Author Interview: Watch Hollow by Gregory Funaro

I'm excited to share a very exciting book with you today along with an author interview for Gregory Funaro's newest release, Watch Hollow. This book looks so fun and adorable and even a bit creepy and I'm so excited I get to introduce you to it today. 

Title: Watch Hollow

Author: Gregory Funaro

Series: Stand Alone

Published By: HarperCollins (February 12, 2019)

Book Description:

Deep within the enchanted woods in the town of Watch Hollow stands the once-grand Blackford House, whose halls hold a magical secret: a giant cuckoo clock that does much more than tell time. But when the clock’s gears cease to turn, an evil presence lurking among the trees begins to come out of the shadows.

When Lucy and Oliver Tinker arrive in Watch Hollow, they have no idea that anything is wrong. A mysterious stranger has made their father an offer that’s too good for him to refuse. All Mr. Tinker needs to do is fix the clock at Blackford House and fistfuls of gold coins are his to keep.

It doesn’t take long, however, for the children to realize that there is more to Blackford House than meets the eye. And before they can entirely understand the strange world they’ve stumbled into, Lucy and Oliver must join forces with a host of magical clock animals to defeat the Garr—a vicious monster that not only wants Blackford House for itself, but also seeks to destroy everything the Tinkers hold dear. 

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About the Author:

Gregory Funaro is the NY Times best-selling author of Disney-Hyperion's ALISTAIR GRIM'S ODDITORIUM (an Amazon Best Book of the Month for January, 2015) and ALISTAIR GRIM'S ODD AQUATICUM (2016), which received a Kirkus STARRED review. Look for his latest book, WATCH HOLLOW, coming from HarperCollins in February, 2019. Gregory is also a drama professor at East Carolina University.

Website

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your upcoming novel, Watch Hollow.

A: I am a drama professor at East Carolina University and started writing children's books nine years ago after the birth of my daughter. I grew up in Rhode Island, so setting Watch Hollow there was a combination of coming home and exploring something new. Watch Hollow is a modern-day, Gothic flavored horror story in which a widower and his two children move into an eerie old house to fix its (unbeknown to them) magical clock. It doesn’t take long, however, for the children to realize that something very strange is going on in Watch Hollow, and they ultimately join forces with a bunch of magical clock animals to defeat a monster who lives in the nearby woods.

Q: I see you've written in other genres before, which one is your favorite to write in?

A: Children's books, hands down. I've basically stopped maturing since I was twelve, so there you go. 

Q: When did you first know that you wanted to become a writer?

A: I received an English award in ninth grade for some short stories I'd written. Then in the eleventh grade, I wrote a short horror story that my English teacher, Mr. Scaffardi, thought I'd plagiarized. After my initial terror, of course, I took it as a compliment, and looking back, I see now that those two events really planted the seeds. However, only after a much different career path in theatre, I started writing in my spare time. I began with screenplays in my 20s--and got pretty close with one of them--and then finished my first thriller in my late 30s. It was never sold, but it did land me the agent who sold my other two thrillers.

Q: If you could be one character, in any book you've written, whom would you choose and why?

A: Off the cuff, maybe Cleona from Alistair Grim's Odditorium? She's a banshee and can fly. I've always wanted to fly. Or maybe Kiyoko. She's a ninja. I've always wanted to be a ninja, too...

Thank you so much Gregory for being here today and sharing a little more about yourself and of course, Watch Hollow that releases this February!

Also check out this fun trailer for the book!