November Update
Nov 13, 2023 11:01 am
Hi
Hello again from Sydney, and welcome to any new subscribers wherever you are in the world. It’s lovely to meet you.
It’s been a busy few weeks since the last time I wrote. I’ve released my first fantasy novel under my new pen name of S.G. Slade, so that’s been exciting and rather stressful!
But the really good news is that I have finally finished the first draft of new World War II novella. Hurrah! I actually completed it this morning, but it’s turned out to be rather longer than I anticipated, so at this stage it’s rather too long for a novella, but quite a bit shorter than my other novels. It will probably grow a bit in the editing process, so I’m not sure how long it will end up being. I guess if I planned my books a little more diligently, this sort of thing wouldn’t happen. But where would be the fun in that?!
Here's a sneak peek snippet of the very first draft of the blurb:
"She thought the truth was lost forever. Then an unexpected letter reveals a startling story.
1943. After her mother’s sudden death, Peggy Ellis wants only to live in peace to grieve with her beloved father. But when the nearby airbase begins to fill with American airmen, all her hopes for a quiet life are shattered forever.
1988. Georgia Lee hates her job, and she is stuck in a relationship that she gave up her dreams to keep alive. So when her grandmother reveals a long held secret, she is only too eager to help uncover the truth.
As she delves into the past, Georgia finds herself questioning the life she left behind in London. Drawn back to the village of her childhood, she takes a job in the local pub where destinies intertwined decades before. Here, among heirloom recipes and the echoes of long ago love, Georgia begins to discover not only the truth of her grandmother’s past, but that her own dreams can still come true."
Most authors hate writing blurbs, and I’m no different. Trying to condense a whole story into three or four short paragraphs is a very different skill from writing a novel and is a lot less fun. I’d love to hear what you think of this one! No doubt it will go through many versions before I'm happy with it. So far, I’m also stuck for a title, which I find even harder to come up with than the book description!
Last time I wrote I said that I’d signed up for some TV Extras work – well, I did my first shoot a couple of weeks ago and it was loads of fun. It was a very long day as a guest at a wake for a TV drama show, but I met the most interesting people. It’s a job that attracts all sorts, from students to retired people and everything else in between. It was a really great day, and I can’t wait for the next time!
If you’ve been following my day job travails, you’ll be pleased to know I’ve found some consulting work for a project that should last a good few months, part time, working from home. It’s right up my street, and I’ll be starting later this week. Perfect!
What I’m Reading
I’ve just finished Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, which I have been meaning to read for a very long time. Oh my goodness, what a book! A sweeping saga of generations of a Korean family caught up in the Japanese occupation, the war, and the years that follow, the story is vividly immersive, and I felt as if I knew each and every character. I was devastated to finish it – I just didn’t want it to end. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
What I’m Watching
Bodies on Netflix. A strange and slightly disturbing police thriller that takes place over four different time periods, with the same murder each time. Interesting …
Please do drop me a line if you have any comments or feedback - I'd love to hear from you.
Here are the links to my books. Have you read them all?
Till next time - happy reading!
Kind regards
Samantha
https://www.samgrosserbooks.com
