I am honored to have on my blog today
AD Hartley
and The Secrets of Ice Cream Success
About the Author
AD Hartley studied animation at University and used that training well by stumbling into IT Finance. At various times, and often briefly, he has been a baker, turkey butcher, cinema usher, TV game show researcher, language school receptionist, website sports columnist, youth charity leader, business consultant, expedition leader, project manager for environmental or social impact charities and latterly Asia Operations manager for an international youth development organisation. That animation Degree has served him well. In 2013 he founded Dragon Social Responsibility, which keeps him busy when he isn’t writing.
At various times he has lived in Middlesbrough, Hull, London, Kenya, Borneo, Cambodia and now lives in Kuala Lumpur.
His first book for young adults, The Secrets of Ice Cream Success, was based on a short story he wrote many moons ago, which was in turn based on an animation script written many moons before that. See, there was a point to that Animation Degree.
Social Media Links:
Blog: www.adhartley.blogspot.com
Twitter: @Anth_Hartley (www.twitter.com/Anth_Hartley)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MrADHartley
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8335066.A_D_Hartley
About the Book
The Secrets of Ice Cream Success
by A.D. Hartley
Kindle Edition, 228 pages
Published June 7th 2014
Carlo never wanted to take over the family ice cream business, at fourteen he already had school and the terror of talking to girls to occupy his ever anxious mind, but when the odious Haverton Hill tried to buy the factory from him after his father’s death, an unexpected sense of defiance arose.
With the “help” of his friends, Carlo sets out to cope with incompetent staff, sabotage, strange goings on in the basement, a book with a mind of its own and the knowledge that those little specks in the vanilla ice cream may not be as innocent as they seem… Oh, and he’s just been asked to a party by a girl! Summer holidays were not supposed to be this interesting.
Will the secrets Carlo uncovers within the factory lead to success or failure?
All up to date purchase info can be found on the blog at http://adhartley.blogspot.com/p/books.html
At Chat with the Author
When do you find yourself singing?
Constantly, much to the annoyance of many I imagine. I have a habit of changing the lyrics to whatever song is in my head to suit whatever I am doing at the time. Making a coffee, taking a shower or just driving.
John Lennon’s “Oh Yoko” is a good one for that. Or “Do You Want To Build A Snowman” from Frozen.
“Do you want to drink a Coffee? Would you like it in a cup? ” etc… etc…
I’m terribly irritating.
What movie deserves a sequel?
As a huge Firefly fan I would have loved to have seen Serenity 2.
If you could travel in time, were would you go?
Answer 1. I would love to have been around at the end of the 60s and into the 70s. So much great music. Or to have been around when Rock n Roll caught hold in the 50s. And I was born in the year of punk, so missed out on that one too. Still, I got to live through the early 90s. A great time for music.
Answer 2. Despite the above, I would basically set the controls for the future. Space Travel, flying cars etc… *picks up Lightsabre*
It’s a rainy Sunday afternoon, What movie would you want to see on TV?
True Romance. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a Tarrantino script directed by Tony Scott, featuring an entire bucket full of stars before they were famous (Brad Pitt, Samuel L Jackson etc…) and some cinema legends at their very best, with lead characters so likeable that even Quentin let some of them live for once. (Not saying which ones).
What is your all time favorite place to go?
I travel a lot with my work so this is a difficult question. I love Siem Reap, in Cambodia and the jungles and beaches of Borneo, but I truly miss the Teesside countryside near my home town of Middlesbrough
What season do you prefer? Why?
Bit of a weak answer, but I truly love all 4 seasons. I currently live in the tropics where the 2 seasons are hot & humid and hot & wet. I constantly miss the weather in north of the UK where each season is very distinct and the changes are linked to so much of my youth. We spent a lot of time outside as kids and each season is very much part of me. I haven’t seen snow for many years at this point at though. Christmas in a hot country is just never the same. Sweaty Santa is not a good look.
Name I book you suggest everyone must read? (Not including yours)
If I think that epic fantasy would be their thing, I normally encourage people to read Raymond E Feist’s “Magician” and the 2 sequels. But “Good Omens” by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett would be one for most people. Oh, and “Where The Wild Things Are!”
Just a little Music from the Author
I’m a music geek and just as passionate about the music I love as I am writing, though strangely I find it enormously difficult to write whilst listening to music. Whether it’s a classical piece, heavy rock or anything in-between, I have a tendency to stop concentrating and end up listening to whatever is playing instead. So, like a kid who keeps putting his hand in the cookie jar and the only way to stop him is too make sure the cookie jar is empty, I now write in silence.
But as soon as I stop writing, the music comes on. Loud. It’s like post-prose therapy!
According to iTunes, these are the songs that shuffled their way across my speakers most often whilst I was finishing the book. Not necessarily my favorites of all time, but some great tracks and I recommend them to anyone:
Mumford and Sons – Little Lion Man
Felice Brothers – Frankie’s Gun
Faith No More – Ugly in the Morning
Breeders – Cannonball
McLusky – To Hell With Good Intentions
Slipknot – Spit It Out
Frightened Rabbit – My Backwards Walk
Cable – Freeze the Atlantic
Skrillex – Rock n Roll
Buffalo Tom – Summer
Daft Punk – Derezzed
Therapy? – Screamager
Pearl Jam – Mind Your Manners
O+S – Lonely Ghosts
Silversun Pickups – Well Thought Out Twinkles
Nick Cave – O’ Children
Faces – Ooh Lah Lah
Kerbdog – Dummy Crusher
Elton John – Tiny Dancer
Jamie T – If You Got The Money
Lynryd Skynyrd – Freebird
Thrum – So Glad
Leatherface – Not A Day Goes By
Kinky Machine – Cut It Down
Marah – Round Eyed Blues
Thank you for stopping by my blog today to check out this amazing author and his book!
Hope you all have a great day and Happy Reading 
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