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