A Teen Haunted By Dreams Discovers He Has Special Powers, Revealing That Superheroes Are Hidden Among Us Every Day

    NEW YORK, NY, November 24, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- What if they're real? Sixteen-year-old Adam is haunted by dreams that leave him exhausted and confused. When a memory of a long-forgotten experience comes back to him, tying him to someone's perilous escape from death, his special power comes flooding back to him—the power to make heroes from ordinary people. Author Tom Starace brings an action-packed story of extraordinary bravery and the power of human decency with his masterfully written YA novel, Hero Maker.

Adam has had frightening dreams his whole life, yet he somehow knows not to tell anyone about them. They are his secret. It began when he was seven, when Adam had a dream in which he helped six-year-old Jimmy jump from a burning building. The fearsome dreams continue, plaguing Adam with what seem like horrifying memories. When Adam is sixteen, everything changes. It happens when he and his cousin Chris are unwrapping packages in their family's store. The pair come across an old newspaper article about the fire of Adam's long-ago dream, and the boy who jumped to safety. Adam is reeling as the memory of the long-forgotten experience comes back to him.

With the help of his aunt Rose and family friend Sam, Adam learns what he thought were dreams are actual experiences, and that the people he's helped are real. Adam has a special power which enables him to help others who are in some sort of danger. He jumps into their bodies and becomes them, feeling their fear and their pain. He helps them perform the brave acts that they thought they couldn't do. The people Adam helps don't know that he has helped them. All they know is that they have done something brave. They feel like heroes.

Adam is initially excited about his new power, but complications arise. He gets involved with a boy, Kip, who is kidnapped by his dangerous stepfather, a girl, Valerie, who is cruelly bullied by the "mean girls" at her high school, and Jimmy, the boy in the fire, who suddenly reappears in his life, but now with new problems. Adam's attempts to help Jimmy, Valerie, and Kip lead him on a wild ride which ends with him dangling over Niagara Falls. As Adam uses his special abilities to make others heroes, he learns valuable lessons about courage, virtue and the true nature of what being a hero truly means.

Worlds collide for young adult readers who will love the fast-paced thrills, the chemistry between the characters, and the interplay of fantasy and reality in Hero Maker. Author Tom Starace expertly weaves a story that is timeless, bringing together elements of loss and longing, coming of age, and valor. Hero Maker is a perfect cross-market read for young adults and adult readers alike, who are searching for the next enduring magical realism classic. The book is the first in a series and is available now wherever books are sold.

If you would like more information about author Tom Starace and Hero Maker, please contact [email protected] or visit tomstaraceauthor.com

Author Bio - Tom Starace
Author Tom Starace has flipped roles in his involvement in the book world. A longtime veteran of the book publishing industry, Tom has worked for many years at the top publishing houses in New York City as a designer, art director, and illustrator. Now, with his new release, Hero Maker, Tom puts pen to paper to bring young adult readers a magical realism novel that is dually action-packed and poignant in which the teen protagonist uses his newly discovered power to help people out of bad situations.

An interesting fact during his writing process is that Tom acts out the dialogue scenes, stemming from his background also as a trained actor. He believes a great story is one that has a combination of mystery, action, and humor. Tom hopes that the young readers of Hero Maker come away from his book understanding that being a hero is about, first and foremost, being a decent person.

Hailing from both New York City and Rhinebeck, New York, Tom lives with his partner, Jeff, and their very happy black poodle, Cole. When Tom isn't writing diverse and adventurous stories for young adults, he plays banjo, writes books, paints pictures of clouds, and acts in his local theater group. In the fall, he watches the leaves turn colors, and he buys apples and pumpkins from the local farm. An illustrator of six published books, Hero Maker is Tom's debut as a YA novelist.

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