I’ve talked about this a little before, but I’ve had a new story come out since then and talking to James Durham and his family has me a little amped, so I’m laying it out here for you. I’ve put out three stories in my Children of Legend series so far. They’re all intended to be prequels and as such aren’t fully intended to stand alone, but I hope they do. I want them to give you a taste of the universe and they characters in it. I want to make these young people as realistic as you can make any protagonist and perhaps more so than you might get in some YA fiction. Let me tell you a little about them, perhaps a little more than you’ll get in the stories to date, in hopes that I’ll whet your appetite.
Marcus Killian Feaney, aka Mark, is the protagonist in “X Marks the Spot”. I identify quite a bit with this young man. Raised by a single mom, he led a largely unremarkable life until he went digging in the woods one day. What he uncovered there gave him important, but very subtle powers over the people and environment around him. He’s a bit of a brain thief, stealing intelligence from those around him and using it for himself. He also has low powered telekinesis, able to lift and finely manipulate objects under five pounds. Mark is an idealist, or so he would have you believe. He’s of the opinion that the world can be shaped into a utopia and he’s just the boy to do it. He’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Maria Perez gets introduced in “Here, There Be Dragons”. Saved from a local gang by her kindly boss, she is given a great deal of power when she takes the form of the Tarasque. Surrounded by gang violence, she lost a number of friends and family members and is determined to use her power where the authorities can’t or won’t. I’ve often called her my universe’s Batman.
The most recent character to be introduced is Ross “Rose” Covington in “Compass Rose”. A transgender teen, Rose is the white knight of the bunch. She stands up to a bully and ends up in the hospital for her trouble. The mysterious alien boxes that granted all three people their powers gives her control over the perception of reality. She can produce illusions of incredible beauty and can pierce any deception presented to her. She’s wary of her abilities though and is reluctant to use them for fear of what they could turn her into.
There’s a fourth character that hasn’t joined the trio yet. I have his story in the back of my mind. The young immigrant, brought to our shores against his wishes, will have to figure out how to survive in a strange land. Being invisible socially and physically will help him, but only to a degree.
All three stories are available on Smashwords for whatever you’d like to pay for them or on Amazon for $.99. My plan is to release a story every month in 2012. Each of these characters will get three tales, somewhere in the ten to twelve thousand word range. I’ll stagger who gets the spotlight and each one of the stories will be stand alone, but be part of an over all “seasonal” arc. I’d also like to release these as a podcast, though when that happens will be up in the air.
Wish me luck and have a look at what I have out so far!
