I have a special fondness for
optimistic heroes. Steve Rogers (Captain America) is my favorite
Marvel cinematic hero and my favorite version of Batman is as
Gotham’s guardian, not the grim-dark humorless knight.
So when I sat down to create my
first original superhero, I wanted that optimism to be an integral
part of his character. I wanted a hero who viewed his powers as a way
to help people but also enjoyed them because they were just plain
cool.
Thus was born Alec Farley of
Phoenix Rising. I’ve been told that he’s an unusual alpha hero
because of his open and friendly nature. Alec is uber-powerful, able
to light something on fire with a thought or toss large object around
with his telekinesis. Yet he’s also kind, willing to risk exposure
to help a young boy from spilling his juice.
This lack of angst meant I needed
to find conflict for Alec from an external source and that came from
the world around him. Alec was isolated from the greater world since
birth, schooled in the use of his powers, and educated but only with
subject deemed relevant to his mentor. His mentor planned to use his
protégé’s abilities to satisfy his own lust for power. In short,
Alec’s superpowers have been pointed in the wrong direction.
But because Alec is who he is, he
adjusts. He gathers allies, including the military-style strike team
that he trained with, a cynical black ops agent, and, most of all,
Beth Nakamora, the woman who showed him the world and the real
meaning of heroism.
At the climax of Phoenix Rising,
when Alec and Beth join their powers to defeat the enemy, I couldn’t
resist including my favorite reference from the original Superman
movie. In a way, Alec is the Superman of my storyverse, a man who has
seen the worst of humanity but retains hope in the best of us.
This is why Alec remains a joy to
write in his appearances in the sequel books and why I can’t wait
to give him the spotlight again.
Corrina
is a former newspaper reporter with a degree in journalism from
Boston University. A mom of four, she now works from home writing
romance novels with a geeky twist and as the Content Director and
co-founder of GeekMom.com.
website: www.corrina-lawson.com
Amazon link for PHoenix Rising: http://amzn.to/1RQoIwm
Facebook: https://www.
Thanks for sharing, Corinna. I love these little insights into how author brains work :)
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