A. J. Hartley

Welcome to my Amazon home!

Everyone always tells writers that the best way to be successful is to choose what kind of book you most like to write and then produce lots of them. "Branding,:" they call it, and it's good advice. The surest way to build a fan base is to write books in the same genre, perhaps even with the same recurring character as your hero.

It won't take you long poking around my offerings on Amazon to see that I haven't taken this advice. I write the kinds of books I like to read, and because my reading tastes are eclectic, my writing is all over the place.

I write mystery/thrillers (often with an archaeological bent such as my Deborah Miller or Thomas Knight books), fantasy adventures of the swords and sorcery variety (albeit from the slightly unusual perspective of a smart-mouthed young actor called Will Hawthorne), historical fiction (such as my adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth), and my Darwen Arkwright series for younger readers (or young at heart readers). It may not make marketing sense, but I write the stories I feel like I have to tell. I have, alas, no brand, though I'd love to be able to live by the slogan "Fun books for smart people" :)

I was born in England, near Manchester, and have lived in many places including Japan. I'm a Shakespeare Professor at UNC Charlotte, and though my Ph.D. was in literature I specialize in performance history and theory. You can reach me through my website, facebook and twitter. I'm always delighted to hear what people think of my work. Enjoy!

AJH