Hi

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a fantastic break over Christmas and New Year. Mine was quiet but very relaxing, with walks in the mountains, spending time in the garden, and lots of reading for pleasure. I can’t believe we’re heading towards the end of January already! Welcome to any new subscribers – it’s great to have you here :)

Walking in the Blue Mountains

I managed a little bit of writing on the new novel (All that Remains) over the holiday, and got stuck into some research. One of my characters will be involved in the infamous retreat at Dunkirk, so I’ve been reading about that. While most of us know about the heroic efforts of every British person with a boat to evacuate the troops who had made it to the beach at Dunkirk, I was unaware of the sacrifices of the men who defended the corridor toward the coast and who actually made the retreat possible. They were ordered to defend it to the last man, and that is exactly what they did. This is the book I’ve been reading – a compellingly written and fascinating account of the retreat and the lead up to it.

All that Remains itself is unfortunately progressing rather slowly – the characters haven’t really begun to take over the story yet. Perhaps it’s because they're based on the characters from a long-ago shelved manuscript that I’m completely rewriting, but they seem reluctant to have their stories told, which makes the writing hard work. The pages are gradually increasing though, so I’ll get there in the end. It’s funny how the process varies so wildly from book to book. Some stories just can’t wait to be told: the characters drive the book forward, and when that happens, I find myself sort of watching it play out in my head and writing down what I see. That’s the bit I love the most – I sit down at my desk each day in eager anticipation of what might happen next! Just like a reader.

Thank you so much to the readers who wrote back to me last time – I’m always so honoured to hear from you, and I’m thrilled that you liked both the proposed title and the blurb. One lovely reader also sent me a link to fascinating website run by a remarkable British lady about her memories of living through World War II. It’s an absolute treasure trove – here’s the link: http://www.memorylanehf.oddquine.co.uk

Please drop me a line if you have any comments or feedback - I'd love to hear from you.

I wish you all the very best for the new year. Till next time, happy reading!

Here are the links to my books. Have you read them all?

Another Time and Place

The Last Goodbye

The Officer's Affair

Out of the Ashes

When the Light Still Shone

The King James Men

Kind regards

Samantha

https://www.samgrosserbooks.com

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