Hold on to your hats for an electrifying new adventure by author Dan Walker, The Last Monster, sequel to the equally electrifying , The Light Hunters, both published by UClan Publishing . I’m kicking off the blog tour with a guest post by author Dan, focused on what made him want to write!

The Last Monster by Dan Walker

The Light Hunters have fought Monsters for centuries and Squad Juno are the very best at it. From cities to villages, the young group’s abilities are on show for all to see now that their powers don’t have to be used in secret. Every victory they have prevents a Monster from taking more victims, preventing more loss. Lux Dowd, Squad Juno’s healer, has had more than enough loss… But a more immediate loss is that of his powers. Lux can’t – or won’t – heal his teammates. Whenever he tries, a terrible energy comes from within and hurts the people around him. Lux can’t afford to lose anymore of those he cares about. Sent on a mission that could end their war against the Monsters, the Light Hunters soon find themselves making new allies in their quest to unearth an Ancient secret that may be able to stop the attacks. Could this really be the last monster they fight?

Get ready to enter a world of Light, Shade and monsters with Squad Juno as they battle not just the huge creatures that threaten their world, but also their own problems – not least Lux’s inability to control his evolving powers. The Last Monster picks up where The Light Hunters left off, so beginning another enthralling adventure, with action aplenty and new characters to add to the plot, which twists and turns throughout. With themes of teamwork and friendship, not only is this a great middle-grade fantasy adventure, but readers will relate to many of the things Lux and his friends face (apart from the monsters!!).

I’m delighted to share a guest post from author Dan Walker, talking about the reason he writes. Welcome to the blog Dan!

“As a children’s author, a big part of our job is visiting schools and talking to young people about our love of reading and writing.

A question that comes up again and again during these events is the following: What made you want to become an author?

It’s a tough one to answer in many ways. If you want to be a Police Officer, it’s easy. ‘My mum is one.’ ‘I want to be like the people who brought my bike back to me.’ But an author? We’re always reading books (hopefully!) so it’s difficult to pinpoint precisely which one or which author inspired us.

When I think back, I think if I had to narrow it down, my wish to be an author was born when I was fourteen years old. I was lucky enough to have been invited on holiday with my best friend at the time to Ibiza. The sun was shining, the food was nice, and the people were lovely. (I won’t mention here the day in the first week when I fell into the swimming pool fully clothed to a rousing cheer from all of the people nearby!)

It was during the second week, when I fell a little ill and had to stay in my bed in the hotel for a day, when my best friend’s auntie lent me a book. It was a science-fiction book called Red Mars, by an author that I still love to this day, Kim Stanley Robinson.

I lay on my bed, reading this 700 page book, absolutely engrossed to find out how a group of 100 scientists who’d been sent to Mars were going to survive. How would they make food? Get water? Would they drive each other crazy?

I finished the book by the end of the holiday, and when I got back to the UK, I brought the next one, and the next, and read them within a week.

And it was after finishing that series, and thinking of how much fun I had in that world, that I first started to think of how great it would be to make the worlds up yourself.

It was five long years before I actually had a go at writing my own book, but I can trace that fledgling attempt to that hotel room back in Ibiza.

Message? If someone gives you a book, read it. You never know where it might take you.”

Find out more at www.uclanpublishing.com and follow the rest of the tour here:

. With thanks to Uclan Publishing for inviting me to participate in this blog tour.