P.T. McHugh on his book release + the title of book two!
Add it on Goodreads / Amazon / B&N Awkward in his own skin, shy around girls and worried about anything and everything, Jason Evans is just like a million other teenage boys in high school, with one very large exception: he has been given a gift that allows him to jump through time. A set of stones has fallen into his lap that gives him access to any place – and any time – that he chooses. But along with that gift comes the responsibility of stopping the man who is using those very stones to travel through time and change history for his own purposes. A man who is now holding Jason’s grandfather hostage, and threatening the world’s very existence. Jumping through time with his best friend and body guard, Jason must enter the world of Medieval England, learn its customs, navigate unimaginable danger, and help Henry VII win the Battle of Bosworth, in the name of finding his grandfather, rescuing a beautiful girl from the clutches of a corrupt church, and destroying the one man who pledges to turn history inside out.
From where I stand now, it seems like February 26th, 2013 (our launch date for Keeper) was twelve years ago. It’s incredibly hard to believe that so much as happened in such a short window of time. I’ve been MIA in regard to updating my blog, but I thought I’d take this opportunity to update let everyone know what’s been happening in my life.
I’d have to say the biggest question I’ve been asked since the book’s release is “has your life changed at all?” The answer is pretty simple: only in regard to time. I have a lot less of it now (which is ironic, considering Keeper’s subject matter is … time).
Second question is “what happened during the book’s release?” Well, the first week Keeper came out, my wife and I flew to Southern California, met with the head of my publishing company (who’s also my editor and acting publicist), and practiced how I would act. That means we had to figure out what I was going to say to students, teachers, and fans alike, and I had to learn to recite it again and again, quickly, and without screwing it up. (I’d known all the answers before, of course, but when I actually got in front of everyone, I couldn’t remember the things the marketing people told me to save my life. But that’s a different blog for a different time). The first day of the tour, we went to several elementary schools for appearances. And it was … odd. And scary.
And absolutely terrific.
No one knew who I was, of course, and to be honest I had no idea what to expect. Fortunately for me, the kids, teachers, and administrators were fantastic! We got the royal treatment at every school, with special passes, great crowds, and a TON of questions. Then, when we arrived at Barnes & Noble for our first bookstore signing, we found that the place was packed! I was completely astonished. It was great to see the kids we met at a school appearance earlier in the day, along with their parents. Several kids stood out to me in particular – I was honored to have two “body guards” guide me from classroom to classroom in one school, and I’ll never forget their infectious smiles and enthusiasm. I can’t wait to see them again next year when the second book (title to be announced!) comes out. Things like that really stuck with me, because I got to make such personal connections with the kids.
The next day I did another school appearance, where they actually bought me Jamba Juice and served lunch (they found out through unknown sources that I was a sucker for Jamba Juice). I met the entire middle school over several forty-five-minute segments, which means I met about eight hundred students over seven hours. I loved every minute of it. The questions, the excitement … it was wonderful. I felt like a celebrity, and honestly couldn’t get enough of it. I would have stayed on tour for months if I could.
Alas, real life interfered, and I had to come back home after just a week.
Since our trip to Southern California, we’ve gone to New Hampshire, Vermont, North Carolina, and New York for appearances and signings. At the same time, of course, my editor and I are hard at work finishing up the second book, and anxiously talking about its release in spring of 2014.
Then, of course, the whole thing starts over again. And I couldn’t be more excited about it!
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PT McHugh didn’t start out as a storyteller. He was, however, born into a family that encouraged imagination. He became a fan of history in school and then went to college to become a construction engineer, to build a world of straight lines, angles, and equations.
He was just as surprised as everyone else when he realized that he believed in magic, and might just know the secret of how to jump through time. Since then, he’s been researching the possibility and learning everything he can about history. Just in case the opportunity arises.
PT was born and raised in New Hampshire and currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, two daughters, and a dog named Bob, daring to dream of alternate worlds and cheering for his beloved New England Patriots.
