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.