An inside look into "The Time Hunters"

Over the course of  my conversations with Carl Ashmore, author of "The Time Hunters," I've been privileged to learn a little more about the inspiration behind this acclaimed series for children of all ages.  So I asked Carl if he would be gracious enough to do an interview for my blog, and I'm excited to report that he agreed.  So I'm thrilled to present this inside look into "The Time Hunters."

What inspired you to write “The Time Hunters?”
     The idea was the inspiration. I wanted to craft a contemporary adventure saga with a classic, almost timeless feel. Using the platform of time travel ensured I could blend history with myth, fact with fiction, actuality with speculation. In short, it gave me the history of the world (and that of mythology) to play with. The only limitations therefore are those of my own imagination. And those are the kind of limitations a children’s author can really welcome.

Did you know you wanted to do a series as you were writing the first book?
     Absolutely. When I was storylining the first book, I realized there was so much I wanted to explore than could ever exist in one book - the character arcs, the themes, the wider time travelling community, various historical eras, numerous myths/legends. One book simply couldn’t fulfill the greater ambitions I had for the saga. It had to be a series, and one with a very tight overall narrative arc.

Why did you decide to use time travel as the basis for this book series?
     As a child, I was a huge fan of the Indiana Jones films, but always thought it a shame Indy was confined to operating in his own time (1930’s/40’s). I was also a fan of Ray Harryhausen’s films (Jason and the Argonauts, The Valley of Gwangi, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad etc.) and adored the sheer unadulterated fantasy of lost islands, monsters, mythical cities, grand quests etc. With “The Time Hunters” I wanted to create the ultimate “treasure hunt” story, one in which I could search for the most famous relics in history (the Golden Fleece, Pandora’s Box, The Spear of Destiny) in historical eras that ignited my imagination. Time Travel gave me the platform to do that. In short, anything goes with Time Travel. After all, can anyone really prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Minotaurs didn’t exist?

What is your favorite time travel novel?
     “The Time Machine” by HG Wells - the first and the best.

Many of the people and artifacts in your books are historical. Where do the ideas for these historical characters/items come from?
     I love the idea of fusing the real and the fictional - both characters and artifacts - into a seamless narrative. Ideally, I want the reader to be unsure as to whether someone/something is based on fact or not. There is no greater pleasure for me than finding out a young reader (or an older reader, for that matter) has conducted their own research into history after reading the books.



Aribert Heim

What is the one historically-based person/artifact that readers have been most surprised to learn is not entirely fictional?
     I’ve had a number of people surprised to find that Aribert Heim (the villain in “The Time Hunters and the Spear of Fate”) was an actual Nazi Doctor.







Are you afraid that your books might be seen as an attempt to rewrite history?
     Not at all. They do rewrite history, but it’s all within the confines of a fictional world that I created. I did, however, have one reader upset with me for saying that Florence Nightingale was a “devilishly good poker player.” The reader argued I had no proof of it. My argument was there was no proof she wasn’t either.

Who is your favorite character so far in the “Time Hunters” series?
     It’s something of a cliché, but I love writing all my main characters – Becky, Joe, Will and Uncle Percy. As for secondary characters, well, I do have a soft spot for the pirate crew of The Black Head in “The Time Hunters and the Box of Eternity.” Most readers seem to like the character of Edgar, the vegetarian Minotaur, in Book 1 and 3, and frankly, so do I.

Is there a chance “The Time Hunters” will continue beyond the five books you had originally planned?
     There is a slim chance. I’ll be starting another series as soon as the TH saga is complete, but I’d never say never. I’ve given myself such a very rich, diverse fictional world to explore, it would be foolish to rule out the possibility of revisiting it one day.

Have you written any other books besides “The Time Hunters?”
     Yes, “The Night they Nicked Saint Nick” and “Bernard and the Bibble.” Both books are for a younger audience. I’ve said it many times, but despite the success of the TH books, I know that “Bernard and the Bibble” is the most important book I shall ever write. I began writing it two days after my dad’s funeral, and finished it exactly a month later. In it, there’s a chapter called “The Pool of Angels” where the young hero, Bernard (named after my dad), has a conversation with his late-grandfather. It was my way of talking to my dad again. Writing that book helped me (in a small way) to deal with my own grief.

What made you decide to write books for young adults?
     I think children’s/YA literature is amongst the most exciting and intelligent work out there at the moment. In an adult book market saturated with celebrity books, 50 Shades rip-offs, formulaic adventure books, clichéd rom-coms etc., I find many children’s/YA books more inventive, challenging and stimulating than many so-called adult books.
     Within “The Time Hunters” series I explore such complex themes as death, grief, loss, loyalty, identity and faith, but cloak it in a rip-roaring adventure.

Do you have any plans to eventually write a book for grown-ups?
     In many ways I do write for grown-ups. Due to the nature of the Kindle (by far my best-selling platform) the vast majority of my readers are adults, and their feedback has been immensely positive. I set out to write a “crossover” series, one that would appeal to adults as well as children, and I hope I’ve achieved that. I really don’t have any ambitions to write any other type of book at the moment. I love my genre.
     After the TH saga is complete, I will be starting “Zak Fisher and the Angel Prophecy,” a series that exists within the same world as “The Time Hunters.” There is no time travel, but there will be ties to the TH books. In fact, there’s a minor character sitting in The Magpie Inn in “The Time Hunters and the Box of Eternity” that plays a major role in the Zak Fisher books, and Zak himself is even mentioned by Uncle Percy in the same chapter.
     Whatever their age, I have some of the best and most loyal fans any independent writer could wish for, and although I may not have the multitude of followers of JK Rowling or Rick Riordan, I can’t thank my readers enough for their loyalty and enthusiasm.
     Bottom line is that I’m really enjoying what I do. And that’s what matters to me. In fact, it doesn’t get any better than that.