Category: Sam Smith Mystery Series

Categories
Sam Smith Mystery Series Sam's Sunday Supplement

Sam’s Sunday Supplement #8

Welcome to Sam’s Sunday Supplement #8, a weekly digest of news from Sam’s world.

Another exciting week. This week Sam’s Song reached #2 on the Amazon.com private investigators chart and #11 on the Amazon Germany mystery chart. Many thanks to everyone who has read the book.
This week I completed the storyboard for Digging in the Dirt, Sam Smith Mystery #12. The archaeological dig that will feature in Digging in the Dirt takes place at two sites, Kenfig and Stormy Down. During the Second World War, Stormy Down was an airfield for allied airmen, including airmen from Poland and other countries in occupied Europe. One of the archaeologists, Jana, has Polish ancestors, so the dig is especially poignant for her. Pictured, a Miles Martinet, foreground, and Avro Anson, two of the aeroplanes based at R.A.F. Stormy Down.

18076714_173592479832285_2058092841869732538_o

I’m looking into the possibility of writing a number of mini series alongside the Sam Smith Mystery Series. These series will feature private detectives from different eras, from Victorian times and the Second World War, for example. Each series will include five individual stories, each containing a mystery, while the complete story arc will reveal the main character’s story. I hope to make these stories available FREE to subscribers of my newsletter. In the coming weeks I will be upgrading my newsletter through Author Reach and will post details here.

Laura23234

Recently, I came across this movie poster for Laura, one of my top ten films. As you can see from the poster, Laura is an elegant movie, which tells an original and absorbing story. Highly recommended.
As ever, thank you for your interest and support. More news next week.

 

 

 

 

Categories
Sam Smith Mystery Series Sam's Sunday Supplement

Sam’s Sunday Supplement #7

Welcome to Sam’s Sunday Supplement, #7, a weekly digest of news from Sam’s world.

The editing of Mind Games, book eleven in the Sam Smith Mystery Series, is now complete and the book is on schedule for publication on 3rd June 2017. Mind Games can be pre-ordered for $0.99, €0.99, £0.99. With the editing complete I have stepped up my research for Digging in the Dirt, book twelve in the series.
One of the chapters in Digging in the Dirt will be set at Lavernock on the South Wales coast. On the 13th May 1897, Guglielmo Marconi, assisted by a local man, George Kemp, transmitted and received the first wireless signals over open sea between Lavernock Point and Flat Holm Island.
In Morse code Marconi transmitted the message, “Are you ready?” He received the reply, “Can you hear me?” And responded, “Yes, loud and clear.”
The recording slip for the first message is on display at the National Museum of Wales. Pictured here, Guglielmo Marconi, post office engineers with Marconi’s equipment, Lavernock Point and the island of Flat Holm.
More news about Digging in the Dirt. I have a new cover designer and I’m very pleased with this draft cover they have created for the story.

digging-in-the-dirt-version-2

Faye Collister, Sam’s friend and assistant, features in Mind Games and Digging in the Dirt. Readers of my series will know that Faye has a number of issues, including an obsessive compulsive disorder. This link might help you if you have friends or family who suffer with OCD Psychology Today
One of the inspirations for the Sam Smith Mystery Series is The Rockford Files starring my favourite actor James Garner. A highlight of The Rockford Files was the telephone answering machine messages at the start of each episode, including this one from The Trees, the Bees and T.T. Flowers…Jimmy, old buddy-buddy – it’s Angel. You know how they allow you one phone call? Well, this is it.

th (3)

As ever, thank you for your interest and support. More news next week.

 

Categories
Sam Smith Mystery Series Sam's Sunday Supplement

Sam’s Easter Supplement

Welcome to Sam’s Easter Supplement, a weekly digest of news from Sam’s world.

This week, I have been researching material for Digging in the Dirt, book twelve in the Sam Smith Mystery Series. This story is centred on an archaeological dig, which takes place in Kenfig, a vast expanse of sand dunes along the South Wales coast. The photographs show a small section of the sand dunes, a real-life dig conducted there in 2011 and an army camp. The army camp was created by American soldiers who arrived in the dunes to prepare for D-Day in 1945. My fictional dig will feature this army camp.
I’m delighted to say that Sam’s Song is still in the top five of the Amazon private detective chart. I’m also delighted to see that Amazon have linked my books with Robert B Parker, one of the greats of the private detective genre. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend that you read Promised Land, a modern classic.

512s3OULEvL

And while we are on the subject of great writers here is Kurt Vonnegut offering sage advice on the craft if storytelling. In this five minute film Kurt Vonnegut explains the essence of storytelling. Within the humour of the film is a basic truth, which Vonnegut used to great effect in his novels. Also, here is one of many quotable quotes from the great author.
“If you want to really hurt your parents, go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”
 
If you have read any of my books, especially Sam’s Song, you will know that the subject of ‘gaslighting’ is featured. Here is some sound advice on this sensitive subject Psychology Today
As ever, thank you for your interest and support. More news next week.
Happy Easter!

Chocolate 2

Categories
Sam Smith Mystery Series Sam's Sunday Supplement

Sam’s Sunday Supplement #6

Welcome to Sam’s Sunday Supplement, #6, a weekly digest of news from Sam’s world.

Sam’s Sunday Supplement takes on a different format this week because yesterday, 7th April, Many Books featured me as their Author of the Day 😃 I would like to invite you to read the in-depth interview, which includes details about me and my writing habits, background on Sam and the Sam Smith Mystery Series, and our plans for the future. I hope you will find a moment to read the interview, which can be found here Many Books

One other piece of exiting news this week – this weekend Sam’s Song reached #1 on the Amazon Australia private detective chart. Once again, many thanks to you for your interest and support. More news next week.

received_1278297185599243

Categories
Sam Smith Mystery Series Sam's Sunday Supplement

Sam’s Sunday Supplement #5

Welcome to Sam’s Sunday Supplement, #5, a weekly digest of news from Sam’s world.

Yesterday, April 1st, was Sam’s birthday and to help her celebrate Sam’s Song reached #3 on the Amazon private detective chart. I’m also very proud to make this list…Robert B Parker #15, Marcia Muller #17, Hannah Howe #22, James Patterson #25, Max Allan Collins #48 Amazon’s hot new releases 😃 This relates to Mind Games, which is now available for pre-order. Please click on the book cover on the sidebar for the Amazon link.

mind-games-ebook-cover-rgb

As usual, Sam has been wandering the streets of Cardiff this week. She also ventured to Monmouth. The Romans established a fort in Monmouth and a thousand years later the Normans built a castle there. The House of Lancaster took possession of the castle and, in 1387, King Henry V was born there. One of Monmouth’s claims to fame is its medieval stone-gated bridge, pictured, the only one of its type remaining in Britain.

Gatehouse_on_Monnow_Bridge_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1241351

While researching details about Cardiff Docks I stumbled across the following information, along with this fascinating film clip, which offers a flavour of the docks in 1926. In relation to women, 420 prostitutes worked the docks in 1860, while during the Edwardian era local women had the back-breaking job of unloading sacks of potatoes. During the Second World War women served as porters, wheeling trollies to and from the warehouses.

Mind Games features a young female chess player, though chess is incidental to the book and you don’t need any knowledge of the game to enjoy the story. That said, chess is full of interesting characters including Vera Menchik, the first women’s world champion. Vera defeated many male grandmasters including world champion Max Euwe. Sadly, Vera died in 1944 during a Nazi air raid.

Vera_Menchik_1933

Mind Games also features a storyline about Faye, Sam’s assistant. If you have read the books in the series you will know that Faye has endured a difficult relationship with her mother. This link might help people in a similar situation  Psychology Today
I would like to end this week with these beautiful words. More news next week. As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

16712038_1916951528527598_5362465941067423957_n