6 Tips for Writing Superheroes

Hullo, friends! As promised, here is the superhero post I talked about when I shared my superhero poem with you last week! Maybe you like superheroes, maybe you like writing, and maybe you want to start writing about superheroes. Just like anything related to writing, this is harder than you might think. While I don’t claim to be an expert on writing about superheroes, I do have quite a bit of experience, and one thing I’ve learned is that writing about superheroes is about way more than just writing about people with crazy abilities.

So here are a few tips from my own experience and what I’ve noticed in other superhero books and movies to help you when you’re creating and writing your heroes (complete with a lot of Marvel gifs).

[This post contains major spoilers (through gifs) for Captain America: Civil War and some minor spoilers for early MCU films. Also, FEELS warning!)

Blaze Takes Over: 6 Pieces Of Advice For New Superheroes

Hey, peeps! Blaze here! So today is the last day to submit your creations for the IDIA Fan Creations Contest, so make sure and fill out the submission form before midnight tonight! We’ve received some awesome submissions, and I think C.B. is dreading picking a winner, with so many amazing creations to choose from.

So, in my last post, I talked about the life of a superhero, and in the comments, Sarah suggested that I give my advice for just-starting-out heroes. I thought that was an absolutely brilliant idea. So I present you with my amazing advice for new superheroes!

Blaze’s 6 Pieces of Advice For New Superheroes

1. Listen to Data. (This is the one piece of advice Data approved of.) Always listen to what Data says. She’s been doing this all longer than you have, so she knows what she’s talking about. Plus, reading people leads to a pretty big knowledge base, which means she’s much smarter than you. If you disobey her, you’ll figure this tip out the hard way. (I’m looking at you, Jazz!)
2. Explore your abilities. Not only is it fun to explore your powers, it can also come in handy when you’re on a mission. If you’ve tested your powers to see how far you can go, or different ways you can use your abilities, then you’ll be able to find more ways to use them on missions. That’s how I figured out that I could teleport, after all! That was a very weird day. Side note: Apologies to that Australian person I accidentally teleported behind. That was my bad. I had no clue what I was doing. Sorry. 
3. Meet new people. People with powers come from all over the world, from very different backgrounds, and unique powers. Step out of your comfort zone and meet new people. I got to meet an elderly man from China who could speak with animals, and he introduced me to his pet panda. Plus, he taught me Chinese! It’s fun to meet new people and learn their histories. But also make sure not to be too invasive with your questioning. Everyone else wants to keep their secret identities under wraps, too.
4. Bring food with you. I guess you should probably bring money too, in case of emergency, but food is more important, am I right? Seriously though, you don’t always know how long you’ll be at HQ or if you be able to go get food. I can teleport, but if you can’t, definitely bring food.
5. Explore IDIA. It’s good to know the layout of HQ, so that you’re prepared for emergencies. Just be careful where you explore, because there are a few off-limits areas, and you could get in very big trouble. There are also a few really dangerous areas, too… so maybe you should explore with a lot of caution.
6. Have fun. IDIA is a place where you can spend time with other superheroes, and you can be yourself and use your powers. Have some fun with that! Sneak up on other heroes, pull pranks, try to find Anvil’s secret stash of homemade candy… Have fun with your powers and your new superpowered friends! And if you actually try to find Anvil’s candy stash, watch out for booby traps and lots of pointy objects.

And those are my six tips for new superheroes! Did you guys like these? I’ve had fun taking over the blog, so maybe I can convince C.B. to let me present the winner of the IDIA Fan Creations Contest. Don’t forget that today is the last day to submit. Got any questions to ask me? Comment below!

Blaze out! 😎

Blaze Takes Over: The Life Of A Superhero

Hi, peoples! It’s Blaze here. So for some odd reason, C.B. agreed that I could kidnap her blog for the last week of the Fan Creations Contest. Speaking of which, there are only three days left to submit your creations! You can also go check out some of the awesome fanart you guys have submitted, including some very nice portraits of myself.

So I was trying to figure out what to do with the blog now that I’ve taken it over, and since C.B. said I couldn’t post a snippet from Lightporter (something about spoilers and editing and blah blah blah), I decided to look around for some suggestions, and Hazel West suggested that I talk about the life of a superhero, something that I’m definitely an expert on.

I guess this post is going to be introspective, which I am usually not. So I’ll just dive right in.

One of the top concerns for superheroes is this: who knows that we have powers? For myself, none of my family knows that I have powers, and the people who do know that I have powers don’t know my true identity. To put it more simply, my two identities, superhero and normal, are completely separate. Except for Data, that is. She is the only person in the world who knows who I am when I’m not Blaze.

And since that’s quite uncomfortable territory to talk about, I’m going to move on now.

I have it easier than most superheroes. My power is easier to hide, considering I can turn invisible or make illusions of myself doing other things. Teleportation is also handy for getting out of tight spots, although I have to be careful not to use any of my powers when I’m not acting as Blaze. The nice thing about having my personas completely separated is that it’s easier to just… become a different person when I put my mask on. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still me. I’m just a more outgoing and heroic version of me, and I’m more willing to do things I wouldn’t normally do. I feel like this is true for a lot of superheroes, and supervillains, to an extent.

Being a superhero has given me opportunities to do a lot of cool things. I mean, come on, I have teleportation. I’ve traveled all over the world, eaten so many different foods, and made friends in tons of countries (and a few enemies, thanks to some unfortunate accidents). I’ve actually learned bits and pieces of a few different languages as well.

But the best part about being a superhero is working with other superheroes and saving people. That’s the whole point, right? If I don’t use my powers for good, then what’s the purpose of them? Other than going out to buy food whenever I feel like it, that is. Saving people is what being a superhero is truly about.

I feel like that’s enough musing for now. I’m going to try and keep control of the blog for as long as I can, so comment down below and let me know what you think I should post about! Did you like this post? Got any questions to ask me about the superhero life?

Blaze out! 😎

Some More Big News (Antarctica Size!)

First off, Happy 4th of July! For those of you who don’t live in America, you can help us celebrate Captain America’s birthday! That’s right, as cheesy as it is, our favorite super soldier’s birthday is today, too! (July 4, 1918, if you’d like to know the date.)

And so is Twinepathy’s, in a way. That’s what this Antarctica-Sized news is…

TWINEPATHY HAS BEEN RELEASED!!!!!

That’s right!!!! You can now buy Twinepathy for Kindle here! It’s been a long time coming, but it’s here now! If you’ve been waiting for this book to release, it’s here!

If you’d like to participate in a book tour soon, comment below! Plus, on Friday, I’ll open up a post for character questions, which will be answered on the release day of the print book. Discuss! Enjoy! Be awesome! And go check out Twinepathy (and don’t forget about Paralyzed Dreams, too)!

Twinepathy (Part 43/44): Some Trouble

Hullo, everyone! Guess what, I remembered to post today! Will wonders never cease! It’s been a while since I last posted, so I figured I’d post an extra part as an apology. If you’re new, start at the beginning!

43

Blaze grimaces. “Ah, yes, we did leave kind of suddenly, didn’t we? I guess we should head back.”

Oh yes we should. We never told Denver we were leaving, and Mom and Dad didn’t know either… oh boy. This is a big mess.

I follow Blaze to the meeting room and that’s when I get smothered in a Brooklyn hug. “What happened? You scared me so much! What were you even thinking?” She’s definitely in mother hen mode now. Finally, she lets go of me and holds me still for an inspection. “You look all right.”

“We weren’t in too much danger.” Mostly. Just a little bit. “Volt was the one who was really in trouble.” I give her a meaningful look.

Brooklyn’s face stays blank for a second, and then realization dawns on her face. Her eyes widen. “Oh no! Is she okay?”

I shrug. “She’s with Data, resting.” I purposefully don’t give any details. No need to worry her until we get somewhere private and I can tell her the full story. “But we need to get home before they try to put us on some missing people list.”

Brooklyn’s eyes widen again. “Oh, I totally forgot!” She motions for Maddie to come, and now I notice that Finch and Keller are here.

Blaze nods and turns towards Finch and Keller. “If Data asks, tell her I’ll be back soon.” And with that, we teleport.

We don’t land in the bedroom, like I expected. Instead, we’re in a deserted alley. Blaze points toward a main street. “Head that way. You should know your way from there, and you’ll be home soon. Anything else before I go back?”

I desperately want to ask him about that beach we landed on, but I figure it’s best to wait on that. Might as well get out of the doghouse first. All three of us shake our heads, and Blaze disappears.

I look at Brooklyn and Maddie. “Well… might as well get this over with.”

Blaze was right – it doesn’t take us long to get home. When we step inside, I get the sinking feeling that we’re in even bigger trouble than I thought. We check the whole house from top to bottom, but no luck. No one’s here.

Brooklyn calls Mom, and I wince when I hear Mom through the speaker, even though it’s not on speaker phone. I think Brooklyn will do much better in this delicate situation than I could. We haven’t worked out a story yet, but Brooklyn says something about helping Ezra and not having a chance to call them.

I give her a look. That might be too close to the truth. She waves her hand dismissively. I guess it’s a good enough story. If anyone asks Ezra about it, we know she’ll vouch for us.

My thoughts flash to the guy who attacked Ezra, but I push the anger and curiosity away. This is one thing I can’t investigate on my own. After all, I have no way to get across the Atlantic without Blaze. My only option is to get over this little bump at home and hope Jen calls us in to help. Soon.

44

Mom, Dad, and Denver all converge on the house at the same time. Then it’s a mass of questions and confusion and hugs and lectures and… I don’t even know what. I’ve just got the phrases “I’m sorry,” and “We’re okay,” on repeat.

We get off lighter than I thought we would, with Mom and Dad reminding us to at least leave a note before leaving. Brooklyn gets lunch duty for a week and I wash the cars and rake the lawn, but I figure that’s a pretty easy sentence. We’ll just have to warn Blaze that he can’t just whisk us away.

Denver is a way different story. After Mom and Dad get busy, he corners Brooklyn and me while Maddie’s upstairs. “What’s going on? You two have been acting so weird lately. And it’s not just stress. Even I can tell that much.”

He doesn’t get demanding very often, since he’s usually pretty passive and easy-going. But he’s smart, and it won’t be easy to get around this. I glance over at Brooklyn. There’s no way we can tell him the truth…

Brooklyn sighs. “Denver… it’s kind of a secret. We can’t tell you.”

He crosses his arms. “How did I know you were going to say that? Is it something dangerous?”

“No,” I say before Brooklyn can say anything.

Denver gives me a skeptical look. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better, and I don’t believe you one bit.” He pauses. “Is Ezra in on this secret?”

Brooklyn and I exchange glances. “Yes,” Brooklyn says reluctantly.

He stares at the wall, thinking. I really wish I was in his thoughts right now. “Tell Ezra before you do anything. Hopefully her common sense will beat out your…” He looks at us. “Just please, please be careful. And whenever you’re able to, tell me what’s going on.” I see the worry and fear in his eyes, and I get the feeling he’ll keep thinking about this.

Brooklyn places a hand on his arm. “We will. And don’t worry, there are responsible adults involved.”

I nod in agreement. Jen’s certainly responsible, and an adult, and I guess there are probably some other agents that qualify as that, too. Hopefully that’ll be good enough. Denver relaxes a little, thankfully. “That’s good. Just make sure you stay safe, okay?”

We both nod, and he heads past us upstairs, muttering something about stubborn sisters and stress. But despite his nonchalance, I can tell he’s really worried about us. Does he even suspect that Maddie’s involved, or the international scope of everything? I get the feeling that he’d worry even more if he knew the whole truth.

“We should get Data to talk to him,” Brooklyn says, facing me. Her voice is low, to avoid being overheard. “And maybe Mom and Dad, too.”

I just give her a tired look. “Do you think that she’d actually agree to that?”

She pauses, unsure. “Maybe. I don’t know. She’s a puzzle.”

I shrug. “We can ask. But I don’t think that she’s got very much spare time on her hands right now. I doubt she’d talk to them, anyway.”

The doorbell rings, but Mom calls to say that she’s got it. “We shouldn’t keep this from them,” Brooklyn says, her tone somber. “I want them to know.”

“Girls!” Mom calls. “Your friend Blaze is here!”

Twinepathy (Part 19): Two People In My Head

Hullo, everyone! I know, it’s a Wednesday, and usually if I post an extra part, I do it on Friday or Saturday. But while I wanted to do an extra post this week, I wouldn’t be able to post again until Monday… unless I did it today. So I present you with an extra part, my friends! New? Check out Part One.

The darkness slowly clears, leaving pain as I press my hands to my eyes. “Sorry about that,” Blaze’s voice says from next to me. “I didn’t have time to adjust the light waves so they wouldn’t hit your eyes.”

I blink as my vision returns, leaving me with just a massive headache. I’m shocked to see that we’re in the middle of IDIA headquarters. Blaze is next to me and Brooklyn’s on the ground next to us. “Data!” Blaze yells, kneeling down and scooping Brooklyn up. He carries her towards Jen’s office, and I follow in a daze.

Jen comes out as we approach, her eyes taking in the situation. Immediately she grows serious and ducks back in, motioning for us to follow. I vaguely see Maddie peeking out, her eyes widening when she sees Brooklyn. Blaze lays her down on a couch that Jen pulls out of who knows where. Or maybe it was there before and I just didn’t notice it. I kneel down next to the couch.

“What happened, Jazz?” Jen asks gently.

It takes me a second to realize she’s talking to me. Code names are going to be very hard to get used to. I shrug helplessly. “I-I don’t know. I felt our connection snap, and then she screamed. When I got to her, she was already unconscious.”

Jen places a gentle hand on my arm, and I look at her, confused. A few seconds later she removes her hand, nodding in satisfaction.

“Do you…” My voice cracks. “Do you think she got amnesia, too?”

Jen frowns. “Maybe. This is different, though. So far, everyone’s just passed out, without any warning. Nobody’s screamed or anything. And you said you felt your connection snap…” She trails off, lost in thought. Then she snaps back. “Blaze, go grab some smelling salts or a wet towel.”

Blaze immediately disappears, and Maddie comes over to me, a solemn look on her face. “Will Brooklyn be okay?”

I take her hand and squeeze it. “I hope so, Maddie.”

“Squirt,” Jen says with a huff of annoyance.

“Squirt?” I look over at her, remembering the note from Blaze. “Who’s that?”

“Maddie,” Jen explains. “That’s the code name Blaze came up with for her.” She rolls her eyes. “We’ll work on it.”

Blaze reappears with two wet towels and some smelling salts. He hands them to Jen and then hands me a small bottle of ibuprofen. “I thought that might help your headache,” he says apologetically.

“Why did you do that light thing, anyway?” I ask grumpily, shifting closer to Brooklyn.

“It’ll help people forget about us, and confuse them,” Blaze explains. “And it also disguised our exit.”

Jen waves the smelling salts under Brooklyn’s nose. A few seconds later, her eyes open and focus on my face.

“Albany?” she croaks.

I squeeze her hand and laugh in relief. “You remember! No amnesia, oh, thank goodness.”

She tries to sit up, but falls back, exhausted. “What… happened?”

“We’re not sure,” I tell her. “You passed out at school. Do you remember?”

She closes her eyes, concentrating. Blaze appears next to me and offers Brooklyn a glass of water. Her eyes open and she accepts it. “I…” She stops and gulps down a little water. She turns to me, brow wrinkled in pain and concentration. “There were… two people. In my head… fighting.”

What? Who could be in her head? What’s going on, anyway? At least she doesn’t have amnesia…

Next Part –>

Twinepathy (Part 18): Through A Crowd

Hullo, everyone! Did you know it was Monday? I didn’t know it was Monday. Thank goodness for my sister posting her Music Monday post! Otherwise, I would have left you guys hanging miserably after that last part until I realized I missed it… But never fear, the part is here! If you’re new, check out part one here.

“BROOKLYN!!!”

My scream echoes down the hallway as my sister’s scream fades. I take off down the hallway, panic overtaking my thoughts. It’s hard to know which directions her scream came from. But I know I went in the right direction when I see a huge crowd of people.

“MOVE!” I scream again. Heads lift and the crowd parts, because I’m running and not stopping, and no one wants to get hurt. A senior guy, I think he’s a football player, grabs me and forces me to a stop, but I struggle. “Let go!” I use a martial arts move – one I’ve never used on a real person before – on him, and he drops me instantly. Nothing’s keeping me from my sister. I slide to a stop next to Brooklyn’s unconscious form, sprawled on the cold hard ground of the high school hallway.

“Brooklyn, Brookie, it’s me,” I murmur, stroking her hair. Her frozen expression is terrified and furious at the same time. What happened? I grab for her hand, but there’s something in it. Teachers are trying to disperse the crowd and get through. I peel her clenched fingers away from the object. It’s the mini volleyball. It looks like she already pressed the button, but I frantically press it several times before slipping it in my pocket.

A teacher finally makes it through. “Move back!” he orders the other students in a deep voice, working crowd control. I’m dazed, but I’m pretty sure he’s the gym teacher’s assistant. “Does anyone know what happened?”

There’s a clamor of voices, all trying to explain at the same time. I spot someone sauntering casually out of a nearby hallway, but he freezes as he takes in the scene. Then Blaze is shoving his way through the crowd and kneeling next to me.

“What happened?” he says, his face worried as he looks down at Brooklyn.

“I. Don’t. Know.” I say through clenched teeth. Not angry – well, kind of angry – but mostly trying not to cry and to hold in my fear. The school nurse, a pretty, young lady, kneels next to Brooklyn. She feels her pulse, then calls for a wet paper towel.

Blaze grabs my arm. “We need to get her to Data,” he says, quiet and firm.

The nurse looks over at me. “You’re family, correct?” She then gets a look on her face that says she just asked a dumb question. “Can you call her parents? We’ll only call 911 if she doesn’t regain consciousness soon.”

I glance over at Blaze, then reach towards my phone. His eyes get big, but for some reason I think he’s faking it, as he reaches for my arm. “Wait! Stop!” My hand touches my phone, and a burst of white, blinding light fills the entire hallway, with everyone’s screams echoing, then fading to darkness.

What an ending… at least it’s nowhere near as bad as the last one, right? Right? 😉 What think you?

Next Part –>

Twinepathy Cover Reveal (!!!) And BONUS Part 8: Lemonade (!!!)

Hullo, everyone! ARE YOU EXCITED??? Because I’m MORE than excited!!!!! 😀 You guys have been so awesome and supportive of Twinepathy, and I’m thrilled to be able to share the cover with you! And because you guys are sooooo awesome, I’m not even going to stall before I show you the cover. (And also because I’m too excited to stall. :P)

HERE IT IS!!!!

(c) 2015 C.B. Cook. All Rights Reserved

Doesn’t it look WONDERFUL??? *cough* If I do say so myself, that is. 😉 It took me twelve tries before I got a cover that I was actually happy with, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on it! Does this make you even MORE excited for the book? I hope so! 😀 And now, part eight…

Part 8: Lemonade

Brooklyn inhales sharply. Maddie looks at me, unsure of whether she should be happy or scared. I place a gentle hand on her shoulder. “That’s neat,” I tell her. “So you have… um…” I wrack my brain for the word I know is there. “Telekinesis,” I finally say.

“Well, here they—” That same annoying voice breaks off mid-sentence. I whirl around to see Blaze standing just a few feet away, this time without his mask. Next to him is a tall girl, probably in her mid-twenties. Her brown hair is cut short, and her eyes are full of… of something, making you think she might know everything about you. But she looks friendly enough as she runs her gaze over us.

“Albany, Brooklyn,” she says with a slight smile. “It’s a pleasure to officially meet you.”

I probably look like a frozen rabbit because I’m so freaked out. How does she know our names? I don’t recognize her. She doesn’t even look vaguely familiar. Her eyes come to rest on the kitchen. “Do you have any coffee or tea? Explaining might take a while.”

“Lemonade,” Brooklyn squeaks.

She’s offering lemonade to a creepy stranger lady who knows our names and just got teleported to our house. “Who are you?” I manage to find my voice, but it sounds much less threatening than I’d hoped.

“I’m Database. You can call me Data,” she says, going into the kitchen.

I exchange glances with Brooklyn. “There’s no way that’s your real name,” I growl.

“You’re right,” she comments, coming back in with a glass of lemonade. “But usually we tend to stick with our codenames at first.”

We? I open my mouth to ask a question, then close it. She focuses on Madison. “Who are you, sweetie?” Her voice is calm and soothing, but Maddie still cowers behind me. Data sighs and reaches towards Maddie.

“Wait, she’s—” I use this as an excuse to grab her arm. I use the physical contact to boost my mental connection to her and then go in to read her mind.

Nothing.

It’s not the same kind of nothing as Maddie’s. It’s not like walking into a mostly empty warehouse. It’s more like walking straight into a brick wall. She’s watching me curiously, then her mouth quirks into a smile. “You’re trying to read my mind, aren’t you? I remember that physical contact helped you…”

I shove her away, making her stumble back a few steps. She’s older than me, taller, and probably stronger, too, but I’ve done a little bit of martial arts and strength training. “I don’t know who you are, but you’d better explain yourself or leave before Denver gets down here. He won’t be happy to see you here.”

Blaze grins impishly. “Oh, I can make sure he won’t see us, if he does come down.”

Data gives him a glare, then turns to us. “Listen,” she starts gently. “We have a lot to discuss. Why don’t we head to the coffee shop down the road, Lava Java? We can talk there, and we won’t have to be worried about being interrupted.”

I exchange glances with Brooklyn. I can tell she doesn’t want to go, and she keeps glancing nervously up the stairs towards Denver’s room. In spite of not wanting them here, my curiosity has definitely been piqued. And when my curiosity’s involved… well, there’s no way anyone can sway me any differently.

“How will we handle Denver and our parents?” I ask.

Data nods, pleased. “You can either go tell him you’re leaving or you can leave a note. We won’t be gone too long, so you shouldn’t have to worry about your parents, depending on when they’re going to come back here.”

Brooklyn makes a sound that tells me she’s not pleased at all, but I ignore her. “We can leave a note.”

Brooklyn makes the sound again. “No, I’ll go tell him,” she growls, giving me a look. She hurries upstairs, and in a minute she comes back down, grumbling under her breath.

“All clear?” I ask.

She nods. “He’s so distracted I don’t think he even heard me. I told him we were going shopping. He was putting on a flannel shirt. Flannel. I can’t even believe…”

I roll my eyes and nod at Data. I grab Maddie’s hand, which she squeezes tightly, and we follow Blaze and Data out the door, Brooklyn trailing, as we leave possible safety behind.

SO THE COVER!!!!!!! What do you think? And the part? Database seems like an interesting character… should the twins trust her and Blaze? Guess we’ll find out!

Next Part –>

Beautiful Books Link-Up: Twinepathy

Is this cheating? I think this is cheating. But the rules do say that you can use whatever manuscript you’re working on, and since I’m not exactly doing NaNoWriMo this year… yeah, it’s not cheating. 😉 Anyway, I’m a little late on this… but let’s get started!

1. How did you come up with the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?

I actually came up with the title before I came up with any other part of the story. My brain heard the word twinepathy and immediately wondered what would happen if a pair of twins actually had telepathy. I’ve had the idea in vague form for… oh, about two or three months.

2. Why are you excited to write this novel?

Because I’ve absolutely fallen in love with the characters (my squishies!) AND SUPERHEROES. And it’s also a mystery with amnesia and other fun things. Yay! (Writerly bucket list: Superheroes? Check!)

3. What is your novel about, and what is the title?

My story is about some twins who have a real telepathic connection and some other mind powers who accidentally stumble across a mystery and a top-secret superhero agency. The title is (in case you haven’t noticed) Twinepathy.

4. Sum up your characters in one word each. (Feel free to add pictures!)

I am a terrible perfectionist, so I can never find the perfect picture for every person… so I just skip the pictures.

Jen – Secrets

Maddie – Lost

Albany – Passionate

Brooklyn – Sweet

Blaze – Confident

5. Which character(s) do you think will be your favourite to write? Tell us about them!

*moan* These are the kind of questions I hate. Because this is like asking me to choose my favorite Lord of the Rings character or my favorite Avenger – before I watched Age of Ultron and decided that The Vision is my absolute favorite Avenger ever. *cough* Anyway… It’s really hard to decide… but I guess I’d have to say Maddie or Jen. Maddie’s so sweet and scared and confused and lost, while Jen is epic and awesome and has so many secrets and she’s so complex… So if I had to pick one of them, it would probably be Jen. (Also, fun fact: in the non-canon area of my head, Jen trained with the Avengers. Is that cool or what???)

6. What is your protagonist’s goal, and what stands in the way?

Since Albany is our narrator, she’s also technically the protagonist, to put it simply. In the beginning, her goal is to make a batch of bacon cookies without burning them. 😛 In the end, her goal is both to help find the crime person (how can I say this without giving too much away???) and to get revenge: for her sister, for Maddie, and everyone else the crime person has hurt. (Phew!)

7. Where is your novel set? (Show us pictures if you have them!)

The main setting, the town where Albany and Brooklyn live, is supposed to be an “anywhere” kind of place, but it’s definitely in the United States. The only setting that will clearly be mentioned is Antarctica. As in the freezing cold place inhabited only by crazy researchers and penguins. And some superheroes. 😛

Oh! And pictures, of course!!!! I have a teensy tiny obsession with Antarctica…

8. What is the most important relationship your character has?

This is the easiest question on here for me! 😀 Albany’s most important relationship is the one she has with her twin. Without Brooklyn, Albany wouldn’t be the person she is. Sister power!!! *fist pump*

9. How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?

Well, I’m not exactly to the end yet… I do know that by the end, Albany has learned a lot. She’s also grown much more mature and she’s seen more of the world, so she’s less flighty and more serious. But don’t worry, she’ll still have her humor. 😉

10. What themes are in your book? How do you want your readers to feel when the story is over?

*gulp* Am I supposed to know themes before I write? Obviously this might change, but I think the main themes are going to be about the power of family, especially sisters, and how terrible revenge can be. And probably a lot of other things, too.

11. BONUS! Tell us your 3 best pieces of advice for others trying to write a book in a month.

1. TRY TO STAY OFF SOCIAL MEDIA!!!! I know, I know… but try to make it your reward for reaching your word count. Otherwise, you’ll never make it.
2. Actually WRITE. If you spend all your time checking to see how others are doing on their NaNo projects or looking up the “perfect word,” you won’t finish.
3. Have Fun! This is the most important of all. If you don’t have fun doing NaNo, what’s the point of doing it? O.O

Twinepathy (Part 7): For Now

Hullo, everyone! NO IT’S NOT MONDAY. 😛 I apologize for this post being late. I forgot to pre-schedule it, and I wasn’t able to post it yesterday. Onward! (P.S. Now’s your last chance to join in on the cover reveal! Let me know if you’re interested…) Click here if you’re new!

Brooklyn and I both stare at the spot where Blaze – or whoever (who would name their kid Blaze?) – was standing. I slowly reach out my hand and feel the air where he was. Nothing. I glance over at Brooklyn. “What are we going to do?” I whisper.

She looks at me, frightened. Maddie peeps out of the cushions. “Is he gone?” she asks, looking around.

“For now,” I answer, disliking how ominous it sounds. “He kept referring to ‘us’ and ‘we’. What do you think he was talking about?” I ask Brooklyn, my mind going into mystery solving mode.

She shrugs. “For all we know, he could have multiple personality disorder or something.”

“Like Gollum…” I say thoughtfully. “And by enhanced… Somehow he knows we have powers.”

“He clearly has powers as well,” Brooklyn points out matter-of-factly.

Well duh. “He said something about going to talk to someone, and fixing the problem…” I muse aloud. “And he’s coming back.”

“He’s also cute,” Brooklyn mentions absentmindedly. I roll my eyes. Just what we need. Brooklyn falling head over heels for some weirdo. Brooklyn perks up. “What if we hide, and when he comes back, if he does, we can bash him over the head with something?” She reaches for Mom’s Italian vase again.

I groan. “No, we can’t do that. We’re already sort of hiding an amnesiac, underage kid. We don’t need to add assault to our list of possible crimes.”

She shrugs. “Then you come up with a plan.”

I glance over at Maddie. She’s watching us with fear. Fear of us, or fear of the Blaze guy? Then a thought occurs to me, and I send it to Brooklyn. Do you think she could have powers, too?

Brooklyn and I have always thought we were alone. We’ve never met anyone with powers before, and we know that Mom and Dad and Denver are all “normal.” But now we know for sure that there are other people out there with superpowers. And who knows how many there really could be? Anyone could have powers. Maybe comic books were based off true stories, and superheroes are really real.

Brooklyn just looks shocked at the idea. I sit down next to Maddie on the couch and lean towards her. “Maddie, you said you felt and urge to do something with your hands earlier. Could you show me?”

She looks worried. “I… I could try. I don’t want to hurt anything, though.”

This may not be the most brilliant idea I’ve ever had, but we can hope she doesn’t do anything like start earthquakes or set things on fire. I nod. “Go ahead. But don’t direct anything at me or Brooklyn.”

Maddie nods and turns her gaze to the glass of water on the table. She narrows in on it, then stretches out her hand. Something about the angle of her fingers or her wrist is weird. She closes her eyes and her brow furrows, like she’s trying really hard to concentrate and remember something. I notice the water in the glass slosh a little bit, and then the glass slides across the table into Maddie’s hand.

Whoa! Maddie has powers! Boy, I can’t wait to see what happens next… 😉

Next Part –>