With the publication of Haunters just a week away *hops up and down*, and with Amazon already delivering copies to the beautiful and enlightened people who have ordered it, it’s high time I said more about the book and where it comes from on my blog. So here goes…
“Eddie, Adam and David have the same gift. Using their dreams they can travel in time, appearing as ghosts wherever and whenever they want. But each of them wants something different…Eddie, the genius who discovers dreamwalking, is sworn to protect the course of history. Adam wants to use terror to change it for his own ends. And David, the novice dreamewalker who is linked to them both, must find a way to keep them apart – and save the future of the world…”
I have been thinking about ghosts since childhood, mostly because I was terrified of them. So scared, in fact, that I honestly thought I saw them as a boy. Of course, I realise now that I never did – well, probably never did, anyway – but I have spent a lot of time wondering what they may be if they do exist. And the connection with time travel is obvious – if ghosts are real, then they are points of contact between the world of the past and the world of now. But could they also be points of contact with the future?
Many people claim to have met lost loved ones in dreams, or to have dreamt about the past, and many people have claimed to have encountered ghosts when awake. Putting these things together, and stirring in the explosive elements of a thriller – danger, mystery, suspense, and a stack of cool gadgets – led me to write Haunters. But I won’t deny it might also have been a way to deal with the childhood fear I once felt. Perhaps that’s why, in the book, only children can dreamwalk. In any case, what if ghosts aren’t something to be scared of at all, but something to be really excited about? I’d much rather that! I certainly wish my terrified, 12-year-old self could have read this book.
Haunters is an inverted ghost story, where the living are the ghosts, and where the dead are the ones being haunted. It is also a time-slip story where there is no time machine, and a tale of dreams where no one truly sleeps. Fancy trying it out? Here’s page 39:
Haunters is published 24th May, 2012 by that plucky little publishing outfit, The Chicken House. Read an early review here, and more about my launch party here. And if you are kind enough to buy the book, I hope you enjoy it!
I can't wait to get my greedy little mits on this one! It must be a wonderful feeling – hope you're going to wet it's head in style!
Kate, I can't deny it's pretty exciting. I've been published before, obviously, but there's just something special about a novel! Much grinning here:) I hope you enjoy it. It's being aimed mostly at boys, but it was very much written with girls in mind too.
Haunters sounds AMAZING – just my sort of book (even if I am a girl! ;o) ) Congratulations – can't wait to read it!
Emma, thank you! There are girls in it too:)
Thomas! It's been ages since I've blogged so I had no idea your book was almost ready to release. I'm so excited for you! I really want to order a copy, but Amazon only lets me sign up to be notified when this item becomes available. Hopefully, that will be soon!
Natalie, Hi. It's good to hear from you:)At the moment Haunters is only available through amazon.co.uk, but there is a US edition planned (through Scholastic, I think). I don't know much about that yet, but it won't be until at least next year. In the meantime, you could always stay tuned to this blog for a chance to win a copy next week…
Really looking forward to this! Sounds excellent!
Thanks, Sue! Hope it doesn't disappoint.
Will do! I'll be looking forward to the US version too. 🙂
I figured out how to order from Amazon UK, so my copy will be on it's way shortly. 🙂 I'm so excited for you. I hope it's a huge success.
Natalie, thank you! I hope you enjoy it:)
"I can only dream" – Brill! The fact this excerpt can stand alone speaks highly for the quality of your writing, Thomas.
Thanks for that, Rache:) I also do car chases.
I use this book in my class every year as one of the guided reading texts and every year the children LOVE it and want to take it home to find out what happens next! A fabulous book to teach the pleasure of reading 🙂