Average Joe and the Beauty: The Sisters That Defy Fate is out now!

You can find it on Amazon.com/ajb2.  Here's the blurb below: 


This direct sequel to Average Joe and the Beauty: Shadow Spinner takes you on a thrill ride of colossal proportions as Joe and the gang face both mystical and technological terrors in order to find and rescue Melissa's missing sister from an unexpected place, a place that haunts Joe's nightmares even today. Witness a dangerous magical battle unfold before your own and Joe's very eyes as the teen and his guardian, Liandra try to protect his friends. And follow along as Joe learns something new and vital about himself, something that could change his very life and the lives of those around him.

When backed into a corner with nowhere else to go, can even an average guy do extraordinary things?

Liandra walks a slippery line between trying to unearth clues about her past and future destiny versus protecting the boy she's accidentally involved in her mess. Now, on top of that she's dedicated herself to helping those suffering under Grabas' tyranny including Melissa and her sisters. To that end, she'll do whatever it takes to save them ... but, Grabas, her old friend has the answers she needs to ignite the most profound change in her, greater than what she can accomplish with her shapeshifting abilities.

Here are the winners of my book giveaway.

From the end of October until today, I had a giveaway on Goodreads.com for my book, Average Joe and the Extraordinaires.  The giveaway coincides with the one year anniversary of my book's release.  Today I am here to announce the winners of that giveaway.

Three lucky winners will be receiving the stylish paperback copy of my book, Average Joe and the Extraordinaires.

Those winners are: 

Laura Feijóo Álvarez of Spain

Kadie Turcotte of the U.S.

and Željko Cindrić of Croatia

Congratulations ladies and gentleman.  I hope you enjoy your new copies of AJE.  Gotta love that new book smell!

Average Joe, Free TODAY (1/21/15), but just what is it?

 

Click here to download Average Joe and the Extraordinaires for free!
1/21/15


  

Free Download Today

What is Average Joe and the Extraordinaires?

Average Joe and the Extraordinaires is a book about an ordinary teen, named Joe Black, who's life takes a drastic change after he meets a few truly extraordinary people.  In the beginning he fights to escape a terrible situation with his life and afterwards he tries to prove to his town that he's not the terrorist that he's now been accused of being.  The rest of his tale includes him trying to reconcile his regular life with this crazy new life that he's unfortunately been involved in.

But it's not all about Joe.  Behind the scenes there is a monumental plot taking shape.  There is a shadowy trio of men who've spread a lot of misery throughout Orangetown and the rest of the Sunshine State.  These men are not above kidnappings, murder, extortion, manipulation, and mass destruction to get what they want.  How the heck does regular ol' Joe even stand a chance against men this dangerous?  Well he has friends.  Enter the extraordinary talents of the super-spy Beauty, the no-nonsense ex-Detective/ex-FBI/P.I. Hank Borland, his tough-as-nails protege Dahlila, and the mysterious and unnaturally even tempered little Melissa.  Together these talented folks try to untangle deadly plots and most importantly keep Joe alive against threats that now want him dead.  Will they succeed and even if they do how will normal ol' Joe cope with such a mighty change to his status quo?  Find out within the pages of Average Joe and the Extraordinaires!

International Links

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon IN: www.amazon.in/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon DE: www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon FR: www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon ES: www.amazon.es/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA
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Amazon CA: www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon MX: www.amazon.com.mx/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon AU: www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Are You Average or Are You Extraordinary?

So a thought popped into my head during my endless work with AJE.  It was an easy thought to come by looking at my title. It was a thought encapsulated by this very title question.  Are you average or are you extraordinary

Average 

-ordinary or usual

-about midway between two extremes

Extraordinary

-very unusual :very different from what is normal and ordinary

-extremely good or impressive

This seemingly easy question can be a little tricky to answer, when you think about how you were raised.  Were you a part of Generation Me and always told you were extraordinary no matter what?  Did you and all your classmates all get a gold star all the time?  Has your amazing skill in something recently seemed not so awesome in comparison to others you've noticed?  Did you just recently find out that you were really good at something, like no one else? Did you think you were average for a big part of your life and then realize that you and your family were anything but?  Did it happen when you moved to a different town?  Changed schools?  Grew up? What happened there?  Did these questions bring you any closer to finding out if you were average or extraordinary?  Let's find out.

Okay here's the truth.  I only offered you a false dichotomy.  An either/or.  I offered you black and white when there's at least...50...shades...of...gr...adients in between. I challenge you to look at your life and not find something that is average and conversely something that is extraordinary.  You are capable of both facets in every area of your life.  Maybe you have an extraordinary talent but like to do normal stuff like watch TV and sports, or attend weekly social activities that are more well known.  Maybe it's the opposite and you don't feel you do anything extraordinary but you like all manner of weird and niche stuff or activities that no one else even knows exists like urban exploring, LARPing, or even that new indie book series that you recently got into.

Whatever the case I think it's great to acknowledge both of these parts of our lives.  Embrace the Average because it helps connect you with others.  It's our common ground so to speak.  It's a bridge for connecting with others and a reference for beginning long lasting friendships.  Embrace the Extraordinary because it naturally comes out of you.  It shouldn't be stifled because you're scared to stand out and be who you were naturally meant to be.  That extraordinary-ness is within you and sometimes it separates you from the crowd and that's okay.  It's such an uplifting feeling to embrace that side of yourself that I recommend everybody try it.  To do so you only need to find out what part of you is extraordinary and cultivate it.

So are you average?  Are you extraordinary?  Which one will it be?  Or have you realized the truth?

Character Profiles: Average Joe and the Extraordinaires: The Villains

Borland's Report

The Commanding Man
I don't know much about this guy but the kid brought him to my attention the other day.  He's an unsettling individual that's for sure.  I think it's his dead eyes.  Even when he smiles his eyes tell you he wants you dead or worse.  I met him once, trying to be inconspicuous and I knew from that meeting that he knew who I was.  On the surface he was cool, at-ease, pleasant, and humble.  There are many things he couldn't fake, like the disdain for me in his eyes that this old P.I. picked up on as clear as day.  He has plans for something major, but I couldn't tell you what the hell that is for the life of me.  The "spy" has an interest in him that she's trying to hide.  I guess that's enough to begin a true investigation of this man too.  I have a hunch he's connected with my current case anyway.

The Mannerable Man
His true identity is unknown but the way he accomplishes his work borders on miraculous.  Whenever this man is involved some strange, unexplainable occurrence happens and usually in his favor.  Highly dangerous.  In order to get to the commanding man, we'll have to go through this guy first, whoever he is.  Judging by how often these two are in contact, he may be the commanding man's most trusted subordinate.

The Rough Talking Man
A thug, pure and simple.  This man is ruthless and every action he takes has a simple purpose.  He wants to get even more money than he currently has.  Revered in the underworld and respected in the business world.  He has made all the right decisions in ascending the ladder of societal power.  The fact that this bruiser isn't in jail despite his reputation shows that he's not a complete fool.  He knows how to cover his tracks and has proven resourceful.  This scumbag owns a lot of property around the town and nearby city including Picker's Stadium.  He's a major player but I get the feeling that he's working for somebody else.  I say that because some of his actions don't make sense for a businessman like himself.  Kidnapping that girl, for one.  That's what led me to his trail in the first place.  I consider this knucklehead extremely dangerous.  He owns a large personal army of thugs with guns and security in black suits.  Besides that he has a proven track record of violence and is considerably volatile.

Buy Average Joe and the Extraordinaires NOW!!!

 

***These reports are non-canon to the current story and only for promotional purposes

Average Joe and the Extraordinaires Released TODAY

Today is the day.  My novel, Average Joe and the Extraordinaires is now available on the Amazon Kindle Store.  You can find it at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R7EMRXA.  I'm super excited and ecstatic that the release went smoothly.

SUPER EXCITING ISBN's ACQUIRED KINDA DAY

Hello everyone!  I finally acquired enough money to buy my ISBN's and pay for the special font that I used for my Average Joe and the Extraordinaires book cover.  And when I say acquired I mean saved because I realize that saying acquired sounds shady as hell.  Anywho, I'm excited to the MAXXXX and now I'm just about ready to publish.  I still have quite a bit of work to do.  I just had some awesome supporters give me some interesting suggestions to improve the book so I'm going over those.  I've been changing stuff around here and there for the last few weeks but I don't want to change too much. Right now I'm also putting some time into researching Lightning Source, Ingram Spark and Createspace more thoroughly to see if I want to print this thing in the near future.

So the plan now is: to view these suggestions for the book and add them if they fit, find all the metadata I need for Amazon and Bowkers and whoever else needs it, prepare all resources needed for release, and possibly if all goes right to release on Friday December 19th.  I'm pumped but now I need to get my act together and work on a few things.  All the while I'm working on another book and prepping for a job interview.  What an interesting time to be living!  Thank you all for following this blog or just stopping by and I hope your dreams are within your grasp.

Character Profiles: Average Joe and the Extraordinaires: Team Badd Azz

Fleez
Government Name: Bartholomew Taluni
Other Nicknames: The Gamesmaster, Grease Monkey, Bart
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 193 lbs
Hair: Short Black
Eye Color: Brown
Race: Polynesian
Birth Place: Orangetown, Florida
Age: 16
Hobbies: Pranking People, Lifting Weights, Working on Cars, Watching 70's and 80's Action Movies
Talents: Very Skilled at Automotive Repairs From Years of Working with His Father, Clever Prankster Whose Years of Watching TV and Movies Have Given Him Loads of Ideas, Athletic and Strong for His Age

Dozz
Government Name: Michael Phillips
Other Nicknames: McPrankerson, Tech-head, Mick
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 208 lbs
Hair: Shaggy Brown and Long
Eye Color: Brown
Race: Caucasian
Birth Place: Louisiana
Age: 16
Hobbies: Pranking People, Backyard Wrestling, Browsing Forbidden Message Boards, Building CPU's Out of Junk Parts, Watching 70's and 80's Action Movies
Talents: Very Skilled at Building and Fixing Old and New Computers Thanks to Learning from an Older Cousin and Continuing in a Votech Class, Older Cousin Showed Dozz the Ropes of Backyard Wrestling Which Dozz Still Participates in and Announces For With Fleez, Athletic and Strong for his Age

...and sometimes...

Byron
Government Name: Byron McCoy
Other Nicknames: Byron Rox-Your-Sox, B-man, Big Guy
Height: 5'9''
Weight: 273 lbs
Hair: Dark Brown, short, and unkempt
Eye Color: Black
Race: Caucasian
Birth Place:Orangetown, Florida
Age: 16
Hobbies: Watching TV, Complaining, Snacking
Talents: Is Really Big...Like Really Really Big, Insults Bounce Off of Him Like Bullets Off of Superman (He's Pretty Dense), Extreme Lack of Caring About The World Around Him, Did I Mention That He's Big?...

Team Badd Azz came about from the boys watching too many seventies and eighties action movies and wanting to start a gang of strong "men" to live life in the most Badd Azz way possible.  Fleez and Dozz had actually met years ago when Dozz had first moved to Orangetown from his home state of Louisiana.  The boys were very similar as both had grown up in large impoverished families and shared similar interests.  Surprisingly enough, both boys are quite smart despite their propensity for using their physicality to solve problems and get what they want.  They both typically get high marks in class quite casually and are both skilled at a useful trade thanks to years of helping their various family members.  Despite their brutish behavior both boys are actually on track to very bright futures...if they don't blow up something first.

Fleez and Dozz only use Byron as free muscle and labor.  He was never a real member of the group because neither Fleez nor Dozz can stand his constant downer attitude and complaining.  He is, however, a great enforcer.

Average Joe and the Extraordinaires is available now!

Character Profiles: Average Joe and the Extraordinaires: Melissa

"The Experiment" "Honeybee"

Real Name: Melissa Grant
Height: 4'4"
Weight: 74 lbs
Hair Color: Black, cut low into a near crew cut
Eye Color: Black
Race: African American
Birthplace: Oak Park, MI
Birthdate: 10/10
Age: 8
Hobbies: Reading, Drawing, Board Games
Talents: Highly Empathetic, Smart, Quick Witted, Clairvoyant, Mannerable

An exceptionally bright, polite, and empathetic young girl.  She is now one of our experimental subjects.  Let it be known that we can't release too much on the girl as the boss wants us to take special precautions should these documents fall into the wrong hands.  The girl is truly special with abilities that no kid her age should have.  All of this is thanks to her father who has been invaluable in his own right as a geologist.  Though truly exceptional, the boss has no current use for this one.  We only continue to detain her should a future need arise, the other two are enough for our goals now.

**Update
Unfortunately we're losing our experiments at too fast a rate.  One has escaped and the other declared dead.  Both were sick and have been for some time.  We're set to observe how this effects the "Honeybee."

**Update
Now through the meddling of a few, the girl labeled as "Honeybee" has escaped from beneath the stadium along with "The Tough Girl".  We have no clue as to their current whereabouts.  We've been searching around the clock but have had no success.  The boss really wants us to find the girl.  If we do not then all I can say is that there will be much worse things to worry about than getting fired.  Now that she's free the honeybee will most likely seek out her last surviving family member, her mother.  We'll need to track her down as well and take them both.

Average Joe and the Extraordinaires is out now!  Pick up your copy today!

***These reports are non canon to the original story.  I made them for the purposes of promotion to provide a little more insight into the characters.

Design Inspiration: Average Joe and the Extraordinaires

Each character in Average Joe and the Extraordinaires was created to be unique and add something truly extraordinary into Joe's world.  As I envisioned them, each character had a specific appearance, demeanor, and way of talking.  When I finished my initial conception I then thought of other characters in the media that may be similar and these gals and guys below popped into my head.

Beauty

Wonder Woman of DC Comics.

With Beauty, the template that I worked from was simple.  I envisioned her as a tall and athletic woman with this thick ocean of deep black hair upon head and shoulders.  From there I imagined her being very active and tanned from all the hustle and bustle of a busy life of exploration and adventure.  A few characters came to mind but the two below really stood out and helped me envision her more.  *This is a side note but I really have a thing for tall, athletic, girls with long black hair.  It's a curse I'm afraid :'(

Kanu Unchou of Battle Vixens aka Ikki Tousen

Borland

Dan Turpin from Superman the Animated Series

This guy inspired Borland pretty much from conception.  If you don't know, this is Dan Turpin from Superman the Animated Series which is honestly one of DC Animation's best works.  Dan Turpin's appearance for the cartoon is quite different from his comic book appearance.  Here his appearance is based off of famous comic book artist/creator Jack Kirby.   Just look up Mr. Kirby and you'll see the similarities.  Turpin is a pretty cool no-nonsense tough-as-nails detective and a pretty good foil to Superman's idyllic nature.  If you want to get a hint at Borland's personality then go watch some classic Superman TAS.  Actually you should start with the Batman/Superman Crossover, World's Finest, since the live action crossover is slated to come out soon.  Turpin has some decent lines in that.

Dan Turpin from Superman the Animated Series

Mod Malington

So now that I look at this list, it seems like most of my inspiration came from DC comics.  That's only slightly true.  This is Mad Mod from the DC Animated Show Teen Titans.  I believe he's also in the comics.  I mainly liked his name and red hair which both inspired my own character.  That's about all this character inspired but that was more than enough to get the ball rolling in envisioning Mod Malington.

Mad Mod from Teen Titans

Team Badd Azz

Team Badd Azz is somewhat of a parody of the Warriors.  I also like the Warriors quite a bit and I have also purchased manly vests because now, after seeing the movie, I think they look cool.  So TBA is more of a parody of my own sense of fashion.

Go watch this movie!

Character Profiles: Average Joe and the Extraordinaires: Dahlila

MIB Reports
"The Tough-Girl"

Real Name: Dahlila Hill
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 130 lbs
Hair Color: Blonde, short (below the ear)
Eye Color: Brown
Race: Asian/Caucasian
Birthplace: Orangetown, Florida
Birthdate: 10/25
Age: 18
Hobbies: Combat Training, Exercising, Investigating
Talents: High Deductive Reasoning, Knowledgeable of Investigative Protocol and Techniques, Proficient in Krav Maga, Knowledgeable of and Trained in the use of Combat Weapons Including Conventional Firearms, Non-Lethal Melee Weaponry and Knives.

A young woman with exceptional physical and deductive talents.  She is learning the investigative craft from the "detective," that man who has been a thorn in our side.  She has been with this detective since she was a little girl.  He adopted her himself after her mother, Karen, went missing on assignment.  Dahlila learned investigative protocol and techniques in order to help the detective track down her mother's whereabouts.  Over the years they have made a living together finding missing people, criminals in hiding, and breaking open cases for the FBI and local units.

Dahlila is highly trained and highly intelligent.  It's been observed that she is a quick learner and astute combatant.  Danger doesn't frighten her thanks to years of street level investigations.  That same experience has given her keen street smarts and made her highly resourceful.  Some of her methods are a bit 'questionable' however.  She is prone to bending the law if it interferes with her goals and sometimes she's shown herself to commit mistakes because of her fiery temper and sense of justice.

She was easy to capture once she glimpsed the child aka the "experiment" in our captivity.  Her anger made her sloppy and we got the jump on her.  She's been in our clutches ever since.  She is resilient to all our interrogation methods, surprisingly.  It really annoys the under-boss.  We've noticed that she's made friends with the experiment.  We may be able to use this to our advantage in order to extract information from her.  We can't go too far though no matter what the under-boss says because not even he can protect us from the real boss if his experiment is harmed.  Even if we can't get any info from her, we can still use her as leverage against that detective.

Average Joe and the Extraordinaires is out now!  Pick up your copy today!

***These reports are non canon to the original story.  I made them for the purposes of promotion to provide a little more insight into the characters.

Bonus Post This Week!

As an  apology of sorts for my lack of posts last week, I've decided to post more this week.  You can expect at least two Average Joe posts and at least one video game post this week.  As always, thanks for browsing!

Character Profiles: Average Joe and the Extraordinaires: Borland

MIB Reports
"The Pain in Our Side" aka "The Detective."

Real Name: Hank Borland
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 177 lbs
Hair Color: Brown/Gray
Eye Color: Gray/Green
Skin Color: Caucasian (dark)
Place of Origin: OrangeTown
Birthdate: 7/26
Age: 49
Hobbies: Detective Work, Teaching Dahlila
Talents: Skilled Investigator, High Levels of Deductive Reasoning, Skilled in the Use of Crime Labs, Accurate Marksmanship, Accomplished Hand-to-Hand Fighter

Once a member of the OrangeTown Police Department in his youth, Borland left to pursue a more promissing career as an FBI agent.  During his stint with the OTPD he made some strong bonds with his fellow officers especially the current lieutenant Carl Jonas thanks to his charisma, efficiency, and unwavering dedication to his work.  He left and found greater fame as a rising star in the FBI.  He quickly closed several high profile cases that had been assigned to him including the case of the Circus Park killers and the Underwood drug ring.

He left the bureau under less than ideal circumstances after his partner, and friend, disappeared.  They had been seen in a heated argument with each other by several agents right before her disappearance.  This led to an investigation of Borland himself who quit the Bureau soon after.  His personal life looks to have suffered as well around that time.  He and his wife separated soon after.  This separation was even more devastating because his wife moved out of state with his daughter.  These two are not easy to find.  We've tried, in order to get leverage on this man.  Somehow their current whereabouts seem scrubbed from public records.  There's not even a digital paper trail.  The detective is probably behind this.

Soon after leaving the Bureau and his wife, Borland began taking trips around the world.  We don't know why exactly, but it's rumored he was searching for his partner.  When he returned home, he brought home a little girl and adopted her.  This little girl, as it turned out, was Dahlila Hill, our little prisoner.

Average Joe and the Extraordinaires is out now!  Pick up your copy today!

***These reports are non canon to the original story.  I made them for the purposes of promotion to provide a little more insight into the characters.

Character Profiles: Average Joe and the Extraordinaires: Beauty

MIB Reports
"The Beauty"

This profile is dedicated to the mysterious woman that Joe meets in Picker's stadium.  Just who is she and what does she want?  We've been doing our best to watch her and try to learn how she operates and just what she wants.  Our findings are meager but we will share them anyway.

Real Name: Unknown, We've taken to calling her the Beauty.
Occupation: Spy? Infiltrator??  Magician???
Appearance: Naturally a tall, tan, black haired woman.  Has an athletic figure.  Some of our watchers have reported that she can change her size, shape, and general appearance but this is not confirmed.  It's most likely due to her skill in subterfuge and deception. She is highly skilled.
Eye Color: Reported to be black.
Height: 5'8" - 5'9", she may be taller up close.  Her size may be various based on rumored reports.
Weight: Based on a visual measurement and according to her height and shape she may be around 140 lbs but again this may vary according to reports.

This woman has been spotted around Orangetown for a long time now.  She is never in one place and always seems to infiltrate areas owned by the boss.  Anytime anyone reports this to him he just casually shrugs it off as if it doesn't matter in the least.  Some say he even smirks at some of the reports of her tampering.  This latest transgression at the stadium may be her work.  We must keep closer tabs on her.  That has so far proven impossible.  No one knows who she is or where she's even from.  It's speculated that she may have a connection with the boss.  We won't go any farther into that speculation however.

She reportedly has many talents, infiltration being one of them.  She is very proficient in hand-to-hand combat as several of the armed guards in the bosses employ can attest to.  There are times when entire groups of guards has been found unconscious after one of her 'visits'.  A few of the guards were reported to have said that she has some sort of magical abilities that she used to immobilize them.  This can be taken with a grain of salt as these guards were in a panicked and woozy state.

She is usually seen on a motorcycle.  The motorcycle itself seems to vary each time she's seen on it especially its color.  That's all we know so far.  We will continue to monitor her as best we can.  Hopefully these new readers will provide us with the insight we need through their reports.

Average Joe and the Extraordinaires is out now!  Pick up your copy today!

***These reports are non canon to the original story.  I made them for the purposes of promotion to provide a little more insight into the characters.

Character Profile: Average Joe and the Extraordinaires: Joe

Joe is the main character of our tale and our very eyes and ears into what's actually happening.  Through him we experience the crazy events that have changed Orangetown.  Who is Joe?  Well read on to find out.

Name: Joe Remington Black
Age: 16
Height: Average
Weight: Average
Hair Color: reader interpretation
Eye Color: reader interpretation
Skin Color: reader interpretation
Place of Origin: Orangetown, Florida, USA
Birthdate: March 27
Hobbies: Hanging with Kate and Mod, watching t.v. (sports, detective shows, sitcoms, and cop dramas), watching random vids on youtube

Joe has lived his entire life in the shadow of greatness.  He's never been exceptional at anything.  The range of his talent level goes from subpar to good enough with rare instances of him being considered 'good' by others.  Joe mostly follows the rules.  He's always been a good kid.  He has a close relationship with his parents and grandparents and has inherited their humble charitable no-nonsense values.  Joe is fairly sociable and has two close friends in Kate--his girlfriend--and her little brother Mod.

As a kid Joe played a few team sports like basketball and football.  He stopped playing around the start of middle school because he didn't see a future in it.

Joe is currently unaware of what his future holds.  He hasn't really prepared for it like everyone around him seems to have done and he doesn't think that he's good enough at anything to delve into one college major or career.  He has a lot to think about in his last two years of high school and doesn't have time for any distractions...

Joe's appearance is left to the reader's interpretation.  Whatever you imagine him to look like, that's exactly what he looks like - no ifs ands or buts about it.  The only thing to keep in mind is that you and I may describe him very differently in a conversation with one another.  Certain of his physical characteristics are set in stone and can be seen in his actions throughout the book.  He is fairly athletic and doesn't have any extreme features that would cause him to stand out.

Average Joe and the Extraordinaires is out now!  Pick up your copy today!

Character Profiles: Average Joe and the Extraordinaires

With  the upcoming release of my first novel, Average Joe and the Extraordinaires, I've decided to give out a little insight into the characters and world of AJE.  To that end, I'm going to release at least one character profile every week with physical descriptions and a few details about the character.  I believe this should be fun for both you and me my glorious readers.  If I'm not lazy, there will also be a crudely drawn picture to accompany each character.  As always, thanks for the browse and let me know what you think.

Average Joe and the Extraordinaires is out now!  Pick up your copy today!

What is Average Joe and the Extraordinaires?

Who is Average Joe?
In the case of my book, Average Joe is the main character of the tale, Joe Remington Black.  He is a very normal kid.  He's well adjusted though slightly scarred (as most of us are).  He's lived a life of mediocrity but wants something more.  Like a lot of us, he doesn't quite know what he wants at this point in his life.  He is a high school student and is sixteen years old at the start of this story.  He has a girlfriend, a best friend, and is fairly social.  He lives with both of his parents in a small town in the golden Sunshine State.  He used to play team sports though not anymore.  The most important thing about Joe, I'd say, is his heart.  He was raised to be a good person and it truly shows.

What's an Extraordinaire?
An extraordinaire is someone who is really good at something and who simply and effortlessly stands out from the rest.  In short: to be an extraordinaire, you must be extraordinary.  For some people it takes a lot of work to be extraordinary and for others they are born with natural gifts that put them "above" the rest.  In the culture of America those who are extraordinary are revered.

What's wrong with Average?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being "average" or enjoying things and activities that are considered average.  I've spent a long time in combat with being something other than average and despising what is considered average.  It's taken a lot of growing up but I see that average has its place and that average is very different than how I used to view it.  As a matter of fact "average" is totally based from our personal perceptions of the world anyway.  What I find average, you may not find average and vice-versa.  Average is common ground, something we all can share.  Average can be bad if we see those who are outside the norms as threats or targets.  Average can be good when we all use it as a frame of reference for understanding each other and the world.  Where I'm from, liking basketball is considered pretty average.  I'm not the biggest basketball fan by any stretch of the imagination but I can get into it with my family and friends who are, though not as deeply, and can even watch it on my own and enjoy it.  It's something "average" that can easily connect others who share diverse backgrounds and interests.  For that, I like average.

What is Average Joe and the Extraordinaires?
I'll try to explain this without using my awesome book blurb or familiar talking points as you'll see those when I hit the marketing trail.  Average Joe and the Extraordinaires is a book about an ordinary teen who's life takes a drastic change after he meets a few truly extraordinary people.  In the beginning he fights to escape a terrible situation with his life and afterwards he tries to prove to his town that he's not the terrorist that he's now been accused of being.  The rest of his tale includes him trying to reconcile his regular life with this crazy new life that he's unfortunately been involved in.

But it's not all about Joe.  Behind the scenes there is a monumental plot taking shape.  There is a shadowy trio of men who've spread a lot of misery throughout Orangetown and the rest of the Sunshine State.  These men are not above kidnappings, murder, extortion, manipulation, and mass destruction to get what they want.  How the heck does regular ol' Joe even stand a chance against men this dangerous?  Well he has friends.  Enter the extraordinary talents of the super-spy Beauty, the no-nonsense ex-Detective ex-FBI P.I. Hank Borland, his tough-as-nails protege Dahlila, and the mysterious and unnaturally even tempered little Melissa.  Together these talented folks try to untangle deadly plots and most importantly keep Joe alive against threats that now want him dead.

There's a lot more to the book but I don't want to spoil too many surprises.  I'll be announcing my release date for the book pretty soon so keep an eye out...for excitement, intrigue, and...average-ness!  Again thanks your the browse my glorious readers!

Preview chapters below

http://belartsstories.blogspot.com/2014/07/kindle-book-preview-average-joe-and.html

http://belartsstories.blogspot.com/2013/04/kindle-story-preview-average-joe-and.html

Great Progress on Average Joe and the Extraordinaires

Been working hard on the book these last few weeks.  The covers are in the cookers, with my cover artist nearly finished with the front, side, and rear part of my book cover.  The manuscript has finished it's last round of editing and formatting.  The only thing that I need to wait for are approval for the copyright which unfortunately is a three month or more process.  I wish I had thought to get it sooner as I was waiting for my editor or all those months ago when I was wasting so much time.  Anyways, the last part of this journey to publication includes getting that copyright, buying my ISBNs, and getting that cover finalized.  I'm proud to say that I am nearly at the finish line.

So in the meantime I guess I'll be seeking out Beta Readers.  Unfortunately I can't afford the netgalley rates so I'll be searching for people who'll do it for free.  If you're interested please contact me via my Google+ page at https://plus.google.com/u/0/113780526297320838805/posts That's my progress.  Wish me luck!  As always, thanks for the browse!

Beta Testers Needed

So um, books done, and I need...what's the word...samplers? Taste testers? Readers? Focus group? Beta testers? That's it! Looking for beta readers here folks. If you have the time, are generous, like to read, or like to rip other people's works to shreds then you are the people I am looking for. You can go ahead and inbox or comment here and I will send you a pdf, mobi, or html file.

This isn't a deeply technical thing. I'm really just looking for people to read the book and tell me how they felt about it. Thanks for your time.

Belart