Holidays, the harmonica, and the next draft.
Aug 11, 2025 9:01 am
Hi
I’m writing this from the beautiful town of Byron Bay where we’ve been spending the last few days. A 10-hour drive up the coast from Sydney, I’ve never been here before and it’s absolutely stunning. In spite of intermittent rain showers, we've managed to walk along the sand every day, visit the lighthouse, and eat some amazing food. And at sunset we joined the locals at the edge of the beach to watch the surf and the multitude of surfers. It’s been a wonderfully relaxing few days, and I feel quite recharged.
You’ll be pleased to know that I’ve now completed the second draft of All That Remains and have given it to Mr G., who is always my first reader. He’s only just started it, but he has said the first chapter is intriguing, so that’s a relief. I feel for him – he gives the best feedback, but I’m sure it’s a stressful time for him: he’s admitted in the past that he’s always greatly relieved when he realises that he’s loving whichever book I’ve given him!
I’ve also started researching for a new novel which for the first time, will be set in Australia. In spite of all the years I’ve lived here, I’ve never been drawn to write about it before, but I had a spark of inspiration the other day, and now I’m at the stage where I’m just reading everything I can find about the era in Sydney (1930s/1940s) and gradually teasing out a story. I will keep you posted.
And, in an effort to nurture my inner child, I’ve just started learning to play the harmonica, which is a lot of fun. As a child, I played the violin in a junior orchestra so I have a reasonable understanding of how music works, but the harmonica is a very different beast to the violin, and I’m absolutely loving it! I found an online course that is both accessible and challenging, and the teacher is just really encouraging and at the same time very cool. He has 3 free lessons, which is what got me started – you can check it out here: https://www.harmonica.com
What I’m Reading. I’ve just finished Once a Monster by Robert Dinsdale, which is a moving and compelling retelling of the myth of the minotaur, set in Victorian London. Beautifully written, the novel is an exploration of what makes us monsters or (wo)men. Easily one of the best books I’ve read in ages.
I really haven't watched much recently, so I've got nothing to recommend this time. I've been too busy reading and playing the harmonica!
Oh, and one last thing. If you haven’t read it already – Another Time and Place is currently FREE at all online stores. Here’s a universal link that will take you to the store of your choice. If you have read it, then please let your friends know about it too.
https://books2read.com/Another-Time-and-Place
Here are the links to my books. Have you read them all?
Until next time, happy reading,
Kind regards
Samantha
https://www.samgrosserbooks.com
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/samantha-grosser
