Mine-Shift follows a teenage Cornish miner living in the 18th century who happens upon an old mine passage and stumbles into the 21st century. Where did the idea behind this novel come from?

I have always wanted to write a story about the Cornish Tin Mines that more honestly reflected the harshness and hardships endured by the workers in the mine, rather than the romantic viewpoint of the owners of the mine, as in books like ‘Poldark’. I also had a fascination for how a young person from the eighteenth century would react to our modern world and way of life, thus almost dictating that I write a Time-slip novel. I began to research Mining in the 18th century, and the amazing facts I discovered gave me so much, that the book almost wrote itself. An added spin-off that eventually became a major part of the story was the reaction of the eighteenth century mining community to the materials Joel brought back to enable him to heal his injured father – the slander and gossip that was spread about – and its counterpart in the on-line trolling of our own times  

Joel’s first reaction to the future is, “I don’t belong here.” Why was that feeling so important to the story?

Joel soon found himself struggling. At first he saw the 21st century world as totally foreign. He felt confused. mystified and out of place, but, at the same time, he felt strangely attracted to Cass, a 21st century girl. Gradually he discovers more about our world and its comparative ease and comfort and he began to like it, but still he felt out of place. This provides a huge tension as his love for his family, particularly his father, grows stronger, while his new found friends in the 21st century become more important to him. He wants to belong in the modern world, and when he is clothed like his friends and does things with them he feels he does belong. But clothed in his miner’s smock he immediately becomes an interloper again. This tension runs right through the story, and is resolved only by outside circumstances, which I hope give the book a touching and poignant end.

How did you balance historical accuracy with storytelling?

I tried to limit any explanation of historical fact, so that it flowed along with the narrative and never halted or interfered with the progression of the story, only including brief explanation as a part of the dialogue, usually with Joel’s friends in our world or as the most brief asides in the narrative. Some historical details I never explained, taking a step of faith that the readers would deduce the meaning of the historical fact from the context. I tried at all times not to be didactic

Why do you think folklore continues to resonate with readers today?

People are still superstitious. Some of the superstitions and folklore of the eighteenth century still hold sway in places like Cornwall. People still talk of Knockers in the mines, won’t put out to sea for long trips on certain days, won’t mention certain words at certain times. Folklor has been with us since man stumbled onto two feet. It’s in our DNA and provides a rich vein for books like Mine-Shift

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