The Jack Magic Books (so far)
“You gonna buy that book?” the man inquired of his companion.
“Nah,” she decided. “I just found it interesting. It was just an anachronism.”
He tilted his head at an angle and tugged the lapels of his fringed leather jacket. “But aren’t we also an anachronism?”
The woman pushed the book back neatly into the box. “Try not to think about it, Obie.”
- Jack Magic: Other Knights Part Two
What Age is Appropriate For These Books?
The Jack Magic books are recommended for ages 12 and up. I tried to write the stories on a level with the Bronze Age of Comic Books (circa 1970 - 1985) which were suitable for most children and teens but also dealt with more mature content and situations, but not in an explicit or excessively gruesome manner. There are no curse words stronger than "damn" or "hell," and those are used sparingly. In fact I created a fictional "future slang" (Thonk and Mothering Jutt) similar to that used in Battlestar Galactica and Red Dwarf to substitute for character expletives.
There is brief alcohol and tobacco use (I think just one character in the first book lights a cigar using magic). There is innuendo used in (hopefully) a humorous way. There are folks from diverse backgrounds and religions, some of the characters have an alternate lifestyle, but there is no lecturing or scolding of the readers. Different kinds of people just exist, the way they just existed on classic Star Trek. There are some dark and tragic events that might be disturbing to some readers such as violence, discussions of cancer, decapitations, threats of torture, loss of life and the "off-camera" death of an unborn child. As always, adults, guardians and caretakers should use their discretion and have the final say.
All in all I guess you could say that Jack Magic is as violent as the Star Wars but not quite as violent as Indiana Jones.
JACK MAGIC: BELIEVE YOUR EYES
Book One of the Jack Magic Trilogy.
Introducing Jack Magic, a new Urban Fantasy series with adventure, mystery, puzzles, twists, surprises, humor and a large diverse cast of outrageous and engaging characters.
Don't call them superheroes or supervillains! The politically correct name is Power Beings, and in a world transformed by The Pandemics, The Penumbra and The Power Up they are a cultural phenomenon: loved and feared, celebrated and exploited.
Jack Magic is a struggling stage magician, secretly living on borrowed time, performing his show one night at a festival in Richmond when he is seriously injured in a terrorist attack by a rogue Power Being. Jack is hospitalized and all hope seems lost, until he is miraculously cured by a mysterious woman that no one else can see. Now the world thinks that Jack healed himself and is a Power Being. He becomes a media sensation, drawing the attention of the government bureau that keeps track of Power Beings as well as the obsession of the madman who almost killed him. Jack and his manager decide to take advantage of the misunderstanding for fame and fortune. Unfortunately Jack's situation also puts him in the sights of a group of very special people known as The Outcast. They have special powers but they might not be Power Beings at all, they might be something older, more sinister and far more deadly
Jack, his best buddy/manager Bob Lopez and Alex, his ex-girlfriend/magic assistant find themselves caught in the middle of an explosive conspiracy that not only threatens their lives but the lives of thousands. Jack's not a hero, but maybe tonight he's going to be one.
JACK MAGIC: OTHER KNIGHTS PART ONE
Book Two of the Jack Magic Trilogy, split into two parts.
It's been a year and a half since the events of Jack Magic: Believe Your Eyes. Things have turned out great for magician Jack Magic, with his feisty assistant/girlfriend Alex and conflicted manager/best friend Bob Lopez at his side, he has become a media sensation, performing his illusions and escapes throughout the country. But Jack has a secret double life: he's also an agent for the clandestine government agency known as the Paranorm Bureau, using a special flying cane and magic sand to fight rogue Power Beings as well as the sinister agents of The Outcast, an organization of magical criminals led by the mysterious Ananias Fike.
And now things are about to get interesting. A powerful woman named Glance, who controls her own faction of The Outcast, wants complete control of Fike's syndicate. She has a master plan with horrifying consequences for humanity. Meanwhile, three unusual strangers with amnesia calling themselves the Other Knights come searching for Jack to help them protect a missing Magical Child, if they can only remember who he or she is. There's also another dangerous stranger from Jack's past hunting for him, with psychic powers beyond belief. But why? Oh, and did I mention that Jack's best friend has been replaced by an exact android duplicate and nobody has noticed yet? Yeah, that's going to be a problem. Get ready to be tricked, fooled, conned, bamboozled, duped and hoodwinked in an epic adventure that will finally answer the mystery of who The Outcast are and where they come from. Nothing will ever be the same!
NO MORE SECRETS, ALL WILL BE REVEALED!
JACK MAGIC: OTHER KNIGHTS PART TWO
The startling conclusion of Jack Magic Other Knights, the second book of the Jack Magic Trilogy!
The Paranorm Bureau and The Outcast have called a truce to confront the unbridled evil of Skyward Glance, a sorceress who wields the Second Artifact. She intends to bring about The Power Up Part Two over New York City, which will result in the creation of millions of new Power Beings, but cost the lives of untold numbers of innocent people as well.
Now Jack Magic must work together with his mortal enemy Ananias Fike to try to stop Glance, but it's already too late. Heroes have fallen, one of the Other Knights is missing in action and the magic rings are raining from the sky. Who is the Magical Child that everyone is searching for? What happened to Jack's best friend, the one replaced by an android? And where did The Outcast come from? Get ready to be tricked, fooled, conned, bamboozled, duped and hoodwinked in an epic adventure that will finally answer all your questions with a shocking ending you will never forget!
You can order my books from Amazon in Kindle format or paperback at this link.