Today, we're doing something a little different. S.A. Starcevic is stopping by to talk about his awesome new book in a cover reveal!
Hello, S.A.! It's great to have you on MLB. :)
Hello! Thanks so much for having me!
My pleasure, of course! So, let me ask a few questions since you're here...
All right.
Can you tell us a little about your latest book? When did it come out and where can we get it?
Sure! Untouchable is a short YA novel about Ethan Elliot, a sixteen-year-old superhero-in-training. It's signed with Forever More Publishing, and is slated for release on June 18th. As far as I'm aware, FMP's distributors include the usual: Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords, iTunes, All Romance Ebooks, Barnes and Noble, et al.
Awesome!
So, what inspired you to write your book? How did you get into writing YA fiction?
I think the superhero genre
is definitely growing in popularity. Movie producers are taking advantage of
the buzz and as a result, we're embarking on a renaissance of superheroes. (I,
for one, will be lining up with a monster bucket of popcorn to see Age of
Ultron!) As such, Untouchable is a love letter to the
culture that popped into existence in the era of Penny Dreadful
magazines and pulp fiction, and then was propagated by comic
geniuses Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. As for why I write YA, well, it was
never really a conscious choice. I write what I read, and what I read nearly
always features a protagonist in their teens.
Okay. What, do you feel, sets this book apart from other books in the genre?
That's a tricky
question! As the author, I can say that there's a lot packed into the story,
which is relatively short and easy to read in bite-sized sittings. It's pretty
light-hearted, but there are plenty of rip-roaring, high-stake action scenes,
too. And of course, there's the queer relationship between Ethan and Element
Boy. When I first queried the story, I made the comparison that it was like
David Levithan's Boy Meets Boy with a dash of The Avengers.
Now that I think about it,
it's kind of like describing a box of exploding confetti. You won't know how
much fun it is until you open it.
Great!
So...give us a teaser or two if you can.
A second of blackness, a moment of
blissful serenity, and then I was dragged back to consciousness by the
throbbing in my head. A ringing noise filled my ears. Wetness soaked my jeans,
making me sit up with a jolt. It was just water. Not blood, thank God.
I took in the scene. When the fountain had exploded, the pipes had ruptured,
and water had burst out like a geyser. I’d been thrown backwards in the blast,
and the water had drenched my clothes. The fountain itself was twisted and
blackened, the regal lions heads that were carved into the metalwork dented.
The air smelt like smoke. Maybe there had been a fire, but the water must have
put it out.
I realized that the ringing wasn’t in my head, it was the sound of emergency
sirens. Fire trucks and police cruisers had pulled up, but they gave the scene
of the explosion a wide birth. I didn’t understand why they were keeping away
until a shadow fell over me. I looked up. Fear shot icy tendrils through me,
twisting my insides into knots.
Picture Mr. Universe, all bronzed skin and rippling muscles, with a huge clunky
oxygen mask strapped to his face that looks as if it was filched from a World
War II bomb shelter. Add a long mane of platinum-blonde hair and a glowing
trident with multiple spiky points, and that picture becomes a lot more
terrifying.
Suddenly, I was glad that my jeans were already wet.
The muscular dude looked down at me
with eyes that were shark-like slits. I immediately felt like Nemo, tiny and
afraid, waiting to be some sea monster’s breakfast. “Land-dweller,” he rumbled,
his voice echoing through his mask. I stared as he raised the trident, the
weapon pulsing anemone-green...
I took in the scene. When the fountain had exploded, the pipes had ruptured, and water had burst out like a geyser. I’d been thrown backwards in the blast, and the water had drenched my clothes. The fountain itself was twisted and blackened, the regal lions heads that were carved into the metalwork dented. The air smelt like smoke. Maybe there had been a fire, but the water must have put it out.
I realized that the ringing wasn’t in my head, it was the sound of emergency sirens. Fire trucks and police cruisers had pulled up, but they gave the scene of the explosion a wide birth. I didn’t understand why they were keeping away until a shadow fell over me. I looked up. Fear shot icy tendrils through me, twisting my insides into knots.
Picture Mr. Universe, all bronzed skin and rippling muscles, with a huge clunky oxygen mask strapped to his face that looks as if it was filched from a World War II bomb shelter. Add a long mane of platinum-blonde hair and a glowing trident with multiple spiky points, and that picture becomes a lot more terrifying.
Suddenly, I was glad that my jeans were already wet.
Riveting!
So, I'm
sure readers are curious about your next writing project. Can you tell
us what you've got cooking up now or is that a secret?
Ah, the dreaded $64,000
question. The book hasn't even been released yet and I've already been asked
when the next one is coming out! (Laughs.) The answer I gave to the person
who asked is that yes, I'm hard at work on the sequel. I'm projecting that
Untouchable will go on to a span a trilogy. The second book is shaping up quite
nicely. It's darker and grittier and more personal, as sequels tend to be.
Otherwise, check into Bookshelf of Doom to catch
a glimpse behind the scenes and see what I'm currently slaving over. You never
know, maybe you'll like it there.
Of course we will!
Thanks so much for stopping by to tell us about this book, S.A.!
My pleasure!
Readers, you'll just have to pick up a copy of this exciting, YA fiction story! It's available for pre-order now! :)
Here is the blurb.
Ethan Elliot is no stranger to secret identities. As an LGBT teen,
he’s dealt with secrets all his life. Nevertheless, when his powers kick
in and he’s whisked away to join a team of superheroes, he dons a mask
of a different kind – one that sees him battling super-villains and
testing his limits.
However, there’s more going on behind the
scenes than capes and costumes. At the headquarters of the Protectorate,
he makes unlikely friends with Gravity Girl and Element Boy. Except
Element Boy might turn out to be more than just a friend, and Gravity
Girl is battling demons of her own.
Ethan will discover what it means to be a hero, and must learn that even superheroes aren’t untouchable.
Purchase Links:
Amazon Universal link: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00WT2CS0C
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/untouchable-35
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/538960
BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/untouchable-0
All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-untouchable-1792175-143.html
About the Author:
S. A. Starcevic wanted to be a
superhero when he was little, but nowadays he settles for the next best thing:
writing about them. UNTOUCHABLE, his superhero YA novella with an LGBT love
story, is signed with Forever More Publishing. When he’s not slaving over books
2 and 3 in the trilogy, he blogs about writing, publishing and world domination
at Bookshelf of Doom.
Author Links:
Amazon Author Central: http://amzn.to/1OEs9IP
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/116295587795461381984/posts
S.A.'s Book:
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