Wonder Guy Blog Tour!

Title: Wonder Guy
Author: Naomi Stone 
Series: N/A
Pages: N/A
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Date Published: June 6, 2013
Format: eBook
Genre: Fantasy/Superhero
Source: Goddess Fish Blog Tours

Synopsis:
Sometimes true love needs a little help. Sometimes it takes fairy godmother magic to save the world - or at least Minneapolis.

Computer Science graduate student Greg Roberts is all formulas and logic. Neither will win him the heart of his lifelong true love, girl next door, Gloria Torkenson. When the Fairy Godmothers' Union, True Love Local offers to give him super-powers, Greg accepts, hoping to earn a shot at Gloria's love.

After her fiancé brushes off her shock and mourning, Gloria begins to see her engagement for what it is: a desperate bid for security. It's Greg who is at her side, comforting her when she needs it most. His natural thoughtfulness and newly emerged confidence capture her attention. But Gloria's desire for stability makes it hard to trust her heart.

With a dark fairy creating chaos, and her minions endangering Gloria, will Greg's gifted super powers prove enough to save the world?

~~~The Most Underrated Superheroes~~~

Most people probably don't think of fairy godmothers as superheroes. They're not buff young people in spandex. Their true natures and motivations are hard to understand, and they generally appear in supportive, rather than starring roles.

This last, more than anything, may be why they are underrated. But let's look at the evidence.

Most superhero origin stories wouldn't stand up to real scientific analysis. Radioactive spider bite imparts massive genetic changes rather than a rash? C'mon. Mutations that defy the laws of physics, allowing flesh to stretch far beyond normal capacities, bones to endure unheard of stresses, eyes to emit laser beams without going blind, etc, etc? I don't think so. The rays of our sun are different than Superman's sun of origin and that imbues him with amazing strength rather than a sunburn? This is not science. This is magic.

And what is a fairy godmother's stock in trade? Magic - a superpower by another, more honest name. In fact the fairy godmother in Wonder Guy implies that what we see as magic is rooted in an advanced understanding of the nature of the universe, one in which the emotional connections between people exert a far greater power than the physical sciences would recognize.

Fairy godmothers have been part of our folklore for hundreds of years, appearing in tales shared by old wives with their grandchildren in peasant cottages throughout Europe as well as in the inventions of French courtiers. Fairy godmothers have stepped in and used their superior powers to help worthy young men and women find happiness in countless tales. They use their powers for good - another sign of the superhero.

They act as a balancing influence in a world where the powerful and corrupt too often hold all the cards. They assert that good hearts and characters have an edge all their own.

The superheroes of comics and movies often use their powers in dramatic ways - the flashier the better. Very often in folklore the fairy godmother makes a single appearance, imparting some magical gift or bit of wisdom and departing again, leaving center stage to the young hero or heroine of a story. They are generous, but it's not like they don't have anything better to do than interfere in others' lives.

They are powerful, but use their power conservatively: just the right touch in the right time and place to do the trick.

In this regard, Wonder Guy is a bit different from my other Fairy Godmothers' Union stories. The FGU makes an exception in his case because a lot of flashy magic is what it takes to accomplish their goals - as well as helping the good-hearted hero, Greg Roberts to win the regard of Gloria, the girl he's loved since he was twelve.

With his fairy godmother's help, Greg becomes a superhero of the buff young spandex-wearing, flashy dramatics kind -- but it's all due to the help of the unsung Fairy Godmothers' Union supplying the magic.

Are fairy godmothers an iconic archetype representing the understated power of grannies throughout history? Of little old ladies working together and behind-the-scenes to help their offspring and communities thrive? Maybe so. I wouldn't discount the possibility.

 

~~~Try an Excerpt!~~~

She rejoiced and despaired again immediately, falling free toward the earth below. Her stomach lurched, dropping even faster than she fell through the air. The wind dragged at her hair and clothes, stopping her breath. The pervasive drone of wings fell silent and empty husks of giant mosquitoes filled the air, falling with her. The sharp black point of the Calder sculpture’s support rushed to meet them. Gloria screamed.

Strong, gentle arms scooped her up, and she threw her arms around the hero’s strong neck, burying her face in the warm crook below his clean-cut jaw, trembling in relief.

“Hey,” he said. “It’s gonna be okay.”

They swooped through the air, but this was totally different than flying in the grasp of the giant insects. She lost all fear of falling. Wonder Guy cradled her gently against his solid chest, one strong arm hooked under her thighs, the other holding her tightly to him. She clung fiercely, arms clutched around his neck. How could she feel so--contented? blissful? happy?--in the midst of this craziness? Her face pressed close to the bare flesh where his lower face and jaw emerged from his mask. His scent filled her like the breath of home, human, familiar and safe. She checked the urge to nuzzle him, to nibble her way up to his ear. She relaxed, molding herself to the solid wall of Wonder Guy’s body so warm against hers.

~~~Meet Naomi!~~~

It all started when my parents had to go and teach me to talk. Then they sent me to school where I learned to read and write. I learned to read and pretty soon I fell in love with books and stories. I loved fairy tales and tales of magic from the very start. Even before that I loved to daydream; I daydreamed myself into adventures with my favorite TV characters. I dreamed up adventures crossing time and space on my own, meeting characters out of history and stories. Books gave me the sense that there was a home waiting for my daydreams, a place where they belonged.

Naomi will be awarding a Somewhere Rainbow, a Jewelmark wearable-bookmark by Craftswoman, Laramie Sasseville featuring carnelian, citrine, blue Amazonite, blue zircon, to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a free download card for her previous release, Spirited, to a randomly drawn commenter at every stop.