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Jason Steed
Fledgling Jason Steed
Boudica: Jason Steed
AuthorMark A. Cooper
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreThriller, Young-adult fiction
PublisherOriginally self-published but now bought by Sourcebooks, Inc
PublishedFledgling - September 2008 and reprint 2010. Boudica - 2011
Media typePrint (paperback)

Fledgling Jason Steed, otherwise known as Fledgling A Jason Steed Adventure, is the first novel in the Jason Steed young adult spy series by British author Mark A. Cooper.[1] The book, about an 11-year-old martial arts expert, is notable for originally being a self-published internet hit.[2][3] Fledgling and its sequel, Jason Steed: Boudica, were sold to Chicago-based publishing company Sourcebooks in May 2009.[4] The firm is to repackage and republish the first book in 2010 and the sequel in 2011.[5][6][3] In March 2009, Fledgling Jason Steed was voted the Top Young Adult Book for 2009 by Fictionreviewer.com. The book "narrowly beat" the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer.[7][8] The book was also a finalist in the Young Adult Fiction category of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards,[9] and it has been hailed as "The next break-out action-adventure hit."[10]

The book

Fledgling A Jason Steed Adventure (ISBN-13: 9780741449344) was originally published in September 2008 by Infinity Publishing.[11] The 214-page novel follows the life of a British-born boy called Jason Steed, from his tragic babyhood to his adventures as an 11-year-old British Sea Cadet.[12][13] Set against the background of a failed military mission, with the threat of a nuclear attack hanging over the world, Cooper originally wrote Jason Steed as an action/adventure story for his son. After self-publishing the book, he was "stunned" at the positive reaction on the internet.[14]

The fictional father of Jason Steed, Royal Navy officer Raymond Steed, is written as a tribute to a real-life British war hero.[15] Raymond Victor Steed was a galley boy on a Merchant Navy ship when it was blown up after hitting a German mine off the African coast on 26 April, 1943.[16] Raymond, from Newport, was 14 years and 207 days old when he died - just five months after joining up.[17] Raymond has been officially recognised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as the second youngest recorded fatality of the British service war dead.[18][19]

Fledgling A Jason Steed Adventure was voted Fictionreviewer.com's Top Young Adult Book for 2009. It "narrowly beat" the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer in an internet poll of readers.[20] The award citation read: "The magnetic appeal for most young teens is the simplicity of the book, fast action and drama. The new ‘Text Age’ teens find it easy to read and fast; something fitting for the modern world they now live in."[21] Fledgling was also a finalist in the Young Adult Fiction category of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.[9] The possibility of Fledgling being made into a film was reported in the Cornish and Devon Post newspaper in November 2008. However, no confirmation is yet available.[1]

The author

The author of Fledgling A Jason Steed Adventure, Mark A. Cooper, was born in Battersea, South London in 1963, where he attended Battersea Grammar School.[13] He moved to Launceston, Cornwall, as a teenager, where he attended Torpoint High School. He went on to study at Plymouth University in Devon.[1] Cooper worked at the Abru Factory for 13 years, his local Barclays Bank for six years and also at KJ Bromell in Week St Mary after leaving university, before moving to Sarasota, Florida with his wife and son in 2003.[1] Mark A Cooper is also the author of Moving to the United States of America and Immigration, as well as A Movement in Time with Breitling & Rolex an Unauthorized History.[22] The second book in the Jason Steed series, Boudica, Jason Steed, is now being edited.[13][23] Cooper signed to a literary agent, the New York City-based Barbara J. Zitwer Agency, in March 2009, and his first two Jason Steed books were bought by Sourcebooks in May 2009.[3] Rumours that Jason Steed was written under a pen name by Alex Rider writer Anthony Horowitz have been denied by Mark A. Cooper.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b c d The Post newspaper (2008). "Lauceston man's book to be made into a movie". Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  2. ^ The Bradenton Times - Erica Newport (2009). "Author finds persistence pays in the book trade". Retrieved 2009-07-4. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  3. ^ a b c Barbara J Zitwer website (2009). "Barbara J Zitwer Authors". Retrieved 2009-07-4. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help) Cite error: The named reference "agent" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ Publishers' Marketplace website (2009). "Jason Steed Sold (Must pay to log in)". Retrieved 2009-06-03.
  5. ^ Scribd.com website (2010). "Fall 2010 Trade Catalogue". Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  6. ^ markacooper.com website (2009). "Behind the scenes". Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  7. ^ Fictionreviewer.com website (2009). "Book of the year award winners". {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); Text "http://www.fictionreviewer.com/2009awardwinners.htm" ignored (help)
  8. ^ AuthorNation website (2009). "It Can and Does Happen". Retrieved 2009-05-28.
  9. ^ a b Indie Book Awards (2009). "Winners and Finalists of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards". Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  10. ^ Jacketflap.com (2010). "Fledgling Jason Steed". Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  11. ^ Worldcat websitewebsite (2008). "Fledgling Jason Steed". Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  12. ^ PRWEB website (2009). "It's the Summer of the Spy at the Museum of Nature & Science". Retrieved 2009-07-4. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  13. ^ a b c Markacooper.com website (2008). "Mark A Cooper". Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  14. ^ Authors Unleashedwebsite (2010). "Interview with Mark A. Cooper". Retrieved 2010-02-28.
  15. ^ Authornation.com website (2008). "Raymond V Steed Youngest World War Two WWII Age 14". Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  16. ^ mowbars.plus.com website (2008). "A Galley boy Named Raymond Steed". Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  17. ^ BBC website (2008). "Honour bid for youngest war hero". Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  18. ^ ss-tregenna.co.uk website (2007). "Raymond Victor Steed - Empire Morn" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  19. ^ Commonwealth War Graves Commission. "Casualty details—Steed, Raymond Victor". Retrieved 2009-04-22.
  20. ^ a b Goodreads.com website (2009). "Mark A Cooper". Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  21. ^ Fictionreviewer.com website (2009). "Young Adult Book of the year 2009 Award Winner". Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  22. ^ Mark A Cooper (2009). "Mark's profile page". Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  23. ^ Authornation website (2009). "Mark Florida's profile page". Retrieved 2009-03-29.
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