A eureka moment arrived one late balmy September day - he would write a book from birthday to birthday using the annual cycle of the smallholding as a framework for stories from his life. The result was ''Painting Snails''. He continues to write and is working on his first novel and is writing a sequel to Painting Snails. He blogs regularly at [http://www.hartleysplot.com/blog hartleysplot.com/blog] and plays regular gigs with his 3-piece band.
No publisher; no agent; no previous writing experience. If there's a hard way of doing something, Hartley will find it.
Beneath the veneer of his w itty vernacular narrative, there is a deep gentle compassion for his fellow humans. This is a heart-warming tale of unflinching self-determination.
The finished book is a thing of beauty , drawing on his years of typographic experience. He has abandoned the traditional indent in favour of a full space between paragraphs, giving a feel of light and space. The book is lavishly illustrated with woodcuts and line drawings.