People think The Monster Belt is an area between two latitudes containing mythical creatures. But this isn’t true; such creatures cannot be confined. Monsters are everywhere.
Sun bronzed Harris White is looking for a sea animal that killed his best friend, Jonty, twelve years ago in the aquamarine waters of the Mediterranean. Driven by guilt, Harris won’t give up until he finds this monster. He saw it take his friend. He looked it in the eye. He knows first-hand that monsters exist.
Unemployed graduate, Jess Winter, lives in the remote Yorkshire village of Hawksmoor, smack bang in the middle of The Monster Belt.
Jess knows all about monsters. Hawksmoor has its very own that drowns kids who dare to swim in the local lake. It’s a place Jess avoids because its underground tunnels and caves remind her of the crevices and passageways in her head where frightening things lurk.
It is summer. The annual Crypto Zoology Convention has descended on Hawksmoor. It’s where Jess Winter and Harris White meet.
Two days later, The Mere Monster claims another victim, thirteen year old Jordan King. Like Harris’ friend, his body cannot be found.
Jess agrees to join Harris in searching for the creature that killed Jonty, at the same time reading the book he has written about his quest. However, between the pages, his experiences blur with her reality and she wonders if he or both of them are crazy.
As they sweep down The Belt, they are interrupted by the news that Jordon King’s body has finally been found and they return to Hawksmoor. With the discovery of the teenager’s corpse, both Harris and Jess are forced to face what they fear most. The problem is, monsters are closer than we think and they can take on surprisingly mundane forms. And as for proof, everyone knows proof is almost impossible to come by.
It’s the following year. The Crypto Zoology Convention is in town again. Harris has brought a souvenir of Jonty’s killer to show everyone and Jess is set to confront the monster that has haunted her dreams and every aspect of her waking life for the past six years. And The Mere Monster? Whatever it is, it’s about to be unleashed.
I've ordered two copies of The Monster Belt on LULU for two people to read through for me. It's easier for people to carry around a book than an A4 manuscript or read on-line. It also gives me the opportunity to play around with it as well.
The cover photograph is from Wales, taken last summer. The blurb isn't quite right, but I wanted the copies asap. I've already changed a few things in the final two chapters and I think the first page doesn't quite flow. See? Helps me reading it as a book as well.
And I will finish editing. I will.
I'm suspecting there are a lot of book covers though with jetties featured. Will have to look at that.
