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Myriad

The Rise of a Superhero

By Don Riling

Overview


Marcel creates jewelry while his alter ego—Melodie—works as a drag queen at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. Marcel creates a remarkable piece of jewelry, a pendant, to hold the ruby-red gem, a family heirloom said to contain magical powers. Melodie is wearing the new piece the night that she and her fellow drag queens are caught up in the famous Stonewall Riot, when police raided the bar and marked the official start of the Gay Rights Movement in the 1960s.

Everything changes for Michael Hamm—a professional cosplayer and sought-after guest at Comic-Cons across the country over fifty years later when he makes the discovery of a lifetime. Michael is unwittingly transformed into a new superhero—Myriad, entering an entangled web of deceit and danger—as Madame Beatriz, a witch from New Orleans, takes extreme measures to pursue the cosplayer to regain her rightful inheritance. In an effort to learn more about Marcel/Melodie, Michael encounters various players from the drag queen's past as well as Travis and Slade, a gay couple that are somehow involved in Beatriz's quest.

This page-turner will marvel readers as they embark on a journey into the world of Comic-Cons, superheroes, and drag queens.

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Description


Marcel creates jewelry while his alter ego—Melodie—works as a drag queen at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. Marcel creates a remarkable piece of jewelry, a choker, to hold the ruby-red gem, a family heirloom said to contain magical powers. Melodie is wearing the new piece the night that she and her fellow drag queens are caught up in the famous Stonewall Riot, when police raided the bar and marked the official start of the Gay Rights Movement in the 1960s.

Everything changes for Michael Hamm—a professional cosplayer and sought-after guest at Comic-Cons across the country over fifty years later when he makes the discovery of a lifetime. Michael is unwittingly transformed into a new superhero—Myriad, entering an entangled web of deceit and danger—as Madame Beatriz, a witch from New Orleans, takes extreme measures to pursue the cosplayer to regain her rightful inheritance. In an effort to learn more about Marcel/Melodie, Michael encounters various players from the drag queen's past as well as Travis and Slade, a gay couple that are somehow involved in Beatriz's quest.

This page-turner will marvel readers as they embark on a journey into the world of Comic-Cons, superheroes, and drag queens.

Inspired by Michael Hamm, a true-to-life professional cosplayer. Michael creates costumes and does guest appearances at comic-cons around the world. He lives in Canada.

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About The Author


Don has been a comic book lover since his teenage years. While his professional career has been in retail and marketing his entire adult life, he has always had a desire to put pen to page and create his own stories. During the pandemic, he connected with pro-cosplayer Michael Hamm. Their chats and collaborations created the inspiration for this story. Don owns his own business in Seattle, Washington.

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Book details

  • Genre:fiction
  • Sub-genre:Fantasy / Contemporary
  • Language:English
  • Pages:144
  • eBook ISBN:9781667862316
  • Paperback ISBN:9781667853338

Book Reviews

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Omar
Comics, Superheroes, Drag Queens and a Little Gay History The Stonewall Inn will be forever a focal point in history when the Gay Community united and said No More! Don Riling's decision to bring a little Gay History to a modern storytelling and the ever-popular Cos-Play scene was fantastically done. I am a fan of Michael Hamm, so when I heard a story was written based on his Cos-Play costumes and adventures, well I just had to read it. Don did a great job of bringing different storylines and characters together to take me on a nice get away adventure. Perhaps one of my best take-away was that the characters were very "Human"; meaning, I was able to connect with them and their part in the story. Being able to make that connection is always key for me when I want a page turning book to keep going and never end. That being said, I'd love to see this story or future stories explore the possibility of a Graphic Novel. This book had such visual elements at play, I think people want to "see"! Note to future readers, I recommend doing a little research on Michael Hamm and his Cos-Play Costumes. This will most definitely help you connect with his character. Read more
Jason Matthew
Terrifically Pleasant Read! I was truly impressed by how the author was able to move the action along so swiftly and cohesively, especially since there was so many moving parts to the plot. This book is such an easy read that it’s actually hard to put down. I’m a fan of comic books and superheroes myself. I’m also a fan of gay history. Donald Riling was able to weave together a great tapestry of fantasy in a very compact read. Is a graphic novel perhaps next? I’ll be on the lookout! Read more