Your Latest Case: What are you working on right now?

[Ben]

This is the discussion thread to bring up your books, comics, films or illustrations - any work you're currently busy with.

It's okay to link to your Goodreads,Amazon or author pages here.

Remember to take the time to read over other people's entries though. Don't be a drive-by poster!

[Ben]

I'm currently working on a BOOK LAUNCH for The Miranda Contract, and since you guys are here (in a digital sense) I thought I'd throw it out there for some of your feedback.

The book is completed, published (and actually selling!), but I want to do a physical book launch.

I've come to you, ka-BOOMers, for advice on unique ways to do this. I could just set up a table in the local library or in the local bookshop - that's not a problem. But I was hoping to make a bit of a splash.

I'm also thinking of doing a book launch in my home town, and then branch out to the bigger cities later in the year (secondary book launches).

First up, I better tell you my book is a superhero/urban fantasy (obviously!) so linking in with a superhero theme would be ideal.

I've got three banners - 1m x 60cm (3'x2') - and I've got business cards/bookmarks, magnets and giveaway postcards. That's covered.

Here's my idea so far:

1. Run a traditional book signing at the local bookshop (www.thelittlebookshop.com.au) during the afternoon of Day One. Sell tickets to the writing workshops and Meet the Author event.

2. Run writing workshops for kids during the day of Day Two.

3. Run a second book signing and a Meet the Author event (could be a dinner or just a Q&A session) in the afternoon/evening of Day Two.

4. Run writing workshops for adults (age open) during the day of Day Three.

(I'm thinking it will be Day 1: Friday, Day 2: Saturday, Day 3: Sunday - or use the school holidays in April for Day 1: Thursday, Day 2: Friday, Day 3: Saturday)

The focus would be on superhero/urban fantasy writing rather than open-genre - to enable a clearer focus.

I'd also like to hook up an artist friend of mine to do comic drawings/portraits on the writing workshop days.

What do you think? Any other ideas?

[Brian]

This is just brainstorming and I've never done a book promotion. Having said that, maybe you could organize a fundraiser for a charity. Give a copy of your book to the kids who raise the most money for teen homelessness programs (you could choose a charity which aligns with some theme in the book.). If its a fundraiser, you might be able to have some pizza parlor donate pizza to any kid who raises at least $X.00. You might, also, get a nice deduction on your taxes. And if the kids, and their parents, are a captive audience while they're eating, so much the better.

[Ben]

A charity sounds like a good idea, but would probably need more planning time. I'd like to so some kind of superhero month (later) which could tie in with local heroes, local charities and prizes. One of my BIG IDEAS was to start a pop culture convention here in Portland - small at first, obviously. Might be 1-2 years off though.

[Gary]

Do you have any ComicCons in Portland? (I'm guessing probably not.) Anyway, the Denver ComicCon has a special program to introduce kids to comics and to show teachers how to incorporate this type of fiction into the curriculum to encourage kids to read more. If you have any literary or other media events that you could tie into, it might help you get a larger audience.

[Gary]

Oh, and I am trying to work on a rewrite/expansion of my story "Deadline," which you asked for when you accepted my other story for the anthology, Ben. Sorry, but that was right in the middle of my divorce and move to Colorado, so it didn't get done. I hope to have it finished soon, but other priorities are putting it off.

[Ben]

This Mutant Life is currently pushed back to later in the year, maybe 2015 even. I'll be looking for a few novella length stories to bind together in the meantime (20,000 words). The next This Mutant Life will be called Internationalist and focus on stories told in different places around the world.

There's really no conventions anywhere outside the capital cities here, unfortunately.

[Brian]

When the world teeters on the brink of the Apocalypse, the only one who can save the world is Logan Hafson. Ever since the age of 12, seventeen-year-old Logan has carried a terrible secret. It was he who had coaxed his little brother out onto Quail Lake. Logan had sincerely believed the ice covering the lake would support his brother. After his brother fell through, Logan pulled his body - cold, stiff, and blue - from beneath the ice. He has had frequent nightmares of the incident ever since. A week later, his mother left and never returned. He lives with his step-dad, Tommy, now. He has lived every day afraid that Tommy would learn that Logan was at fault for the death of Victor (Tommy's biological son). Now, Logan learns that he is the incarnation of the god of murder and lies. But, the only way he can stop the Apocalypse is to embrace his divinity. Can he learn to embrace his divinity without losing what is left of his soul?

[Stephen]

I'm currently working on the sequel to my novella, "The Villain's Sidekick." Picking up about a year after that story ends, it follows the further adventures of Duke "HandCannon" LaRue, Trista "Twiliter" Brooks, and Liam "Nightguard" Cowling along with a host of new characters and a much bigger, more sprawling story, involving the Justice League-like supergroup World Order, a deceased misfit billionaire entrepreneur who managed to upload his consciousness to an orbital satellite, an evil corporation (is there any other kind?--in fiction, I mean), intelligent gun-wielding dolphins and armored henchmen pretending to be public protectors. I hope it turns out as fun to read as it's been to write so far.

[Stephen]

Oh, and here's the link to The Villain's Sidekick, just for shits.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Villains-Si...

[Ben]

Hi, I've just published my YA superhero novel A-Wolf . When meteorites strike several major world cities teenager Alex Wolfe wakes to find himself at the start of a busy day involving secret government organisations, a super-powered suit and an alien conspiracy to blackmail the entire planet.

Please check it out, I'd love any feedback!

Available on Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K4MM00M

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

[Chef]

Working on a bit of a crime drama. Single mother who runs a charter boat out of Big Pine Key gets involuntarily involved with a drug smuggler who "volunteers" her to start running cocaine into the states for him, or else her little boy gets to watch mommy beaten, raped, and then slowly murdered before being killed herself.

The secondary protagonist is the vice cop who figures out what's going on and is trying to help her get out from under without getting her killed or put in prison herself.

Its slow going because the vice cop keeps ending up sounding like Sonny Crockett (from "Miami Vice") in my head.

[Christian]

Stephen wrote: "I'm currently working on the sequel to my novella, "The Villain's Sidekick." Picking up about a year after that story ends, it follows the further adventures of Duke "HandCannon" LaRue, Trista "Twi..."

Cover looks pretty good Stephen and good job getting the reviews. I'll have to add it to my list!

[Christian]

I've got two superhero stories out. A full length one title "The League of Protectors: Dawn of a New Age." and also a novella that features two of the main characters titled. "The League of Protectors: Fire and Ice." Fire and Ice picks up after the first novel and sets the tone for the rest of the series.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=a9_sc_1?r...