SWITCH and Blue Eagle is Officially Released!
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Guys! It’s finally happened! It’s finally here!
It’s the official launch of SWITCH and Blue Eagle: A Superhero Sidekick Novel!
My first novel is now a reality! Can you believe it? I can’t. I remember trying to write my first book all the way back in high school, when I was 17. It wasn’t related to the Blue Eagle Universe or anything.
Maybe I’ll tell you about it one day.
But now, I want to celebrate!
I’ve spoken at length about my book here, and I’m glad to repeat it all (again).
I’ve been working on this shared universe since May 2020. Ever since my gaming group and I played a game called “Masks”, I’ve had the idea for the main series I’m writing, SWITCH and the Challengers Bravo.
That is still being written. It’s getting closer and closer to publication every day.
But SWITCH and Blue Eagle: A Superhero Sidekick Novel is a prequel to that series, and the first installment of my larger Herald City universe. It is a 55,000 word Middle Grade/Young Adult coming of age novel with themes of family conflict, adolescent independence, self-confidence, the deeper roots of criminality, and personal vs societal responsibility.
Honestly, I think it would be better to let the blurb explain the story for me:
Welcome to Herald City….where legends wear capes, villains never rest, and the fate of the world hangs on every battle.
Switch the Blue Eaglet is the son and teen sidekick of Blue Eagle, one of Herald City’s top superheroes. But being a sidekick isn’t all glory. Switch is tired of living in his father’s shadow, tired of his strict rules, and tired of being told he’ll never be strong enough to stand on his own.
Jasper Clemens is just another faceless villain henchman. All he wants is to get out of the criminal business. But his debts to the mob keep piling up, and he's stuck taking the riskiest jobs in order to protect his family.
When a dangerous supervillain launches her deadliest scheme yet, it’s up to Switch and Jasper to stop her. Can Switch prove to the world he’s more than just a sidekick? Does Jasper have what it takes to be a true hero?
Or is Herald City doomed?
Perfect for fans of coming-of-age superhero tales, this short novel delivers action, heart, and a fresh twist on what it really means to be a hero.
Don’t miss this adventure of SWITCH and BLUE EAGLE!
Does that not give you chills? Does that not make you want to dive right in? I hope so. You guys helped me choose that blurb.
That’s not the only outside help I got. The cover was created by an artist named FujiFingerZ. You can check out her work here. She is also the artist that originally brought Blue Eagle, Switch, and Queen Venus to life.
And I can’t forget my ARC readers. In exchange for those Advanced Reader Copies, they’ve been leaving me reviews on NetGalley, Booksprout, Goodreads, and other places. Hopefully, those Amazon reviews will come soon.
Actually, that sort of segues into something I need to talk to you all about.
Amazon, Social Proof, and the Honeymoon Period
Okay, what the heck do those words mean?
I mean, I think you’re aware of Amazon, but let me explain the rest.
Right now, I think the success of SWITCH and Blue Eagle is on extremely shaky ground.
It’s impossible to market a book if you don’t have tens of thousands of dollars, the backing of a global publisher, and the name recognition of Sarah Maas or Stephen King.
I have none of those things.
So for independent self-published authors like myself, our books’ success and our writing careers’ feasibility comes down to the Amazon algorithm.
It isn’t officially confirmed by the company, to my knowledge, but it is widely believed that Amazon has a “Honeymoon Period” for brand new products listed on the platform. There have been data-collection experiments performed, and while no official conclusion was made, it seems that Amazon boosts a book’s visibility for the first thirty or so days upon launch.
But what happens after that?
If the book performs well, that boost essentially becomes permanent. Amazon puts it at the top of search lists, recommendations, also-boughts (“People viewing this product also bought….”), and so on.
If the book performs poorly, though? Amazon buries it.
That’s right. The first thirty days will determine if my book, and possibly my writing career, lives or dies.
No pressure.
So, then what?
There’s only one weapon an author like myself has, and that’s social proof.
Social proof is an entire socio-psychological phenomena, but I’ll skip the academic discussion and just say that, for our purposes, it means reviews and word of mouth.
Without reviews, there are no more sales. And without sales, there is no more Blue Eagle Universe. No more of the stories I want to tell.
And so….
I Need Your Help….
I hate to use this moment as an opportunity to ask for your help, but I need it. I have a favor to ask.
For you, they might be seemingly small things. For me, they are everything.
First, if you haven’t already preordered, would you consider purchasing my book?
The ebook is only $2.99. A paperback copy is $12.99.
I believe in transparency, so I’ll address something that the eagle-eyed superheroes among you likely caught. Yes, I did raise the price of the paperback up from $11.99. I ended up doing a small rewrite of the book based on feedback I got, and that ended up raising the cost of printing the book to the point where I would actually make less on the paperback than I would on the ebook. I didn’t mind making slightly less, and I’m not going to pretend that you all are (or should be) focused on how much I make when you buy my book, but I couldn’t imagine a situation where I’d be happy paying four times more for a paperback copy of the book only to find out the author actually made less money as a result.
Regardless of the format and price, I believe it is worth your time and money. I stand by SWITCH and Blue Eagle as one of the best new superhero novels of 2025, and I say that with full respect and admiration of the works of other authors in the genre.
I would appreciate your purchase immensely, but I also know you will absolutely love SWITCH and Blue Eagle.
I’m staking my reputation as an author on it.
Second, if you read it and you have something to say, can I ask you to leave an honest review on Amazon? Or whatever other platform you purchased it from?
As I said, reviews are the lifeblood of a self-published author. Without those reviews, even some bad ones, people don’t think there’s anything worth looking at and they pass right by.
It would only take you a few minutes to leave your thoughts on the book after finishing it, but it would mean more to me than you can imagine.
And trust me, I’ll be seeing them. I’ll be taking in your feedback. You won’t be talking to the void; you’ll be taking an active part in the development of a brand new superhero universe and one of the most epic sagas in all of original superhero fiction.
Good or bad, an honest review would mean a lot to me.
And third, if you know someone who might like this book, let them know!
Don’t go around and be obnoxious telling everyone you can about a book that lies outside their interests, obviously. But if you know someone that likes Middle Grade or Young Adult fiction, perhaps suggest this. If there’s a big superhero fan you know, maybe they would like this book. Is there a tween or teen in your life having a birthday coming up? I think my book might make a good gift.
I wouldn’t ask you guys to become full time unpaid marketers, of course not. But if there’s anyone you know who would like this book and the topic comes up, please keep SWITCH and Blue Eagle in mind.
Beginning Thoughts
I often label the end of a blog post “Final Thoughts”, mainly because “Conclusion” apparently makes people think it’s AI.
But this is different. These aren’t final thoughts. These are beginning thoughts. Because this project is only just beginning.
And if you’re with me from here, then you’re a part of it.
Whoever you are reading this right now, I couldn’t be happier to have you with me for it.
Please enjoy SWITCH and Blue Eagle: A Superhero Sidekick Novel and share your thoughts with me.
It’s Launch Day, baby!
For exciting superhero fiction written by me, be sure to check out the BLUE EAGLE Universe!