New Release ~ Gemini Warrior is Out!

Find it Here!

This might not technically count as a new release, though it is for many of you. Formerly with Silver Empire Publishing before they went defunct, the first book in my Gemini Man series is finally available to general readers again. That's right, Gemini Warrior is out today! The next two books will come at a monthly pace.

For those unaware, I ran a Kickstarter campaign a little while ago (currently still in fulfillment!) that was focused on re-releasing the series back to general readers. The backers have already received the eBook of the first two books, and now it is time to start releasing them on Amazon for general audiences! For this month, July, the first book, Gemini Warrior, has finally been put out again for the first time in years! If you haven't had the chance to jump in, now is the time.

The description:

TWO MEN; ONE POWER 

Matthew and Jason are just two nobodies in a city of heroes and villains. But when they are given bracelets that endow them with powers, and then get thrown into a whole new world beyond all reason, they are soon in over their heads!

Now they must team up with aliens, battle magical creatures, and get back home before the bombs inside them go off! All that, and they still have to defeat the magical being who sent them there in the first place!

Two heads are better than one, but will they be enough to save two whole worlds? Find out in the first book of the Gemini Man trilogy, Gemini Warrior!

As for those wondering about a physical copy, this was stated in the Kickstarter, but if you missed it then I will have reiterate here. Because of the scope of the project of re-releasing three books (and working on new stories for it) there simply wasn't any time to deal with formatting. The quickest way to get a physical copy was to back the crowdfund which was the omnibus release. Individual physical version will not be released for a while. I apologize, but something had to go on the backburner for this project, and that was it for this one.

The current plan is to give backers the books first and then later put out a version for the general public. Being that there are three books, you can expect to see the second book, Gemini Drifter, to release in August. Backers can expect an update on the first bonus story soon. It's been quite a journey putting out all these stories.

For those who missed it, I had an entire post detailing the history behind this book and the following ones in the series. You can find it here. It's been quite a journey these last few years! Hard to believe we've come this far.

I'm thankful for all the readers who helped me get to this point, and also those who allowed me the chance to do this in the first place. It is thanks to your support that this stories were able to be re-released in the first place. Now they will soon be made available to all.

Nonetheless, we are not done yet. I have some surprises on the way, in addition to the rest of the Gemini Man series being completed and a cool omnibus edition for physical backers of the campaign. This is definitely my biggest year yet, but can we make the next one bigger still? 

You'll just have to see!

Gemini Warrior is FINALLY back out for everyone again!

The History of Gemini Man ~ Part I: Gemini Warrior

Back the Campaign Here!

I realize Gemini Man has taken over the blog recently, but that is for a very good reason. Most of my writing time this year has been spent editing the trilogy to completion and trying to get it out for readers after years of production woes, and then also putting effort and time into the currently ongoing Kickstarter campaign, as well. As a consequence, I haven't really had the time to discuss or write on much else.

However, you might be wondering just what the whole story is behind this series. How did it come to be, and why is it coming out in this bizarre way? In addition to that, this is a bit out of joint for what I normally put out these days. Not only a series, but one based on superheroes? From the guy who wrote Y Signal and The Last Fanatics? Well, that is a long story, and one I want to share with you, especially as it pertains to how we got here in the first place.

Strap in, because this will take awhile.

Back in the year of 2017, I contributed a story for publisher Silver Empire's Paragons anthology. It was meant to be a collection of superhero stories featuring heroes being heroes. As someone who had just began wading into the art of writing short stories, I quickly began writing and sending them out. Somehow, I don't remember how, but I ended up having two different stories accepted for this anthology, but only one was published (both of these are now available in Someone is Aiming For You & Other Adventures today) in it. The anthology did very well, and as a result of that I was asked if I wanted to contribute to a new superhero project Silver Empire was working on. This new project was known as Heroes Unleashed. It was a weird opportunity I didn't expect to be given.

I say it was weird because 2017 was the year I went full bore into Pulp-inspired writing. I had spent 2016 publishing my first book but also learning just what type of storyteller I wanted to be. For those who have read most of my work, you can see the shift happen very blatantly.

2017 was the year I put out Grey Cat Blues, started writing short stories (the first ever short story I'd written, "Someone Is Aiming For You", is still one I get comments on to this day), and more or less figured out when I wanted to be and do as a writer. But I was still relatively new at this whole publishing game. At this point, I'd only written two vastly different books, after all. I hadn't even yet had more than one short story published.

This meant joining a "superhero" universe was a bit of a curveball for what I was doing at the time. I wrote about heroes and villains in my first set of short stories (which was later released in the above collection), but they were also part of a sort of loosely-interconnected longer story. The heroes in that were also far more in line with The Shadow or The Phantom than they were to cape comics. I don't really know if superhero fans every really clicked with that series. Even now, I'm not so sure I'm the right person for that kind of mainstream story.

But this opportunity also represented a new challenge to me. Silver Empire had produced the first book in their new universe called "Serenity City" (later retitled Heroes Fall) by Morgon Newquist which would set everything up and allow us a guidepost going forward. This book was actually what solidified my decision to attempt this project in the first place.

I assume if you're reading this and are aware of Gemini Man you've probably already read Heroes Fall, and you already know it's a really good read. It also isn't quite a typical superhero story either, though the universe it takes place in definitely is one. That base was important for other writers going forward. This then opened up possibilities as to where we could go with our own series.

And every writer definitely saw the possibilities.

Heroes Fall can be found Here!

Some of the other projects in Heroes Unleashed include Kai Wai Cheah's Song of Karma series, Jon Mollison's Phoenix Ring series, Richard Watts' Atlantean Knights series, and Paula Richey's Penance series. Each of these are vastly different than each other, never mind whatever idea of a modern superhero universe you might possess. It really showed how much mileage you could get out of a setting like this.

There were more series by other authors in production, but I do not know what became of them over the years. All of these were bound together under the in-universe character of Thomas Plutarch to bind them together easier in the same universe (and for the dead internet's algorithms), though it merely added to the fun of it all.

For my series I wanted to use the fact that I had a publisher behind me to see what I could get away with. I wanted to see what madness I could knock out with a framework around what I was able to do. Little did I know that I still ended up throwing in the kitchen sink and putting in just about everything I liked about comic books and manga growing up, and Silver Empire had little issue with any of it. I truly do thank then for the amount of freedom given in writing within their sandbox. How did my idea end up? Well, now you can see for yourself.

The story of Gemini Man is of two people: Matthew White and Jason Vermilion, two males of slightly different ages and backgrounds who look surprisingly like each other. The pair end up in the same experiment in a place known as Williams' Tech Corp in Serenity City. What should be a simple job for easy pay soon turns out to be much more sinister for the two of them. They soon find themselves with strange gold bracelets that give each of them odd powers. Even stranger than that: the bracelets seem to combine both of them into one person!

The weirdness doesn't end there, either. Their benefactor turns out being in the employ of a dark being from some other world, and the two end up being thrown into a portal through space and across the universe. Now on an alien world with unknown abilities, can they make it back home again? What's more, can they get a hole of these powers and avoid being blown to bits? There's a time limit and a whole alien force chasing after them, too. On a planet of magic and mystery, can two fledglings get a grip on their new situation before it's too late?

Naturally, this was a bit of an odd idea for a first book, to spend the majority of the story on a new planet outside of the norm of Heroes Unleashed, but that is exactly why I wanted to do it. I wanted to see exactly how far out I could go with this. Book One, Gemini Warrior, allowed me to essentially explore a side of the newer universe no one else had yet to explore. It also let me know what I could do for future entries, as well.

The thing is, Gemini Warrior is also not much in the way of a mainstream superhero story, either. There is more in Burroughs or traditional sword and sorcery than Superman or Batman here. This made some early reception a bit confused, not knowing if this was a coming of age story (not particularly) or if it was meant to be so fast-paced and furious (it was), though overall there was a warm reaction to Book One and excitement for what was to come next. You also have to remember that this came out when the current wave of pulp-inspired writing was still in its early ages of acceptance and it was still out of joint for what NewPub was doing. There wasn't much like Gemini Warrior at the time. Though I'd argue it's still not really that common now.

I had spent most of 2018 working on Gemini Warrior and Gemini Man's entire story structure that to date it was the only year since starting out that I never actually published a book. It didn't help that 2018 was also the year that I also kicked off in short story writing, too. Gemini Warrior only ended up releasing in 2019, though much of that was due to internal issues with different cover artists. I can't exactly expand on what those issues were in particular, but I can tell you that there is a reason that all three books in the series were done by different artists. This issue did not end with Book One, or even with me in particular.

I will expand on the rest of the production story for Book Two when we get there, but let me just say that putting Gemini Warrior out was a rather long and interesting experience I wasn't used to at the time. I also learned quite a lot.

For someone who mainly works in standalone works (though most everything I write is still connected somehow), creating a series was an interesting process. I had to shift my mindset when creating it so that I did the world and the story proper justice and breathing room.

One of things that made Gemini Man so fun as a whole was working with Matthew and Jason, the main characters. It was fun seeing their similarities and differences as they ended up in crazy situation after crazy situation and clashed against each other. The idea of dual protagonists is one I haven't done as often as I keep thinking I have, but I always enjoy playing with extremes and similarities with characters on the same side as each other. The idea of two contrasting heroes combining into one is always fun, and here it is a very important aspect of what they are capable of. I'm actually surprised at how powerful I was allowed to make them.

Matthew is the cynical loner who spends his life drifting by in the margins of a world where death can come swift and brutal. Despite that, he is always the leader in every situation he falls into, rising to every challenge as needed and throwing himself into the frontline. As the wielder of Castor, he becomes intangible, or so it seems. His bracelet's ability turns him to air or liquid, essentially slipping through things, and is what makes him a fierce opponent. His sixth sense and situational and spatial awareness is also sharpened tremendously. Oddly enough, Castor suits his personality just fine. Almost like it was made for him!

Jason, on the other hand, is kind of a naïve kid, always ending up in situations over his head. He is a bit of a hero freak, despite not having powers, and thinks they can solve any problem. That does not stop him from wanting to always do the right thing anyway. However, there is a bit more to his situation than he lets on. How did a teenager get accepted into this sort of an experiment anyway? Regardless, as the wielder of Pollux, his physical attributes become greatly enhanced to the point that he is almost a superhuman on his own. I can't even imagine what the power of Pollux would be like when combined with Castor . . .

Or can I?

What Gemini Warrior ends up being is a story of a mismatched pair thrown into an alien world and a desperate situation, having to work together, and finding their way back home among a race of beings unlike any they've seen before. Gemini Warrior is quite a bit different than you might think, not much of superhero story, but also setting up future adventures to come in books ahead. Where can they possibly go after fighting through that madness and making it back home?

Good question. However, that is for next time!

The cover of Gemini Warrior!

In conclusion, for being only my third book ever written, Gemini Warrior was a real fun experience for me to write, really helping expand my idea of what "genres" were and what one could engage with in a story. It came along at the right moment I needed it to.

As an aside, the dedication in the story is for my aunt, who had been one of the most supportive people in regards to my writing to that point. She was the one most excited for those project I had engaged in with Silver Empire. In fact, there was a lot of support from many others around me at the time. That was a new experience for me.

As I said, the reception for Book One was warm, and it emboldened me to continue on writing the series, though I was still doing other books at the same. The overall plan was to have one Gemini Man book release from Silver Empire, then release an independent one on my own. It obviously didn't work out that way, but at least now I have three whole books ready and waiting for readers to dive into. You will really see how much things have changed for me as a storyteller even just by going through each of these stories. So much changed over the years since they were first written, but I still enjoy all of them very much.

In regards to the next two books, they will have to wait for when we go over them in the posts to come. For now, as far as the first book goes, I wrote it when I was in a great place, in the early days of learning about publishing, and things were generally looking up. I hope it shows in the story, but it represents a confidence of a certain time and place that allowed a story like this to exist in the first place. I've certainly never written a story like this one since, though the same could be said about every book I've written. I want every experience for the reader to be fresh and exciting, and now you have a whole series to go through and experience it for yourself!

Next time, we'll go into Book Two: Gemini Drifter--the book that almost came out, but didn't. Now that will be a story to share!

Thank you, once again, for your support. These books wouldn't exist if not for readers like you in the first place.

Check out the Gemini Man campaign here! We're so close to the next stretch goal!

Gemini Man Kickstarter is Live!

The Campaign is live here!

Today is the day that my first ever Crowdfund campaign is a go! This has been a long time coming, and I'm happy too finally share it with you today!

The Kickstarter covers the entire Gemini Man series that I first started working on with Silver Empire a few years back. Only the first book was released, the second on the cusp of release when Silver Empire unfortunately shuttered operations, and the third book only ever made it through the editing process. I've had a whole year since getting these books back to finish putting out a few other works first (such as The Last Fanatics, Y Signal, and Generation Y: The New Lost Generation) but now I can proudly say that all three Gemini Man books are complete and ready for you to dive into!

Let us get into what this trilogy is all about.

The whole project began when Silver Empire approached me to write a new series for their upcoming Heroes Unleashed project. I knew I wanted to use this opportunity go all out. This wasn't going to quite be what you expect out of a superhero story. In fact, it's debatably a superhero story at all. I was still a newer writer when I began the Gemini Man, I had only published about two books when I started Book One, and wanted to throw everything including the kitchen sink into this world before me.

And that's just what I did.

The Gemini Man stars young adult Matthew White and teenager Jason Vermilion as they find themselves attached to bracelets named Castor and Pollux, both of which give them strange powers unlike anything on Earth . . . or other planets! The trilogy starts with the two escaping the experiment that gave them their powers and landing in a whole new world where magic lives and an unknown race of people roam. Can they escape their pursuers, or are they destined to be fuel for some warped alien being who wants to rule two worlds? The trilogy traces their journey from captives to free men, in more ways than one.

• The first book, Gemini Warrior, is a portal story where our heroes land in a new world and have to find their way back out before they are blown to bits!
• The second book, Gemini Drifter, is a road trip tale across the US as our heroes take on a quest to stop their enemies from unleashing their cult on the rest of humanity!
• The last book, Gemini Outsider, follows our heroes as they try to set up a new life with their new reality, but old enemies won't let them rest. Can they finally defeat their foes and build a future for themselves? No more running. It is time to fight back!

Originally, this trilogy was meant to set up the characters and settings in the Heroes Unleashed universe, and as such I framed it as an origin story for Matthew and Jason, so by the end you will see them as the heroes they should appear as in any future projects Heroes Unleashed might have. Regardless of how that turns out, this is a complete series and the characters complete their arcs. 

While this is a complete series being offered today, all three can be read sequentially or independent of each other. This isn't one story chopped up randomly into three volumes. I didn't want this to be like a typical trilogy is done in OldPub.

Check out the campaign page for more information, including rewards and stretch goals. There is a lot to go over that I simply can't fit in this blog space.

Once again, thank you for everyone who has ever supported me before. It is thanks to you that I can even launch this campaign at all. Let's make this the best crowdfund we can!

The Gemini Man crowdfund is here.

Thank you again for all your support!

Coming Soon ~ The First Kickstarter!

Find it Here!

You might have been wondering why it's been so quiet around here for awhile now. Well, now I can finally let that cat out of the bag: the reason is because I've been finishing off preparing my upcoming crowdfund campaign! This is the first one I've ever done myself and it's going to be quite the experience.

As for the subject, well, if you received the recent newsletter then you might already know. Next week I'm launching a Kickstarter to release the entire Gemini Man series onto the world. The main goal is to commission a cover for an omnibus-like collection of the trilogy. It will be in a magazine-style. As for the books themselves, they're all completely edited and done and with covers of their own. The third book never had a cover, but I commissioned one from the talented Manuel Guzman who I hope will be able to complete a cover for the full trilogy if the goal is hit.

Speaking of goals, there will be stretch goals. Included are potential new covers for the first two books in the series as well as a new coda and stories to help wrap up the series further and stuff this complete volume with even more material for you, the reader.

Basically this crowdfund exists to both satiate old readers who never got to complete the series as well as newcomers who wish to jump right in. Either way, you are getting a lot of bang for your buck. This is going to be quite a ride, so hop on. The campaign launches next week!

I would talk more about it, but I not only just sent out a newsletter with details, but I've also just set up a new Substack specifically to make it easier to put out updates on these subjects and projects sooner. Mailerlite was a bit clunky to use, and not very good for readers who didn't want to keep checking their emails, so hopefully the Substack will be more to your liking!

Once again, I apologize for the lighter blog for the past month, but I hope you see just why that was the case. We are currently setting up and ready to launch many new things around here. Hopefully this update was to your satisfaction!

Thank you for your patience, and I will see you again very soon. I'm still kind of a bit winded from all the recent activity. A lot of new experiences one after the other.

Anyway, have a good rest of your week! Good things are on the way.

Sign up early for the upcoming Gemini Man Kickstarter!

Signal Boost ~ "Nephilim: Corruption: A Christian Space Princess Novel" by Ann Margaret Lewis!

Find it Here!

Today, I would like to share a new space opera series from Ann Margaret Lewis and published by Silver Empire (it is also available via amazon), entitled Nephilim: Corruption!

This series is called Warrior of Kizan and is a sort of Christian Space Opera for those sick of how boring the genre has gotten in the modern mainstream. Silver Empire has been working hard to put out unique adventure books, and this is certainly no exception. you aren't going to find anything like this coming out of OldPub.

The description:

Dune meets Star Wars in this galaxy-crossing Christian sci-fi tale!

Dahkar knows his place in life. But the God of his ancestors has a different plan for him.

For generations his people have fought an endless battle with the cursed Nephilim, and Dakhar followed in his father’s footsteps and went off to war. All he found there was horror and death. He is unclean, and unworthy of the honor his people want to grant him.

But his bravery has won him command of the Royal Guard, and the sacred duty of protecting the King and his family. The King who rules by divine right, and receives council directly from an Angel. Dakhar doesn’t deserve this life, but he will do his duty anyway.

Then Tasia, the lovely young Princess he’s honor-bound to protect is kidnapped and whisked offworld. Dakhar will tear apart the galaxy to find her, no matter the cost.

Can he find Tasia before it is too late? Will he forgive himself and become the man he’s meant to be?

And what orders will the Angel of their people have for a sinner like him?

Read Nephilim: Corruption today and find out!

Once again, you can find it here on Silver Empire's official site!

For my own Silver Empire book, check out the world-hopping Gemini Warrior, book one the Gemini Man series! Book two is just very close to release, and I will let you know when it is available. Until then, check out the first entry!

Summer's End

Find it Here!

It's been quite the summer, and now we'rd nearing the end. Personally speaking it was a mixed bag of highs and lows with most of the highs settling in on writing and my podcast. So let me tell you exactly what I've been up to in regards to the former.

Just like most writers I have a bunch of ideas waiting in the wings, stories half-formed, and others in need of tempering with a heavy edit or two. I'm not going to share those just yet because there's nothing I dislike more than offering a promise to someone and being unable to fulfill it due to outside factors. Whatever gets done first is usually what I think has the best chance of being sold or pleasing the most people and that can change in a heartbeat. That said, there are things I will share because they will be done in the near future or might be near completion.

First, of course, is the fact that my new book, Gemini Warrior, has just come out. For those unaware, this is a superhero/adventure/fantasy mashup and has been getting great reviews and the sales have been my best so far. It's about a mismatched pair of guys who end up entangled in a scheme that gives them powers and sends them to a whole new planet! Then things get weird. This is going to be part of a series of which the second book, Gemini Drifter, has already been written and is currently in the heavy editing process. Planning on book 3, Gemini Outsider, has already begun. I've got more beyond those thought out so if you want more Gemini Man you're set!

Outside of the Gemini Man books, I've also planned out a sequel to Grey Cat Blues that I have in my back pocket. I have a soft spot for that book, and those that have read it really appear to like it, plus the fact that these are short make them fun to put together. The sequel will not star Two Tone or Aurora from the original, but will take place in the same world and might have some new wrinkles in what goes on under the surface in that alien world. However, you can expect more of the same in regards to tone, atmosphere, and the world.

That said, since my main focus will be on Gemini Man, other books of mine will be written between releases of those. I say this because I am already hip deep in another idea that I haven't been able to sit down and focus on due to too many other factors. Since it's nailed down, I can share it with you.

The other book is called Brutal Dreams and it is an old Weird Tales-style horror, and it is also at a shorter length. This is about a man who finds himself trapped in a dream where he can't escape, or shed blood, but eventually learns that not only is he not alone in there, but those that are have hatched a plot to seize a new form of immortality. They plan to do this through a legendary weapon from ages past. No, it's not Excalibur. Think different weapon and more Celtic. This is a story I really like and will definitely put out there sooner or later.

The reason I mention this is because I would like input from you, my trusted readers. Either in the comments or in the twitter poll I will put out, I want you to tell me which idea I should focus on next of the two. Do you want a sequel to Grey Cat Blues or do you want Brutal Dreams? Whichever one sounds better to you is the one I will focus on next. Give me input!

Either way both will get done, but this will help clarify things for me.

EDIT: Vote here, or comment below!

On the other hand is my short fiction. I'm not stopping those since they are a breath of fresh air in between longer works. I still have some stories I'm waiting to hear back on, including two that are still awaiting release, but as of now I can say that my story Black Dog Bend will be part of StoryHack #5. This one is about a bass player lost in the woods who stumbles into a time loop. Then things get strange. 

Let me just say StoryHack is the best magazine out there that focuses on action adventure stories regardless of aesthetic or political correctness. Every story they put out is a stick of dynamite in the dusty mine that is modern publishing. Aside from Cirsova it is the only other magazine I own every issue of physically, and share eagerly with everyone I can. It's that good.

At the same time I have, as usual, a bunch of stories waiting in the wings to be edited and a few more I want to write to fill out potential short story collections in the future. One story in particular I have written that is a bit long and a bit weird that I'm hoping isn't too long and weird for the magazines to take a serious look at. It's one I am very proud of, but I still need one more hard editing pass on it. Fingers crossed for that one.

Speaking of short story collections, I'm working on one as we speak! My Superhero Vs. Magic stories have been around the block a bit, including one that was supposed to be published several times but plans fell through, and I've decided to bind them all together for a collection. There are seven total out of the four that have seen the light of day and the one in limbo, all of which take place in the same world of superpowers, magic, and possible Armageddon, as good guys, criminals, and cultists, do battle in Summerside: the worst city in the world.

I've been in touch with my editor about it and I'm hoping to finish my hard edit on it this month before handing it off. If it wasn't for real life it would already be done, but that's just the way it is. Either way, it's going to happen, so be ready!

I've also had a false start more than once on another series I want to start, this one with heavy sword and planet and sword and sorcery influence, but as of now I've been instead honing myself on those with short stories in the style. You should hopefully see those coming next year. Some of them are even already awaiting release! If you want to see how I handle the style, my story, Inside the Demon's Eye, in StoryHack #3 should give you a hint.

So that's what is happening here between the wasteland and sky. I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon, mostly because I can't and because I like writing too much, but that I'm letting you know just how much you have to look forward to in the future.

This train isn't stopping anytime soon.

Until then, keep your eyes peeled. You never know what might happen next. Summer might be over, but there are always more seasons ahead!

If you haven't checked out Gemini Warrior then what's stopping you? Two young men find themselves trapped in another world with brand new powers and no way out. Adventure, wonder, and heroism are just a click away!

Find it Here!

Gemini Warrior is Here!

It's finally here!

I know it's been promised for a while now, but it's finally time to officially unveil my newest novel Gemini Warrior fresh from Silver Empire. Taking place in the Heroes Unleashed universe (featuring other authors such as Morgon Newquist's Heroes Fall and Kai Wai Cheah's Hollow City) my approach is a bit different than what you would usually see in the genre. It's not a typical superhero yarn: Gemini Warrior is a full blown adventure story.

It's been a long time coming, I know. Today I'm excited to show you what you've got in store with this one!

The official description is here:

A steady paycheck. A simple job. Absolutely no contact with another human being.

The night shift at a science lab sounds like the break Matthew White has been waiting for. A steady paycheck. A simple job. Absolutely no contact with another human being.
It’s perfect. 

But Matthew gets more than he bargained for when he accepts a different position with the company. A job that is highly paid – and highly bizarre. He is plunged into the terrible machinations of his new boss, Mrs. Stohl, and a sullen teenaged boy named Jason is along for the ride. The fact that Jason is practically his twin only makes it all creepier.

Dragged through a mirror into an alien dimension, Matthew is in way over his head. He should have known the job was too good to be true. To escape, Matthew and Jason must brave the wilds of this new universe and learn to control their new powers.

And hardest of all, Matthew must learn to be a hero. 

Will they escape Mrs. Stohl’s terrible plans for them? Can they make it home to their world, or will they be trapped in the mirror dimension forever? 

Not only are our heroes the recipients of new powers, but they find themselves stranded on a whole new alien world on a far off planet! Expect battles, monsters, and strange sights unlike any you've ever seen in this one.

When I was approached to do a project in this universe I wanted to do something completely off the wall. I wanted to do a story of two very different people with different powers who nonetheless look the same and need each other's abilities somehow. That was how I came up with the wannabe loner Matthew and the wannabe hero Jason who clash with each other and yet need the other to survive both due to their powers and due to their new location.

What you're dealing with is the separate journeys of two different people nonetheless tied together as if by fate. Where will they end up? Well, you'll just have to read it and find out!

I would also announce that every book is going to be very different from the last. So don't think you've seen everything with Gemini Warrior! There's still more to come.

This is only the first taste!

Once again, you can find Gemini Warrior here. Dive into the adventure, and enjoy!

Heroes Unleashed is Here!

Well, almost. But the Kickstarter is! Are you ready for a new shared superhero universe full of good guys, villains, and over the top battles betwixt them? Then this is the project for you.

Here's the official synopsis:

"Here at Silver Empire, we've been waiting nearly a year to bring you the exciting Heroes Unleashed project! We've collected the best up and coming authors to bring you this amazing, first of its kind collection of new, interlinked superhero novels! No, these aren't comicbooks or graphic novels, these are straight up novels, packed with all the superhuman action and goodness you could ever ask for! 

"Authors Morgon Newquist, J.D. Cowan, Kai Wai Cheah, Jon Mollison, and Richard Watts bring the Heroes Unleashed universe to life with their five Phase I novels. Each novel will begin a series of its own that will continue for at least three books."

Yes, that's me. I'm one of the authors involved in this project. My series is called Gemini Man, and the first book is entitled Gemini Warrior. It's been an idea broiling in the back of my head for a long time, and Heroes Unleashed is the place where I can finally let it become a reality.

Matthew White is a young and cynical man, and Jason Vermilion is an idealistic teenager with hopes for the world. When they volunteer for an experiment, they get more than they bargained for: a set of bracelets that bestow each of them a different power! But they also become tethered to each other in the process. Before they can even get used to that, they are thrown into a whole new world of swords, lizard men, and a malignant force beyond what either of them have ever seen. Now not only do they have to get used to their new powers, but also make it out of this strange world before they are swallowed whole by it. Here they will become warriors.

If you've read any of my stories before, then you should know to expect lots of action and a blistering fast pace. This was a lot of fun to write, and I hope you will decide to give it a try yourself!

But that's my work. In case you noticed, there are other authors involved. First up is Serenity City by Morgon Newquist. This is the one that laid the groundwork for this whole project. The description is as follows:

"He wanted to be a good man. Instead, he became a hero

"Imagine Serenity City, a beachfront city on the east coast. For years, the city has been protected by the Triumvirate - three of the most powerful, and certainly the most famous, heroes in the world. Achilles with his super strength. His wife, The Banshee, master of deception and guile. And their best friend Pendragon in his shining armor. No serious threat lasts long in Serenity City under their watch! 

"Until the Rampage - the infamous day when Achilles lost his mind, leaving a half-destroyed city and the body of the Banshee in his wake. 

"Twenty years later, Serenity City is completely changed. Pendragon still reigns as the world's most famous hero, but he reigns alone. Banshee still lies in her grave, and Achilles rots in solitary confinement. Young Victoria, an up and coming hero, finds herself investigating a new mystery. Why are young and forgotten heroes disappearing off the streets? Why doesn't anybody else care? And how is it tied in to those infamous events that brought the city's greatest heroes to ruin? 

"And when Achilles escapes, it throws a wrench in everything! 

"But nothing is as it seems in Serenity City: Heroes Fall by Morgon Newquist. Serenity City will continue after Phase I to be four books total."

I have read this one, and yes, it is as good as you think! Villain onslaughts and desperate hero battles aplenty. There's also a few curve-balls that will take you by surprise and engaging characters to guide you along. If you like your fiction fun and action packed then this is the series for you.

And those are just two of the works in this project!

Kai Wai Cheah lets us follow a vigilante against the whole world (or city) in Hollow City. Jon Mollison contributes a super-spy piece with plenty of conspiracies to go around in The Phoenix Ring. And Richard Watts goes mystical with the last knight of Atlantis attempting to stop the plot to raise a chaos god in Atlantean Archons: Apprentice.

No matter what type of superhero style you like Heroes Unleashed has you covered.

Not to mention, that is only Phase I. There are other authors coming on board, not to mention sequels to the above that will keep your eyes on the page (or screen!) for hours and hours.

Should you want to jump on this train today is the day. The campaign will be running for a hair under three weeks, and has more than enough tiers to choose from in order to pick what suits you just right.

As I've said many time before on this blog: things are turning around. Heroes are returning to the forefront again to beat back the darkness. And now is the chance to show just what we are made of and what it is we really want.

Check out the campaign here!