Yesterday Jon Graves believed living and going to high school in the military occupied town of Carpenter was a snooze-fest. That is until a routine fieldtrip to Carpenter’s science labs, when Jon and his friends uncover a military secret, the reason why the US Army brought their parents to Carpenter… to create a top secret, genetically engineered species of monsters.

Yeah… that’s right… MONSTERS!

Now Jon and his four friends have liberated and adopted five of the monsters, vowing to keep the five monsters hidden away from harm. These are not puppies and kitten, though. Keeping the monsters a secret turns into a difficult task when each one begins to develop amazing powers. And soon a betrayal from within the circle of friends will threaten to unravel the groups’ plans.

In order to keep the promise his friends made and prevent the Carpenter military from subjecting each to further inhuman experiments, Jon will need to bring his friends together for a rescue mission. Mysterious powers the teens begin to exhibit will offer aid but ultimately the group’s friendship will save the day. It’s just another chaotic day in high school… yeah, right!

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 Author Interview

Where do you find your inspiration?

For me, ideas come from the what if’s? in life. What if as a kid I had a monster as a pet? From there a world grows to answer that question and from the world a story can be found. I also find my best inspiration when I allow my mind to drift, to wander into a calm idleness. A lot of cool ideas can be gleamed when you’re not trying so hard; just like to find your misplaced keys you sometimes have to stop thinking, sit down, and realize the keys have been in your right front pocket the entire time!

What is your favourite aspect of Our Monsters?

What I love about Our Monsters is how the characters come together to solve problems. They all are from different high school cliques, each has his or her own personality–which comes with distinct strengths and weakness–and yet to get through their trials they need lean on each other for support. When I worked at a movie theatre in high school, the staff was comprised of an eclectic group of people. Yet we all got a long. We all became friends. At the theatre, it didn’t matter if we were a jock, a straight-A nerd, a band geek… There was a job to be done and lots of fun to have while accomplishing it. The relationships at my old movie theatre inspired part of Our Monsters, forming the central theme of the book that I love so much. Friendship.

Who is your favourite character from Our Monsters and why?

Of the characters in Our Monsters I would have to say Jon is my favourite. Within Jon there is so much raw emotion to explore. He doesn’t know his place in the world, which leads him to do stupid stuff because of impulse decisions of the heart, it makes him vulnerable and fun to write. What’s better is his good nature and humour, both of which draw people to him. When the chips are down Jon tends to crack wise, another fun aspect to the character. Coming up with new lines for Jon is the fun part and I’m always looking for a way for Jon to throw other people off balance. This is his gift and curse, because his tongue gets him into a lot of trouble. Jon is also fiercely loyal and will bend over backwards for the people he cares for and for what he believes in. Courage and sacrifice is what measures heroes and I want Jon to find his way to the hero he’s meant to be.

What are you working on now?

Currently I am in the middle of writing the sequel to Our Monsters. The title will be Bad Monsters and it is tentatively scheduled for a late 2012 release. Watch my site for more details and maybe some short fiction during the summer and fall months leading up to the release!

What do you love about most about writing?

Writing is an adventure. I never know where the story is going to go. No matter how much of a plot I have laid out, there is always some roadside attraction that will steer me away so I can find some new oddity about a character or a twist in the plot I could never have planned. Spontaneity is sometimes the best master! 

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About the Author

Clinton grew up in Southern California, where the sun shines all day and where most kids spend their days outdoors skinning knees and browning their flesh. He spent those same days inside, reading comics, books, and dreaming of fantasy worlds. These days he not only dreams but he creates and writes about those same worlds. In college Clinton found himself in the dregs of a business school, studying accounting. Sneaking English and philosophy courses into his schedule were the only things that kept him sane! As a result, he spent way more than four years getting a well-rounded degree. Adult books and books for kids, Clinton reads it all these days. He still enjoys traditional American comics and manga/anime from Asia, but when not writing he can also be found immersing himself in video games.

            Clinton today still resides in Southern California with his wife, Kathy and their two Scottish terriers, Mac and Bonni (wheaten and black).

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Want to know more? Check out the links!

http://clintondharding.com (official site)

https://twitter.com/#!/ClintonDHarding (twitter)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clinton-D-Harding/76506701006 (facebook)

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5381520.Clinton_D_Harding (goodreads)