The Return of the Cerulean Blur – Coming Oct. 6 (Order Now)!
Writing my debut novel, THE BLACKSMITH’S BOY, was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done—and finding a publishing home for it might have been even tougher! This took up most of 2023 and the first month or so of 2024.
But once I signed with Wild Ink Publishing in February 2024, the itch to write another novel hit me immediately. I knew I could do it, and removing that mental block was a huge step for me.
I also had the story in mind. It’s one that I’d been kicking around in my brain for years, more so after I got into my 40s. What if a retired superhero decided to get back in the game? I even had the main character, Susan Murphy AKA the Cerulean Blur, in mind. I’ve always enjoyed The Flash, both in comics and the long-running TV show, so the idea of a super-speedster was appealing to me.
But once I started plotting out the novel, there were plenty of holes that I needed to fill. Why did Susan give up superheroing in the first place? And what pulled her back in?
I decided that depression—brought about by a huge mistake in Susan’s past—provided ample motivation for her hanging up her costume.
But what could tempt her to return? My son was a teenager at the time, and parents will do all sorts of uncomfortable things to help their children. What if Susan and her son, Troy, were estranged? And Troy’s love for superheroes was what opened the door to bring them together? Oh, and what if that put Susan at odds with her ex-husband? There’s a literary term called “GMC” (Goal, Motivation, and Conflict). I don’t call what I do fine literature by any stretch, but I had Susan’s GMC figured out.
Of course, the story needs an antagonist. That led me to Dr. Kate Hernandez, a brilliant young scientist with an axe to grind with the Cerulean Blur. I don’t think Kate is truly evil. She’s never recovered from her father’s death, and she lashes out in grief. Unfortunately for Susan, a genius multi-billionaire can cause a lot of trouble….
The last thing I needed—and this is something my friend and fellow author Amy Nielsen suggested—was a romantic subplot. Enter Jaipal “Jay” Gupta, Susan’s friendly and kind co-worker (named after my close friend Jay Reddick!) Susan hasn’t dated since her divorce, but she’s interested in Jay.
However, she’s got to deal with the baggage of her past before she can move forward (see what I did there? Speedster? Move forward?)
Anyway, you can pre-order your copy of THE RETURN OF THE CERULEAN BLUR right now! The publication date is October 6th, so we’re less than two months away.
Amazon (ebook and paperback)
Barnes & Noble (paperback)
