Reluctant_Sir: Blog

I am uploading a copy of the story prologue, which is also the backstory, along with a timeline for the stories I will be releasing shortly. Each has a list of Heroes and Rogues as well, to make things easier.

At the same time, the very first Hero League, Inc. universe story, Seraph, will be posted... or, at least, the first chapter. It will be on my regular release schedule of a new chapter every three days. It is only 7 chapters, but between 10-12K per, so my normal, long, chapters.

I hope you all enjoy the new Universe as much as I had fun creating it!

DISCLAIMER: This story idea was developed independantly and has been in existence for about 3 years. It is not new, ground-breaking or even particularly novel, but it is not derivative of any existing universe or series, either.

As stated before, I totally ripped off Mushrooms concept for a Hero support structure though, I found it too compelling and told him at the get go I was doing it. He had no issue with it, so if you do... tough titties. My structure bears only a philosophical resemblance to his in any case, so I doubt there will be problems.

You may notice similarities in names for characters, places, even terms used in my recent story, Lone Star. This is probably because they were written simultaneously, along with a few others I am working on, and sometime cross-pollination happens. I could find no issue that would cause confusion if you simply keep in mind they are two different universes!

It has been a hot minute since anyone reviewed one of my stories, so I wanted to thank reviewer burka_oz for taking the time to give us his thoughts on the tale!

Click the link above to see the entire list of reviews he has done over the years, and maybe find your next story to read?

If you didn't notice before I fixed it, then, well, um, nevermind?

I know, I know, don't start grabbing your pitchforks and torches yet, I'll get it fixed. I should be more careful about stuff that have such vocal fans! At least it wasn't swapping from Chevy to Ford.

Here's the deal... I like Chevy trucks, mostly, and started out with her having a bog-standard C10 Restomod, nice but not rare. Then, aside from writing the story, I was doing some work around the house and emptied a bookcase. One of the items was a picture album that contained, among other things, a pic of my sister with her ex-husband, in front of his Mopar Lil' Red Express Truck.

So, like a dummy, and because I loved those and the Warlocks, I switched trucks mid-story, just because it tickled me to do so. And... missed the earlier C10 reference.

DOH!

Anyway, the best laid plans and all that. The first three chapters, edited, have been loaded with fixes.

The response, so far, has been favorable and I can't ask for more than that. Thanks go out to all of you who keep me going!

This story is posting a new chapter every three days, but there are only 4 chapters, it is not an epic, it is a story.

If you want to get your shots in about how short it is, now you can start early! ;)

The other stories out for edit are a mixed bag with the first in the new universe being twice as long as Lone Star.

The second, third and fourth are even shorter than Lone Star though, while the fifth, sixth and seventh are in the works and who knows where they will end up.

I have been wanting to stick my toe into the Super Hero genre for a while, but never found the right, existing, universe to join. I even wrote my own universe into existence but, for one reason or another, never really felt comfortable forging ahead. It was missing that special... something.

There are many stories out there in existing universes (Fanfic) like the DC or MCU, but I am not a fan fiction.. um... fan?

There are a lot of stories in unique, created universes, but very few are open universes that allow other authors to join. The couple that I especially liked, Shaddoth and Mushroom, hadn't even considered the issue until asked, and both were very gracious and invited me to contribute.

So, shortly, my first foray into the genre will be posted. Not an epic novel, just an idea I had when reading Mushroom's BOHICA. I wanted a Chameleon-class Paladin of my own!

I am working on a story for Shaddoth's universe as well, but that is going to be a while. I am feeling upbeat and his universe is definitely darker.

While those are fun, and I can see playing in their sandboxes again, it all covers up my original intent for this blog.

My own superhero universe is going to be launched as well. Not that theirs were lacking in any way, but I had worked on the backstory and was more comfortable playing with no rules but my own. I am selfish that way.

It is nothing ground-breaking, I wouldn't think, and uses the usual hand-wavium BS to explain how "It came from outer space!"

Though I tried to stay reality-adjacent with the science, don't expect miracles from someone who never graduated high school. Google is my bestest friend.

It will be an open universe that anyone can contribute to and will have very few rules. I want it open and loose so people feel comfortable letting their freak flags fly in both style and content.

I want to point out here, and I will reiterate in the first story, that I am stealing Mushroom's Control idea for super hero support. Okay, not stealing, exactly, because I totally told him ahead of time I was doing it.

And I didn't so much steal it, as adopt it. I changed it and shaped it and refocused it and made it a big corporate entity with a government charter that is... um... nevermind. Wait and see.

Still, I loved the idea of an organization that helped out Paladins, that supported them and paid them to patrol; that protected them as they protected their cities. I let Mushroom know I wanted to use it and he had no issues with it, thankfully!

Any other similarities are unintentional and probably because I was writing the Paladin story, as well as a couple of my Hero stories, at the same time.

Anyway, things is happ'n'n and I wanted to give ya'll a heads-up.