The Tick Tock Man by R.M. Clark
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books/Tantrum Books
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books/Tantrum Books
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When the clocks in town stop, thirteen-year-old CJ discovers an unusual “clock world” where most of the citizens are clock parts, tasked with keeping the big clocks running. But soon the seemingly peaceful world is divided between warring factions with CJ instructed to find the only person who can help: the elusive Tick Tock Man.
With the aid of Fuzee, a partly-human girl, he battles gear-headed extremists and razor-sharp pendulums in order to restore order before this world of chimes, springs, and clock people dissolves into a massive time warp, taking CJ’s quiet New England town with it.
Author Post about the world building in his book
My previous five publications were mysteries, so the world-building needed for The Tick Tock Man was something I had to develop on the fly. The main character, CJ, is the storyteller, so the reader sees the new world unfolding as CJ does. The challenge was to build this new world slowly through short peeks. CJ goes in, then quickly comes back. For most young teens, that would be enough to scare them away for good. CJ is different. He knows his power is growing. He knows something is terribly wrong in the “other world.” Still, he’s only subject to a small portion of the world called The Sequence, a circular catwalk that connects all the great clocks in town. The structure is surrounded by mist and fog, so that keeps it mysterious.
Eventually, CJ meets Fuzee, a clock world citizen who is also part human. She knows her way around and eventually shows CJ the rest of her world, called Furtwangen. She acts as his guide as he tries to figure out why all the great clocks in town have stopped. Once inside the new world, the world-building task became easier. The citizens are clock parts and CJ easily assimilates himself into their world. With his newfound powers, they work together to end the conflict. By the end of the story, he is comfortable in either world.
Excerpt
I went to the spare bedroom and grabbed the
box for Uncle Artie’s clocks. I replaced them one by one, starting with the
crescent moon clock. After the German village cuckoo clock made its way into
the box, I noticed something extra strange. All Uncle Artie’s clocks were stuck
at two o’clock. How come no one else noticed this? That question troubled me as
I put the box of clocks in its resting place. It was as if those clocks had
something to say but couldn’t say it.
When I came back down I gave the Hoffhalder
another hard look, this time from the other side of the room. As much as I
tried to convince myself this was just a clock, I knew that wasn’t the case. It
spoke to me, although I couldn’t completely understand it.
Things were going from strange to downright
weird.
TOUR SCHEDULE
R. M. Clark is a computer scientist for the Dept. of Navy by
day and children’s book writer by night. He lives in Massachusetts with his
wife and two sons.
One (1) winner will receive this kid’s watch (INT)
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