ANNOUNCEMENT: Next Project Revealed

I grew up on comic books. That, and food. (Water was optional.) My favorites were Spiderman (because I liked the idea of a normal and unpopular guy acquiring new powers) and Batman (because I liked the idea of someone wealthy using his largess to help others).

I also like telling stories, particularly those that put an original spin on existing genres. Time-travel is one obvious theme I like to tackle. But I want to write a super-hero story. The trick is to come up with an original way of telling that story.

Here's what I've come up with: Imaging yourself as a super-hero. You have unlimited power. But, like every other human, you have a mother and father. Maybe a few siblings. A mate. Children. You get the idea. Now, imagine how each of those family members would respond to finding out that you're a super-hero. What reservations might they have? Jealousies? What if you're seen as a sex object? How would your mate handle that? If you're a female, how might your husband feel, knowing that he's pretty worthless when it comes to protecting you?

Interesting questions, right? And maybe this has been done before, but I like the character-centered nature of such a story, where each of the relationship is dissected and explored. I find that sort of thing fascinating.

Of course, this idea might not be to everyone's liking. After all, Part I will be pretty much devoid of action. Even Part II, where the superhero is seen in action, will be pretty tame adventure-wise. But I like good characters. I like good dialogue. And I love super-hero stories that delve into the psychology of that whole thing.

This will be the theme and focus of my fourth novel. It will be heavy on dialogue. It will have some action and intrigue. There will be villains, many of them decidedly un-super. And I'll be releasing it before September 2013. (It may be released before June, but a lot of important things have to align in my personal life to make that happen. So don't hold your breath.)

What do you think of this idea? Sound off in the comments!