I know a lot of you live in places where it's starting to get warm and your thoughts are turning to summer vacations. I'm glad that you'll be able to take some time off of school and enjoy yourselves. Unfortunately, I'm knee-deep in my quest for the Jerusalem Stones, so there won't be any vacations for me!

I just want to warn you not to let your guard down. The Creach don't take vacations either, so always be on the look-out. That tennis intructor or that life-guard at the swimming pool might be a Creach. You just never know! Have fun, but be careful. 

Jack

Hi Everyone -

I've really kicked up the hornet's nest now. For reasons I can't really go into right now, Creach around the world are going to be REALLY upset because of what Eva, Daniel, T-Rex, Will, Xavier and I just did. Without going into detail since this isn't a secure site, let's just say they are going to be REALLY mad. So, keep extra good watch for the next couple of weeks for increased activity in your area and post any suspicious activity on this site. Good luck and keep your heads down!

Jack

Hi there -

I just wanted to check in from the road. I found this Internet cafe where I could post a quick message. You wouldn't believe what's happened since I talked to you last. Part of me wants to tell you right now, just in case I don't make it. But I feel like if I do that instead of waiting to write the next book, then my luck will change...and then I'd be in real trouble. All I can tell you is that I've been to another continent, had an adventure that was the trickiest yet, and barely escaped with my life. I can't wait to tell you more. Until then, I have to stay on the move. 

Do your duty. Come what may.

Jack

Hi there -

In a couple of days, the book about The Monster Academy will be available to all you monster hunters. As promised, it's pretty intense. Not only was my journey to the Academy filled with fights and adventures, but the Academy held a lot more mystery and danger than I could have ever imagined.

I hope you use the book as it's intended...to arm you with the knowledge you need to protect yourself against the Creach. As you'll see in the book, it's clear that a war with Creach is coming. There may come a time when I'll call on you to help me. Until then, stay safe and always remember:

Do your duty, come what may!

Jack

Many of you have written me to ask whether you should tell your friends the truth about the monsters in the world or just keep it a secret. Unfortunately, like most things in life, the answer is that it depends. 

Here's the deal. Because you've made the decision to join the fight, monsters are going to come looking for you. With the help of the books and this site, you should be in good shape to protect yourself and stand up to what ever monsters you face (as long as there are not too many of them!) The thing is that when the monsters appear there's a good chance you'll be hanging out with your friends when they do. Unless they know what to expect, they will just freak out and run away, leaving you to face the monster all by yourself. Not good. 

So, as a rule, you should tell your closest circle of friends and no-one else. There is safety in numbers and, as I keep learning, power in having the help of friends. 

Hope that helps!

Jack

Hi everyone.

Another month has passed and I've still managed to stay alive even with every monster in the world on the prowl trying to find me. If you're reading this it means that you're safe too. I hope some of the tips on this site have helped you identify monsters in your area and taught you to defend yourself.  

Now that winter is giving way to spring, you are going to have to be extra careful. There are many monsters who hibernate over the winter so you're about to have more monsters to contend with. This especially goes for the Lesser Creach: monsters like Blind Mole-men, Screaching Burpies, Foul Tangs and Saber-Toothed Banweevils (which are particularly nasty.)

As the weather warms up, keep your wits about you if you want to keep your head on your shoulders. 

Good luck!

OK - I'm back. Hope you enjoyed hearing from Eva and Will. I don't have much time so I'll get right to it. 

There is increased monsters activity so it's really important that you take extra care from here on out. Here are some key survival tips. 

1)    Create a protective perimeter. This is the first law of defense. You might be thinking of a fortress or a safe room, and these are obviously great to have, but it’s not feasible to lock yourself up for the next year until the Creach War is settled one way or the other. I’m talking about creating a defensive perimeter when you are out walking around. There shouldn’t be anything that gets within thirty feet of you that you aren’t scrutinizing for strange behavior. This includes teachers, family members, house pets, anything living. If you spot something odd, this gives you time to get ready. In order to survive the initial attack you should…

2)    Learn hand-to-hand defense. You can’t very well walk around with a broadsword attached to your hip, now can you? You’d wind up in jail and then the Creach who have infiltrated the police would have you at their mercy.  If you don’t have any experience, try signing up for a martial arts class in your area. Karate, boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, anything that’s going to get you in shape and teach you basic moves. The goal isn’t to win the fight at this point. The goal is to…

3)    Escape. If a Creach attacks you, it means they have sized up the situation and figured out they have an advantage. And they probably do since they have the chosen the place of the fight and have the element of surprise. Your job is to get the heck out of there in one piece and live to fight another day, preferably when you chose the circumstances. To do that, you must…

4)    Understand your enemy. Every Creach has a weakness. Even when you’re battling a twelve-foot tall mole monster with tusks like an elephant and claws the size of your arm, knowing they are basically blind but with an amazing sense of smell will give you the advantage you need. (Take off your clothes and leave them behind. The mole creature will be confused by the smell on the clothes and attack them, giving you time to get away.) How do you get to know all this? I have descriptions of the major Creach and their weaknesses on this website. But sometimes you just have to try to figure it out in the middle of the fight. Whatever you do…

5)    Don’t ask for help from non-hunters. There are a couple of problems with this. First, often the people you ask for help from will not believe you. You might find yourself talking to doctors trying to find out what’s wrong with you. Second, the people you ask for help might be Creach monsters themselves. Don’t forget that they are literally everywhere. Not only lurking in the shadows, but they can be police officers, firemen, teachers…even your parents! Sorry, you have to figure how to survive on your own. The one exception is that you should always…

6)    Band together with other hunters. There is safety in numbers. No way I would have survived my first night as a monster hunter without the help of T-Rex, Will, Eva and Hester. Find people who have either read my book or who have become hunters some other way. One simple way is to write “Do you duty,” in places where people might see it. If they finish the sentence with, “Come what may,” then you might have a good contact. Like everything else in this war though, approach everything cautiously. The Creach have been known to impersonate hunters to lure newbies in. Watch yourself.

I hope that helps. Even at the monster hunter academy, the first lesson we learn is that there’s no foolproof way to defeat all monsters. The life expectancy of a hunter is short. It’s rare to meet a hunter older than thirty. All you can do is try your best, be cautious, and fight the good fight.

Do your duty, come what may.

Jack Templar

Hi everyone. 

This is Will Akers, Jack Templar’s right hand man. You probably heard about me in our book Jack Templar Monster Hunter. I say “our” book since it really could have been called Jack And Will: Monster Hunters. But I guess since Jack wrote the entire thing, he felt like going with the title he had.

I know Jack and Eva were pretty mad when the book got out to regular people. You know…non-hunters. Or, as some people at the Academy call them, Creach-bait.

But I was happy the book got out. I know, I know, everyone’s worried about how reading the book attracts monsters to the reader and inevitably drags the reader into our world of man versus monsters. You know what I say? About time.

I mean, come on. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to become a monster hunter? It’s by far the coolest thing that’s happened to me, I’ll tell you that much.

Even when we’re being chased by a flock of mad harpies, or facing down an entire field of zombies, or being pursued by Ren Lucre, the Dark Lord of the Creach himself, I was still having the time of my life.

The way I look at it, what’s not to love? You’re doing something really important, you’re helping others, you get to use cool weapons and fight against heinous monsters. Oh, and you don’t have to go to school. As far as I’m concerned, that’s like winning the lottery.

I guess there’s the fact that there aren’t many hunters who live past thirty. The luck runs out for even the best hunters eventually. Turns out no matter how good you are, if you try to face down a pack of werewolves or a coven of vampires on your own, it’s not going to turn out well.  But I’m only fourteen. Thirty is forever away so I’m not too worried about it.

One thing I do worry about is all this talk of Jack being “the One.” Other hunters who meet him always have a weird reaction when they find out who he is. They either keep their distance like they are scared of him or they act like he’s some kind of celebrity. I mean, he’s super cool and all, but he’s just Jack. I just hope that he doesn’t start taking too many chances trying to live up to his own hype. Either way, I’ll be right next to him. As we say, Do your duty, come what may. I look at keeping Jack alive as my duty and I intend to see it through, no matter what happens.

I hope you join the fight. It’s quite a ride.

Will Akers. 

Hi, this is Eva. 

You might know me from the book Jack Templar Monster Hunter. A ridiculous title if you ask me. I told Jack not to write the book but trying to talk sense into that boy when he has his mind set on something is harder than tracking a Scottish Howler-Demon in a snowstorm.

I told him that there was no way the book would stay a secret. In today’s world of high-speed Internet and e-books, it was bound to get out. I get that he wanted to try to help new hunters out there, but I warned him it was too risky.

And I was right. Not only did the book get out, but it seems that the act of reading the book is attracting the attention of monsters so kids who think they are just having a fun read have suddenly found themselves hunted by zombies or werewolves or some other member of the Creach. If you haven’t read it yet, be careful. Only read it if you’re willing to join the fight.

I guess one positive thing is that girl hunters out there will know that monster hunting isn’t just for boys. Some of the most feared hunters are girls. I’m proud to say I’m one of them. I get so mad when people think girls need to be rescued all the time. I’m fully capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much. Hopefully girls who read the book will see that we can kick major butt too!

Having said that, I was so infuriated by Jack writing the book that I refused to read it. I was there, so I know what happened and I have no interest in reliving that night. Hunters never look back. We don’t dwell on the past. We just keep moving forward to the next objective.

But I have heard rumors that Jack wrote that I kissed him before he went into the final battle with Ren Lucre.

I just want to set the record straight.

There was no way he was going to survive that fight. He had only picked up a sword for the first time a few hours earlier and he was supposed to go head-to-head with the Lord of the Creach, Ren Lucre.

So, yes, I gave him a good-bye kiss. Poor guy had probably never kissed a girl before so I figured it was the least I could do before his inevitable, grisly death.  What he didn’t know at the time was that I kind of had a boyfriend at the Monster Hunter Academy. The same Academy where Jack, Will, T-Rex and I went after our night facing Ren Lucre. I never had a chance to tell Jack. Talk about awkward.

Knowing him, he’ll write all about it in another book.

Have to go. If you can, join the fight. And if you do, remember our creed:

Do you duty, come what may.

Eva

Happy New Year. I'm glad you came back, but if I were you, I would just walk away and pretend that monsters aren’t real. That they aren’t secretly walking the streets, waiting for a chance to eat you. Because if you read on, the monsters will come for you.

But if you're going to stay, then I should at least arm you with some information about our enemy.

The Creach is divided into five distinct groups: vampires, zombies, werewolves, demons and the Lesser Creach which is made up of all the weird little creatures that don’t fit into the other groups. You know, trolls, goblins, harpies, sirens, mugwumps, blood-howlers, etc.

A Lord rules over each group with an iron fist. These guys are the worse. Under constant leadership challenge from their own kind, they are forced to keep order with vicious efficiency or die. The Creach hoard respects strength and violence above all else, so life as a Creach tends to be short and brutal. This just makes the ones who survive more dangerous as adversaries.

Over all the Lords, rules the vampire Ren Lucre, the Lord of the Creach, Eater of Souls and all-around bad guy. In fact, I found out things about Ren Lucre at the Monster Hunter Academy that blew my mind. I don’t have time to go into them here, but I’m writing down what’s been happening at the Academy so I hope to have something out to you guys soon.

While the Creach are nasty and ruthless and worthy of your fear, there’s something very important to keep in mind. Not all of them are bad. Many (most) of my hunter brethren disagree with me on this, but I know it to be a fact. Since some of you may not have read my book yet and intend to, I’ll not spoil the surprise. And if you’ve read the book, you know what I’m talking about.

There’s a danger in thinking of the individual Creach only by the group to which it belongs. In fact, this way of thinking forms the very basis for bigotry and hatred and makes the coming Creach War almost inevitable. Once we stop thinking of them as individuals and just lump them together and make assumptions about them, we are destined for ignorance and miscalculation.

Come to think of it, this is a good reminder for how we look at our fellow humans as much as how we look at the Creach. Something to think about the next time you assume you know what someone thinks or believes simply because they look a certain way, pray a certain way, belong to a certain group, or just happen to be a demon with glowing eyes and fangs. I’m just saying.

OK, that should give you a basic overview of the types of monsters you’ll face. I’ve put up a website with information about tracking and surveillance techniques, fighting skills, etc. I’ll respond to comments on this blog or you can reach me at the website with questions. I promise I’ll get back to you…if I’m still alive.

Hopefully, you will join the fight. If you do, remember…

Do your duty, come what may.

Jack Templar.