A childhood in West Africa gave Howard Hartley a fascination with juju and the 'magical' beliefs and spells that surround it.
School was Rossall on the breezy Fylde coast. Freezing runs in winter along the promenade through high tide spindrift encouraged him to hunker down in the warm music practice rooms, where he tried to justify the music scholarship he had been awarded.
Three years in the Territorial Army and Volunteer Reserve - vital to supplement the wages earned by student accountants - gave him insight into military tactics and exposure to some of the idiosyncrasies and absurdities of army life.
Having finally broken free of a fifty-plus-year accountancy career, Howard Hartley can follow his long-term dream of writing. His career did, however, gift him with rich experience in commerce and finance, which has proved invaluable in enriching The Mantonovan Chronicles.
