The New Kid by Temple Matthews

THE NEW KID

by Temple Matthews

Paranormal Young Adult

Border's Exclusive
www.TempleMatthews.com

5 Signed Copies will be given away on Friday May 29, 2009




About the Book:

In most small towns, the New Kid is big news.

In Harrisburg, Washington, there's something going on that's even bigger.

Will Hunter is used to being the New Kid; Harrisburg High School is his fifth new school in less than three years. By now, he knows not to be fooled by the bright pep rallies, the wholesome jocks, the innocent cheerleaders. He knows the evil lurking underneath. It's the same evil that took his dad eight years ago; the same evil he battles every day.

Natalie Holand's life fell apart the night her sister Emily disappeared. No one believes her when she tells them what she saw: yellow eyes, glowing beneath the surface of the water in which Emily supposedly drowned. And Emily isn't the only person to go missing in Harrisburg lately. The town is changing, not for the better, and Natalie doesn't know why. What she does know is that, whatever's happening, it's bad, and the New Kid is right in the middle of it.

Because Will's got a secret even bigger than Harrisburg's … and there's more to it than even he knows.

The New Kid: Ridding the world of evil, one high school at a time.

Read our exclusive author interview with author and screenwriter Temple Matthews!

1) THE NEW KID sounds like a fantastic read. Evil high schools? A disguised hero to the rescue? What gave you the idea for the story?

When I was the New Kid in 7th grade I remember how there were all these cliques with histories, kids who’d gone to grade school together and knew each other and had a pecking order in place. So here I was, the New Kid, and I was quickly examined and judged and man oh man, how kids can be cruel, right? Well, how I dealt with the hostility was by just carving out my own niche, and I formed new cliques. Then my daughter experienced much the same thing when she changed schools and since she’s such a strong young woman she just refused to be bullied and stood up for herself. I thought this must be a universal sort of experience, either being the New Kid or knowing one, so it seemed like such a natural arena for a story. Oh, and the dream. I did have a very vivid dream about being the New Kid and encountering demons.

2) I’m told you’re also a screenwriter. How was writing this book different than writing a screenplay?

Writing a screenplay is very confining; you have a very limited space within which to work. It’s fun, because you’re imagining the movie right on the page as you write. When I wrote the New Kid it was a liberating experience, inasmuch as I was able to let the words flow more freely and allow my imagination to kick into high gear without being concerned about whether it fit within the confines of a screenplay. With both mediums you have a tendency to be “there” when you’re writing so in that respect it’s virtually the same.

3) I hear it’s hard for writers to adapt their own books. If THE NEW KID were ever turned into a screenplay, would you want to write it? Do you think it would be difficult to do?

I will definitely write the screenplay for THE NEW KID when that opportunity arises and I don’t anticipate it being this monumental challenge since I already know the story so well. I think it’s hard for authors who haven’t written movies to adapt their books because they don’t have the experience writing scripts. But I started out writing scripts so that won’t be an issue for me.

4) Have you ever been the New Kid at school? If so, how was your experience similar or different than Will’s?

As I mentioned in the first question, yes I was most definitely the New Kid at school and even though I mentioned how cruel kids can be, I really turned the situation to my advantage. It was a fresh exciting start for me; I could be anyone I chose to be and I chose to be. My experience was similar to Will’s, but the demons I fought didn’t have real fangs or spew toxic venom, at least not that I knew of. They were just abusive kids who acted mean out of their own insecurity.

5) What are you working on next? More screenplays? More novels?

I am conjuring up a sequel to THE NEW KID and working on a couple of really fun and exciting screenplays. Thanks for reading, and enjoy THE NEW KID!


About the Author:

A graduate of the University of Washington and a producer at the American Film Institute, Temple Mathews has written dozens of half-hour animation TV episodes and several animated and live action features and direct-to-DVD and video films. Mr. Mathews has sold scripts and/or worked for hire at every major studio in Hollywood. His credits include the Walt Disney animated feature films Return to Neverland and The Little Mermaid II, and the MGM feature film Picture This! Mr. Mathews lives in Santa Monica with his daughter, actress Manon Mathews. Visit his website at: www.TempleMatthews.com