Joe Hartwell

How the urge to write began. At just 16 years of age, I left school during that blisteringly hot summer of 1976 and started work for The North Herts District Council. As my first job it was fine, but I was by far the youngest in my department, and there was nothing to do at lunchtimes. One afternoon I went across the road from where I worked to the Martin's news agents where I thought I'd get a book to read. Scanning the book shelves, I saw it. A really nasty, ugly rat with drool dripping from it's snarling teeth. From a distance I thought the author's name was James Herriot, author of several books about a vet, all of which had pictures of friendly looking domestic pets on their covers, but this rat was the most horrid creature I had ever seen. Intrigued, and at closer inspection, I discovered the author's name was actually James Herbert. The Rats by James Herbert had to be worth a look. I read the first 3 pages whilst still in the shop, was instantly gripped, and it was at that point I decided I wanted to write. 45 years later I'm still doing it, but my new book, The Sacred Claim, is one I've put my heart and soul into. Authors will say that they put bits of themselves into their writing. This one certainly has. The religious aspect, whether you are Christian or Atheist, explores questions and arguments equally from both sides. If a pregnant girl can claim she was visited by an Angel two thousand years ago, why can't another girl claim the same today? Who's to tell if she's lying. She could be telling the truth. Another one of my lead characters, an Atheist police inspector, comes to life with experience I had myself working in the police.

Even my own strict religious upbringing hasn't gone to waste. An elderly priest who vows to sacrifice his own life to protect the girl if necessary, is the result of very deep beliefs and concerns about about life, everything and everybody.

The Sacred Claim is the first part of a trilogy, a premonition which, as time goes on, is showing signs of gradually becoming true.