This Sunday morning, I’ll be making my second appearance on Kids’ WB. As much fun as I had the first time around, this time was even better…

…though I have to admit, I didn’t expect to make such a spectacle of myself.

Last time I was on (which you can read about here and here), this site saw a huge spike in traffic. So in advance of that, I thought I’d write up a post to say ‘Welcome!’ to all the new visitors.

And if this is the first time you’re visiting, you may be curious about exactly who I am and what kind of books I write. Thankfully I haven’t had to write up a big piece explaining all of that, because in one of my earliest posts on this site I wrote all about my background and influences, which you can read here.

Of course, that’s not to overlook the About and FAQ pages, which should also help shed some light on the enigma that is me. And if all that hasn’t helped, there’s always the Links page where you can find links (well, what else would you find there?) to some interviews I’ve done.

But that’s enough about me. After all, as far as people go I’m really kind of boring. Maybe you’re here because you’re curious about this “Vanguard Prime” thing and you want to learn more about it.

Well, in short, Vanguard Prime is the name of the series of books I’m currently writing. It’s also the name of the world-famous superhero team that teenager Sam Lee joins when he suddenly develops mysterious powers. You can read more about the books on, appropriately enough, the Books page.

But if you don’t want to go wading through all that, let me share some of the highlights with you, including this rundown on all the members of the team. The Books page also has a link to an extract from the first book, Goldrush, which you can read here.

You’ll also find on the Penguin website that you can buy the book directly from them, as well as a variety of online sellers listed (once again) on the Books page, but my favourite option is to visit your friendly neighbourhood bookshop and ask for it from them directly. You can even get the second book, Wild Card, at the same time.

But maybe you’re still unconvinced. Maybe you need to be bedazzled by some awesome reviews. Well, you can find links to the reviews the series has received, once again, on the Books page. But seeing as I’m in a bit of a scrapbooking mood, here are some of my favourite quotes;

– “Steven Lochran’s first novel is a fast-paced action text…the plot remains tense and the sense of drama and excitement are maintained until the closing pages. Lochran has created interesting and complex characters with plenty of scope to develop them further and will appeal to readers in the 10 to 14 plus age range.” – Children’s Book Council of Australia

– “Pacy…plenty of teenage humour…Lochran’s thorough approach to constructing his superhero world pays off.” – Fiona Purdon, The Courier Mail.

– “Think CHERUB, Alex Rider and Artemis Fowl all rolled into one…then you’ve got Vanguard Prime!” – DMAG.

– “Vanguard Prime: Goldrush is a funny, stylish and action-packed read.” – Jack Heath, author of Money Run, Hit List and the Agent Six of Hearts series.

– “[Wild Card is] a book that, like the Percy Jackson books, combines quick-draw pacing with intelligent, self-aware humour and a wonderful sense of the humanity that is underscored by its super-human characters…Brimming with imagination and wit and with pacing so fast that you’ll be in pain from the G forces, Wild Card is a overall thoroughly enjoyable addition to the superhero genre.” – Read In a Single Sitting.

But maybe you’re looking for something a little more cerebral. Maybe you’re a writer yourself and you’re wondering what goes into the creation of a book. Well, I’ve written about that too in various places on this site, like this post on what music inspired my writing, or this post on what books were direct influences on Vanguard Prime. And that’s to say nothing of the series of posts on what it takes to create a superhero character, which you can find here, here and here.

Of course, you might just like pretty pictures, in which case you’re also in luck! Illustrator Chad McCown has done an amazing job with the cover imagery for the Vanguard Prime series, which you can enjoy by simply clicking on the images below.

‘Goldrush’

‘Wild Card’

And finally, if you don’t mind subjecting your ears to potentially harmful noises, you can listen to the Vanguard Prime theme song I cobbled together on my laptop…

Phew!

Well…that’s just about everything I can think of to share with you. Of course, there’s plenty of other posts I’ve written that you can dig through the archives to read. And should you have any questions, or if you end up reading Vanguard Prime and want to let me know what you think of it, you can either email me here or you can find me on Twitter.

Make sure to keep track of this site in the months to come, as Book 3 in the Vanguard Prime series will be getting released in September this year, along with a free digital novella which will feature an all-new adventure for the Vanguard Prime team.

And that’s it. I’m tapped. I hope you’ve enjoyed this whirlwind tour of stevenlochran.com as much as I’ve enjoyed conducting it. Actually, I hope you’ve enjoyed it more than I’ve enjoyed it. But I’ll settle for ‘as much’ if need be.

‘Til next time.