Patrick Carman fell in love with reading and storytelling while he was a kid in school in Salem. Now he’s 44 and the author of many best-selling books for young people, including the “Land of Elyon” and “Skeleton Creek” series and one book in the “39 Clues” series. He took time from his national tour — which includes several stops in Salem — to answer questions for the Statesman Journal about his latest books and his life as a writer.

Statesman Journal: Can you tell us a little about the plot of your new books?

Patrick Carman: The first is “Thirteen Days to Midnight,” a superhero novel for the 12-and-up crowd. It’s dark, it’s got a love story and maybe most interesting for readers of the Statesman Journal, it’s set in Salem. My old high school makes a major appearance (Sacred Heart Academy), the Enchanted Forest has a sizzlin’ scene and the Oregon Coast gets its moment. If you’re looking for a wild ride through familiar territory, I think this might be your book. You might even find yourself on some of the pages.

The other release is called “Trackers,” which is appropriate for anyone age 9 to 99. I’m really aiming to meet the changing demands of young, distracted readers with “Trackers,” so the story is told through a collage of videos, text and websites … I’m using a lot of tech, but there’s a method to the wired madness — the destination with “Trackers” is always the book.

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