Published Titles

My Village in the Valley

I have long since ceased to be surprised at how often incidents in my village end up with someone in the river...

My Village in the Valley is a quiet unassuming place where, on the whole, very little happens.

Until, that is, we all get together to tackle aggressive drivers, disputed footpaths, yapping hearthrugs and the ubiquitous village fete.

In my Village in the Valley, nothing is ever simple ...

Original comedy from TV and radio scriptwriter Michael Bartlett (The Archers, BBC Radio Drama)

Return to My Village in the Valley

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

'Absolutely one of the best laugh out loud books you can treat yourself to ...'
- Goodreads Reviewer

Personal Islands

Ultimately we’re all alone ... I have a lot of friends but there are some things no friend can share

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.

Unforgettable fiction from TV and radio scriptwriter Michael Bartlett (The Archers, BBC Radio Drama)

"This booking has an amazing set of stories that really tackle some of the loneliness issues that are prevalent today. Well written and highly recommended" ~ 5 stars, Amazon UK

Hunting the Hornets

"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 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?

I loved this book, right from the off I was hooked. Story line was great and it’s left me wanting the next instalment. I do hope the will be another!  Amazon 5 star

Dreams of Eleven

How do you build bridges if you've never admitted that they've been broken? "The work I do, the pressure of the job, has always been my protection..." Richard Kirkwood has a secret ... a secret he's kept buried beneath unrelenting work. Now his wife has followed a job to New York and a corporate scandal has put him on garden leave. He's got nowhere left to hide. So when Richard announces he's looking for Julie, a girl he last saw 40 years ago, everyone suspects he's still carrying a torch for his childhood sweetheart. But this search is so much more. The stunning, powerful new novel from Michael Bartlett

I found this book hard to put down. You find yourself immersed in the quest along with the main character Richard. A perfect holiday read. More please.
Andy B

The Maybe Memories

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?

'A beautiful read. Made me smile and bought a tear to my eye'
Amazon

A Different Drum: A Collection of Short Stories

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.

Really good collection of short stories.
Hard to put down.
Andrew – Amazon

Out Of The Blue

In 2002 the journalist, Dee Palmer, was suddenly taken very ill and at one stage was only given a few weeks to live. However, thanks to excellent medical care and her stubborn refusal to  let go, she battled through and made a full recovery. This E-Book tells the story of that time through the emails her husband, the writer Michael Bartlett, sent and received from an ever increasing group of very supportive friends.

Note: Available on Kindle only

Mr Redmond's Mending Day

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

'An addictive, entertaining, 'can't put it down' read ... explores human frailties and behaviour with a psychological but understandable depth'
- Five stars