Bringing my Heroes Home

 It's official, y'all. With the release of the fifth and final novel, the menopausal superhero series is now complete!

 

This has been the work of a little more than ten years, and there's a lovely symmetry in that the first book came out in 2015, and the final in 2025. 

Origin story: This series started because I watched an X-men movie with my husband, and we were talking, as we often do, while we walked the dog afterwards. I was joking that the underlying message of X-men stories is always that hormones cause superpowers, and if that was the case, menopausal women should have the corner on that market!

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 He laughed and told me to write it down. So I did. 

And to my surprise, it was more than just a little joke--it was the opportunity to create a group of female characters finding community, purpose, and love while they deal with the changes wrought in the life by changes in their bodies. Metaphorical AF, right? 

The journey: Writing them was cathartic, joyful, and sometimes heartbreaking, bringing together my personal struggles and fears surrounding aging, friendship, and what perimenopause was doing to my body, my brain, and my life alongside my lifetime love of superhero stories. 

 

The shirt says "what doesn't kill you, mutates and tries again" 

I LOVE how I ended the series, and can't wait to share this with readers. 

The whole series is available direct from the publisher as an ebook bundle: 

buy here

 

You can also get it a book at a time from the Big River site, or request it from your favorite bookseller in paperback or hardback. 

The series in order:

 

 

Going Through the Change, where it all begins. Meet Helen, Jessica, Patricia, and Linda/Leonel and laugh and cry with them as they struggle with the sudden development of unusual abilities amid their busy lives, and find each other along the way. 

Part of what I wanted to explore is what a heroic life might look like for a woman with a grown-up life: a career, children, a household, a partner. Responsibilities. This book was the start of all of that.  

 

 

  

 

Friend or Foe, a novella, serves as a bridge story between the first and second novels, and a peek inside the mind of the mad scientist who caused all this trouble in the first place, Dr. Cindy Liu. 

This novella is also included in Agents of Change, which collects the novellas and short stories in a single volume.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Change of Life, the second novel in the series, all the characters are dealing with the aftermath of the events of book one: the affects on their relationships, families, jobs, and psyches. The plot centers around Patricia, the Lizard Woman of Springfield, and her quest for answers and vengeance. 

This book introduces Daniel Price, one of my favorite creepy villains. He's been body hopping for a hundred years in a a quest to extend his own life, with no regard to who gets hurt (or killed) along the way.  

 

 

  

 

 In Face the Change, our heroes come together to work for the Unusual Cases Unit of the mysterious Department run by the Director and learn about hero life in the spotlight. As they fight The Six, a mysterious group of psychic villains, they deepen their personal connections, finding strength in each other.  

An unexpected romance came into play in this one. I LOVE it when my characters surprise me. 

 

 

 

The Good Will Tour is another novella, which works pretty well as a stand alone if you want to try the series at low investment.  Jessica "Flygirl" Roark and Leonel (formerly Linda) "Fuerte" Álvarez set out to build community good will with a celebrity visit to the local hospital and end up needing to save the day when a desperate earthquake causing woman shows up demanding experimental treatment for her wife. 

This novella is also included in Agents of Change, which collects the novellas and short stories in a single volume.   

 

 

 

Just when our heroes thought they had things figured out, a mysterious power spike challenges their control of their abilities in Be the Change. 

I had a wonderful time expanding on Patricia's backstory in this one, introducing her mother, stepfather, and some information on her siblings and half-siblings. And Daniel Price is back because he was too good not to bring back. 

 

 

 

 

 

And here's the new girl in town: the series ender: Change for the Better. Readers will probably have noticed that Jessica "Flygirl" Roark has been…odd. Things escalate in this book and the menopausal superheroes have to scramble to save one of their own, while they face down enemies within and the return of Daniel Price and the shadowy mystery man, Bertrand Dietrich.  

I'm really proud of that final fight scene and that last chapter will hit you right in the feels. 

 

 

 

 

Through Thick & Thin is a collection of side-stories for the menopausal superheroes. It’s confession time in "Coming Out as Leonel." Join Patricia, the Lizard Woman, as she unravels the puzzle of Dr. Cindy Liu's disappearance in "The Right Thing," and then see her softer side (and her "better half," Suzie) in "Underestimated." Get ready for a wedding, and a heroic rescue, in "Flygirl's Second Chance."

These can be read separately of the novels, but I think you'll enjoy them more if you've already read at least books one and two. They're also all included in Agents of Change. 

 

 

 

 This anthology collects the novels and short stories into a single volume. 

• Friend or Foe
• The Good Will Tour
• "Coming out as Leonel" 
• "The Right Thing" 
• "Underestimated"
• "Flygirl's Second Chance"  

(this might be my favorite cover in the series, combining the silhouettes we used for the novels with the stripes or rays we used in the short work) 

 

 

 

I have some readings from all this work available on YouTube or in the Menopausal Superheroes slideshow on the "Read My Work" link in this website.  

And if that's not enough Menopausal Superheroes for you, you can also read another short story, "Intervention", exploring the background of Patricia and Cindy Liu in Theme-Thology: Mad Science or read a couple of free holiday stories I created for my newsletter subscribers: O Scaly Night (Patricia's version of Santa Claus is…violent) and (Flygirl's son gets to see her in action) Max's Mommy. 

If you find me or my publisher, Falstaff Books, at a convention or other in-person event, you can also get the very cool omnibus edition (second volume coming soon), and I hope to be able to share links for audiobooks in the near future.  

I'm working on a book tour this fall and winter to celebrate the completion of this series, so you may have a chance to come see me in your neck of the woods!  

Thanks to all of you who came along with me on this journey. Writing is great, but we need readers to make it worthwhile and I am so pleased that so many of you have connected to my characters and found escape and expression with me in these stories. 

May you find strength when you need it, joy in friendship, and love in one form or another.  

Book Birthday! Through Thick and Thin

 

Today is my book birthday! The sixth release in the Menopausal Superhero series made her debut today. Through Thick and Thin is a collection of short stories, featuring Flygirl, Fuerte, and The Lizard Woman of Springfield in both their costumed and civilian identities. We've got an impending wedding, a daring escape, superpowered rescue, and heartfelt friendship moments, all within a slender volume you could read in an afternoon. 

The older I get, the less excited I am about actual birthdays…but book birthdays? They're awesome! Projects come to fruition and out there in the world looking for an audience are WAY more exciting than merely surviving to be another year older. 

But, I still like cake, and you can be sure I celebrate each and every book birthday with chocolate :-)

Check out this back-of-the-book blurb. 

Hidden in the space between chapters lurk other stories. What came before and after, and meanwhile. The other side of the story, including the part our heroines didn’t know. This collection peeks around those corners of the Menopausal Superhero series.

Through Thick and Thin will get you up close and personal with your favorites. Fuerte wasn't always Fuerte - or male. It’s confession time in "Coming Out as Leonel." Join Patricia, the Lizard Woman, as she unravels the puzzle of Dr. Cindy Liu's disappearance in "The Right Thing," then see her softer side (and her "better half," Suzie) in "Underestimated." Get ready for a wedding, and a heroic rescue, in "Flygirl's Second Chance."

These aren’t your father’s superheroes. Whether you’re already a fan or are just meeting these characters for the first time, the menopausal superhero series explores what it means to be a hero at any age or stage of life.

If you've been meaning to check out my series, this short story collection is a great introduction to the characters and concepts as well as my writing style and the drama-dy (part drama/part comedy) tone of the books. And it's available through Kindle Unlimited if that's how you roll. Paper copies will be available in the next few days. 

Can't wait to bring you more of these characters in 2021, but for now, please check out the series, and if you've read them, leave a review! Reviews are even better than cake. 

Reading my Own Work

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I'm settling in to write novel #4 in the Menopausal Superheroes series. I've been on a hiatus from writing in that series for two years, not because I was done telling the stories but for business reasons (short version: old publisher fell apart, got rights back, republished with a new company. Details in this blog post). 

Throughout 2020, I've worked with Falstaff books to bring out two novellas and a collection of short stories (due out in August!) in the series, but these are all things that I wrote in 2015-2018. So, editing put me back in this universe again, but not in the same immersive way as actively writing with these characters. 

To get into the right head-space, I decided I had best re-read my own series, making notes about seeds I had planted or threads I had begun that might be developed for books 4 and 5. 

The good news:  I still LOVE these characters and this world. My menopausal heroes still amaze me with their bravery, honesty, and caring. I can hardly wait to spend the next few months fighting, living, and learning alongside such fabulous imaginary friends. 

And re-reading my old work is not making me cringe. I worried it might. Sometimes, it's like that--you learn so much across a writing career, and reading work by "past me" can make me want to snatch it back and do it over. I do think I'm a better writer now than I was in 2015 when the first novel came out, but I still think 2015 Samantha was a damned decent storyteller with a creative premise and good emotional engagement. 

I love the energy I'm catching from the characters: 

Wish me luck guys! I'll be working to recapture the magic and energy and form it into something new. Something you can read in 2021! 

Switching Gears

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I've been working on a novel for about a year (a gothic romance, working title The Architect and the Heir). It's going well and I want to keep plugging away on it. I gave myself "until school ends" to finish a draft…and I failed to do so. 

I made great progress, especially considering that I do this part time and you know…COVID, police violence, terrifying fascism rearing its ugly head everywhere. If 2020 is the year of seeing clearly, I sometimes wish I could back to being blind. 

And now, I have to shelve A&H and switch gears, hard turn to starboard. 

The reasons are positive. I have a contract! That's a lucky position for an author to be in: knowing I have a publisher ready and waiting for my book, willing to help bring it out there into the world. 

But contracts come with deadlines--external deadlines, imposed because of schedules for editing, proofreading, cover art, etc. My next deadline is January, which means it's time to set down Devon and Victor and pick up the Menopausal Superheroes again or I won't make it. 

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I'm also coming back to this series after a nearly two year break during which I worked primarily on other fiction: short stories, editing for work that already been submitted, and another shelved novel before this one. So, I'm feeling a little daunted. 

This is the first time in my writing career (all five years of it) that this has happened to me. I've heard other writers talk about juggling different projects and now I finally understand how wrenching it can be to slam on the brakes and screech to a halt, leaving good rubber on the road, so I can keep my promises. It's not that I don't love the other projects, too--I totally do! It's just the moment of switching gears that hurts a bit. 

I'm hopeful though, that Devon and Victor will be there waiting for me when I come back to them. I've made good notes about where the story is going. I have already managed to set it aside three times in the past few months to complete edits on novellas for the Menopausal Superhero stories, and each time I fell back in within a few days. 

Any advice for me on switching gears and finding my groove on the new thing quickly? The clock is running guys, so I need to get this booty moving! I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments!

I won a Jacquis Award!

I'm so proud to announce that my debut novel, Going Through the Change: A Menopausal Superhero Novel, has received a Jaquis Award from Legendary Women. 

"The Jacquis is an award nominated by feminist readers and given to feminist authors — stellar penwomen who capture the lives of women in their pages. Women of all colors, creeds and backgrounds."

You can click here to see the announcement from Legendary Women and the amazing writers I am being honored alongside.

Obviously I'm pleased beyond all reason. The origins of this novel are in my own feminist ideals and frustrations, and to be honored on that platform is the best way to end my first year as a published novelist I could imagine.

Muse Party Blogfest

So happy to have been invited to the Muse Party Blogfest again. I had a great time last year, when my character, Patricia O'Neill came with me. Since we're doing a Valentine's party this year, I invited Leonel, because he's dreamy. Plus, he's married and gay as well as imaginary, so my husband shouldn't get too jealous.

1. Who did you bring to the party? Is he/she your Valentine or anti-Valentine?

This is my character Leonel Alvarez, one of the four main characters in Going Through the Change: A Menopausal Superhero Novel. Now that he's had some time to adjust to life as a man, he's trying to get out there and meet people. He was a little homebound there for a while and is ready to party!

He's not my Valentine…that would be my husband. But he's a romantic fellow and very handsome. I'm not really his type though. He prefers his husband, David. We'll have a good time together though. No pressure!


2. Which one of you is the more romantic person?

Tough call. I think we're a lot alike in that regard. We're both dog-people, meaning we're loyal to the core, and fiercely passionate. Leonel's story is undeniably romantic, though. His marriage survived an unexpected gender change! My husband and I have had far less to overcome.

3. What gift are you giving to your (anti) Valentine?

Leonel has struggled with fashion since he became a man. I found him a new shirt, made of something soft and lovely, but that fits flattering over all those new muscles.

4. Are you guys wearing red or pink (or black...)?

Leonel is wearing pink. It's always been one of his favorite colors, and he's woman and man enough to wear it well. He looks great in the button-up with jeans and boots. I'm wearing my red Converse with a Deadpool tee shirt and jeans. Leonel rolled his eyes at me, but I'm just not the dress and heels type. And hey, my Deadpool tee shirt is red! He'll have to go with Jessica next year if he wants a dressy date.

5. Did you bring any Valentine's Day treats?

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Leonel is a wizard in the kitchen. He brought macarons. They're not only delicious; they're also beautiful! He doesn't have as much time to cook as he used to, now that he's joined the Department, but when he's in there, he can work magic.

6. Name a song for our Love Playlist or Anti-Love Playlist (or both)!

I'm a big fan of Norah Jones and Madeleine Peyroux when it come to love songs.


Leonel says that's not peppy enough for a party though. He's thinking maybe "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves or the Proclaimers (I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles, for the English speakers. And for los que hablan español: "Las Cosas Pequeñas" by Prince Royce or "Me Faltas Tú" by Thalia.

7. Got a great anti/Valentine party game?

A good game of charades is always fun, especially with a theme of love songs or romantic movies. Leonel is a surprisingly good singer, so if you queue up some karaoke he might just floor you with a tune. If we drink enough to start feeling confessional, a game of "I Never" is sure to be revealing and hilarious.

8. Feeling the love or just feeling nauseous? How will you have fun at the party?

I'm more of a people watcher than a mover and shaker. I'll probably find someone else a little introverted and shy and sit and make awkward small talk with him or her. Leonel is quite social though. I bet by the end of the party, everyone will want his phone number, and quite a few will have it. Though only David has his heart.

9. Has your muse been a good Valentine?

Definitely. Leonel is the truest heart I know. I'm lucky to count him among my imaginary friends.

*Jordan's Bonus Question (feel free to ignore him...): Did you bring me & Sarah a musiversary gift? (Because we've put up with each other for five years and I think we deserve something.)

Yes, Jordan, we did. Besides the macarons (yes, you get to the keep the leftovers). I told Leonel about your karaoke version of Satisfaction last year, so he found you this "Moves Like Jagger" tee shirt. We figured you could both wear it. (And to be clear: Leonel is both too old for you, and married, Jordan. So no heavy flirting!).

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Be sure to check out the rest of the party, being held at the blogs in this linky:


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