We delve into the creative mind of Ian Ashtree, the enigmatic author behind two captivating mystery and suspense novels set against the backdrop of our picturesque city: Dénia. Ian shares with us details about his writing process, his deliberate choices of setting and characters, as well as his experience in the challenging world of self-publishing. We enter the pages of Time to clean y Quotes to discover the writer behind these intriguing works.
ASK. What inspired you to write these two novels?
ANSWER. I had already written some short stories and especially poems, but somehow sentíto the need to write something longer. And the cleaning of Dénia was a recurring topic on social networks, I had read about the City Council's campaigns to encourage the collection of dog feces and observed the positions, sometimes found, between dog owners and those who demand more cleaning . I thought it could be a good argument if she elevated it to a sick obsession but with the intention of giving it a touch of humor, to calm things down, and that's how it was born. Time to clean.
With the creation of the first novel I had many ideas in the pipeline, mainly about the way in which we relate today and how social networks interfere in the process of "not knowing each other", dating applications are especially cold and calculating in in that sense, a kind of showcase in which we sell and buy ourselves with varied results. Love is commercialized and privacy is lost, all of which can trigger unexpected results, as can be read in the second novel. Quotes.
Q. Why choose Dénia as the main setting?
R. Dénia, and in general the Marina Alta, is a magnificent setting for any novel, but especially for crime novels. In addition to natural locations such as trails and forests, or rocky coves that are perfect for mystery, Dénia has a vast history that is reflected in the castle, the tunnel or the paths of Montgó and a multicultural wealth where it is easy to generate characters, victims and murderers.
Writing about what you know involves you more with the characters, you can delve into the criminal's mind and imagine where he would hide the tragic fruit of his obsession.
In addition, Dénia already has the well-deserved honor of having been the setting for several films.
Q. Why did you decide to use the pseudonym Ian Ashtree for these particular works? What is the reason for anonymity?
R. The pseudonym is a play on words, easy to solve, but I will leave that task in the hands of the readers. I have preferred to separate my role as a novelist from my online businesses so as not to interfere with the indexing carried out by search engines and the positioning of the web pages dedicated to my startups.
Q. How would you describe the genre of Time to clean y Quotes? What elements characterize these novels?
R. Black novel, without a doubt. Both are criminal novels or we could also say detective novels but the resolution of the case is not the most important thing, obsessions and human relationships, even love, are the key elements in them. The characters are close, they could be our neighbors and I think that adds the point of concern that catches the reader, even more so when the plot takes place in well-known places.
Q. Inspector Laura Signes is a central character in both novels. What led you to create this character and what makes her special?
R. I wanted a character who could accompany me in more novels, in fact I made the choice when I was already putting together the second novel; She is a modern woman, without a dark past as is the norm nowadays, she does her job and is efficient but, obviously, she has feelings. She does not take away from the plot or the murderer.
Furthermore, she is a woman "from the best land of the world" and capable of anything.
Q. Does the fact that they share a protagonist mean that they are part of the same saga? In what order should they be read?
R. Yes, the first novel is Time to clean and it introduces the inspector and her assistant Marcos, both share a sense of humor. In the second, Quotes, Inspector Signes changes her assistant because she needed to leave the black humor in the background to describe the fragility of relationships.
Q. Why did you choose the holiday of Fallas as a backdrop for Time to clean? Do you have any personal connection to this celebration?
R. I love Fallas, a good mascletá makes you feel alive. And it is the ideal moment to unleash the murderer's anger, although the fun of others does not make it easy for him to commit the crimes.
Q. What was the research process you carried out to write about such specific places in Dénia, such as the Castle and the Camí de les Colonies?
R. Living in Dénia I already knew the locations, I also usually go hiking in the area and frequent the Montgo. Obviously, I had to research the history of the Castle, the origin of the tunnel or the Camí de les Colonies, but since it is a fictional novel I allow myself some licenses.
Q. In Quotes, you mention an online dating app as a key plot element. What attracted you to this theme and how did you incorporate it into the story?
R. Dating applications have revolutionized the way of establishing relationships, the general impression is that they encourage sporadic relationships but statistically they have generated a very high percentage of stable couples. And logically they trigger passionate and sometimes unrequited love. A match or a click can change our lives.
Q. What was the biggest challenge you faced in writing these novels?
R. Not boring. I think that the biggest defect of a new writer is to prolong a description or a fact beyond what is necessary, another thing is to delve into the human mind, behaviors or draw parallel plots but it is difficult to concentrate the reader when you go on describing a scenario. throughout an entire chapter.
Q. Both novels are self-published online. Can you share your experience with self-publishing and the challenges you've faced in the process?
R. Honestly, I thought it would be a much more laborious process. Amazon has tools to import the original document and create the cover page. In my case, the covers are my own photographs, of the bay of Dénia from the end of Marineta to Time to clean and Cala Tangó for Quotes; It is important that the cover be interesting, which is why I had to change the cover of the first novel because I realized that it did not arouse the same interest as Quotes, likewise I recognize that the title of the second is more striking than Time to clean, although this is intended to reflect the humorous touch of the novel.
Publishing them is simple but it is a minimal part of the work, the most important thing is promotion, getting them to read you.
Q. Do you have plans for future novels or literary projects? Can we expect more stories from Inspector Laura Signes in the future?
R. Yes, I'm working on two more novels. One of them will be a new challenge for Inspector Laura Signes and I can anticipate that Les Rotes It will have a lot to do with it.
Q. What message or emotions do you hope readers get from reading your novels?
R. The first thing is that they immerse themselves in the story, enjoy it and imagine their own characters, the good and the bad; novels are to be lived.
The second thing is that if you are not from the area, come visit us, pet included.
Q. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who want to embark on writing suspense or thriller novels?
R. I wouldn't dare advise, but I can comment on what has helped me: the plot should be as original as possible. It is difficult today but something remains; From its summary you can establish the chapters and check where the resolution, the clues, the witnesses fit in.
I am a bit erratic at writing and can get caught up in a final chapter before establishing all the protagonists, but this also helps me guide the rest of the chapters.
And, above all, you have to have fun. You have to be passionate about what you do.
Note that I don't want to spoil the promotion or criticize the writer, just give my opinion after buying "It's time to clean."
I paid 1,95 euros to download the book from Amazon, an affordable price for my pocket, and within two minutes I was already reading it; I really wanted to read it because I support new writers and I was very interested in the topic it proposed, the scenarios, etc. In short, especially driven by this comment from the author «Don't bore. I think the biggest defect of a new writer is prolonging a description or fact beyond what is necessary, but shortly after starting it I had to stop reading because I was getting bored.
Not to be unfair, I'm going to continue reading it until the end and I'll come back to give my opinion if the news is still open, but honestly the beginning of the book hasn't hooked me as I thought.
Regardless, congratulations to Ian Ashtree, Juan Fresno, or whatever his name is for trying.