Michael Bartlett

A man looks back on his life so far and finds he can chart each moment by the presence of a cat. Old friends at a twenty-year reunion confidently tell different versions of the same tales. A boy remembers playing with lead farmyard animals. While in another time, a soldier at Troy tries to explain a very dubious battle plan. As we grow older, we treasure our memories, but how real are they? Brilliant, funny and sometimes evoking Michael Bartlett's life and long career in radio and television, each of the people within these pages has a story to tell ... 'Memories they may be but that does not make them true ...' A powerful, humorous and thoroughly surprising exploration of the past we treasure **Praise for Michael Bartlett** 'A beautiful read. Made me smile and bought a tear to my eye' 'Gentle and wise' 'Poignant' 'Definitely a book to recommend to others' 'Utterly engaging' 'Difficult to put down' 'It feels totally true and is just what we all need' 'Some of the best stories are quests ... This is a book to make everyone think twice about easy assumptions' author SIMON BRETT

A misunderstanding can drive a family apart, but it can also draw them together again. A dispersed family. A family that has not met together in one place for many years. George Redmond, growing old and aware that time is running out; Dorothy, a wife and mother whose mind has emptied of all the memories her husband still treasures; Steve and Linda, on opposing sides and unable to reconnect; Rebecca living abroad; and Gary, the youngest, who is a mystery to them all. This family gathering is more than a chance to lay the past to rest. In fact, the next twenty-four hours may just change everything ... The poignant and tender story about love, loss and the threads that make a family, from the renowned radio scriptwriter PRAISE FOR MICHAEL BARTLETT 'Absorbing' - Five stars'Absorbing and written with charm and insightfulness' - Five stars'Utterly engaging' - Five stars'It feels totally true and is just what we all need' - Five stars'Difficult to put down' - Five stars'An addictive, entertaining, 'can't put it down' read ... explores human frailties and behaviour with a psychological but understandable depth' - Five stars'A "read in one go" book' - Five stars"Some of the best stories are quests ... This is a book to make everyone think twice about easy assumptions" - SIMON BRETT'Highly recommended' - Five stars

Nothing much ever happens in my Village in the Valley. We drift along peacefully ... A casual visitor to my Village in the Valley could be forgiven for thinking it is a gentle and quiet little country backwater. But appearances can be deceptive. Particularly when we all get together to tackle the annual village pantomime, an antiquated turret clock, and tyranny with gnomes. Return to My Village in the Valley, where nothing is ever simple ... The brilliant sequel to laugh out loud comedy My Village in the Valley **READER REVIEWS**'Generous, funny and utterly engaging' - Five Stars 'Absolutely one of the best laugh out loud books you can treat yourself to ...' - Goodreads Reviewer 'Who said country life was boring? A great read' - Five stars 'Funny, gentle and wise' - Five stars 'Highly recommended' - Five stars

In any society there is always pressure to conform, to behave like those around you. Sometimes it can be difficult to stand alone, to follow your own path whether that's by choice or force of circumstance. These stories are all about people who are slightly out of step with the world around them. Such people as: A young woman who thinks she is stupid but develops self-confidence when someone believes in her. A scientist who is convinced that the world is headed for a total flood so begins building an Ark in his back garden. A retired headmistress who refuses to be bullied by other residents in her apartment block. A 90 year old lady who defies developers, ignores a compulsory purchase order and refuses to leave her home. These people, and those in the other stories, may not think of it in these terms but they are all marching to the beat of a different drum.

"Who the hell are you?" "They call me The Hunter and I've been hunting you, Mister Hoskins." In a world where unscrupulous businessmen, rogues and thieves operate across borders and beyond the reach of the Law, the hope for justice lies with a brilliant former agent known only by a codename: The Hunter. When a job goes wrong and an international conspiracy threatens all our lives, the Hunter's team must move quickly. There is a traitor at the heart of the British Government. And there is only one person who can stop him ... Where do you turn when the Law catches flies but lets hornets go free? **Reader Reviews**'A real page turner! I loved this book, right from the off I was hooked.' - Five stars 'Give yourself a treat by opening the pages on this unusual but utterly compelling thriller' - Five stars 'Gripping from start to finish, once picked up, difficult to put down.' - Five stars'A book that must brighten the day for so many of us' - Five stars'Recommended to my Facebook book club ... It's left me wanting the next installment. I do hope the will be another!' - Five starsPraise for Michael Bartlett'Some of the best stories are quests ... This is a book to make everyone think twice about easy assumption' --Simon Brett, author

Stars and planets, vast skies and new horizons. A distant future with secrets in its past. A house sitter intercepts a message from a lost craft, while a tree holds the key to an alien invasion. A brilliant and far-ranging collection of poetry and short stories about our present and future relationship with space

How do you build bridges if you've never admitted that they've been broken? Richard Kirkwood has a secret ... a secret he's kept buried beneath unrelenting work. The stunning, powerful new novel from Michael Bartlett

A brilliant and intriguing collection of gothic stories, poetry and fairy tales where nothing and no one is as they seem. Ghosts and vampires, zombies and werewolves. A mirror with danger at its heart. A child is delighted to discover she is a witch, and a village disappears under a fairy curse ... Exclusive edition paperback for UK retailers

Solitude can mean freedom. Or it can mean being in a crowd and knowing how impossible it is to truly share another's thoughts. Original and compelling, this is an intimate study of the human experience of isolation by established radio scriptwriter Michael Bartlett

A light-hearted collection of comic tales from established radio scriptwriter Michael Bartlett. My Village in the Valley is a quiet unassuming place where, on the whole, very little happens. Until, that is, the neighbours get together to tackle aggressive drivers, disputed footpaths, yapping hearthrugs and the ubiquitous village fete ...

Astrological Mavericks: Do you have what it takes to change the world?The Newly Revised and Expanded Edition "Astrological Mavericks: Do you have what it takes to change the world?" looks at powerful people with an eye on what gives them their spark Author Michael Bartlett uses quotes, observations, statements and actions to reflect archetypal ranges of expression for 528 astrological combinations. Countless surprising and fascinating bits of archetypally relevant information about your favorite people will be revealed giving you insights on how to express your Maverick self.If we look at the traditional meaning of a maverick, we find "the unbranded range animal, especially a calf that has become separated from its mother, traditionally considered the property of the first person who brands it." What makes you an astrological maverick? When you have a planet conjunct one of the four angles - AS/DS and/or IC/MC. The planet "brands" the individual thereby giving them a freedom of expression using the formula of planet (11) + angle (4) in sign (12) = a range of archetypal presentation (528).This book is a valuable reference for the novice and advance astrologer as well as anyone interested in seeing the themes in life tracked using the lens of astrology. Looking over the examples, we see individuals who leave a lasting impression on society in ways that clearly articulate their particular maverick astrological signature.Do YOU have what it takes to change the world? This book can help