A vast majority of the world has a love for superheroes, no matter their age. Book-lovers around the world love reading about the wonderful adventures they go on, and this is where James Grea shines.
As a horror lover, and talented author, it was no surprise that James did a wonderful job at uncovering the world behind The Forgotten Federation. Meggan Turner interviewed him about this exciting new novel and explore the genius mind behind the writing…
James was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, with a “master storyteller” as a mother. She would read to him every night, and this planted the seed for his storytelling imagination to grow. “I began writing in school, mostly poetry and short horror stories. I started my first book, Haunting Thelma Thimblewhistle: The Chronicles of Dead Anna in 2003.” From then he developed his work and fell in love with writing, with his fourth novel being released last year.
His new novel, The Forgotten Federation, tells the story of “A geneticist battling a tyrannical government struggles to edify teenage guardians born from the ashes of heroes called the Federation”. It was inspired by his love for DC Comics, and his extensive collection of superhero memorabilia: “I couldn’t wait to create my own. I wanted to create characters that had never existed,” he said.
It wasn’t an easy ride, however, and creating each of the Federations unique powers took a lot of depth and thought. “Casting my stories before writing them really helped to create depth. it allowed me to visualise everything in great detail, and using actors I like is always a fun thing to do!,” James added.
Through research, character visualisation and intense writing, James managed to create a new and inventive superhero world, but what was his favourite superhero as a young boy? “Wonder Woman will always be my favourite! I adore her, but I also love Batman. Who doesn’t though?”.
The publishing industry can be tough to break into, but having inspiration behind your writing is a great motivtator. James’s main inspiration behind his writing is when he imagines a character in depth, “Thinking about their personality really brings them to life for me. It breathes life into their character, and feels like I need to write to bring them to life”.
The book deals with so many powerful messages including hopeful messages for the readers, James said that he hopes it inspires people to “never stop fighting. Remember that good wins, and it’s always there. Just like embers of a fire”. With inspiring messages and action packed writing, it’s clear that the novel is very dear to his heart, and from reviews, it seems as though it is dear to many other people’s hearts too.
After the success of the first book, and his fourth overall, the future looks bright for the Forgotten Federation, with a new book already in the pipelines. “I knew there was more lined up for the series as soon as I started writing, I’m excited to see where I take them from here!”.
To keep up to date with James, his books and the powerhouse that is Fiction Factory Incorporated, at his website here!
You can also follow him on Twitter @FictionFacInc!
