Jamieson Wolf
Number-one bestselling author
Captain Maven to the Rescue!
I love the holiday season.
It’s so full of light and joy, even in these times. I normally give away a holiday tale during this time of year as a gift to my readers, but this year I wanted to do something a little differently. What with the world being as it is, with everything so uncertain, I wanted to extend the joy for as long as possible.
I’ve decided to post a chapter a day on my blog from December 14th until December 25th. You’ll have to tune in each day to see how the story progresses! It will be sort of like a literary advent calendar. Here’s a bit about the novella:
It’s Christmas time in Ottawa.
Captain Maven is a superhero with a broken heart. After a bad breakup, he hasn’t been himself. The other superheroes in their group have been worried about him, but all he can do lately is look into his cup of power and remember what used to be. Finley, who controls fire, tells Maven to call his ex, but Maven knows that he can’t do that. Carley Bravo tries to cheer him up by offering to alter his mood, but Maven declines. He’d rather be miserable, even if it is Christmas.
When the nefarious Cracklepuss starts to kidnap children, they all know that they don’t have much time. However, this time Cracklepuss is not acting alone. There is a man that walks in the shadows, thankfully Captain Maven seems to have drawn the shadow man’s attention. When the shadow man endangers Gregory, Captain Maven’s ex boyfriend, Maven knows that their time is limited.
Along with Finley and Carley, there are a few others in their group: Tara can put people into an enchanted sleep and travel into the minds of others. Sandoz can reshape the world around him or destroy them at his will. Dez can control water and can cause rivers to appear where there was only a desert. Tianado can travel within the shadows, and he knows them well. They will have to band together and combine all of their talents if they hope to succeed against this unknown foe.
Can they save Gregory, find the shadow man and rescue children and the city of Ottawa from oblivion all before Christmas? A superheroes job is never done!
I really hope you enjoy it!
Happy Holidays!
The Worlds She Created – On the passing of Anne Rice
I read Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice when I was in my teens.
Reading that book was a revelation. In this gothic world of vampires, there was this undercurrent of homoeroticism between Lestat and Louis. As a young closeted gay kid, I had finally found a world, albeit fictional, that I felt at home in.
When I found the Sleeping Beauty series, my world was turned upside down. Here was a world where gay love was on the page. I had never read anything like it before or since and part of me felt like I was reading a secret codex of some sort, where love was this powerful magic that could heal hearts and destroy kingdoms. I knew in some abstract way that it was okay to be who I was.
I read anything by Anne Rice that I could get my hands on. I was entranced by Lestat and his misadventures. I fell in love with the Mayfair Witches, was thrilled by Ramses the Damned, I was enthralled by Cry to Heaven. Even her books about Jesus and his life held a lot of mystery and alure to me. The worlds that she created came alive around me when I opened one of her books. She wrote about themes of love, sex, religion, acceptance and diversity with such ease and confidence. Every time a new book by Anne Rice was published, I felt like I was reading a new missive from a friend. I felt like she was speaking directly to me in her stories.
I knew after reading her novels that I wanted to be a writer. Anne Rice was one of my main influences in my early stories. I wrote stories that delved into the power of the heart and what it could do, which seemed to be the undercurrent of all her stories. I learned through Anne Rice, all those years ago, that the heart was capable of an incredible kind of magic. Even now, my stories revolve around love in some way.
Though Anne Rice may be gone from us, the worlds that she created will live on forever. I know that inside of me, there will always be this little gay kid, opening Interview with the Vampire for the first time and finally finding a place where I belonged.
i know, but… – a poem
i feel this endless need
to say that I’m sorry.
i know it’s not my fault,
that the storm that rages
within my skin
is not of my doing,
but i want to make everything better,
want to somehow
take away the pain
that it’s causing everyone
and the endless inconveniences
of being sick.
my mind knows
that none of this is my fault
but I want to make everything
better, easier, more manageable.
i know that i have no control over this,
but I carry this guilt with me,
this anger at what the storm
has caused me to sacrifice,
the endless hours of darkness,
wandering around in a body
that i no longer understand,
having to find a new way
over and through the mountains
that are my life.
And yet,
it is because of those mountains
that i have truly seen the world
and what it has to offer me,
the land spreading far and wide
all around me.
i know that the mountain
and the storm that live inside me
are almost insurmountable,
but i will keep climbing,
letting the water wash over me
until I reach the top.
Deck the Halls – A Holiday Book Launch!
You’re all cordially invited to a party!
My publisher Renaissance Press is throwing a holiday book launch and you don’t need to leave the comfort of your own home! How awesome is that?
There will be readings, heartwarming tales of yuletides past, prizes to be won and ugly sweaters! How cool is that?
Each of the authors will be reading from their new books! They are a fantastic collection of stories waiting to be read!
Samantha’s Sandwich Stand by Sonia Saikaley and illustrated by Nathan Caro Frechette (children’s picture book)
Coffee Shop Between The ‘Verses by Éric Desmarais (YA)
Beyond the Stone by Jamieson Wolf (queer paranormal romance)
Dissatisfied Me: A Love Story by Bruce D. Gordon (humour)
Artificial Divide, edited by Robert Kingett and Randy Lacey
Shifting Trust by Madona Skaff-Koren
More info can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1343323029455596
I’ll be reading from my new novel Beyond the Stone. I hope you can all make it! It’s free and will be tons of fun.
Make sure to register and wear your ugly sweater! It will be tons of holiday fun.
Captain Maven and the Shadow Man – COMING SOON!
I live with Cerebral Palsy and Multiple Sclerosis.
After my last MRI a few months ago, they found new lesions in my brain caused by the Multiple Sclerosis. I was put on a new drug called Mavenclad. Its purpose is to wipe away the immune system so that when it rebuilds itself, it will hopefully do so without the lesions. It’s a chemo drug normally used to treat leukemia.
When the medication arrived, it had a red sticker on it with a big white cross. I’d never received something with a medical symbol of any kind on it, but for some reason it stuck with me, that big white cross. I’m not sure how the subject came up, but when I was talking to my Wonder Mom one day during the treatment, she mentioned the fact that I was like a superhero and maybe the Mavenclad was going to ramp up my powers.
“I would totally need a cape,” I told her.
“Yes, a red cape with a white cross.” She said.
“No, not red and white. I would need a purple cape with a sparkly silver cross. That would be more my style.”
“Yes, you could be Captain Mavenclad!”
“Hmmm, what about Captain Maven?” I was thinking of the way I tried to remember the medication name: I’m a maven clad in raven’s clothes.
“That does have a nice ring to it.”
Now I couldn’t get the image of Captain Maven out of my head. I asked the very talented CaitGordon if she could draw me a Captain Maven drawing. She did so, giving him a cup of power (I had to drink a lot of water when I took the Mavenclad) and a sceptre of light (I sometimes walk with a cane, and I like to sparkle). To say that I loved it is putting it mildly. It put the whole chemo med thing into something that I could draw light from, something that brought me joy. I love that drawing so very much.
Then it occurred to me, if my Mavenclad medication could be a superhero, what about all the other medications that I take? I ended up settling on Finley (Baclofin), Tara Dawn (Trazodone), Sandoz (Sandoz Solifenacin), Dez (Apo-Desmopressin), Tianado (Apo-Tizandadine) and Carley Bravo (CBD oil). They would be a group of superheroes that would do battle against Cracklepuss (Cerebral Palsy) and Max Shadow (Multiple Sclerosis), protecting the streets of Ottawa and keeping the people safe.
I normally write a story for Christmas every year and give it away for free. I thought it would be neat to write a story with this group of supers and set it during the holidays. It never occurred to me that I would write a full novella as I normally just write a short story to give away. I’m already thinking of other stories that could happen with the other characters.
I can’t tell you what joy this story has brought to me and how much fun it was to create a world of superheroes that are really just like ordinary people…with a bit of something extra. I do hope that you enjoyed this tale as much as I enjoyed writing it.
It comes out later this month, just in time for the Holidays! Stay tuned!
Buy Little Yellow Magnet from Amazon and Kobo!
Jamieson Wolf has written a compelling story about navigating multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. His story will touch your heart, make you cry, then laugh, and inspire you. A touching memoir with a bit of magic…and tarot! ~ Theresa Reed, author of The Tarot Coloring Book
Jamieson Wolf 