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Author: Kevin Rau | Website

Born in 1970, I've been interested in fantasy and science fiction since perhaps the age of 10. I believe my love of medieval knights came about when my father built a wooden shield and sword for me to use in elementary school for some event.

Through my school years I read hundreds (or thousands? - it's hard to recall at this point) of fantasy and science fiction novels. Comic books and super heroes came a bit later, although I recall seeing the Christopher Reeve Superman movies at a very young age (and loving them). Since my later teens I believe I've watched nearly every major fantasy, science fiction, and super-hero movie that has come out.

I still love reading fantasy and science fiction, although I wish there were more novels based on superheroes. This is something that drove me to create my own supers universe and heroes in written form. I love supers, but I've always wanted more character depth than a comic book can provide. (Not to mention the immense length of time it takes for a comic series to do a story is just plain too long to me.)

Writing is a hobby for me, I'm a full-time computer programmer and systems administrator for a small company. Fortunately the skills I've learned allow me to work with 3D programs to render the characters (and covers) for my books. My hope is to put out a novel or two a year, time allowing. At this point I'd like to grow the H.E.R.O. Universe with more novels, as well as start a fantasy series at some point.


Published Works & Book Reviews

Metamorphosis

Supers have existed for about twenty five years and H.E.R.O. – The Homeland Extraordinary Response Organization – allows for a loosely operated environment within which these heroic citizens can operate for the betterment of their communities without becoming vigilantes.

The common types of Supers manifest as Psychics, Blasters, Bricks or Mutants, although some crossover can occur in unusual individuals.

Psychics generally gain mental powers, such as telepathy, telekinesis, or emotional powers.

Blasters have the ability to generate or control an element or waveform, such as light, electricity, or heat.

Bricks are the strongmen of the world, having massive strength and armored bodies that can sustain immense damage.

Mutants appear less human in appearance due to the addition of blades, tentacles, fins, wings, tails, and other, even weirder, modifications to their bodies. They fall between a brick and the others in physical strength.

H.E.R.O. – Metamorphosis follows the story of three new Supers - Stephanie, Lance, and Rael. When a meteor shower unleashes radiation above Metrocity, these three friends are transformed into a psychic, a super-strong brick, and a mutant. In the midst of trying to become H.E.R.O. Agents while simultaneously working to cope with all of the challenges and problems their new powers are creating in their day to day lives, a mutant villain embarks on a mission to capture and kidnap as many new supers as she can in a bid to build a subversive army that could alter the structure of society forever.

The H.E.R.O. universe is a new world of heroes and villains. As a novel-based story forum, it allows for deeper character development than that of a comic book or graphic novel based story.

Reviewer: A.M. Donovan
Review: Mar 16, 2012
Genre(s): Fantasy, Superpowers
This starts out with an unlikely premise (like most good comic book heroes) but while the action is comic book like, the author has managed to take the characters beyond the usual 4 color panel format, with more character development and interplay. If you still have your comic book collection (or it’s just a fond memory), you will enjoy this book, the first of a series.

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