Books as superhero gear, and new reads for you - a little "guest" post from becominghero.ninja

Hey SuperPeeps. No, don't be mad at me, books are totally superhero gear. Look, here, here is proof: 

Picture taken from this sexy article, on comics as literature, which you should DEFINITELY READ! 

While Spidey looks super uncomfortable with his butt all up on that pole, the point remains, superheroes read. You read to get inspired, you read to become a better person, and you read to relax, so that you're all revved up and ready to fight the next day. If you want, you can take a look at that link above for some comics reading material that some smart dudes think will make you smart and feelingy and stuff. Make sure to come back after that.

So I'm really into the idea of discovering new reads--you know, things your friends have never heard of that are actually objectively well-written. In other words, stuff by authors who are indie because they're independent, not because they can't write. = P Along those lines, since I'm always looking for dealsies for you guys, I talked to a bunch of authors to see what they'd be willing to give my SuperPeeps for free.

First up is James Beamon. This guy's technically no indie: he's a traditionally-published pro from the Science Fiction Writers of America with his name in like 20 different books and magazines. His snarky, oddball style's about as indie as they come, though, and he's one of my top ten favorite authors in the world, so he's heading up this list. He told me he's willing to share, for a limited time, his full novelette Dialogues with Talking Heads, a scifi about a "post-mortem communications corporation" that makes money injecting things into dead people until they talk. Funny, a little creepy, and actually romantic, too. (I was like one of the earliest buyers. Yeah, unlike you guys, I paid money. Look at your privilege, SuperPeeps! = P Back in my day…)

Our next star is Crystal Collier, an established indie author with one of the prettiest websites in the biz and the cutest obsession with cheese. (Of course, you're not here for her cheese or her website, so I'll move on) She's the fantasy author of the Maiden of Time series, described as Jane Eyre meets Supernatural, and I've been following her e-mail list since her first book came out eons ago. For you SuperPeeps only, she's willing to give you the entire first novel in that series: Moonless! Having read it, I can tell you there's plenty of romance and lots of weird fantasy juju. Perfect new read.

Because this is a superhero website, we'd be remiss if we didn't include some superhero fiction. Outside of the comics world, superhero fiction's a sparse genre, with few offerings, so I was recently delighted to discover Kai Strand, author of the SuperVillains Academy series. Her series focuses on a bully recruited for a school of super villains. I like surprises and twists like that, and I loved her writing style in the little short story she's offering you guys for free! It's an exclusive point of view shift from a character from her book, and it made me pretty hungry for more. ;_; #sohungry 

Next on our list of wonders, let's go international. Nigerian author Ray Anyasi is multiply published in nonfiction, contemporary, poetry, and romance. He's an intrepid self-made businessman, as well as the leader of a small press, and he writes sweet, tender romance set in Africa, with characters authentic to his experience. I know all of you in the #ownvoices movement are scrambling right now to look him up, and you're right to get excited: he's offering SuperPeeps the first two chapters of his romance novel, Broken Cloud! African prince, forbidden love, the works. You have my permission to swoon.

Last, there's me. If you like vengeful robot-cars, sentient cockroaches, androids made of ink, zombie fairytales, or anything else like that, I've written it, and I'm especially excited about my new book, Becoming Hero, about a comic book character who shoots his author. I'm offering, for a limited time, the first two chapters of the new book! 

So why, oh why, do you get to get these free things from these authors, SuperPeeps? Well, reading through these folks will either get you inspired or help you relax--and you're also supporting indie business and diverse representation, both things that make the world better by increasing the opportunities available to everyone. I feel like conscientious choices are the first step towards becoming superhero material, don't you? Also--little hot tip for you--this is a great way to help you shop last minute for that bookworm in your life this winter. Because you're getting free fiction, you can test it out, see if it's a style your bookworm friend will love, and then you can always head back to the author's shop to buy a gift! I told you, I look out for my peeps. ^_^

So that's today's super gear, Peeps! 

(Drop me your e-mail address below, and I'll send you all that delicious free fic. All of these stories stop being free when the snow melts, or Feb 15th, whichever is sooner, so...yeah, hurry up. = P)

You can see more "SuperGear" posts at becominghero.ninja, where I talk about all kinds of things that aren't books that I can imagine superheroes using or people who love superheroes drooling over.