British born writer A.J. Hartley is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the mystery/thrillers The Mask of Atreus, On the Fifth Day, and What Time Devours, published by Penguin/Berkley and available world wide in 25 languages. His most recent thriller, Tears of the Jaguar (September 2012, Thomas and Mercer) is a kindle international bestseller, as is his co-authored adaptation of a Shakespeare play (written with David Hewson) Macbeth, a Novel. The audiobook of the latter, voice by Alan Cumming, was nominated for a 2012 Audie award. Hartley and Hewson are under contract to also write a novel of Hamlet tentatively entitled The Rest is Silence, which should be out as an audiobook by the end of 2013, with the print edition to follow in 2014.

His fantasy fiction follows the exploits of Will Hawthorne, a roguish actor with a talent for getting into trouble, in Act of Will and Will Power, published by Tor/Macmillan.

His first novel for younger readers, a fantasy adventure entitled Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact (Penguin/Razorbill), won SIBA’s Young Adult Book of the Year for 2012. The second in that series, Darwen Arkwright and the Insidious Bleck was released in November 2012, with the third, Darwen Arkwright and the School of Shadows following in August 2013.

He is weekly contributor to the fantasy writers’ site www.magicalwords.net and a regular presenter at writing conferences and scholarly Shakespeare meetings world wide.

A.J. has an M.A. and Ph.D. in English literature from Boston University and is currently the Robinson Professor of Shakespeare in the Department of Theatre at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is the director of the Shakespeare in Action Centre, the editor of the performance journal Shakespeare Bulletin published by Johns Hopkins UP, and the author of The Shakespearean Dramaturg (Palgrave), A Performance History of Julius Caesar (Manchester University Press) and Shakespeare and Political Theatre (Palgrave) as well as numerous articles in the field. He is currently editing an essay collection on university productions of Shakespeare for Cambridge University Press.

As well as being a novelist and academic, he is a screenwriter, theatre director and dramaturg. He makes beer and furniture and has more hobbies than is good for anyone. He is married with a son, and lives in Charlotte.