Tag: Detective Fiction

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

 

 

 

Categories
Sam Smith Mystery Series Sam's Sunday Supplement

Sam’s Sunday Supplement #3

Welcome to Sam’s Sunday Supplement, #3, a weekly digest of news from Sam’s world.

Due to an office fire in Smoke and Mirrors, Sam is now working out of a houseboat moored in Cardiff Bay. Where did this idea come from? Possibly a combination of DVD research watching 1980s and 1990s detective series Shoestring and Van Der Valk where boats appeared constantly, and the fact that Sam is never keen to board a floating vessel. A maxim of the series is, make things as difficult as possible for Sam. I bet she loves me for it 😉

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Mind Games, book eleven in the series, focuses on unrequited love. In the picture Dante looks longingly at Beatrice Portinari (in yellow) as she passes him with Lady Vanna (in red). From Dante and Beatrice, by Henry Holiday, 1883. Beatrice was the principal inspiration for Dante’s Vita Nuova.
According to the Roman poet, Ovid, those burdened with unrequited love should travel, avoid alcohol, engage in country pursuits and, ironically, stay well clear of love poets (!)

Dante_and_beatrice (2)

Readers of my series will know that Sam, my narrator, suffered a traumatic childhood. However, research now shows that her difficult childhood is one reason why she developed into the strong woman she is today. You can read more about that research here Psychology Today
This week Mind Games took Sam to Cardiff University and the heart of the city. Founded in 1883, the university holds many claims to fame, including the fact that they allowed women to enrol as students and, in 1910, appointed Millicent Mackenzie as the first female professor at a fully chartered British university. Millicent Mackenzie, pictured in 1915, wrote on the philosophy of education, founded the Cardiff branch of the Suffragette movement and became the only female candidate in Wales for the 1918 general election.
More news next week and, as ever, thank you for your interest.

17350059_1806160736076381_257053348833906604_o

 

 

Categories
Sam Smith Mystery Series Sam's Sunday Supplement

Sam’s Sunday Supplement #2

Welcome to Sam’s Sunday Supplement, #2, a weekly digest of news from Sam’s world.

This week I’ve been following Sam around the Vale of Glamorgan, a picturesque region of Wales. Chapters five to ten of Mind Games are largely set in the Vale, including two chapters set at Nash Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse was constructed in 1831, illuminated in 1832 and electrified in 1968. It holds the distinction of being the last manned lighthouse in Wales, before automation in 1998. I’m pleased to say that the writing is going well and that the book is on schedule for publication in June.
I came across this quote from Marcia Muller recently and I can identify with it in relation to Sam.
‘A professional writer’s life is not easy, no matter how high you climb on the best seller lists. For one thing, you work for yourself, and that self is the most demanding boss you’ve ever had. I don’t know about non fiction writers, but those of us who deal in fiction are never left alone by our characters. They haunt you, they tell you what to do. There are times when I feel my detective, Sharon McCone, is sitting on my shoulder, saying, “No, not that. Do this.” Usually she’s right. But I’m waiting for the day I’ll prove her wrong.’

1167634_199810196853892_1142375625_o_kindlephoto-174347969

As you know, my books are based on serious subjects, but I like to insert some humour occasionally. Here are two pieces I posted on social media this week. Both received a terrific response 😃
Definitions from the dubious dictionary…Shinbone, a device for locating furniture in the dark.
How many authors does it take to change a lightbulb?
Ten.
One to change the lightbulb.
Five to say that they’d already thought of the idea for changing the lightbulb, but they didn’t want to go public with it yet.
Four to say that lightbulb changing is old hat and already covered by the literary greats.
Three to complain that with blogging, Twitter, Facebook, etc they have no time to change lightbulbs, but they’ll do it anyway.
Two to insist that old technology is best and that the lightbulb will never replace the candle.
And one to figure out that while authors are great with words they are lousy at mathamatics.

170px-Gluehlampe_01_KMJ

I have joined Author Reach. More news of that in the future, but for now here is the link and an invitation to follow and join my mailing list.
http://hannah-howe.authorreach.com
Also, an invitation to connect with me on my new Facebook page.
https://facebook.com/HannahHoweSamsAuthor
More news next week and, as ever, thank you for your interest.

growthw1_5