters that are going to get some major plot lines are Michael's best friends, Perminder and Dave. They will become altogether more engaging and have a much bigger impact on Michael's life. In 'The Midnight Hour' they are mostly just anchors in helping Michale stay grounded as he copes with understanding his new found powers as Titan. In the second book one of them will learn his secret and the other will start to follow the footsteps of his brother, both will upset the balance of Michael's fragile world.

Editing

So far the editing of Titan: City Under Siege is going very well. I, personally, quite enjoy this stage of the writing process. I've taken that hunk of marble and carved my shape out of it, now I'm adding al the definition that will hopefully make it all pretty. It can be tedious, but so can writing a first draft. I did plenty of editing when it came to 'The Midnight Hour'. I did at least four full drafts as well as all the little editing that I did in between. With the first book there were some changes that I implemented in subsequent drafts that required complete re-writes. I changed Michael's age by four years, which changed a lot. I changed the direction of some support characters like Carly's father. Those changes had deep ripple effects through the entire manuscript. This time there has been very little structural changes to make to the manuscript. It has mostly been grammar, and sentence structure which I find quite easy. I don't think it will be as tough this time. I learned an awful lot with the first book and felt a big difference once I sat down with that blank page in front of me to start the second.  still feel on pace to have the book completed and published by May 2013. In the mean time I will also look to d another Titan mini in the coming months.

Parental Guidance

The characters of Michael's parents in 'The Midnight Hour' were left largely undefined. It was quite deliberately done, I assure you. These were two characters that I plan on revealing more about them as time goes on. It always irked me, at least from my viewpoint, how parents of orphaned heroes such as Spider-man, Batman, or Superman were largely left with very brief or vague character descriptions. Michael's parents will be much the same, but over time we will get to know them very well. In 'City Under Siege' we will learn some unsettling news about their untimely demise.

Dialogue Daze

One of the key points to any novel that is one of the trickiest to master is dialogue. Any writer will tell you how difficult it can be to master this technique and that it can ruin any good novel in a hurry. I am always trying to working my dialogue and making it feel as real as possible. The dialogue I have used in 'The Midnight Hour' I often agonised over whether it sounded 'right' or not. You really start to pay attention to good dialogue when you read it or hear in movies or TV. You also listen to people talking around you in everyday conversation, and how they talk. Because its not just how they talk its what they say or I suppose how they say it. I was very conscious of this as I wrote the dialogue for Titan. Most people have told me that they thought the dialogue was good, which was a huge sigh of relief. I only hope I can maintain at least that and improve upon it the coming books.

Team Ups

One of the key themes that will run through the third Titan book, Shadow Games, will be team work. Titan will encounter new allies in Myst, as well as another former costumed vigilante, Nighthawk, who comes forward to try and coach the newer generation. Nighthawk will be quite contrasting to Azure and the role filled there. As well in the book we meet the government run team of T.R.I. (technologically reinforced infantry) who at first oppose Titan and then become another set of allies in fighting a common threat. So in the book I want to explore the nature of the duo, and the team, and allies (sometimes teammates) as much as I can. These are key elements that run through most superhero comics and some of what I like best about them.

Picking Up The Pace

I am just preparing to begin  the first draft of vol. 3, Titan: Shadow Games. This volume is, as stated previously in other posts, the first volume that is combining the original outlines for Titan 3 & 4. It will prove to be a very action packed and fast moving book with lots of twists and turns. many books, comics, and movies have struggled with trying to balance too much story and too many characters. There are indeed plenty of new characeters (again, as descirbed in previous posts), and there are manyt more moments with the old characters. It ensures that I really have to execute at the planning stage to make sure the story flows properly and that the character development stays strong. I have spent a great deal of time already with planning the entire series, so with any luck I already have it ready. If all goes well with the editing of Titan 2 then I may even be able to have Titan 3 released by Christmas 2013. Here's hoping!