Superhero Fic to the Rescue: Interview with Timothy Cerepaka a.k.a. Lucas Flint

Good tidings, readers. I hope this post finds you well.

We are very fortunate to bring you an interview with Timothy Cerepaka.

Under the pen name Lucas Flint, Timothy writes young adult superhero fiction. He is the author of The Superhero’s Son, Minimum Wage Sidekick, The Legacy Superhero, Dimension Heroes, and Capes Online, among others. He lives in Texas. (*Where I imagine the weather is far warmer than the cold temps we're experiencing in the Poconos. Someone tell the Northeast that it's almost May.)

If you're into the superhero genre, check out his work. His book covers are gorgeous. And if you're an indie author, pay attention to his thoughts on library ebooks (you could be missing out on an opportunity). 

Welcome to Across the Board! First, I gotta ask, as this is the new norm: How are you holding up during the quarantine? What are you doing to keep busy and sane?

 

I'm holding up fine. Spending it with my girlfriend, who I moved in with for the month of April (we're in a long distance relationship and weren't sure when the lockdown would lift, so decided it made sense for me to move in with her for a while so we could be together during this time).

 

I'm doing all sorts of things. Writing, editing, marketing, and all of the other things that go into running a publishing business. I'm also volunteering at my girlfriend's church a couple of times a week to pack bags of produce for the poor, doing bodyweight exercises to keep in shape, spending time with my girlfriend when she's not working, practicing my chess skills ... yeah, I can't say I'm bored :P .

 

How would you describe your work?

 

Young adult superhero fiction that, while dark and intense at times, is generally upbeat, fun, and full of action and adventure, with a dash of satire thrown in for good measure. 

Many authors are going to have to change their stories to reflect the pandemic and its impact on history. Do you think fantasy and science fiction writers will have to do the same?

 

Interesting question. The series I am currently writing (but have not yet published) features an epidemic in the background that nearly decimated the superhero community, but I planned this series before this pandemic started, so that's totally a coincidence. Said series will not come out until August, so we'll see how this pandemic is going by then.

 

Possibly. I don't think you NEED to talk about this pandemic (or any pandemic) in your stories if you don't want to or it doesn't make sense. While post-apoc fiction dealing with pandemics is selling like hotcakes right now, not every reader wants to read about that. Especially in fantasy and science fiction, which often feature alien worlds that may have nothing to do with Earth as we know it.

 

Having said that, pandemics are as much a part of a world as anything else. This could be a good opportunity for SFF writers to learn more about pandemics so they can make realistic alien or fictional diseases in their own worlds and stories. I'm certainly paying attention, despite not having any plans to make a pandemic story (aside from my unpublished series, though like I said, the epidemic is more of a background element than a central part of the story).

 

In addition, as an indie publisher, do you already see a change (positive or negative) in the publishing industry since the start of the quarantine? How will indie authors have to accommodate these new times?

A positive change I've seen, in my personal experience, is an increase in demand for library ebooks. My personal library sales have been rising steadily since January, which is significant because I do no direct marketing to libraries whatsoever. I expect that people are staying home more often and looking for free or low cost ways of entertaining themselves during their quarantine, and you can't get cheaper than free library books. I've also seen my KU page reads increase, which is probably for the same reason my library sales have gone up.

 

So, whether you are wide and in libraries or exclusive to KU, there's good opportunity out there for us indies. We're blessed to be working in an industry that isn't as badly affected by quarantines, lockdowns, and so on as others, so let's make the most of it.

 

Who are you reading right now?

 

Luke Chmlienko and his Ascend Online series. I'm a big LitRPG fan and have been enjoying this series so far.

 

Also been making my way through some of Craig Martelle's books on writing and publishing. Lots of good info and tips for writers and indies in those books.

 

What are you binge watching?

 

I recently finished binge watching the fourth season of the superhero anime My Hero Academia. Great season and great series in general. Definitely recommend it for superhero and anime fans alike.

 

What is one new hobby or activity you have picked up since being in quarantine?

 

Chess. Well, I was actually learning chess before the quarantine, but I've been studying and practicing more than ever since getting to my girlfriend's apartment. My girlfriend, who's a good chess player, has been teaching me how to play. Still can't beat her yet ( :P ), but I've made huge progress in a fairly short time and having fun doing it.

 

I've also been making my way through Mark Dawson's Facebook ads course. I have very little experience with Facebook ads, but would like to make them part of my marketing arsenal. Almost finished with it.

 

What are you working on?

 

A young adult superhero academy series. The first book, the name of which I haven't revealed to my readers yet, is coming out in August. The series will probably be about four books long. It's been a lot of fun to write and I can't wait to publish it so my readers can check it out.

 

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog. You can connect with Timothy at any of his Lucas Flint social media links posted below.

Website: www.lucasflint.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlucasflint/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LucasFlintBooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlucasflint/