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James Hartley

Goodreads Author

Born

in Bebington

Website

http://www.themadridreview.com

Twitter

jameshartleybks

Genre

Young Adult, Thriller, Fiction

Influences

Enid Blyton, Mark E Smith, Eca de Quieroz, Beryl Bainbridge, Malcolm L ...more

Member Since

September 2013

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James was born near Liverpool, England. He moved to Singapore when he was seven and has lived in Oman, Thailand, France and Scotland. He now lives in Madrid, Spain, with his wife and two children. He loves writing and reading.

The Invisible Hand, the first book in the Shakespeare´s Moon series was published by Lodestone Books in February 2017. It was born out of his love of Macbeth.
Cold Fire, based on Romeo and Juliet, was published on 31st August, 2018. The third book in the trilogy, The Unexpected, based on Julius Caesar, was published on May 29th, 2020. It's set in the future and ties up the series.

He has also published a short novel, Entanglement, and two short Christmas novellas, The Bigger Picture and The Flight.

James has also written ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

What writers have been most influential on your own writing? Does your experience in Asia play into the stories that you write, and if it does in what way?

James Hartley Hi Bobbie. Thanks for the question. I think this is the first question I´ve been asked by a real person on Good Reads!
The writers most influential on…moreHi Bobbie. Thanks for the question. I think this is the first question I´ve been asked by a real person on Good Reads!
The writers most influential on my writing are probably Enid Blyton, for her imagination (and for giving me hours and hours of reading pleasure as a child), Mark E Smith, an English rock singer, for his word play, Beryl Bainbridge, an English writer from Liverpool for her well-crafted later books and then Malcolm Lowry, Charles Bukowski, Iain Banks and Eca de Queiros among many others for their mastery of the art.
I don´t try and copy anyone but I do sometimes stop and take a metaphorical step back when I really like someone´s writing to ask myself "why?".
My experience in Asia plays into the humanity of the characters in the Shakespeare´s Moon books. In the past and probably in the future I will write more stories based in Asia but as these books are largely based in England, Asia comes through more from characters than settings.
I love Asia like I love everywhere I have been in the world. I love Libya, Syria and Singapore. I love Scotland, England, Ireland, France and Germany. I love the USA, Malaysia, Spain, Australia, New Zealand and Italy. I´m not a big fan of borders and flags and nationalism. I don´t think anywhere´s "better" than anywhere else - really. I don´t know why I have to decide between A and B. I don´t believe life needs to be a competition anymore - I think we are beyond that mentally.
You don´t have to look hard to find horrible humans - within countries people fight, within workplaces, schools, streets, houses and families: people spend a lot of time fighting with themselves.
If anything, my travels in Asia informs my view of humanity: we´re all the same family; the same people who share the same home.(less)

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

James Hartley I go outside, no matter what time the day or night, and walk up to groups of strangers and begin to chant, "come on everybody! Let´s all have a sing s…moreI go outside, no matter what time the day or night, and walk up to groups of strangers and begin to chant, "come on everybody! Let´s all have a sing song" and then, depending on my mood, I either force everyone to sing Yellow Submarine by The Beatles or Happy by Pharrell Williams - which is not easy, as I live in Spain and not everyone speaks English. Then, when everyone is singing along, I do a bit of parkour.

If, after that, I don´t feel invigorated and inspired, I consider retraining as a chef or lawyer - the type of jobs which people always need. The idea of becoming a lawyer, though, usually sobers me up to the fact that writer´s block is not such a serious thing, at least if it doesn´t go on for years, and I return to my desk and begin plodding along again, typing, reading, typing and reading.

Does anyone read this stuff?(less)

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James Hartley’s books

Average rating: 3.97 · 93 ratings · 61 reviews · 10 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Invisible Hand (Shakespeare’s Moon #1) 3.80 avg rating — 50 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cold Fire (Shakespeare’s Moon #2) 3.88 avg rating — 24 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Heart of Winter really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 11 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Eve’s Christmas 3.83 avg rating — 6 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Unexpected (Shakespeare’s Moon #3) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Imperial Exile (The Napoleon Diaries #1) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dragons and Ghosts it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dragons and Ghosts it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Fascination Street Revisited it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Napoladelica: Mindblowing Short Stories About Napoleon Bonaparte it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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James Hartley's Blog

��No hay nada m��s importante que el amor.��

Una entrevista con Carlos Sobera por James Hartley.

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Published on June 05, 2024 00:19

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Series by James Hartley

Shakespeare's Moon (3 books)
by

James Hartley (Goodreads Author)

3.87 avg rating — 93 ratings

Shakespeare's Moon (1 book)
by

James Hartley (Goodreads Author)

3.88 avg rating — 24 ratings

James is Currently Reading

James Hartley is currently reading

The Glassmaker

by Tracy Chevalier (Goodreads Author)

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Nov 15, 2024 08:16AM

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The House of Ulloa

by Emilia Pardo Bazán

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Nov 06, 2024 09:25PM

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James’s Recent Updates

James Hartley is now following Lisa See Author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Jun 16, 2025 12:54AM · like
James Hartley made a comment in the group Romance Readers Reading Challenges — Announcements topic " Lisa SeeHello everyone - My name is James Hartley. I'm the editor of The Madrid Review - a literary magazine based in Madrid, Spain. This Friday - 20th ...more "
Jun 16, 2025 12:43AM
James Hartley joined the group Romance Readers Reading Challenges
Jun 16, 2025 12:40AM · like
James Hartley is now following Madrid Pimps and Madrid Spain
Dec 28, 2024 03:59AM
James Hartley is currently reading The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 15, 2024 08:16AM · like
James Hartley rated a book really liked it The Haçienda: How Not to Run a Club by Peter Hook	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this a lot and, yes, it's shocking and fascinating, but it's also bitty and broken up, which sometimes works but often doesn't. Between Hook's brilliantly honest and straight narrative there are interesting calendars of events at the club, ...more
Nov 06, 2024 09:25PM · like · see review
James Hartley is currently reading The House of Ulloa by Emilia Pardo Bazán	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 06, 2024 09:25PM · like
James Hartley rated a book really liked it The Haçienda: How Not to Run a Club by Peter Hook	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this a lot and, yes, it's shocking and fascinating, but it's also bitty and broken up, which sometimes works but often doesn't. Between Hook's brilliantly honest and straight narrative there are interesting calendars of events at the club, ...more
Nov 06, 2024 09:23PM · like · see review
James Hartley rated a book liked it On Canaan's Side (Dunne Family #4) by Sebastian Barry	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
DNF. Wierd. Beautiful but also ridiculous. Trying to read this, I felt like a child being forced to eat broccoli. Good for me but just impossible to get down.
Nov 05, 2024 09:43AM · 1 like · like · see review

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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The Challenge Fac...: 100 Book Genre Challenge 2017	55	209	Jan 01, 2018 10:35AM
Indie Revolution ...: Fake Interviews	92	33	Oct 20, 2019 05:24AM

James’s Quotes

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”
― Roald Dahl

tags: believe, glittering-eyes, hidden, magic, secrets, unlikely-places, watch, world

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