I sent the "final" draft of II Crimsonstreak to Mastermind Kate at Candlemark & Gleam. That means the continuing adventures of Crimsonstreak & company are now "out in the wild!"
By "final draft," I mean "submission draft"...not the final "professional people have read this and given you feedback so make it better" draft.
Obviously, I spent a lot of time on the book, which is bigger in scope than the first one. We shift from an earthly threat to universal one (actually, a MULTIuniversal one). Our familiar characters return (Crimsonstreak, the Crusading Comets, Jaci, Miss Lightspeed, and the Colonels Chaos -- yes, BOTH versions of Colonel Chaos).
We also meet some new ones:
Falcon Gray - The "Misplaced Birdman of Aviary XII," Falcon Gray is a noble, well-meaning man-bird with arm-wings, feathers, and a heart as big as the sun. Perhaps he channels some of the Tick's earnestness and has a tendency to take things too literally, but he's good to have around in a fight.
Sapphire Twelve - The (supposed) deposed queen of a distant star, Sapphire Twelve is a commanding hero who walks the fine line between good, evil, and crazy. The wielder of mystical blue energy, she is in charge of the Champions of Justice, a group of ex-Enforcers that's never happy with the Heroic Legion.
Samson Knight - Acting leader of the Heroic Legion, Samson Knight wears a mechanized suit of armor fused with a mystical helmet. He has no love for the Fairborne family (well...some of it) and believes Crimsonstreak poses a threat to his leadership. His bravery is sometimes overshadowed by his love of bureaucracy.
Crossworld - She made a cameo in I, Crimsonstreak as a fellow inmate at the Clermont Institution for the Criminally Insane and got her own bio. A big, BIG fan of Colonel Chaos, this gorgeous hero isn't afraid to make romantic advances toward his son. In II Crimsonstreak, she's a complete wild card. You better watch your back.
Kilgore - The "Darth Vader" of a group of aliens known as the Kiltechs, Kilgore's a nasty SOB who doesn't care much for humanity. Strong-willed and overbearing, Kilgore believes his people are superior to human beings in almost every way.
Orange Bands - Arrogant "space cops" (think Green Lantern Corps), the Orange Bands believe they're the real power in the universe. They take a distant interest in Earth only because the Kiltechs have returned after a failed invasion referenced in I, Crimsonstreak. Equipped with a mighty Band of Power, these guys don't mess around--despite the fact their weapon sounds like an Eighties superhero hair band.
