Interview With Ash Hartwell, Author Of ‘The Crows of Smith’s Booth’

Writer Ash Hartwell is a well-read writer. He dances between a classic and modern aesthetic with a tale of good versus evil in a novel that has a Henry James feel to it. We had a chance to talk with Ash about his new book, The Crows of Smith’s Booth. We talked about his influences as a writer, how he deals with doubts and advice for up-and-coming writers.

PopHorror: How long have you written horror?

Ash Hartwell: I started writing around 2010. Initially just short, flash fiction but it always had a darker edge to it. I progressed to short stories, many with publishers sadly no longer around. Then in 2017,  Stitched Smile published my first novel, so the writing process was a steep learning curve for me. I look back at those early stories and shudder but that’s okay, it shows development.

PopHorror: How did you get started in horror and why does this genre appeal to you?

Ash Hartwell: I read James Herbert’s “The Rats” when I was about 12 or 13 and was hooked.

My grandmother read things like “Peter Pan” and “Alice in Wonderland” to me as a child and looking back they have a dark shadow running through them, so maybe it’s her fault.

I also watched the old Hammer Horror films and “Tales of the Unexpected” and loved the suspense and twists that horror brings. The genre has no limits to where it can go, what it can say, how it can say it. People, (and bookshops) often pigeon hole horror into a niche market but it stretches its sticky, tentacles into so many sub-genres or completely different genres. I love its widespread appeal, the way it subverts genres and styles to suit its needs.

PopHorror: Can you give a brief summary of your latest book from Burdizzo Books?

Ash Hartwell: It is the classic good vs evil tale. The story starts with the execution of a 16th century coven of witches, the elder of which lays a curse on the village of Smith’s Booth. Three hundred years later two sisters, descendants of the one surviving member of the Archer coven, turn eighteen. Victoria gets engaged to a former army officer while her friend, the daughter of the local vicar, dreams of a life with his best friend.

The story follows Victoria as she discovers she is closer to Issy than she thought, then loses her to the evil that has blighted the women of her bloodline. The witches of the past return with a plan to free their lord and master from Hell with the help of their ancient grimoire. Victoria must find the grimoire and find out how to break the curse and destroy the coven before they can succeed. People are not always who they appear, friendships and loyalties are put to the test, and all the while the crows keep watch.

PopHorror: What inspired the story?

Ash Hartwell: My wife is actually a descendant of a famous coven of witches here in England and that with reading Victorian ghost stories and watching Hammer films they all merged into this one tale.

I take a few liberties with the witch elements, but only to introduce the classic ‘horror genre witch’ as opposed to the modern Wiccan witch or the typical Sabrina Teenage Witch genre.

PopHorror:  At the beginning of the story, there is the scene with the sisters’ execution for witchcraft, was there any fear of using the example as “cliche”? Though, the idea of hanging the witches from the bridge
was an interesting one.

Ash Hartwell: I wanted to start with something impactful. The execution of witches throughout Europe was a tragic case of religious persecution and I wanted to reference the horrors and brutality of medieval life and the fear engendered by the unknown.

I live near an old stone bridge and that’s where the idea of hanging them from a bridge came from. Driving over it one morning I just thought ‘what if?’

I did some general research into the historical timeline – clothing, industry, and lifestyle stuff – and into grimoires, Knights Templars, and medieval religious practices to uncover the horrors of the age. But I didn’t let the research define the story, I wanted a general feeling of authenticity but not a factually correct historical drama, and I hope that’s what I achieved.

PopHorror: The rest of your story seems to take place in a post-1860s London. It is amazing how that era of time in England (post American Civil War to pre-World War I) seems to be set at this time. What is it about this time that attracts writers and readers to it?

Ash Hartwell:  It’s actually set in the East Midlands but the time period is correct. I think Victorian England holds a certain mystique that no other time can match. It conjures images of foggy streets, Jack The Ripper, Sherlock Holmes. The writings of Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens, H.G. Wells, and Jules Verne give Victorian England its own fictional database which inspires still inspires readers and writers alike.

The period provides class divides, romance, new sciences and discoveries, but still retains the old-world religious beliefs but with a sense of moral ambiguity that allows the writer artistic freedom.

PopHorror:  How long did it take to write?

Ash Hartwell: A year, maybe a little longer but longer to write the first draft, but I took my masters degree in creative writing before finally getting [the book]  edited and published. So in all it took nearer four years from first scribblings to published novel.

It also fell victim to a publisher who could not deliver on their promises, a problem
that seems all too common these days, which is unfortunate because there are so many dedicated publishers in the independent sector who get tarred with the same brush.

PopHorror: Your book has a Henry James vibe to it, what writers do you enjoy or that inspire you?

Ash Hartwell: First. Wow! Thank you.

I enjoy James, Conan-Doyle, H.G. Wells and Mary Shelley. More recent writers include, Emily St John Mandel, Neil Gaiman, Adam Neville and, of course, Stephen King. J.G. Ballard, James Herbert, and Richard Laymon have also had a great influence over my love of the genre. But I also try to read wider, Le Fanu, Austin, Bronte, and Christie have also recently appeared on my reading lists.

Great writing inspires me, it’s that simple. Great writing inspires me to improve my writing.

PopHorror: When you write, do you ever deal with doubts? How do you overcome them?

Ash Hartwell: Yes. When I write badly, I know it. I just keep going. That’s why there is a key near to your right pinky finger with ‘delete’ written on it. I think this key should be bigger and bolder. Don’t ever be afraid to use it. Writing 500 words of rubbish and deleting it the next day is better than not writing in the first place.

Something good will come from the experience, a lesson learned, an idea tried, and maybe buried in those words the seed of something so much better.

PopHorror:  What advice do you give to new writers?

Ash Hartwell:  Ha-ha! See above.

I think read across genres. Read deeply. By that I mean savor the words not just the story they tell. Don’t be afraid to ask an editor or publisher to provide some brief feedback on rejections (some will, some won’t) and listen to their criticism.

And just write.

PopHorror: What is next for you?

Ash Hartwell: Right now. Coffee.

I have a vampire novella that needs an ending and editing. I’m also writing the follow up to my first novel which was set on the Titanic but this one focuses on Russia in 1917, so I’m researching that.

I want to write a more literary novel, away from the horror genre, so maybe that will appear on the horizon.

PopHorror: Thanks so much for your time!

Ash Hartwell: Thanks for the chance to speak to you.

NOTE: Check out Ash Hartwell’s novel on Amazon here.