About the Book:
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a superhero? Most of us have. But what if one day, you found you actually had super powers? What if you could fly across the city? What if you came face to face with evil criminals? All this happens to eleven-year-old Kyle Alexander after he finds a magic ring inside a specially-marked box of cereal. The problem is, he’s rather clumsy and he’s afraid of heights and fights. Plus, when he comes face to face with the most dangerous criminal in the city, he’s not sure his magic ring is on his side.
A kids’ story that adults will love. It is everyman’s (woman’s) story about facing the fears that prevent them from using their powers.
Purchase Links:
Excerpt from book two in series
‘The Secrets of the Superhero’s Ring‘:
Available via www.thunderboltstories.com
Chapter 1 – The Evening News
It was the dead of night. Downtown Chicago was quiet and nearly deserted when the roar of an engine shattered the silence. A black van sped east across Michigan Avenue. It crashed through the majestic arched glass doorway of the Markiss Neemun store, sending glass flying in all directions. The van’s doors burst open and four figures dressed in furry bear costumes leaped out. The Grizzly Bear Gang was striking again.
The tall, broad-shouldered driver barked orders as the gang fanned out, clutching large trash bags. They stuffed shoes, purses, jewelry, dresses, and suits into the bags and tossed them into the back of the van. In a few short minutes, the van was crammed full of bags of overpriced merchandise.
They slammed shut the van’s back doors and jumped back into their seats – except for the driver. He turned to face the security camera, removed the head and gloves of his grizzly bear costume, and gestured at the camera. Then, reaching inside his bear outfit, he pulled out a handful of glittery dust and tossed it into the air. The other Grizzlies motioned impatiently for him to get back in the van and drive. Finally, he too leaped into his seat, slammed the door, and hit the gas. With a squeal of tires, the van turned around and smashed what was left of the doorway on the way out. It sped south and disappeared minutes before police arrived on the scene.
When the evening news came on, 11-year-old Kyle Alexander was in bed with a nasty cold. His blond hair was damp with sweat. His tall, skinny body hurt all over as he coughed up yet another wad of green yuck from his lungs. After disposing of the disgusting tissue in the overflowing wastebasket, he flopped back on his pillow, exhausted. His sheepdog, Parker, who had been by the side of his bed all day, licked his hand.
This was his third day in bed since he, dressed as the superhero now known as Cockroach, had come face to face with the dangerous criminal, Rocky the Rat. Rocky and his gang were now locked up in the Big Muddy Water Correctional Facility.
Cockroach had gotten credit for catching these crooks, but he hadn’t really done it. He’d also been blamed for flooding the streets and cutting the power to a number of houses in the neighborhood. He hadn’t done that either. He HAD gotten lost on the way home, and flying around soaking wet on a chilly night had brought on this nasty cold.
The truth was that the police had caught the criminals. A goon named Eddie had smashed a fire hydrant, while trying to kill Cockroach with a sledgehammer. That caused the flood. The telephone pole had cracked and fallen when Rocky’s getaway car crashed into it. That’s why the neighbors lost power for several hours.
The getaway car had crashed because the driver was laughing so hard at Cockroach’s clumsiness and because he thought his costume looked rather stupid. The red sweat pants and the yellow shirt with the thunderbolt were too small for him, so his ankles and belly button showed. His cape was his old blue blankie, and even Kyle thought his purple swim goggles made him look odd.
Kyle had dozed off just before the 7:00 news program started, but the story of the bold robbery pulled off by the Grizzly Bears made him sit up quick. He stared at the TV as the news program showed video from the store security camera, watching intently as the van smashed through the front door. With great precision, the Grizzly Bears snatched the most valuable items from each department, hurled the bags in the back, and three of the Grizzlies raced back to their seats.
Kyle was astounded as he watched the driver pause and look directly into the lens of the security camera. Yanking off his bear head and gloves, he shook out his long, black, braided hair. He seemed to want everyone to know who he was. The light from a green glow stick around his neck made his eyes look terrifying.
Kyle recognized him immediately from the USA BadGuys website. It was Kodiak Bearenski, formerly of the Grabowski Gang. Kodiak had a deep mean streak, and a warped sense of humor that led him to dress in bear costumes and give everyone in his gang bear names. He boasted about wanting to hurt superheroes. It wasn’t just talk either. The Grabowskis had put the Hornet in the hospital, and doctors said he was finished as a superhero. He would never fly again.
Kodiak was obviously daring the police and the superheroes to catch him, and daring one superhero in particular. He made the letter “C” with his fingers, then the letter “N.” Kyle gasped. He’s dissing Captain Nightmare. He remembered reading about how Captain Nightmare had captured the Grabowskis. But prison couldn’t hold Kodiak, and he’d escaped after less than a year behind bars.
On the TV, the driver kissed his hand and patted his furry bear butt. Sticking his other hand inside his bear suit, he pulled out some strange, sparkly dust and tossed it into the air. While the dust settled, the man erupted into crazy laughter and jumped into the van, slammed the van door, and sped off. On the way out, he made sure he destroyed the other half of the doorway.
Kyle’s eyes were nearly popping out of his head. This was one bold and scary criminal. This guy wants to hurt superheroes. Maybe being a superhero wasn’t such a good idea. Maybe Cockroach wouldn’t be so lucky next time.
Despite his fear, seeing that video got his brain working overtime. He turned on YouTube and replayed the security camera footage and stopped the video when Kodiak threw the dust. Kyle squinted at the dust, wondering, what is that stuff? He hopped out of bed and revisited USA Badguys, Dastardly Criminals, and other websites on his computer to read about Kodiak.
About fifteen miles away, someone else was watching TV. The superhero named Captain Nightmare knew exactly what that dust was and where Kodiak had gotten it. He snarled, “Delilah betrayed me!”
Author Interview:
1: Tell us a little about yourself and what got you in to writing?
I’ve always loved storytelling. In fact, I was “writing” before I knew how. A neighbor was an English teacher, and during the summer, she had my brother and I over to write. My brother wrote; I dictated. I really enjoyed it.
I got started writing kids’ books because of my son. I had the unenviable task of getting him up and ready for daycare in the morning. He was usually very grouchy when he first woke up.
I figured out that I could make him much less grouchy by telling him stories. He loved superheroes, so I told him all I could remember from the comic books I’d read and the TV shows I watched. I told him about Batman, Spiderman, Superman, etc., and when I ran out of memories, I started to make them up.
One day, his school had a “Readers are Leaders” day in which parents were encouraged to bring in a story to read to the kids. I decided to write down one of mine. The kids loved it—and that was the start of a long path that led to the two books I’ve published—with more on the way.
2: Do you have a favourite time and place where you write?
I write in my home office when I can steal some time. Usually, I write after business hours (I’m self employed, so my schedule is my own). I also find that sometimes, writing in a notebook just before going to sleep is a great way to jump start my writing. Often, I can knock off a few pages and just type them into the story, exactly as written.
3: Where do your ideas come from?
Of course, I owe a special debt of gratitude to the creators of DC comics and Marvel comics. In particular, I like the early Batman stories from the 1930s. Batman was dark and mysterious and I love the gritty scenes and nasty, but believable, criminals he faces. But there are so many sources of ideas, far too many to even count. I’ve forgotten the source of many of them, but they still influence me.
I became intrigued by the idea of a kid who got super powers, and what that might really be like. Things would probably not go quite as smoothly as they often do in a lot of superhero stories. A kid wouldn’t know his way around the city, and might get lost. A kid might struggle with the mechanics of taking down a big, mean bad guy. A kid might shake in his boots when he came up against an evil villain. A kid might get discouraged and want to give up. All these things happen to my character—and much more. Since my day job as a career coach is about empowerment, I loved the idea of other superheroes mentoring him and helping him and showing him how to be a superhero.
At one point, the superhero named TreeMan tells him, “Being a superhero isn’t easy. It makes a mess of your life. Crooks want you dead. You’re tired. You want to give up. But you don’t—because people need you.”
4: Do you have a plan in your head of where the story is going before you start writing or do you let it carry you along as you go?
That varies from book to book. The first book was a work of discovery. It took several years to write (though I was writing other things too). It started as a picture book that was just three typed pages. I kept adding to it, and creating new scenes. The evil villain, Rocky the Rat, was there from the very beginning, but he took on much more definition. I got lost along the way, not quite sure where things were going. I took the character in directions that didn’t work.
An interesting thing happened as I worked on this. I asked a teacher to read a draft to a class of fourth graders. The teacher said the kids were wildly enthusiastic about it. With that encouragement, I continued working on it and—I thought—improving it. A few month later, I asked that same teacher to read it to a different class of kids. I was expecting the same great response, but didn’t get it. This time, this teacher said that after reading the first three chapters, it didn’t seem like the kids were into it. The teacher did a poll of the kids to see if they should continue reading—and most of them either said no or didn’t really care one way or the other. That was a crushing blow.
Part of the problem was my son. He was the model for my character, but every year, he got older and changed. So, my character also got older and changed—until I decided to keep him at age 11. Over the years, I tried reworking it this way and that way, and finally, someone in my critique group suggested that I send it to an editor she had worked with.
I spoke to the editor, and just at the end of the conversation, it occurred to me to mention the different responses from the two classes. She said, “Really? Why don’t you send me your current version and the first version that teacher read to the class?” After reading through them, she said, “I suggest that you get rid of your “improved” version and go back to your old story. She also had a few suggestions for improving it, including giving a stronger role to Kyle’s best friend, Carlos. That was the best suggestion ever, as Carlos has become a real force in the stories.
The second book that will be published in February (advance orders are available at my website though: www.thunderboltstories.com) was also tough. I had given myself a tough task of writing my first books as a series. I struggled to get the characters and the action fit with what had happened in the first book. I got stuck at one point and didn’t write a thing for about six months. I finally dove back in, continued writing and figured it out.
The third book was much easier. I had a basic plot in mind, and the people developed around the plot. Much less stress, struggle, and hassle. I knew where I was going with the book, and it was a lot more fun. The fourth book is coming along pretty smoothly as well.
5: What genre are your books and what drew you to that genre?
They are modern fantasy. I was drawn to them because of my son’s and my love of superheroes.
6: What dream cast would you like to see playing the characters in your latest book?
Truthfully, I have no ideas on this. The characters live in my mind. I can’t really think of who might play them.
7: Do you read much and if so who are your favourite authors?
I don’t read nearly as much as I would like, but I’m a big fan of John Steinbeck (recently re-read The Grapes of Wrath). I also read The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, a woman’s perspective on the dustbowl Steinbeck wrote about.
Sandra Cisneros—I love the simplicity and power with which she writes.
Mark Twain—I read Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn more than once as a kid, and then later as an adult. I often think of them and their relationship when I write about my superhero character, Kyle Alexander, and his best friend, Carlos Santana.
Lemony Snicket – I would often laugh out loud at the comments of the narrator and at the crazy and cruel Count Olaf, who tries to steal the fortune of three orphan kids. I read all thirteen volumes to my son.
J.K. Rowling—The queen of kids’ books (that adults also love). I’m in awe of how she managed to write about a character who gets a year older in each book, and still hold her audience. I’ve thought about trying that with my books, but I think I won’t. My son and I read all seven of the Harry Potter series together as well. I’ve also strived to capture the appeal to an adult audience in a kids’ book.
Pearl Buck—My wife and I were both spellbound as she took us into the world of Chinese society and the ups and downs in the lives of peasant farmers. Sadly, I was unable to interest my son in her work.
Bob Kane and Bill Finger, who created Batman, my all-time favorite superhero. My character’s encounter with Rocky the Rat in the first book and the Grizzly Bear Gang in the second, draw heavily from the tone of the Batman stories.
8: What book/s are you reading at present?
“This Changes Everything” by Naomi Klein—a book about climate change.
“The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier Clay,” by Michael Chabon
I’ve also picked up a stack of picture books, as I’m thinking of trying to write in that market:
My Monster And Me
I Am One
Can I Play Too
The Babysitter in the Caillou series
Norman Didn’t Do It!
Click, Clack, Good Night
9: What is your favourite book and why?
Wow. That’s a tough question to answer. There are so many. But certainly, one that comes to mind is Harry Potter. I’m in utter awe of how J.K. Rowling created such a detailed world that works through seven long books. I was also impressed with the way she described certain events, like the murder of Harry’s parents, in the different books, each time giving us more details about what happened. Of the Harry Potter books, I would say that “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” was a clear favorite. I read it years ago, but as I recall, it was in this book that we came to appreciate Professor Snape and his complicated relationship with Harry—having been in love with his mother and despising his father.
10: What advice would you give for someone thinking about becoming a writer?
Make sure it’s what you want. It’s a lot of work. More work than I ever anticipated. And writing the books is only half the battle. Then, there’s all the publicity.
But the most important thing is to start. So many people say, “I’m going to write a book someday.” But they never do. The worst obstacle is the blank computer screen. But if you just write something, no matter how bad you think it might be, you have something to work with, a foundation to build upon.
11: What are the best Social Media Sites for people to find out about you and your work?
At this point, my main places are my website: www.thunderboltstories.com
And my Facebook page www.facebook.com/A-Superhero-Named-Cockroach-105702558326159
About the Author:
Steve Frederick, author of the series Cockroach the Superhero, has learned to never give up on his dreams. When he was a kid, he wanted to be a superhero, but he, unfortunately, never got super powers.
But years later, his son, Ryan, became a fan of superhero stories. After Steve told him all he could remember from his years of reading comic books, he made up stories with his own characters.
When Ryan’s school had a special day for parents to read stories to the kids, Steve wrote down a story and shared it with Ryan’s kindergarten class. Since the kids loved the story, he wrote more. Over the next few years, he read superhero stories to Ryan’s class a number of times. Soon, he became known as “The Superhero Dad.”
Besides becoming a superhero later in life, Steve is a career coach and freelance writer. His writing has won awards and appeared in several Chicago area publications. He’s also won a number of awards for his speeches in Toastmasters International. He won second place in the Chicago Area for a speech about an unlucky pitcher named Harvey Haddix who pitched 12 perfect innings, but still lost the game. That speech has been made into a picture book called The Greatest Game Ever Pitched. Steve hopes to publish it sometime soon.
Reading Nook 