Launch

Posted On November 21, 2019

Hey Mamas. You want to buy this book for your kiddos:

I’d been looking for such a book for a long time. Have you? Super heroes seem to be a dime a dozen. Black ones? Not so much. Like less than a hand count worth. A social media dude once challenged me on the idea that it shouldn’t matter what color they are. We should just enjoy them for what and who they are. I do. Chinese? Cool. By the way, know any Chinese supers? Shrug. I’m sure someone could point out an obscure sidekick. Really, I’m not here to complain. Kids just happen to love heroes that look like them: And buddy, ain’t nuthin’ wrong with that.

Last summer, my daughter stood in line to have a book signed at the Realm Makers book fair, so I chatted with another author at an opposite table. His sign caught my eye. Launch. But so many books on so many tables, you know?

I meandered around the book tables and found Launch featured in the front with a gold Realm Award. I opened the cover. Wait-a-minute. Can it be? The main character is a black boy? Really? I snatched the book and headed back to Jason’s table. “Why?” I asked. “Why did you write a black speedster? Do you know, this is so important to me? What sparked the idea in the first place?” Poor guy. A barrage of questions I needed answered. White mama bear stuff.

He said, “The two things were tied together. I started thinking about possible superheroes, and considering twists on them. Back when I first started brainstorming, you didn’t really see a black speedster in comics (since then, DC has introduced a black version of Kid Flash). I imagined a guy running around and burning through shoes because of the speed. I liked the idea of seeing an African-American kid as a positive role model, and as I kept developing the story, he seemed like the perfect one to be a main character. I wanted Demarcus to be someone who tried to do what was right, even though he makes mistakes as we all do.”

Needless to say, I bought the book, had it signed, and surprised my son with it the first day of school. He held the book, blinked. Shrugged. Dropped it and walked away. Well. It was worth a shot, right? A few days later, I showed him the first page. That’s all it took, my boy-o was hooked. A few mornings later, he stood at the top of the steps half-asleep, blinking in the morning light, clutching the book under his arm. “Mom? There’s going to be more of these, right?”

Whoa. He’s never been more carried away by story. Here’s the back-cover scoop:

Sixteen-year-olds Demarcus Bartlett and Lily Beausoliel are among a select group of youth invited to an exclusive, all-expenses-paid conference at social media giant Alturas’ California headquarters. Led by charismatic founder Simon Mazor, the world’s youngest billionaire, this isn’t the typical honors society. It seems that everyone here has some secret, untapped potential, some power that may not be entirely of this world. An ancient prophecy suggests that if these teens combine their abilities, they could change the course of history. The only question is: Will it be for better or for worse?

Here’s what my son wants to tell you: I like only certain kinds of books. I like ones with more mystery and action and this book has very good writing. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was really cool. I’m really excited about books 2 and 3.

Here’s the dude that dared to write:

Jason C. Joyner is a physician assistant, a writer, a Jesus-lover, and a Star Wars geek. He’s traveled from the jungles of Thailand to the cities of Australia and the Bavarian Alps of Germany. He lives in Idaho with his lovely wife, three boys, and daughter managing the chaos of sports and superheroes in his own home. Launch, a YA superhero novel, is the first book in the Rise of the Anointed series that releases in July. Get updates at http://www.jasoncjoyner.com, or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 

And the link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=launch+jason+joyner&crid=N7JRS7NTS3OV&sprefix=Launch+Jason%2Caps%2C155&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_1