David Blaze, best known for writing “Frozen 2: The Deluxe Junior Novelization” and “My Fox Ate My Homework,” releases “Select Your Superpower” in paperback and Kindle eBook on November 20, 2021. The bestselling author will also release the hardcover edition in time for Christmas 2021.
Blaze writes books for kids of all ages but focuses on middle graders, ages 7-12. “Select Your Superpower” is an interactive adventure where children choose from seven superpowers, then decide how to use theirs to save the day.
FMM: Your first book that you published for kids sold well over 100,000 copies. Tell us about your background.
I began writing and self-publishing short stories in 2013 and became a popular writer of horror and suspense for adults. My son was born later that year, and I began to see things differently. I wanted to write stories that impress values on him as he grows older. There was only one way for me to let go of my writing habits and it required me to do what I dreaded the most: I had to say goodbye to my sister by visiting the grave I had not seen since I was nine years old. Once I did that, everything changed.
FMM: What is it about writing children’s books that you enjoy the most.
I love using my imagination in a way that kids “get.” I absolutely love talking to them and seeing their expressions. There’s nothing better in the world.
FMM: Disney Publishing contacted you a year after that book was released and asked you to write the Frozen 2 Junior Novelization. Why was this particularly exciting for you?
I received an email from a Disney editor and totally thought it was a scam. I marked it as “junk” and ignored it for a few days. I eventually looked over it again, researched the editor’s name, and even traced the email address it came from. Everything checked out! After I picked myself up from the floor, I responded as if I was calm and collected. Disney was never on my radar because it seemed like an impossibility. I was happy to show my son that impossible dreams we’ve never even imagined are indeed possible.
FMM: Tell us about the inspiration for your recent book, Select Your Superpower.
I want to show my son and every kid that they’re all superheroes. Saving the world is done one person at a time, one act at a time, one kindness at a time. As the book says about being faster, stronger, invisible, teleporting, walking through walls, freezing time, and shapeshifting – these will have to do for now, meaning they’re not the most important superpowers. You can find it on Amazon.com in print and eBook or any online book retailer. It is also carried by Ingram, so available to all physical bookstores.
FMM: How much fun did you have writing this?
So much fun! I grew up reading Choose Your Own Adventure books. Writing a similar interactive adventure my own way was exhilarating. This is the book I wish I had when I was a kid so it’s the book that kept me up every night and woke me up every morning for months, eager to make it more super than the day before. I can’t wait to write more of these!
FMM: Take us through the book. Who is it for?
Your friends’ father is a medical research scientist that has discovered a cure that can help millions of people. It has a side effect that gives superpowers to kids. That sounds great but there are some not-so-great people who want that cure to take over the world. Your task is to destroy the vials with the cure because unsavory people are in your friends’ home and about to steal them. You can drink from one of the vials to see what superpower it gives you to help your friends or you can destroy the vials. There are seven superpowers and forty-six endings to select from. You may soon find yourself at a military base, convenience store, or in front of a pond full of scum. This book is geared toward kids 8-12 years old, but let’s be honest – everyone wants a superpower!
FMM: What are the greatest Superpowers?
There are so many to choose from! When I was a kid, Superman was the only superhero I was exposed to so I wanted to be just like him, soaring through the sky and shooting lasers out of my eyes. Now that I have my own son, I’ve come realize there are only two superpowers any of us need to make this a better world for everyone. The greatest superpowers are honesty and integrity.
“Select Your Superpower” has 236 pages, 46 endings, and 32 lineart action illustrations. Get it on Amazon.com here and find out more about David Blaze’s books at davidblazebooks.com.
