BLOG TOUR and GIVEAWAY: Jack Templar, Monster Hunter by Jeff Gunhus
ABOUT THE BOOK
Orphan Jack Templar has no memory of his parents and only the smallest details from his Aunt Sophie about how they died. The day before Jack's fourteenth birthday, things start to change for him. At first it's great: A sudden new strength helps him defend his nose-picking friend "T-Rex" from the school bully, and even his crush, Cindy Adams, takes notice. But then a mysterious girl named Eva arrives and tells him two facts that will change his life forever. First, that he's the descendent of a long line of monster hunters and he's destined to be in the family business. Second, that there's a truce between man and monster that children are off-limits...until their fourteenth birthday! Jack has only one day before hundreds of monsters will descend on his little town of Sunnyvale and try to kill him.
As if that weren't enough, things get even more complicated when Jack discovers that the Lord of the Creach (as the monsters are collectively known) holds a personal grudge against him and will do anything to see that Jack has a slow and painful death. To stay alive and save his friends, Jack will have to battle werewolves, vampires, harpies, trolls, zombies and more. But perhaps the most dangerous thing he must face is the truth about his past. Why do the other hunters call him the last Templar? Why do they whisper that he may be the "One?" Why do the monsters want him dead so badly? Even as these questions plague him, he quickly discovers survival is his new full-time job and that in the world of monster hunters, nothing is really what it seems.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Gunhus grew up in Cyprus, Greece, and Saudi Arabia where there was a distinct lack of television. He quickly found books were the gateway to incredible adventures, fascinating characters and unbelievable discoveries. Now, with five children of his own (all who watch too much television, in his opinion), he has enjoyed revisiting his old books and reliving those adventures all over again.
Social Media Links:
Website: www.jacktemplar.com
Twitter: @JTMonsterHunter
BOOK TRAILER
CHARACTER GUEST POSTHi Everyone. Jack Templar here. This blog tour has been great so far. I’d like to thank everyone who has posted comments, especially those who have reported monsters in their area. I think you know from all my warnings that this is dangerous work. While reading the book will attract the attention of monsters, actively working to help us track down the Creach hoard will definitely put you on the monster hunting list.
So, thanks!
I’ve received a lot of questions about how best to react to a monster attack. I thought I’d share a few key points I’ve learned in my short monster hunter career.
- Create a protective perimeter. This is the first law of defense. You might be thinking of a fortress or a safe room, and these are obviously great to have, but it’s not feasible to lock yourself up for the next year until the Creach War is settled one way or the other. I’m talking about creating a defensive perimeter when you are out walking around. There shouldn’t be anything that gets within thirty feet of you that you aren’t scrutinizing for strange behavior. This includes teachers, family members, house pets, anything living. If you spot something odd, this gives you time to get ready. In order to survive the initial attack you should…
- Learn hand-to-hand defense. You can’t very well walk around with a broadsword attached to your hip, now can you? You’d wind up in jail and then the Creach who have infiltrated the police would have you at their mercy. If you don’t have any experience, try signing up for a martial arts class in your area. Karate, boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, anything that’s going to get you in shape and teach you basic moves. The goal isn’t to win the fight at this point. The goal is to…
- Escape. If a Creach attacks you, it means they have sized up the situation and figured out they have an advantage. And they probably do since they have the chosen the place of the fight and have the element of surprise. Your job is to get the heck out of there in one piece and live to fight another day, preferably when you chose the circumstances. To do that, you must…
- Understand your enemy. Every Creach has a weakness. Even when you’re battling a twelve-foot tall mole monster with tusks like an elephant and claws the size of your arm, knowing they are basically blind but with an amazing sense of smell will give you the advantage you need. (Take off your clothes and leave them behind. The mole creature will be confused by the smell on the clothes and attack them, giving you time to get away.) How do you get to know all this? I have descriptions of the major Creach and their weaknesses on www.jacktemplar.com. But sometimes you just have to try to figure it out in the middle of the fight. Whatever you do…
- Don’t ask for help from non-hunters. There are a couple of problems with this. First, often the people you ask for help from will not believe you. You might find yourself talking to doctors trying to find out what’s wrong with you. Second, the people you ask for help might be Creach monsters themselves. Don’t forget that they are literally everywhere. Not only lurking in the shadows, but they can be police officers, firemen, teachers…even your parents! Sorry, you have to figure how to survive on your own. The one exception is that you should always…
- Band together with other hunters. There is safety in numbers. No way I would have survived my first night as a monster hunter without the help of T-Rex, Will, Eva and Hester. Find people who have either read my book or who have become hunters some other way. One simple way is to write “Do you duty,” in places where people might see it. If they finish the sentence with, “Come what may,” then you might have a good contact. Like everything else in this war though, approach everything cautiously. The Creach have been known to impersonate hunters to lure newbies in. Watch yourself.
I hope that helps. Even at the monster hunter academy, the first lesson we learn is that there’s no foolproof way to defeat all monsters. The life expectancy of a hunter is short. It’s rare to meet a hunter older than thirty. All you can do is try your best, be cautious, and fight the good fight.
Do your duty, come what may.
Jack Templar
REVIEW
Monsters, weapons, and a family mystery, what more do you need for a great adventure. Jack Templar is a normal 13-year-old boy, until the day he finds out that a bunch of monsters are waiting for his 14th birthday to kill him. With the help of friends, Jack manages to avoid death, but is left with many questions. But will he have time to find the answers when he is constantly trying to avoid death? This book would be great for reluctant readers. The plot moves along briskly with just enough detail to move the story along. With lots of action and adventure with more sure to come, I recommend this book and look forward to future installments.
OTHER LINKS
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/WpAyPU
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/Si2MxEBarnes&Noble: http://bit.ly/UEosDf
Tour's Pinterest Board:
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Thank you for having me as a guest and for the kind review. Have a terrific holiday season...and watch out for monsters!
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