YA Fantasy Author
Having met Neil J Hart at many book fairs, I’m delighted to welcome him onto my blog. Let’s find out more about his writing process and his latest book Hope’s Ruin.
Helen: Welcome, Neil. I’m so excited to chat with you today. Tell us about your latest book.
Neil: I’ve just released ‘HOPE’S RUIN’’ the second book in my ‘Scarecrows of Coldharbour Farm’ series. These books are set against the backdrop of a climate disaster that has washed away humanity and sucked the earth dry. Spirits now inhabit scarecrows and mannequins and wickermen who fight for supremacy of the seas and the skies. And among them live the last of humanity, struggling desperately to survive.
‘Hope’s Ruin’ picks up about a year after the events of book one – ‘THE LAST SCARECROW’ – and continues to follow Erin (the last human girl), Raven (a belligerent talking bird), and a host of strange monsters, villains, and scarecrows as the battle to save the ones they love.
‘Hope’s Ruin’ expands the universe we discovered in ‘The Last Scarecrow’. With the oceans now washed away, Erin and Raven meet survivors carving out an existence in a remote township called Hope’s Spark in the Great Wastes and a thriving community who live in caves beneath a vast mountain range. But a new evil is rising, more powerful and deadly than the last. Erin and Raven must risk it all as they travel to the plughole of the world and into the savage skies to uncover a mighty power that can turn the tide and bring balance and peace to the world.
Helen: Your covers are so striking. How do you come up with the ideas?
Neil : I’ve worked as a professional graphic designer for twenty five years so I do all my own covers and artwork. This is a huge advantage as I can craft exactly what I want. This also means I end up making over a hundred designs for each book and takes me weeks and weeks.
The process for ‘Hope Ruin’ followed the same design direction as ‘The Last Scarecrow’. I knew the central character of scarecrow Number Twelve would be a dramatic vision for the cover so I wanted to put her front and centre, surrounded by locations and meteorological references to the story. ‘The Last Scarecrow’ feature Number Twelve stood before a submerged city while storm clouds and stars lingered overhead.
In ‘Hope’s Ruin’ she stands in a vast wasteland. Desiccated cities and mountains rise behind her along with a remote drilling platform, all present in this new story. Number Twelve has also changed a little from the first book. Instead of her red flowing garments she now opts for black, wears a wide-brimmed hat, and her eyes glow red. This signals a major change in our central character, one filled with jeopardy and menace.
Helen: You are the second author I’ve interviewed recently who creates their own covers. You are all such a talented bunch! Who inspired you to start writing?
Neil: I hated books as a child. I’d much rather watch movies and TV shows. But when my Mum brought home copies of Ian Livingstone’s Fighting Fantasy books I was immediately converted. Livingstone’s Choose Your Own Adventure style books didn’t feel like ‘normal’ reading. There weren’t hundreds of pages to go until the end. There were short paragraphs followed by a decision – you turn left, you eat the wild mushrooms, you fight a bloodbeast etc – which all lead to different outcomes that you had some control over. I swiftly advanced to Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books and that’s what really sparked my love of writing. I found Terry’s backwards, satirical, humorous approach to fantasy far more digestible than the lengthy tomes of Tolkien et al.
Helen: It is to our benefit that you found a love of reading. Everyone has a different path, I’m so glad you found one that worked for you. What are you working on next? Is there another Scarecrow book?
Neil: I’m currently writing the third and final book in the ‘Scarecrows of Coldharbour Farm’ series. Where the first book was set on water, the second on sand, this one ventures north. This book looks a little longer than the previous two, featuring huge set-pieces, epic battles, desperation, hope, and the most peculiar band of friends the world has ever known. More info on this coming later in 2026 including title name and cover reveal.
Helen: How exiting! Readers watch this space. Let’s chat a little about your writing process. Do you plan your books or are you a pantser?
Neil: I plan. A lot. Usually, after weeks of note taking and long walks, I’ll write a long synopsis of the entire story. Around five thousand words. I’ll then break that into thirty or forty chapters, with two to three scenes in each. Each scene and chapter has a sentence that explains what happens, the emotion tone, character points.
Then I sit and draft the whole book, joining scene to scene, chapter to chapter, taking notes and outlining potential issues or better character arcs as I go. I’ll leave the first draft for a few weeks, outline something new, then come back and read through, consult my notes, change the ending usually, and remove repetition, irrelevance, nonsense, and trim about twenty percent of the words to make it slick and pacey.
I believe nothing is perfect so when the book is ready, when I’ve read it about twenty times and thrown every idea I can at it, it goes to my editor. I know I’ll have new ideas in the future, perhaps better ideas, but if I sat around waiting for those to come along I’d have a dozen never-finished books.
Helen: Although I started as a pantster, the more I’ve written, the more I plan. Thank you so much for spending time with me today. Just to finish, tell us about your favourite book and why you like it so much.
Neil: I have so many favourite books and authors but the one I always reach for when asked this question is His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. It has everything I love in a story: epic adventure, mysterious powers, monumental world-building, unusual friendships, heartbreak, danger, and brilliant villains. What really sets HDM apart from other books with these tropes is Pullman’s use of dæmons. Each character has their own unique mystical ghostly animal or creature (of the opposite gender) that represents their soul / nature. This is used to magnificent effect, allowing readers to understand the nature of each character by what dæmon accompanies them and to showcase the relationships between each character and their dæmon: a window to their hope, dreams, subconscious thoughts, fears, and soul.
About the Author – Neil J. Hart
Neil J Hart has won awards for his haunting YA fantasy novels ‘The Last Scarecrow’ and ’Sadie Madison and the Boy in the Crimson Scarf’ and is working on sequels to both. ‘Harper Hale and the Crystal of Shadows’ was released in May 2025 and is the first book in a new sci-fi mystery adventure saga. Neil also works as a graphic designer and a musician. He fosters for Cats Protection. Relies on coffee. Adores cheese and cucumber sandwiches. And collects Tomb Raider memorabilia.
Follow Neil on social:
Neil’s website: https://neiljhart.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saffron.amatti/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@neiljhart
Purchase Hope’s Ruin by Neil J. Hart
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If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
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