John Claude Bemis: The Nine Pound Hammer: Book 1 of The Clockwork Dark, *Kids Event* Ages 9-12

Saturday

03/13/10  2pm-3pm  *Kids Event*  Ages 9-12

John Claude Bemis: The Nine Pound Hammer: Book 1 of The Clockwork Dark

In his debut middle grade adventure, former elementary school teacher John Claude Bemis asks the question “What if the legendary John Henry had a son?” THE NINE POUND HAMMER: Book 1 of the Clockwork Dark offers young readers a fresh approach to epic fantasy, unearthing characters from American folklore and sending them on a wild ride through the post–Civil War South.  The misty magic of Appalachia lends both the history and the mystery to the first book in this riveting trilogy.   

In his debut novel, John Claude Bemis takes American tall tales and reinvents them in a fresh and exciting manner. The Ramblers, defenders of the natural world, must take up arms in the 1890s South against their ancient foes: industry and machinery. This series harkens back to time when man was one with the soil beneath his feet, a fascinating topic to tackle in today’s environment of green awareness. While young readers will recognize the timeliness of this subject, they will also be entertained by the medley of sideshow performers—the fire-eater, the sword swallower, the strong man, and the crocodile-riding queen of pirates!

John Claude Bemis grew up in rural North Carolina, where he loved reading the Jack tales and African American trickster stories, as well as fantasy and science fiction classics. A songwriter and musician in an American roots band, John found inspiration for his fiction in old-time country and blues music and the Southern folklore at its heart. John lives with his family in Hillsborough, North Carolina, where he was an elementary school teacher for 11 years before becoming a full-time writer.