A. J. Hartley

Act of Will is a boisterous fantasy adventure that introduces us to Will Hawthorne, a medieval actor and playwright who flees the authorities only to find himself inextricably bound to a group of high-minded adventurers on a deadly mission. Will travels with them to a distant land where they are charged with the investigation and defeat of a ruthless army of mystical horsemen, who appear out of the mist, leaving death and devastation in their wake. In the course of Wills uneasy alliance with his new protectors, he has to get his pragmatic mind to accept selfless heroism (which he thinks is absurd) and magic (which he doesn't believe in). Will must eventually decide where his loyalties really lie and how much he is prepared to do - and believe - to stand up for them.

Act of Will is a boisterous fantasy adventure that introduces us to Will Hawthorne, a medieval actor and playwright who flees the authorities only to find himself inextricably bound to a group of high-minded adventurers on a deadly mission. Will travels with them to a distant land where they are charged with the investigation and defeat of a ruthless army of mystical horsemen, who appear out of the mist, leaving death and devastation in their wake. In the course of Wills uneasy alliance with his new protectors, he has to get his pragmatic mind to accept selfless heroism (which he thinks is absurd) and magic (which he doesn't believe in). Will must eventually decide where his loyalties really lie and how much he is prepared to do - and believe - to stand up for them.

A thrilling new novel by the creators of Sekret Machines who, with the help of a team of government insiders, exposed the secret pentagon UFO program that captured America's attention and led to the first public congressional hearings about unidentified flying objects. Van Lopez has memories, or dreams--he's not sure what to call them--that he cannot explain or forget. In his small town of Trinity, Nevada, home to what the locals refer to as "the base," there is no shortage of conspiracy theories and paranoid ramblings of townsfolk who swear they've seen something strange, otherworldly. Van at first scoffs at the rumors, but then he sees strange lights and knows in his gut that he is being watched. He can't shake the sense of foreboding. You shouldn't be here . . . It's 1962, a time of optimism and discovery, but also of fear. Technological advances are blossoming, but so is the nuclear age and the insane arms race between the US and the Soviet Union. As Trinity townsfolk await a nuclear test at the base, Van struggles to make sense of his world, his dysfunctional family, and his first stirrings of romantic love. The nuclear blast brings down something over Trinity that wasn't supposed to be there: something not of this world. Now Van is running for his life, pursued by a murderous Soviet agent as well as government forces bent on keeping all he has seen--and all he has remembered--from getting out. He has to fight for the things he cares most about, and in that final battle he may have to make allies of his oldest enemies. What exactly is the government doing there? And how much are they concealing from the people of Trinity? AJ Hartley's thrilling novel (from the imagination of Tom Delonge) ignites our deepest fears and our collective unease.

Fifteen-year-old Caleb Hideki Smith is a loser’s loser. As one of the few half-Japanese students in East Portersville High School, Caleb has accepted that he will never fit in. He’s not popular, can’t play football, and the girl he likes doesn’t even know he exists. Well, that was before he accidentally burnt down the town’s most beloved historical landmark. On one fateful day, Caleb and his sister Emily stumble upon a Shinto shrine deep in the Great Smoky Mountains: a shrine Caleb knows wasn’t there the day before. Faced with his unfamiliar heritage, Caleb quickly learns that fitting in was the least of his problems. You cannot outrun who you are and the past will always catch up to you eventually. Something is lurking in the caves of the mountains. And it wants to get out... The new mythological fantasy from New York Times bestselling author A.J. Hartley, with Hisako Osako and Kuma Hartley.

An obscure museum's dead proprietor lies in a secret room surrounded by one of the world's most astonishing collections of Greek antiquities. Only a priceless Mycenaean death mask has been taken, along with the bones of a legendary hero thought to exist only in ancient myth. Looted by the Nazis, the treasures are still being sought by those whose dreams of glory remain undefeated.The mask is an unparalleled discovery that will be a force for devastating retribution in the wrong hands. But by the time museum curator Deborah Miller learns the truth, it may be too late not only to save herself - but to reveal to the world the awesome secret she's uncovered.

It is a tale of ghosts, of madness, of revenge - of old alliances giving way to new intrigues. Denmark is changing, shaking off its medieval past. War with Norway is on the horizon. And Hamlet - son of the old king, nephew of the new - becomes increasingly entangled in a web of deception - and murder.Struggling to find his place in this strange new order Hamlet tries to rekindle his relationship with Ophelia - the daughter of Elsinore's cunning spy master, a man with plots of his own. Hamlet turns for advice and support to the one person he can trust -- Young Yorick, the slippery, unruly jester, whose father helped Hamlet through a difficult childhood. And all the while the armed forces of Fortinbras, prince of Norway, start to assemble, threatening to bring down Elsinore forever.Beautifully performed by actor Richard Armitage ("Thorin Oakenshield" in the Hobbit films), Hamlet, Prince of Denmark takes Shakespeare's original into unexpected realms, reinventing a story we thought we knew.A. J. Hartley is the New York Times best-selling author of the Will Hawthorne fantasy series and several thrillers, as well as the Darwen Arkwright books for younger readers. He is the Russell Robinson Distinguished Professor of Shakespeare at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.David Hewson is the best-selling author of more than 20 novels, including the Nic Costa crime series and a trilogy of books based on the hit Danish television show The Killing. His most-recent novel, The House of Dolls, begins a new series set in Amsterdam.

It is a tale of ghosts, of madness, of revenge - of old alliances giving way to new intrigues. Denmark is changing, shaking off its medieval past. War with Norway is on the horizon. And Hamlet - son of the old king, nephew of the new - becomes increasingly entangled in a web of deception - and murder.Struggling to find his place in this strange new order Hamlet tries to rekindle his relationship with Ophelia - the daughter of Elsinore's cunning spy master, a man with plots of his own. Hamlet turns for advice and support to the one person he can trust -- Young Yorick, the slippery, unruly jester, whose father helped Hamlet through a difficult childhood. And all the while the armed forces of Fortinbras, prince of Norway, start to assemble, threatening to bring down Elsinore forever.Beautifully performed by actor Richard Armitage ("Thorin Oakenshield" in the Hobbit films), Hamlet, Prince of Denmark takes Shakespeare's original into unexpected realms, reinventing a story we thought we knew.A. J. Hartley is the New York Times best-selling author of the Will Hawthorne fantasy series and several thrillers, as well as the Darwen Arkwright books for younger readers. He is the Russell Robinson Distinguished Professor of Shakespeare at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.David Hewson is the best-selling author of more than 20 novels, including the Nic Costa crime series and a trilogy of books based on the hit Danish television show The Killing. His most-recent novel, The House of Dolls, begins a new series set in Amsterdam.

"Part Connie Willis time-travel, part Douglas Adams whimsy, part Julie Schumacher academic satire, with a refreshing touch of Key & Peele, Burning Shakespeare is also a clear-eyed assessment of what we love -- and hate -- about Shakespeare." -- Sujata Iyengar, author of Shades of Difference: Mythologies of Skin Color and Race in Early Modern England and Shakespeare's Medical LanguageOr, "Funnier than Timon of Athens, sadder than As You Like It, Burning Shakespeare fantasizes a world in which all of Shakespeare's plays come perilously close to joining the library of the lost."Paul Menzer, Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Mary Baldwin University"If in some parallel universe Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman had collaborated with A.C. Bradley, they might imaginably have come up with a novel both as funny and as intellectually exciting as A.J. Hartley's Burning Shakespeare. But I doubt it."Professor Michael Dobson, Director of the Shakespeare Institute, Stratford-Upon-AvonShakespeare's works are being wiped from history - and only a group of ill-assorted dead people can save them This whimsical romp from now to Shakespeare's day, via Hell, wears its learning lightly, but is as illuminating as funny. Highly recommended Tiffany Stern Fellow of the British Academy, General Editor, Arden Shakespeare: 4"Beelzebub, Belial, Shakespeare, and the academy: what could go wrong? Burning Shakespeare does just what novels featuring Shakespeare fail to do, taking readers on a wild, witty, sometimes even poignant ride, leaving us with the faint scent of brimstone, too."W. B. Worthen, Alice Brady Pels Professor in the Arts, Barnard College, Columbia University"I have met many who didn't like Shakespeare but never someone who hated his work enough to destroy all trace of it. AJ Hartley's novel about someone who loathed Shakespeare that much is smart, funny and action-packed. It's also far more enjoyable than most people seem to suppose Shakespeare's plays are."Peter Holland, Chair, International Shakespeare AssociationHow would the world look without the influence of Shakespeare pervading so many aspects of life and culture and belief?In a race against time, with the fate of lives and souls hanging in the balance, the forces of good and evil battle to save or destroy Shakespeare's works. Which side works to which end? That is the question, isn't it?Would we be better off without Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, and the others, or would the safety valve that theatrical expression provides back up into an explosion of apocalyptic proportions? Follow the cast of this tale--from university student to petty thief to talk show host--as they travel through time and space in Burning Shakespeare.

"Part Connie Willis time-travel, part Douglas Adams whimsy, part Julie Schumacher academic satire, with a refreshing touch of Key & Peele, Burning Shakespeare is also a clear-eyed assessment of what we love -- and hate -- about Shakespeare." -- Sujata Iyengar, author of Shades of Difference: Mythologies of Skin Color and Race in Early Modern England and Shakespeare's Medical LanguageOr, "Funnier than Timon of Athens, sadder than As You Like It, Burning Shakespeare fantasizes a world in which all of Shakespeare's plays come perilously close to joining the library of the lost."Paul Menzer, Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Mary Baldwin University"If in some parallel universe Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman had collaborated with A.C. Bradley, they might imaginably have come up with a novel both as funny and as intellectually exciting as A.J. Hartley's Burning Shakespeare. But I doubt it."Professor Michael Dobson, Director of the Shakespeare Institute, Stratford-Upon-AvonShakespeare's works are being wiped from history - and only a group of ill-assorted dead people can save them This whimsical romp from now to Shakespeare's day, via Hell, wears its learning lightly, but is as illuminating as funny. Highly recommended Tiffany Stern Fellow of the British Academy, General Editor, Arden Shakespeare: 4"Beelzebub, Belial, Shakespeare, and the academy: what could go wrong? Burning Shakespeare does just what novels featuring Shakespeare fail to do, taking readers on a wild, witty, sometimes even poignant ride, leaving us with the faint scent of brimstone, too."W. B. Worthen, Alice Brady Pels Professor in the Arts, Barnard College, Columbia University"I have met many who didn't like Shakespeare but never someone who hated his work enough to destroy all trace of it. AJ Hartley's novel about someone who loathed Shakespeare that much is smart, funny and action-packed. It's also far more enjoyable than most people seem to suppose Shakespeare's plays are."Peter Holland, Chair, International Shakespeare AssociationHow would the world look without the influence of Shakespeare pervading so many aspects of life and culture and belief?In a race against time, with the fate of lives and souls hanging in the balance, the forces of good and evil battle to save or destroy Shakespeare's works. Which side works to which end? That is the question, isn't it?Would we be better off without Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, and the others, or would the safety valve that theatrical expression provides back up into an explosion of apocalyptic proportions? Follow the cast of this tale--from university student to petty thief to talk show host--as they travel through time and space in Burning Shakespeare.

Trina Warren didn’t plan on being anyone's hero. She planned on going to fourth period as normal. But then there was a bang, and an overturned chair, and everything was different. Just one second is all it takes for Trina to turn from a regular clumsy high school girl, to a monster-fighting warrior. Just one second is all it takes for everything to change ...

Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright's ordinary life changed forever when he was given a magical mirror, a portal to the wonderful world of Silbrica. Darwen defeated the terrible monsters released from the mirror once. Now, an even more terrifying beast has escaped through the mirror. Darwen and his friends, Rik and Alexandra, must journey to Costa Rica to save the world from a giant tentacled creature that leaves destruction in its wake. This time, old allies can't be trusted, and the danger runs deeper than Darwen could have ever imagined. The problem with doors is that they open both ways. There are monsters inside, and some of them are trying to get out ...

Tom DeLonge--award-winning creator and accomplished researcher, who made history by releasing the first official military footage of a UFO that has been through the US government declassification review process--and New York Times bestselling author A.J. Hartley continue their thrilling Sekret Machines saga of archeological adventure, government conspiracy, historical mystery, and unimaginable technology with Sekret Machines Book 2: A Fire Within. They have witnessed what is beyond the bounds of possibility. Lights sailing across Nevada's desert night sky in fluid and rapid motions that are impossible for even the most technologically advanced aircraft. They have encountered those responsible for the unexplained. Men in black suits, white lab coats, and military uniforms who do not want their secrets exposed. Brought together by fate--or phenomena--heiress Jennifer Quinn, journalist Timika Mars, pilot Alan Young, and ex-Marine Barry Regis are bonded by the incidents they've witnessed, hunted by agents of a wealthy corporate cabal desperate for unimaginable power, and possessed of extraordinary abilities they do not understand, much less control. Now, they're on a mission of their own. As Alan and Barry test the limits of their strange gifts inside the military complex known as Dreamland, Jennifer and Timika begin a quest to locate an ancient tablet that may hold the answers to humanity's greatest question. Are we alone in the universe? Based on the accounts of credible UAP observers drawn from expert sources within the scientific, military and intelligence communities, Sekret Machines: A Fire Within is the second fiction book within a multimedia project that has become part of the most ambitious investigation of the phenomenon in history.

Will Power is the thrilling sequel to Act of Will, featuring the wise-cracking Will Hawthorne and his band of merry accomplices in more raucous adventures from the award-winning author of Steeplejack.

Hideki Smith is still a loser's loser, but the town needs him to be a hero again in this thrilling adventure story of family, found family, and sacrifice. In this second installment of the Hideki Smith series, Hideki-the apprentice superhero formerly known as Caleb-and his shape shifting fox sister Emily, have barely had time to recover from saving their North Carolina mountain town from an invasion by creatures from Japanese folklore, but now it looks like that invasion might be back on. Unfamiliar bugs are appearing all over Portersville and at least one of them is very strange and, it appears, getting bigger by the day. And that's not the only strange thing in town. A glamorous and persuasive stranger has captivated the locals and brought some very peculiar plans for the area. And there are secrets closer to home too, some of which might be enough to tear Hideki's family apart. Assuming the bugs don't get them first... Hideki Smith and the Omukade is the latest fantasy adventure novel from NY Times and USA Today best selling author A.J. Hartley (Cathedrals of Glass, Steeplejack) alongside Hisako Osako and Kuma Hartley.

Hideki Smith is still a loser's loser, but the town needs him to be a hero again in this thrilling adventure story of family, found family, and sacrifice. In this second installment of the Hideki Smith series, Hideki-the apprentice superhero formerly known as Caleb-and his shape shifting fox sister Emily, have barely had time to recover from saving their North Carolina mountain town from an invasion by creatures from Japanese folklore, but now it looks like that invasion might be back on. Unfamiliar bugs are appearing all over Portersville and at least one of them is very strange and, it appears, getting bigger by the day. And that's not the only strange thing in town. A glamorous and persuasive stranger has captivated the locals and brought some very peculiar plans for the area. And there are secrets closer to home too, some of which might be enough to tear Hideki's family apart. Assuming the bugs don't get them first... Hideki Smith and the Omukade is the latest fantasy adventure novel from NY Times and USA Today best selling author A.J. Hartley (Cathedrals of Glass, Steeplejack) alongside Hisako Osako and Kuma Hartley.

Fifteen-year-old Caleb Hideki Smith is a loser's loser. As one of the few half-Japanese residents of Portersville, North Carolina, Caleb has accepted that he will never fit in. He's not popular, can't play football, and the girl he likes doesn't know he exists: and that was before he accidentally burnt down the town's most beloved landmark. But that same day, Caleb and his sister Emily stumble upon a Shinto shrine deep in the Great Smoky Mountains, a shrine Caleb knows for a fact wasn't there the day before. Things get only stranger from there, as Caleb finds he has developed some unusual abilities and his sister is doing her best not to accidentally turn into a fox. They need answers, and that means tapping into a family heritage they know nothing about, and fast. Something unspeakable has been trapped under the mountain. But it has found a way out... If Caleb and Emily are going to stop the disaster threatening Portersville, they are going to have to start figuring out who they really are. Hideki Smith, Demon Queller is the new mythological fantasy from New York Times bestselling author A.J. Hartley, with family members Hisako Osako, and Kuma Hartley. Translated into Japanese by Masayuki Niwa.

Fifteen-year-old Caleb Hideki Smith is a loser's loser. As one of the few half-Japanese residents of Portersville, North Carolina, Caleb has accepted that he will never fit in. He's not popular, can't play football, and the girl he likes doesn't know he exists: and that was before he accidentally burnt down the town's most beloved landmark. But that same day, Caleb and his sister Emily stumble upon a Shinto shrine deep in the Great Smoky Mountains, a shrine Caleb knows for a fact wasn't there the day before. Things get only stranger from there, as Caleb finds he has developed some unusual abilities and his sister is doing her best not to accidentally turn into a fox. They need answers, and that means tapping into a family heritage they know nothing about, and fast. Something unspeakable has been trapped under the mountain. But it has found a way out... If Caleb and Emily are going to stop the disaster threatening Portersville, they are going to have to start figuring out who they really are. Hideki Smith, Demon Queller is the new mythological fantasy from New York Times bestselling author A.J. Hartley, with family members Hisako Osako, and Kuma Hartley. Translated into Japanese by Masayuki Niwa.

Fifteen-year-old Caleb Hideki Smith is a loser's loser. As one of the few half-Japanese residents of Portersville, North Carolina, Caleb has accepted that he will never fit in. He's not popular, can't play football, and the girl he likes doesn't know he exists: and that was before he accidentally burnt down the town's most beloved landmark.But that same day, Caleb and his sister Emily stumble upon a Shinto shrine deep in the Great Smoky Mountains, a shrine Caleb knows for a fact wasn't there the day before. Things get only stranger from there, as Caleb finds he has developed some unusual abilities and his sister is doing her best not to accidentally turn into a fox. They need answers, and that means tapping into a family heritage they know nothing about, and fast. Something unspeakable has been trapped under the mountain. But it has found a way out...If Caleb and Emily are going to stop the disaster threatening Portersville, they are going to have to start figuring out who they really are.Hideki Smith, Demon Queller is the new mythological fantasy from New York Times bestselling author A.J. Hartley, with family members Hisako Osako, and Kuma Hartley.Covert art by Jeff Langevin