A letter from the author about Myles and the Monster Outside ...

Coming Sept. 2015

The ARC and E/ARC for Myles and the Monster Outside, book 2 in my series Weird Stories Gone Wrong, are now available to reviewers. My publisher Dundurn Press has asked me to provide an opening letter for the ARC copy of the book, which I was happy to write. It was an interesting exercise and answered some of my own questions about why I wrote the book. 

Here is the letter:

"Dear Middle-Grade Horror Enthusiast,

When I was a child, my family and I travelled on long car trips to far-flung places like Manitoulin Island, Cape Cod, and South Carolina. In my early 20s, I drove across Canada in an ancient Vega that barely made it home. A long car trip takes a certain fortitude, an ability to remain focused despite the inevitable boredom and the knowledge that anything could be around the next corner.

You learn a lot about yourself on a long car trip.

My early travels became the inspiration for my newest middle grade book, Myles and the Monster Outside, book two in the Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, following Jake and the Giant Hand (2014). 

I wanted to explore the crucible of a tiresome journey from the perspective of a young boy who is moving to a new home for the first time. I also wanted to create a middle grade character who is prone to anxiety and who has a vivid imagination, which is both his undoing and his strength. Who hasn’t been that child in the back seat, tortured by the boredom of a long drive, convinced they can see something strange outside the window?

As the journey unfolds, Myles must confront fears about his new home, a monster, a rainy night, and a ghostly old man and his dog. At first his overabundance of imagination is a curse, but as the journey continues and the bumps, ghosts and monsters abound, he comes to realize that the ability to see what no one else can see may just give him the advantage.

At its heart, Myles and the Monster Outside is a paranormal road-trip adventure for the 9-12 set, a horror story about the monsters we create outside ourselves, and how we cope with them.

Accompanied by 6 wonderfully creepy illustrations by Shawna Daigle, I hope you enjoy the journey!"

Request an E/ARC for Review on NetGalley 
Request a paper ARC for Review from Dundurn Press