“Think Stranger Thingsbut set in an Irish coastal town,” says John. “It may be science fiction, but it is very much rooted in the real world. The final battle takes place in Oak Tree Heights – a housing estate in Castlebridge.”
The book is about a boy named Martin Ryan. When he sees a video of his father flying through the air without help, he realizes that everything he believed about his life was a lie. Now his parents have disappeared and something very strange is happening in the village where he lives.
Martin and his friends must do whatever it takes to defeat the aliens that threaten all of humanity – even if that means stealing police cars, blowing up mines and turning a paddling pool into a fighter plane.
“I wanted this story to be set in the real world, so the village where it’s set – Glencooper – is a mix of Castlebridge, where I grew up, and Bunmahon in County Waterford, where my father is from. There was a copper mining industry in Bunmahon in the 19th century, and when we went down there as children, there was always an aura of mystery and danger about the disused mines. They always featured in a story at some point.”
“Someone’s Been Messing With Reality” is out now.
The book has already received a lot of praise and was named middle school book of the month by Dubray Books.
John’s first book, The Very Dangerous Sisters by Indigo McCloud was published three years ago and described by Children’s Books Ireland as “dramatic, absurd and utterly gripping” and by The Irish period as “an exciting and original debut”.
With the road to publication more difficult than ever for aspiring authors these days, and middle grade books dominated by a small number of well-known authors, John has some advice for anyone looking to write a children’s book.
“My advice to anyone interested in writing is to only stick with it if you love it. And always read the genre you are writing in. You need to know what will resonate with today’s audience. If you haven’t read a children’s book since Enid Blyton, it will reflect in your writing and will not go down well with publishers.
“It’s also important to get feedback from people who know what they’re talking about. Accepting criticism is never easy, but in truth it’s a shortcut to becoming a better writer.”
Someone has been playing around with reality is available from all good bookshops and the usual websites. For more information, visit johnhearneauthor.com.
