Sam Grant

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About Sam Grant
Author trained for the merchant navy. Pre- sea trained at HMS Conway. Served aboard eight ships of different type - cargo liner, refrigerated, oil tankers and ore carriers. A new maritme novel for 2022. "Chilling Encounter," by Sam Grant (published on June 24h, 2022), leads to Mike Peters, (fictional merchant seafarer), being offerred role of staff Captain, aboard, cargo liner, Albany Contessa. There's to be a s/b; h/b and Kindle edition. Good reviews on Amazon, for Atlantic Hijack, first maritime novel. Subsequently followed with good reviews, from Sea Breezes, for Atlantic Hijack and second maritime novel - River Escape.
Earlier Life.
Sea career involved, in fifth term at sea school, a visit, to Liverpool and an Ellerman's ship. Author, was mightily impressed with size of ship and a really good lunch was served up to his class by stewards. School food was not spectacular. Author's, not suggesting that the meal aboard was, deciding factor, for later application to Houlder Lines for an apprenticeship, but it probably helped! Shipboard food, in general was good. Particularly on south american runs, where a plentiful supply of Argentinean beef was taken aboard for catering supply.
Three years of scrubbing decks, chipping away rust, painting and cleaning brasses, compass binnacles, ship's bell and brass port hole windows followed. Vital skills in steering a ship, look out watch keeping, Radar/Decca navigating training and taking sextant sun and star sights was included in the package. A First Mate, on a tanker taught author, how to splice wire rope. This ranked as a major accomplishment. Author was later chosen, for a mid- apprenticeship release course, and went on to pass additional sailor qualifications and the Second Mate's certificate.
In late twenties author left sea life for one year study of three Advanced level GCE. After pass gains, a place was available for a degree course, but author felt need to embark on a career. Trustee banking was second career choice, but was altered to third choice with retail training management with Bhs. Virtually a second apprenticeship! Involved training in all departments - merchandise, stock room and office management, food, restaurant and fashion, which led to Departmental management appoinment at the Bristol store. A Second Steward, whom author had previously sailed with visited the store. Registered surprise that author was no longer seafaring!
Author met his wife of near fifty years, when Departmental manager at the Bristol store. On finding, city store work unconducive, while a manager, in the Leicester Haymarket Bhs store; formerly a Woolworths Store, notice was given. Later transfer to postal work was seen as temporary, but led to thirty year stay, with Royal Mail. Retail management store training was not entirely wasted, since, author's eldest son, opened a chain of stationery stores in the south west. 2000 to 2010.
Author, then retired from Royal Mail, and had been submitting poetry for competitions. Separate poetry and novel writing classes enabled skills to be developed and first novel, Atlantic Hijack was completed and published, in partnership with Paragon Publishing, Rothersthorpe, in 2015.
In 2016, Sam Grant poems, mainly chosen by editors for their anthologies and books, was developed into a matte cover anthology of forty poems, in partnership with Paragon Publishing. Book design, layout and production management by Into Print www.intoprint.net
Poems with Themed Notes by Sam Grant is listed on Amazon, but also available from good book shops. Please give ISBN 978-1-78222-464-8
Unwittingly, the author had built a background of life experience following on from work in varied occupations - apart from sea service, author has been employed as waiter, chef, gardener, deck chair attendant prior to management employ with Bhs from 1969 to 1974.
Royal Mail service in two market towns gave a depth of experience, which assisted in the writing, of Persuasion's Price, mystery novel. A Play - Persuasion's Price The Play, was published in 2021. Most recent book publication, is - Chilling Encounter. Published 24th June, 2022.
Throughout author's life, an interest in performance theatre has been maintained, Watch keeping stints in the Atlantic/Pacific away from shipping lanes, produced imaginary, pretend stage environment, in the wheelhouse or on the bridge.
Lookout watchkeeping sailors on monkey island were, reader will be pleased to learn, not subjected to author's theatrical attempts to enact play scripts.
Later, in civilian life. amateur drama groups were joined, during management posts in towns and cities across UK.
Paradoxically, it may be said, a failure to secure parts, in plays when retired, in Frome, Somerset, led to more time being allocated, to writing. Fifteen books, which include, novels, short stories and anthologies have been published from 2015 to 2022 with author name of Sam Grant.
A science fiction novel - part two for Galactic Mission was published in 2020. Background, in Theatre Studies and amateur performance art experience, incentivised creation of Persuasion's Price The Play. Harvest, of book writing publications for a "new" author from 2015 to 2022. Short stories, commentary and verse have been blogged on samgrantpublications.wordpress.com since 2016. A blog site, which attempts to secure reader follow on interest for published books, but also from sheer enjoyment, derived from writing stories, poems and plays. An interest which awaited development from age of twenty, when author was a Third Mate aboard British merchant ships. Author's seventy - seven, in 2022.
Sam Grant, author is a name Colin Coles acquired, while responding to articles, in the New York Times, during 1990. The newspaper required contributors to write their replies, only, through a pseudonym.
Atlantic Hijack, River Escape, Chilling Encounter ( Individual novel series of complete fictional sea stories);
Dancing on the Beach (romantic thriller) by Sam Grant, Galactic Mission, Galactic Mission Part Two(Two sci/fi novels)
Poems with themed notes, Mists of Time ( poems and short stories) Persuasion's Price mystery thriller) Persuasion's Price The Play( adaptation to a stage play of Persuasion's Price by author are published Sam Grant, author titles.
A number of published poems, have author's birth name of Colin Coles.
All books with Amazon listing have an ISBN back cover designation and can be supplied from good book shops. Please give title with ISBN.
Book Depositery also offer an online paperback service - with ISBN listing for Sam Grant books.
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Author Updates
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Blog postWord got around and those in the queue, at the Cheese and Grain were phoning friends and family to get down there quick. Caught a Radio 4 transmission and a person local to Frome was chatting about obtaining four tickets for the show. The presenter, asked if the BBC could have two of the tickets? But they were reserved for friends. Quite right!
Author’s not that qualified to write about the popular music scene. A little voice in background chants – “you seem to manage to write about4 days ago Read more -
Blog postDestination: Lagos Nigeria. Author, has returned to a prologue epilogue format, similar to that of Atlantic Hijack, in this latest Sam Grant, maritime novel – Chilling Encounter.
A leg injury, has led to Mike training for a shore position in retail management. He’s manager of a store in the prologue, but in Chapter one reader is plunged into previous sea – life experiences.
On leave from serving aboard one of the company’s oil tankers, in role of First Mate, Mike is offerre2 weeks ago Read more -
Blog postRecently, read a commentary, that declared – hand written script produces better writing than author script, completed through a keyboard.
It depends on the nature of the beast? Would be this author’s answer. For one thing, the appearance of author’s writing is invariably untidy. What’s the point of preparing a hand written grocery list, while there’s a struggle to unravel item written, while stood in the way of other customers in a store? Well, most of the items can
2 weeks ago Read more -
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Blog postMusic and Song in Life Those born in the nineteen- seventies and since, have been born, in the western world, into a deluge of recorded music; be it cassette, CD and the likes of Spotify with fingertip internet access to music. Earlier birthers remembered strategic songs and music, through gramaphone records and popular music station radio.
Other families, in the nineteen – fifties probably owned more forty – five records, than author’s did. Eldest sister, bought a record player w<3 weeks ago Read more -
Blog postChapter 8 I returned to my cabin. Jane wasn’t there, but on the table, in the day room was a note, which read – Mike – in Smoke Room, if you want to find me – Love Jane x. I did want to find her and made my way there. Although the evening meal was over, an aroma of smells, which included that of roast beef lingered in the corridor from the adjacent dining saloon on my approach. A boiler suited engineer, said ‘good evening, sir,’ on passing. The eyes of tw
1 month ago Read more -
Blog postThe female definiton for a ship, has been attributed to a ship’s demand for attention, which cannot be denied is paramount, to maintain safety at sea. Similarly, attentivity, in a relationship, is needed to secure romantic continuation. Author’s late teen age years saw numerous visits to South America and perhaps that Latin American connection, of […]
Seafarer’s dilemma: falling in love and all that Jazz. —2 months ago Read more -
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Blog postA blogger has written about a collection of fountain pens. Also, tactile appreciation for writing with a pen that flows with ink, which has to be blotted or left to dry on paper.
Author, saved pocket money for many weeks. Ambition was to buy a Parker Duofold, Slimfold which was displayed in a glass cabinet opened to display the gold nib, in one of those silvery satin boxes at WH Smith’s, Fleet Street Torquay.
Not for author , a more illustrious Parker 51 or tortoiseshe
2 months ago Read more -
Blog postA very long time ago, but the Hornby Grange was the largest chilled meat carrier plying the seven seas. Trade was with Argentina. A plus for crews that traded aboard ships to Buenos Aires, was that the Chief Steward would stock up with prime Argentinean beef and menus were improved accordingly. Experienced poor diet conditions while aboard ships. Once, was aboard HMS Conway, pre – sea. A large carbuncle boil developed on the neck led, believe to spread of poison to appendix, which needed remo3 months ago Read more
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Blog postThe first Sunday of the month, sees an encampment of stalls sprout across the Cheese and Grain car park and into Westway shopping precinct; with stall tributaries, which run from a main throng in the high street. into Catherine Hill, and Cheap Street. Apart from a choice of street food, for takeaway, in Westway, there’s an eclectic selection of home craft – jewellry – pottery – clothing – craft beer cider, honey, bakery and musicians playing. Much more.
Author, has exhibited books on4 months ago Read more -
Blog post(local Frome, novelist, short story writer, poetry compositions, blogger and playwright) Fortune, favours the brave, but there was no intention, in that direction. Four tree falls, were experienced. Three led to single line traffic. A fourth was four vehicles ahead and police were supported by drivers and passengers for heavy lifting. A saw was produced... Continue Reading →4 months ago Read more
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Titles By Sam Grant
Adriana has decided to stay in human form, but seeks a closer relationship with James, who prefers Lara. He backs away. Adriana is restricted in power, although Captain Dryson and Alfredo - two android machines - carry out her instructions.
After the comets are directed away from earth, Galactic Force returns with Antar-XP200, and two new androids, to replace Adriana, on Mars. Adriana regains full power and a chosen group leaves for earth by space ship with the intention of gaining control over Quadrant, who are returning, now that earth has been saved.
A family is torn apart and, with the involvement of the secret services, events take an unexpected and sinister turn.
In the title poem, author Sam Grant takes us on a journey. Perhaps his journey, down a leafy lane to a farm in summer, off to sea and beyond.
Secret Cave is a short story informed by a love of sail boat sailing. A reflection from the author’s young life, before the author embarked on a career in the Merchant Service.
PART ONE – Poems both in traditional and modern form.
Dramatic, but also light-hearted topics, explored.
PART TWO – Short stories.
Individual cameo chapters.
An oil terminal in the River Orinoco, Venezuela
Following on from a military coup
Mike’s pressured efforts to prepare the tanker for the load of boiler oil – compromised by a refinery postponement.
An influential young woman boards,
who starts calling the shots.
Hidden identity of a rescued
yachtsman and two female companions
further compromise the ship’s safety…
In Riding Through Time ghostly horsemen appear, to ride down the ages.
Captured into their Realm — a meeting with an alien depicted in verse.
Eye of the Storm; The Time Makers Kingdom; Thankful Thoughts and Spirit of Spring. These are a few of the poems in this varied anthology.
Notes have been prepared and included by Sam Grant to give background information and set the poems in context.
But the world is not at ease and relationships are put under strain.
James Walters is a sales manager for an international conglomerate, based in the UK. One day he encounters Adriana – “The Empress Adriana” – from the Galactic Command Force... oh, and ruler of planet Earth and all planets circling the sun.
Can the Galactic Command Force, with help from some inspiring sources, thwart planetary conflict?
Apprentice engineer Mike Peters is finding his feet amongst a cast of nautical characters as the Albany Princess voyages to Montevideo. But the ship’s personnel are not all that they make themselves out to be, as revealed during a rapidly unravelling hijack in the South Atlantic.