Supervillains – Kristen Brand

Turn Back the Pages: The Infinity Gauntlet

Turn Back the Pages is a biweekly feature where I spotlight a comic that is not fresh and new. It may have come out a few months ago or even a few years ago. Maybe it was hyped and popular, or maybe it was an underappreciated gem. Whatever the case, it’ll be a great comic that’s well worth a read.

You may have heard about a little movie called Avengers: Infinity War. Or maybe not. There hasn’t been much advertisement or hype for it. 😉

As we endure the tortuous wait for opening night, let’s talk about the comic it’s based on: The Infinity Gauntlet. (No, not Infinity War, ironically enough. That’s the sequel comic.) Having read bits and pieces of the storyline, I finally got the chance to read the entire graphic novel from start to finish, and it’s fascinating.

It’s also nothing like the movie is going to be. Continue reading Turn Back the Pages: The Infinity Gauntlet

The White Knight & Black Valentine Series is EVERYWHERE

Good news, super readers! For years now, my superhero books have only been available on Amazon, but as of today, I’m sending them out into the big, wide world.

They’re still available on Amazon, of course. But if you prefer to buy ebooks somewhere else, you can chose from Kobo, Apple iBooks, and a variety of other stores. I hope offering more options will make it easier for you all to read and enjoy my novels.

Hero Status

A retired superhero marries his former nemesis, then has to prove her innocence when she’s framed for murder.

Click here to buy at your preferred online retailer

Continue reading The White Knight & Black Valentine Series is EVERYWHERE

New Superhero Fiction Releases (March 2018)

Hey, super readers! March is almost over, and hopefully that means an end to the harsh winter weather for those of you up north. But if you’re still stuck inside, don’t worry–we’ve got a great selection of new superhero novels this month. As usual, I haven’t read all of these books yet, so check out the samples and reviews before purchasing. And if you have read any of them, share your thoughts with us in the comments. Happy reading!

Shadow Dreams

by Trish Heinrich

He fights crime. She was born into it. When the city’s in danger, superheroes can come from both sides of the law.

Before Marco returned to Jet City, he had abandoned his superhero duties to search for an antidote for his friend’s uncontrollable fits of rage. When the only man who knows the cure dies in his arms, Marco must puzzle his dying words alone in a crime-ridden metropolis. Without any solid clues, he has no choice but to trust a sexy stranger who offers her help… for a price.

The granddaughter of a crime-lord, Colleen would burn down the city to find her missing brother. She’d even work as a secretary for Shadow Master, the legendary crime fighter. As she pieces together clues of her brother’s whereabouts, Colleen and Marco uncover a top-secret program that would change the lives of a new generation of superhumans.

When old allegiances threaten to tear them apart, Marcus and Colleen must summon the courage to forge a new future before all their superpowered friends are locked away for good.

Shadow Dreams is the third book in The Vigilantes, a high-octane urban fantasy superhero series. If you like fast-paced action, pulse-pounding mysteries, and Cold War era settings, then you’ll love Trish Heinrich’s superpowered tale.

Buy Shadow Dreams to go undercover in a superhero story with a noir twist today!

Amazon

A Superhero’s Legacy

by Lucas Flint

On his sixteenth birthday, Jack McDonald receives a mysterious watch from his long-lost grandfather. He discovers that his watch can turn him into the superhero Trickshot, whose powers he uses to save his classmates from a gang of drug dealers.

It turns out that Jack’s grandfather sent him the Watch so Jack could become the superhero Trickshot and defend the city from a dangerous threat. But Jack has other purposes for the Watch in mind, such as avenging the death of his older brother at the hands of the evil Injector drug cartel.

Now Jack must learn how to use the powers the Watch gives him in order to defeat the Injectors and avenge his brother.

Amazon

I, Superhero

by David Atchison

No one said the job would be easy. But after his latest brush with death, aging superhero and father of two Ernest Smith is confronted with an entirely new foe – retirement.

However, plans to hand over superhero duties backfire in spectacular fashion, leaving a desperate Ernest with only one person to whom he can turn: his headstrong teenage son. And as the duo lock wits with the city’s newest criminal mastermind, Ernest’s very survival relies on his ability to pass on something more important than a mere superpower.

This debut novel (and first in a series) from Iowa Writers Workshop alum David Atchison is an action-adventure featuring love, friendship, sacrifice, and heroic deeds pitted against criminal masterminds, awkward job interviews, and perhaps worst of all, grumpy teenagers.

You should give it a read today. Unless, that is, you’ve been sent here at the behest of the Legion of Darkness, and ignoring this book is part of your master plan to dominate the universe. Continue reading New Superhero Fiction Releases (March 2018)

Book 4 Title and Update

I may have been promoting my Gothic Steampunk books lately, but don’t think I’ve forgotten about The White Knight & Black Valentine Series. I may be a slow writer, but Dave and Val’s story isn’t over, and I’m determined to finish it. So attention superhero fiction fans, because I’m pleased to announce the title of the fourth book in the series:

Kill Them All

We’re going back to Val’s POV for book 4, and while I won’t give away plot details yet, it’s basically a supervillain revenge thriller. As long as I stay on schedule, it should come out this summer, and I plan to reveal the cover and blurb within a month or two.

So follow my blog if you haven’t already, because I’ll post news about the book here first. I hope you guys are as excited as I am. 🙂

New Superhero Fiction Releases (February 2018)

Hi, super readers. February might be the shortest month of the year, but that doesn’t mean it gave us fewer superhero books than the other eleven. We’ve got book fours in quite a few different series, two novels about teenage heroines fighting aliens, and a couple romances—just to name some of the cool-sounding books below. As usual, I haven’t read every one of these, so check out the samples and reviews before purchasing. And let me know what you think of them in the comments!

Alien Arsenal (Full Metal Superhero Book 4)

by Jeffery H. Haskell

They don’t call her ‘Arsenal’ for nothing!

The forces of the entire Th’un Empire are about to come down on Amelia like a ten-ton hammer. Wanted dead or alive by ruthless aliens and with nowhere to run, Amelia must use every ounce of her brilliance to defeat them on Earth. But the Earth is just the beginning. The galaxy is larger than she realized, and their planet isn’t the only one in peril. Amelia will be forced to make a decision no woman should ever have to make… for the Earth to survive, the Th’un must die. Every last one of them.

Alien Arsenal is book four in the ONGOING Full Metal Superhero series.

WARNING: This book is so awesome, it may melt your Kindle.

Amazon

Rogues: The Omega Superhero Book Four (Omega Superhero Series 4)

by Darius Brasher

To the supervillain, the superhero is the bad guy.

The world calls them superheroes. I call them self-righteous do-gooders who stand between me and world peace, order, and prosperity. All under my wise, ironfisted rule, of course.

Before I can assume my proper place as the world’s leader, I and my band of superpowered Rogues must first destroy Theodore Conley, the licensed superhero known as Omega. Not only is Omega responsible for the death of my beloved daughter Neha, but the power he wields is a threat to my plans for global domination.

My name is Doctor Alchemy. People call me many things: Rogue, supervillain, madman, vengeful father, and king.

Soon they will call me the man who killed Omega.

Amazon

Super Powereds: Year 4

by Drew Hayes

The final year at Lander has finally arrived for the Melbrook students and their peers, and with it comes a whole new set of challenges. Still reeling from the events of their junior year, the remaining students will have to push past their pain – and so much more – if they hope to be one of the ten to claim the title of Hero upon graduation.

Constant tests and trials await the senior students. Beyond simulated missions and classes, they’ll also have to buckle down to learn about agents, prospective teams, internships, and other seemingly endless elements of being a Hero.

For some, however, the classroom is only one aspect of the trouble that lies ahead. Long-buried secrets have been unearthed; old mysteries are finally unraveling; and what lies at the center of it all has the potential to rock the realm of Heroes to its very foundation.

Amazon

The Miracle Touch: A Superhero Reverse Harem (Justice Squad Book 1)

by J.A. Cipriano and J.B. Garner

Even in the greatest superhero city on the planet, I would never have imagined that my day planner would look like this:

Day 1: Get blown up by a psychotic supervillain.

Day 2: Use my newfound superpowers to stop a giant mutant Allosaurus.

Day 3: Fall in love with both the world’s greatest superhero and the hot ex-Marine with a dark past.

Day 4: Realize that I have to unite the four greatest superheroes in history to stop said supervillain.

Day 5: Save the day and make my wildest dreams come true.

Amazon

Continue reading New Superhero Fiction Releases (February 2018)

A Reading List of Superhero Romance

Ah, superhero romance. Back in the old days, it meant a man in a cape rescuing a distressed damsel and going to great lengths to hide his secret identity from the woman he supposedly loves. And you’ll still see that sometimes, but for the most part, romance in the genre has gotten a bit more complex over the years.

Pretty much every superhero movie and TV show has a romantic subplot and love interest these day. Some of them are great. Some of them are… let’s just say they’re not very well developed.

Doctors Strange and Palmer Gif — Remember this touching romance? Yeah, me neither.

But for those of you who want a little more love with your crime-fighting exploits, there’s a whole subgenre of superhero romance novels. Granted, there’s not a lot of them. You won’t find a shelf dedicated to it at your local library, and most online retailers don’t have a category for it, but if you’re willing to search a bit, you can find some good ones.

So get ready to save the world and fall in love (or at least read about it). Here’s a short list of superhero romance novels I’ve read and enjoyed. Continue reading A Reading List of Superhero Romance

The Evolution of a Novel

Hero Status sprang from my mind, fully formed, like Athena from the head of Zeus.

Lol, no. It was actually a painfully long first draft, followed by countless rewrites, beta feedback, and even more rewrites. Scenes were added, the structure tweaked, and the writing ironed out before it became the version you now read. But that’s pretty standard for most novels.

I’d almost forgotten about the bonkers early version I abandoned before going back and restarting the whole thing from scratch years later.

Way back in 2008, I started writing my first piece of superhero fiction for National Novel Writing Month in November. This was the precursor to Hero Status, though it’s pretty much unrecognizable. It starred not Dave but Elisa–or at least the character who would eventually become Elisa. She had a different name in this and a different origin, being an experiment of Dr. Sweet’s whom Dave rescued and adopted. The book was about her going off to college and dealing with Dr. Sweet’s attempts to recapture and brainwash her.

Looking back at the file, I made it about 24,000 words in before giving up. I moved on to other books, but something about the concept and characters of that old untitled novel kept calling to me. I began outlining a new version, changing Elisa’s character to being Dave and Val’s biological child and having her torn between her parents’ heroic and villainous legacies.

But I didn’t like that either.

Eventually it dawned on me: the daughter character wasn’t what made this idea interesting. It was her parents, the retired superhero and former supervillain, and the question of how two people with such conflicting morals and personalities could have such a stable, happy relationship.

Once I focused on Dave and Val, the idea for the plot followed, and Hero Status was born. But I still find that old version morbidly fascinating and thought you might, too. So here, in its unedited and awful glory, is the first chapter of the story that sparked The White Knight and Black Valentine Series: Continue reading The Evolution of a Novel