Why We Love Heroes

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes – from caped crusaders to little boys, from the pages of comic books to people you come across everyday. We love heroes, both in fiction and in real life, because they inspire us and even possibly allow us to awaken the hero within ourselves.

Here’s why we love heroes.

• Heroes are ordinary. They always start off as “ordinary,” just like each and every one of us. We cheer for heroes because we share roots with them, as normal, run-of-the-mill, average joes.
• Heroes are unexpected. Who becomes a hero is always a surprise. Most often, the people that we expect to be heroes turn out to be the opposite. We never know who will turn out to be the true heroes.
• Heroes fight through adversity. They also have their fears, but heroes face them and fight through them. With each struggle overcome, heroes become immortal and inspiring in front of our eyes.
• Heroes show up in times of need. They know when they are needed the most, and they deliver what needs to be done. Heroes know when we are in the darkest depths of despair and they pull us out of there.
• Heroes fight for others. This is the most important of all – they are selfless, ready to defend and support those that can’t do it for themselves. Heroes always act for the greater good.

These are the reasons why we love heroes, and as more heroes emerge, so does the support that they receive.

In “Echoes of a Shattered Age” by R.J. Terrell, the story revolves around a small group of friends that are pushed into learning how to be heroes while discovering their unique abilities. However, they need to learn fast, as massive hordes of monsters threaten to throw the world into darkness.

“Echoes of a Shattered Age” is the first book of the Legend of Takashaniel Trilogy – a trilogy that chronicles the rise, struggles, and triumph of heroes.

“Echoes of a Shattered Age” is currently available in Kindle format at Amazon.com. Click on the link to preview the book or download your own copy.

OMG: Adventure-Packed Sci-Fi Mystery for Young Adults

If you could go back in time to solve a mystery, save a life, and right a wrong, would you do it – even if you weren’t sure you could return to your own time, or that you would be changing history as we know it?

OMG is the first novel of the CUL8R time travel series. The story features four smart and independent teenagers Kelly, Scott, Zoey, and Austin, who travel to the past to accomplish an important mission while dealing with their own issues in their own lives.

The story begins with Kelly starting out her new life in Florida. She has just moved in with her aunt after she lost her parents to a car accident. Her whole world has completely changed, her comfort zone (as little as it had been) is gone, and –completely unknown to her – her greatest adventure is just about to start.

She meets Scott, the boy next door. Far from being a heartthrob, Scott is actually best known as the school’s top geek. His best friend Austin, however, is a heartthrob. Austin is their school’s quarterback, and unsurprisingly, all the girls find him super-cool and super-hot at the same time. Nonetheless, Austin never abandoned Scott.

Zoey is one of the girls that have their eyes on Austin. She’s one of the cheerleaders, a member of the so-called “jet set.” Though she would never give kids like Kelly and Scott the time of the day, she would give past, present, and future to Austin if he’d take it. She has no idea how close she’d get to literally doing that.

The big adventure begins when Scott finds a way to go back in time. He, Austin, Kelly, and Zoey travel to the past, where they help a girl solve a mystery and get a chance to make things right. However, they end up with a big dilemma: should they right the wrong that they discovered and end up changing history; or should they turn a blind eye, leave things as they are, and preserve the history that they know?

Throughout the novel, the reader is treated to a fast-paced narrative, a brain-tickling mystery, relatable teen issues, and an interesting (and educational) peek into a time when phones were wired to the wall, luggage was actually lugged instead of rolled, mail took days to reach the recipient, and the slower pace of life could actually help you save a life.

As a bonus, you get to meet Thomas Edison (yes, the Thomas Edison) up close and personal and learn about some pretty interesting rumors that hounded him in those days.

It’s a story that is sure to hook you in, and the best part of it is that it’s only the first of the series. In other words, the fun is just beginning.

This series of time travel books is written for teens by experienced writer Kathy Clark. Ms. Clark has written over twenty titles, sold more than 3 million books, and has another book series, Denver After Dark, that is nominated for two 2013 book awards.

To learn more about OMG and the other books in the series, go to www.cul8rseries.com.