Meet the Author: Steve Hewitt

Words: Simon Paterson

Images: Steve Hewitt

24 November 1873, London: A manservant reports the murder of his employer, a local Judge, and plunges newly promoted Sergeant Edward Whiston into a complex murder case.

When the manservant is found dead with a dubious suicide note nearby, the last thing Whiston needs is an escaped convict from the colonies back in London, a local Fenian cell and a shadowy, but powerful, organisation led by a retired Colonel, to add to his problems.

And then there’s Mr Green. A former employee of the Colonel’s organisation, he claims a relative has been murdered in an Asylum. A relative who, it turns out, was placed there by the now deceased Judge…

This is the blurb to Bramptonian (is that a real word? … well, it is now!) resident Steve Hewitt’s latest novel, Forget Me Knot, and I am all in!

Forget Me Knot is Steve’s fourth novel, so we were overdue a chat. Being a fellow Bramptonian (see, definitely a real word) it wasn’t hard to arrange, it turns out we live on the same street. Two writers on one street… alright then, one writer and me!

After studying Economics at Nottingham University and Health Economics at York University, Steve embarked on a brief academic career, just as the Government ended the tenure system. He then worked for the NHS but soon realised it had little use for his health economics skills, so he moved to the national Education Department as an analyst, specialising in international comparisons.

In 2013, he took early retirement and now spends most of his time writing, walking the dog, and entertaining his grandchildren - not necessarily in that order.

Steve’s writing adventure began when, through his wife, he met a budding author. Casually mentioning he’d always fancied writing a book, he was met with the challenge: 'What’s stopping you?' The answer, it turned out, was “not much”, because soon after he joined a writing group and began learning the craft.

But let’s rewind a little…

Steve’s love of books started with his grandfather, a voracious reader and sci-fi fan.

"My grandad gave me The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov when I was thirteen, and I was hooked. I read mostly science fiction for years. It wasn’t until I bought a Kindle, about 20 year's ago, that I really branched out - back then you could download the collected works of writers like Dickens or Conan Doyle for about 49p, so I devoured the lot."

His first published book, A Brief Tour Around My Head (2013), pictured above, was a collection of short stories featuring everything from a widow’s shocking announcement at a wake, to a prisoner who outsmarts himself, and a merchant gunned down by a murderous computer in space.

"I took my time because I wanted to get it right. I also joined a writing group in Wingerworth run by Paul Kane - a familiar name to a growing number of horror fans."

When asked about influences, Steve doesn’t hesitate: "H. P. Lovecraft. He was under appreciated in his time, but his style - suggesting horrors rather than spelling them out - had a huge impact on me."

That influence is clear in his Forbidden Knowledge trilogy, which blends horror and fantasy in a tale spanning seven centuries.

“It began as a 700-word short story, The Curious Tale of Rufus Norton. I expanded it bit by bit, and before I knew it, I had 350,000 words across three books. The first, Death of a Demon, is set in the 13th century where a warrior makes a bargain for immortality. I’ll say  no more…” he adds with a smile.

So how important was being part of a writing community? "One thing I learnt (thanks to Paul Kane) was ‘show, don’t tell.’ You want readers to fill in the gaps with their imagination. It’s the difference between writing: ‘It was raining. She picked up her umbrella, stepped outside and locked the door’ … and: ‘She cursed as the umbrella turned inside out, the door slamming shut behind her.’ Much better!"

Finally, we come to Edward Whiston, the protagonist of Forget Me Knot. "Whiston is a lawman with a strong moral compass, but he’s not afraid to bend the rules. Sharp, methodical, he follows the trail wherever it leads. He appeared in the Forbidden Knowledge trilogy as a constable in Victorian London, and now, as a sergeant, he faces his first major case - a complex mystery that will push him to his limits.

To purchase a copy of Forget Me Knot, click here.