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A.R. Ashworth

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

http://www.arashworth.com

Genre

Crime, Suspense, Thriller

Member Since

July 2016

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/arashworth

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Popular Answered Questions

Do you always know going into a story who will end up being your protagonist?

A.R. Ashworth I thought I did, for my first novel, Souls of Men. It started as a story about Peter Willend, a scarred character finding his way back from tragic…moreI thought I did, for my first novel, Souls of Men. It started as a story about Peter Willend, a scarred character finding his way back from tragic loss and PTSD. Yet as the story matured, Elaine Hope, initially an antagonist but who became Peter’s love interest, was such an interesting character that she took over the protagonist role. She gave me several reasons for switching.

As the story progressed, most scenes were viewed through Elaine’s eyes and mind. Elaine’s character initiated important action. She directed the plot.

Elaine’s arc was strong enough to carry her and Peter into the sequel and beyond. Peter’s arc would have finished at the end of the book.

Now, when I begin a story, I use those criteria to determine my protagonist.
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What came first for you in writing Souls of Men, the characters or the plot? And would you say that writing from a female point of view was challenging?

A.R. Ashworth Thanks for two good questions, Deb. The answers are related.
The character I call Peter came first. I had been thinking about how relatively ordinary…moreThanks for two good questions, Deb. The answers are related.
The character I call Peter came first. I had been thinking about how relatively ordinary people can help each other recover from physical and psychological trauma. I wanted a protagonist who had lost nearly everything that mattered, who had been to the depths of despair. Peter would be rebuilding his life when something happens to take even more from him. How would he stay afloat? I wrote Elaine as Peter's antagonist. She's confident, competent, with no ambitions of romance, given her self-contained personality and demanding profession. What would happen if he washed up on her shore? As I recall, I was about 15K words into the book when Elaine leaned over my desk and insisted SHE was the real protagonist. I responded that if she wanted that, I would make her arc a very dark one, indeed. In true Elaine style, she smiled and said, “Bring it on, mate.” So I scrapped most of what I’d written and started over. The characters, especially Elaine, dictated the plot.
My challenge with Elaine was to convey a strong, intelligent, independent woman without overly emphasizing her womanhood. Rather, I wanted to convey Elaine’s contradictory traits and stress her essential humanity. She’s strong and compassionate, but she can be a bully, too. She’s a logical thinker and planner, but she can be impetuous. She’s almost given up on romance, but she’s willing to take a chance if she thinks the man’s worth it. She’s got a steel backbone, but she admits she sometimes “needs a soft place to fall.” More than one female early reader has told me that when she first read the manuscript, she forgot it was written by a man. So I think I met the challenge.(less)

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Combine Editions
A.R. Ashworth’s books

Average rating: 3.7 · 82 ratings · 33 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

	Souls of Men (An Elaine Hope Mystery, #1) 3.63 avg rating — 60 ratings — published 2017 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Two Faced (An Elaine Hope Mystery #2) 3.86 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 2018 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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A.R. Ashworth's Blog

About the Perpetrator

I haven't always been a writer. I don't know whether that's lucky for me, or not. I worked my way through university as an auto mechanic, got a degree in History, took a shot at grad school, and then floated around for a while. That was the '70s.In the early '80s I came to my senses, in a manner of speaking, as did many other Austin hippies. I took somecomputer science courses, which resulted i... Read more of this blog post »

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Published on November 12, 2016 15:00

Series by A.R. Ashworth

An Elaine Hope Mystery (2 books)
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A.R. Ashworth (Goodreads Author)

3.70 avg rating — 82 ratings

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A.R.’s Recent Updates

A.R. Ashworth is now friends with Jordan Smith
Nov 29, 2019 07:40AM · like
A.R. Ashworth is now following C. Mills's reviews
Feb 24, 2019 10:12AM · like
A.R. Ashworth rated a book really liked it Our Lady of the Various Sorrows (Voices of the Dead #2) by Victoria Raschke (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I purchased this book. / Disclaimer: I very rarely read urban fantasy/paranormal books. However, Victoria Raschke has created a world that I willingly visit. I'm a fan of her Voices of the Dead series due to her intriguing premise (one of the most ...more
Nov 13, 2018 03:31PM · like · see review
A.R. Ashworth rated a book it was amazing The Remains of the Dead by Michelle Angharad Pashley (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I purchased the book. I'm a fan of Michelle Pashley's work, having enjoyed Black Sheep Cottage, her first novel. In "Remains" she has retained the witty, dialog-driven action that brings her well-drawn characters to life and helps make the book a ...more
Nov 13, 2018 03:21PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Remains of the Dead by Michelle Angharad Pashley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Remains of the Dead by Michelle Angharad Pashley <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
A.R. Ashworth wants to read The Piano Maker by Kurt Palka	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 10, 2018 09:14AM · 5 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Piano Maker by Kurt Palka. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Piano Maker by Kurt Palka <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
A.R. Ashworth liked Deb Rhodes's review of Souls of Men (An Elaine Hope Mystery, #1): "Souls of Men is a crisp suspense novel debuting veteran detective Elaine Hope. When a fifteen year old girl is found murdered in East London, Hope and her team enter the dark hunt for the vicious killer. Hope is a realistic mixture of gritty and v..." Read more of this review »
May 14, 2018 09:08AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Souls of Men by A.R. Ashworth. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Souls of Men by A.R. Ashworth <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
A.R. Ashworth liked Deb Rhodes's review of Two Faced (An Elaine Hope Mystery #2): "Disclosure: I received an early uncorrected proof to review. I’m alone now. This three word opening to Two Faced (the sequel to A.R. Ashworth’s Souls of Men) pulls no punches. With this short sentence the reader is immediately brought into Elaine H..." Read more of this review »
May 14, 2018 09:01AM · see review
A.R. Ashworth liked Gogi Hale's review of Two Faced (An Elaine Hope Mystery #2): "DCI Elaine Hope - complicated, traumatized and still determined to solve the mystery of who committed the murders and why she was left vulnerable by her own department. Then there's Peter, the man she loves but keeps pushing away. This tale has so..." Read more of this review »
May 14, 2018 07:41AM · see review
A.R. Ashworth rated a book it was amazing Brightwood Street Chronicles by Deb Rhodes (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This is a difficult review to write because I have to approach her subject matter through misunderstanding. As a man, there is no way I can understand the abiding fear and agony of her childhood sexual abuse, nor its aftermath. Also, the poet is a ...more
Apr 19, 2018 07:58AM · like · see review
A.R. Ashworth made a comment on Left Coast Crime Memories " Congratulations, Kent! I loved the book, and I'm glad you were rightfully awarded a Lefty. I hope our paths cross again soon, so I can tell you in ...more "
Mar 31, 2018 06:21AM · see blog post