Philip Catshill

 

Philip Catshill is a former British police officer and lives in England. His unique life experiences, near death encounters, physical disabilities, and emotional incidents have combined to provide a firm foundation for his excellent stories.

At the age of 30, an accidental blow to his head followed by a few drinks at a party brought on a massive stroke. To return to work as an operational police officer proved to be a sometimes amusing, sometimes daunting struggle that took 18 months.

With great pride in this achievement, he survived another 11 years as a uniformed police sergeant. During this time, he stretched his mind to the limit by studying for a degree.

Nine years after that first stroke, a younger man took interest in his family, his home but mostly, his wife. Within weeks, his 19-year marriage was at an end. His mind and life collapsed. His inability to cope with the changes left him homeless and estranged from all that he had loved and the daughters he cherished for 18 and 15 years respectively. Despite having no faith, he was encouraged to pray. Amazingly, he discovered that prayer works! Throughout the loneliness and despair of being homeless, prayer sustained him and brought him to a new life, new love, but most of all, a loving and welcoming family that was happy to love him as their own.

It was meant to be a happy ever after ending to the tragedies, but just four weeks after his last exam to give him his degree, and 16 days after his second marriage, a road accident caused a second major stroke, bringing his working life to an abrupt end.

 

Undaunted and determined to defy the paralysis, he took up music and art, achieving piano grade 3 and paintings that are quite simply breath-taking. (http://www.philipcatshill.com)

As he approached his 60th birthday, Philip, who is still severely disabled, decided to write about that stroke from 30 years before. From that experience, the fictional character of Mike Newman emerged. In writing his books, Philip hopes to encourage others to put their story into words.

To demonstrate his abilities and not dwell on his disabilities, he has chosen to take complete responsibility for his books from the first click of the computer keyboard to the final publication of the novel, short story or poem. By taking online courses to improve his language, punctuation and grammar, and learning skills in different aspects of writing, story-telling, and editing, Philip is determined to show that even with severe brain damage, he has the ability to write, edit, and publish first-class novels, short stories and poetry without involving anyone else in the process.

This doesn’t mean his stories are in any way inferior. In fact, Philip’s creative writing, believable characters, and convincing narrative have been acclaimed in countless reviews. One of his novels reached the final rounds of two international awards, and Awesome Indies approved his novel, Penny for Them for quality. His stroke memoir, “Never say I can’t” received the IndiePENdents Seal for outstanding quality.

Whenever time permits, Philip continues to offer support, help, advice, and guidance to fellow writers wherever it is needed.

Philip is the type of guy who will never say, “I can’t!”

The Mad Days of March

The Mad Days of March
Title: The Mad Days of March
ASIN: B092TQCTWP
Published: April 17, 2021
Author's Twitter: @PhilipCatshill
This is the daily diary of Terry March whose single act of kindness leads to a month of madness and mayhem. After helping an old guy dispose of a blood-stained carpet at the local tip, Terry rescues his old TV remote and while driving home, he uses it to zap phantom aliens! This leads him to an encounter with Police Sergeant Susan. His new resolution to be helpful leads to his first opportunity to be unfaithful to his wife of nineteen torturous years. A soon-to-be divorced Lauren offers her favours to thank Terry for his kindness, but Terry declines the invitation. Within days, another opportunity arises, and Terry can’t convince himself that those phantom aliens haven’t spirited him away to a parallel universe. Before that first week is over, Terry faces redundancy from his mundane job at the local council. In order to tackle the backlog of paperwork, the council employs a temporary typist, Ashley, who closely resembles Terry’s 19-year-old daughter, Megan. Terry’s wife, Brenda disappears and Carol, her twin sister moves in. When a body is found in his garden, Terry is arrested for murder and Carol adds to his torment by accusing him of rape! While in a police cell, Terry encounters further problems as Lauren’s police sergeant husband is the custody officer! But all is not lost! Police Sergeant Susan persuades Carol to withdraw the charge and mysteriously, that old guy from the tip makes a deathbed confession to the murder! But the mad days of March are not yet over. Ashley disappears. Terry’s daughter Megan suffers traumatic memories from her past. Lauren’s house is set ablaze, and a mysterious detective Dave is concerned that Megan too has disappeared! All this in a month of the Mad Days of March! Warning: Sexually explicit content. For adult reading only.

Assessed for Awesome Indies Book Awards

 

Never Say I Can’t (… after stroke)

Never Say I Can't (... after stroke)
Title: Never Say I Can't (... after stroke)
ASIN: B006HSNVO6
Tags: , ,
Published: December 3, 2011
Author's Twitter: @PhilipCatshill
“Never say I Can’t” is the gripping, humorous, and occasionally devastating first-person account of a serving police officer, who at 30 years of age, suffered a major stroke. In his own words, Philip Catshill recounts his battle against the odds to survive, to recover, and to succeed. "I don't know what the ambulance man did with my bucket. Where did the medical staff put their faces? Mine was in the bucket. It made sense to me. The doctors called it CVA. A few called it a stroke. I laughed. I thought it was a joke!"

Assessed for 

Penny for Them

Penny for Them
Title: Penny for Them
ASIN: B00A2QDI92
Published: January 14, 2014
Author's Twitter: @PhilipCatshill
After learning of her stepfather’s death, Penny reveals the secrets that have kept her in hiding for thirty years. Her account begins in 1982, when a jewel robbery brought mayhem and death to central England. The following day, secret agents persuaded Penny to pursue her father’s murderer, Sean Moran. Penny discovered her stepfather, who was a junior minister in the British Government, had conspired with Argentinian agents towards the occupation of the Falklands. While trying to warn the British Government, the adventure takes Penny and Sean to Argentina, where a colonel in the brutal military regime realised Sean had the diamonds from the robbery. After rescuing the badly injured Sean, Penny discovered how her stepfather had engineered the arrest. Having thwarted his plans, her stepfather promised not to rest until he sees her dead body. Penny escaped him, but underestimated the lengths he would go to ensure her death.

Assessed for Awesome Indies