Maximilian Sam's Blog, page 5

Day Trip to Kos

One of the advantages of living where I do is, every so often, being able to take a day trip to the beautiful island of Kos. Ok, so it’s not quite the same as being able to hop over to Bali for the weekend, but I don’t live in Jakarta anymore either.

Normally it’s a pretty smooth operation where we’re picked up from home and driven to the ferry terminal in Bodrum. Thanks to the wonders of time zones, we then arrive in Kos before we’ve left Bodrum. Sadly, over the summer months, this chucklesome little anomaly disappears. This trip proved not to be usual. We used a new company for the trip and they’d been wonderful, coming to the house to give us our tickets and making sure we were happy. I genuinely liked them and still do. I should have guessed something wouldn’t quite go to plan. It falls under the auspices of Murphy’s Law.

We agreed to meet at the end of the road at 5.50am. It was so precise it could have been a military operation. All seemed fine. I’d even left plenty of food and water for the animals, although the concept of making it last was beyond Princess. We arrived at the rendezvous and waited. As the clock ticked past 6am we called the company to find out where they were. Apparently, the car had broken down. Offers of changing the day or a full refund fell on deaf ears as there were important reasons we couldn’t delay.

I have one rule in life. Mistakes happen, but if you put them right, all is forgiven and we’re friends again. It’s only fair because we all make plenty of mistakes and would, no doubt, appreciate some forgiveness from time to time. This was a time where forgiveness proved the best decision by far.

I will never quite understand how they solved the problem in the way they did, especially in the very short timeframe. As you’ll see, it was a stroke of genius. We were told to expect a minibus in 15 minutes. It proved to be a Turkish 15 minutes! A 3-door Hyundai finally turned up and not a minibus, but it was transport and we were on our way. It was very comfortable and the driver certainly knew how to handle it at speed, which I thought was to ensure we would catch the ferry. It was exciting until we came to some traffic lights and pulled off the road. The driver didn’t speak English and my Turkish is a distance away from being classed as conversational, so we had no idea what was going on.

Suddenly a minibus approached driving the wrong way along the dual carriageway. We were bundled inside and it turned round in a cloud of dust and headed back the way it had come. The driver of the Hyundai had been quick, but this guy would have won the Monaco GP at a canter. I have never been so quiet, or scared, in a vehicle. I kept glancing around for the crash helmets. We were now ahead of time so I didn’t understand the need for speed until he swerved in front of another minibus and pulled onto the hard shoulder. Yup, we were changing again. This time it was a little more sedate and we had new fellow travelers. The mad rush of the previous two vehicles had been to catch up with the minibus further up the road. I’ve called the organisation genius because it was. Under pressure, with limited time, creating such a convoluted solution was problem solving at its very best.

By now we felt a little tired and shell-shocked. It quickly became clear the other passengers were also catching the ferry to Kos. It proved my German language skills must be better than my Turkish! We could finally relax. There are two ferry terminals in Bodrum and I’ve always left from the same one. I’ve never been to the other which is situated at the entrance to the marina in the town centre. When we passed the turning to my usual ferry terminal, I did raise an eyebrow, but wasn’t concerned because, even if the driver didn’t know where he was going, his satnav did.

We eventually pulled up next to the ferry terminal with plenty of time to spare. We walked up to security and passport control to be met with big smiles and friendliness from all those working there. It never ceases to amaze me how friendly the Turkish authorities are at security and passport control. There are a few places in the World where lessons could be learned. You’re probably expecting a smooth passage onto the ferry. Think again. There was a problem with Mum’s passport. She had a new one recently and, although it had all been registered correctly at the resident's permit office, it didn’t have an entry stamp to Turkey. The poor woman at passport control looked bemused, but handled everything with patience and a smile. A colleague came over and helped solve the problem meaning we didn’t have to leave Mum behind.

Finally, we were on the ferry with a cup of coffee in hand. I’m not sure which one of us started chuckling first, but it set us all off. Things hadn’t worked like clockwork, but we were where we were meant to be and had a story to tell. The crossing took an hour and I was happy to be out on the water again, even if it wasn’t on my own boat. We docked in Kos, made our way to passport control and the first reality of Brexit I’ve seen. Two queues and, thankfully, the shorter one was for non-EU passports. I’m certain it’s not always the case, but I wasn’t complaining. Passports stamped and a quick trot to the customs tent led to one of the best moments I’ve had since I officially became an author. I suppose it helped the customs lady never stopped smiling and making me feel very welcome. She checked my bag which contained a change of shirt, my notebook and a toilet roll (Mum had slipped the final item in for reasons I avoided asking about). I know the notebook must have been a clue, but many people who aren’t authors also carry them. When the wonderful customs lady closed up my bag she said, “You’re an author.” I couldn’t stop smiling. I could have given her a hug there and then, except I’d probably have been arrested.

We had a plan for the day. An amble around the town before a long, lazy lunch prior to the return ferry trip. The only non-negotiable was a visit to my favourite bookshop/newsagent. I wanted a couple of sailing magazines and a cheeky excuse to buy a few books. I wanted to touch and smell books again. It’s the one thing I miss even more than Hula-hoops and Oxo cubes. The pandemic has claimed many victims and my favourite place on Kos has been another. It’s now a restaurant. I was more than a little heartbroken. We went for a coffee (the coffee in Kos is amazing. Everyone seems to be a talented barista). The waiter confirmed the bookshop had gone, but pointed upstairs to the library as well as giving us directions to two possible shops that might help. Sadly, they couldn’t, but were wonderful in their own way. I did get to smell and feel books again even if they were in Greek. I’m sure there’s a replacement for the shop I’d come to love and I’ll find it on my next visit.

We ambled around the town for a while with a pit-stop for the coldest, and one of the most welcome, beers I’ve ever had. We knew where we were going for lunch so walked back to the street full of restaurants by the ferry terminal. As we turned the corner, we knew we’d have to visit one of the other restaurants on the street as our destination had become another victim of the pandemic.

They say fortune favours the brave, and it did. We chose Kalymnos Taverna for our lunch. I’ve been in many top-class and Michelin starred restaurants in my time. This is now my second favourite restaurant in the World (Sorry, but I’ve had Sunday lunch at Roules in London. Nothing will ever beat it).

Kalymnos Taverna is 25 years old and a true family restaurant with a terrace right on the sea. If you go to Kos you have to have at least one meal here. It’s also incredibly good value for money. I was looking through the menu when the waiter carried a platter of fresh octopus onto the terrace and proceeded to hang them up to dry. He’d been out fishing and caught them that morning. Grilled octopus was going to be my lunch. It was stunning. I’d certainly made the right decision. We had the long, lazy lunch which the signed poster of my book now behind the bar will attest to. There was also a lovely family eating at the table next to us with a young child. It turned out she was a radio presenter. I’d already given her another signed poster and bookmark before I’d found out. So, if you hear about “It’s A Stray Dog’s Life” on Greek radio, you now know why. It also proved my theory; an author should never be without a few giveaways.

We finished lunch and wandered back to the ferry. There were plenty of laughs with a lovely lady member of staff in duty free who told me I could buy everything in the shop if I stayed in Kos, but I was limited in what I could take back to Turkey. With how friendly this Greek Island had been you can imagine how close I was to not getting on the ferry. Common sense prevailed and we sailed back to Bodrum trying to guess the owner of each superyacht outside the harbour. The minibus was waiting for us. We had no idea if the journey home was to be the same relay as our early morning drag race. Thankfully it wasn’t, and the driver dropped us off at home after a long, tiring, but ultimately hugely enjoyable day.

I topped up the water bowls for Princess, Smokey and Lucky and gave them a snack before cuddles, tummy tickles and sleep kicked in. Humans frequently panic when things don’t go exactly to plan. I’m not sure why. If we reach the right destination, is it not more fun if a few things go a little awry on the journey? It certainly was for us.

The Kids Of Lakewood Elementary

Don’t forget you can still buy “It’s A Stray Dog’s Life”. There’s no limit on how many copies you can add to your collection. The second-grade kids at Lakewood Elementary School in Dallas proved that. I did my first ever author video Q&A with them last week. They are a wonderful bunch, who came up with great questions and had me in fits of laughter. It was a special experience for me. If they represent the future then the world is in far safer hands than at present.

It’s time to end this novel of a blog entry.

Stay safe and keep smiling,

MaxS and The Strays.

A Guide To Media Interviews

The past few weeks have seen me giving several media interviews about "It"s A Stray Dog's Life". These have taken various forms ranging from video calls to answering written questions. It's not something I was expecting to enjoy, as I'm not used to being the subject of an interview. Thankfully, I could use my skills and experience gained from working with the media over the best part of 30 years in my 'other' job to make the most of the opportunities.

A life in PR has meant there've been very few days where I haven't spoken to a journalist. I've also trained many executives worldwide on how to interact with a journalist in an interview. There are many stories I could tell from those sessions, but I take client confidentiality seriously so it won't be happening anytime soon. Maybe, one day, I'll change the names to protect the guilty and prove even the most polished performers have their off days.

With the level of experience I have, you'd think media interviews would be a walk in the park. They're not. It's easy talking on behalf of a client, but a whole different ball game when I have to step out of the shadows into the spotlight. I'm not the world's best at being the centre of attention. I'm becoming even more nervous writing this, as I'll be doing a video Q&A with a room full of school children in a few days' time. I've already prepared my escape plan if it isn't going well. Technology is great, but technology failures can be a very useful tool.

I've made media interviews sound as if they're something to fear. They aren't. The key is preparation. Every interview gives you the chance to tell your story. We're authors so should have a distinct advantage. You aren't, or are unlikely to be, a politician so no journalist is trying to catch you out. They just want to write an interesting article with you and your book as the heroes. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of the interview opportunities you get.

Those of you with an eye for detail will have already spotted the first tip. It's also a trick lawyers use when questioning witnesses in court. You need to build your credibility, as I've done by telling you of my 30 years PR experience around the world. A best-selling author already has a sales record to give them credibility. Most of us are still aspiring best-selling authors so need another hook. The question to ask yourself is what made you qualified to write your book? For me this was simple. I look after several stray dogs and cats. The Hertfordshire Mercury even alluded to it in the headline for the book launch (Stray dogs homed by Watford writer inspired him to write a children's book). If you can't create credibility or the so-called, hook then there's no story. You wouldn't let a surgeon operate on you unless you knew they were qualified. In the same way, a journalist needs to know you have the credibility to talk about your book.

If you think the next stage is talking about your book, go to the bottom of the class. It isn't. Your brand isn't your book. It's you as an author. My brand is Maximilian Sam. You need to create a persona around the brand. I'm not talking about a false personality, as people will see through it in seconds. Think of the part of you that made the book happen. For example, if you're writing a spy book, do you want to come across as a little mysterious? I've already mentioned I've worked all over the world including the UK, the Middle East, and South-East Asia. Was I really working in PR, or was my job focused on something else? Thinking about it, most of my old employers would give sworn testimony I was working in anything but PR. Obviously, if I wasn't I wouldn't be able to tell you. If I was would you now believe me? I've created mystery. It adds an extra dimension to the crucial credibility. The true answer to why I've lived in so many countries? Well, I'll plead the 5th on that.

Now we can talk about your book. You'll have seen a plethora of advice on creating an 'elevator' speech. The term comes from the scenario of being stuck in an elevator for 10 floors with your boss. In the time you have between the doors closing and opening you have to sell your idea. I constantly see people from all walks of life struggling with this stage. As an author, you shouldn't have a problem. You've already written it. It's on the back cover of your book. If you've got that right, why reinvent the wheel? If you haven't I'd advise revisiting your back cover blurb.

We are now at the crux of the interview. We've all seen those excruciating responses given by politicians where they seem to be answering a completely different question. There's a wonderful example with Jeremy Paxman and Michael Howard (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyqnu6ywhR4). It's the best example I can give of how you can be so focussed on your own messages the interview rapidly becomes a car crash. Whether you're doing the interview for yourself or on behalf of whoever you work for, please, don't make the same mistake. There is an art to getting your message into your answers. Ask family and friends to practice with you. It's amazing how quickly you can master this vital skill. Also remember you don't need to get your key message into every answer. I promise you, journalists will spot it and make it harder for you to do so.

There are three more things to bear in mind:

A journalist's job is to create an interesting article people want to read. The same as our job is to create a book people want to buy. You can help them with anecdotes alluding to your key messages. That way everybody wins. KISS. No, do not sexually assault a journalist. Keep It Simple Stupid. The easier your messages and anecdotes are to understand, the more people relate to them and consider buying your book. Don't overcomplicate things, leave that to the professionals and the dreaded PowerPoint presentations. "Next slide please." Argghhh! Always say thank you to the journalist once the interview has been published. A quick email will do the trick, although I've had long chats over a drink with journalists talking about the article they've put together in my time. Journalists are writers too and it means as much to them when someone likes their work as a good review does to us authors. I've rarely seen PR people doing it for reasons I can't fathom. It's helped me stand out from the crowd and is why I still have close friends in the media I made over 20 years ago.

Media interviews aren't scary or complicated. A journalist is doing a job benefitting you. So kick the nerves into touch, tell your story and have fun. Everyone likes a fun day at work. The results will surprise you.

Here's a brief checklist to help you:

Preparation and practice. Journalists have deadlines. If you can give them what they need easily and quickly, the article will be much better as they have more time to write it. Build your brand credibility. If you can answer the question as to why you were qualified to write your book people will listen. It also makes you feel more confident about the work you've put out there for others to judge. Brand persona. Which part of your personality does the author come from. Tying your background to the book always helps. Elevator speech. Ensure your back cover blurb works. It's your key sales script after all. Have fun. You and the journalist are working together and results are always better when people have smiles on their faces. KISS Say thank you. It's good manners anyway.

I will, in future blogs, talk about other marketing tools such as press releases and events. If there are any other topics you'd like to hear about, let me know.

Future Plans

I've been thinking about the best way to progress my writing career. I already have several books written beyond the 'first draft' stage. I need to decide when to publish them. The only concrete decision I've made so far is they'll be self-published using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). I've given a lot of thought as to the timing of publishing them and realised I was putting myself under far too much pressure. The deadlines in my head were of my own making. As such I've taken the pressure away and they'll be published when I'm ready and have everything in place to give them a chance of being a success. I can tell you there'll be more on the stray dogs and cats as well as books for Mum and Dad too.

You can, of course, still buy "It's A Stray Dog's Life" (and many of you have for which I'm eternally grateful). There are some of the more common links on my website (just click the picture above and the webpage will magically appear), but all major stockists and many bookshops will happily sell you a copy.

As For The Strays

It's been a funny old week. Princess managed to get herself stuck behind some plant pots in the garden. I'm glad I quickly heard her squeals and was able to free her without any damage being done. She promptly sat down and brazened it out pretending nothing had happened. She soon started smiling again when I gave her a few treats.

Smokey has claimed my balcony as her own bedroom. Thankfully, she has worked out how to get down now too so I don't have to act as a human lift quite as often.

As for Lucky. A picture tells a thousand words. I'm not sure if Princess tolerates her or if they are as close as they seem.

That's a wrap folks. Stay safe and we'll see you soon.

MaxS and The Strays

May The 4th Be With You

Happy Star Wars Day

I know I should have grown out of my fixation with the best science fiction film of all time by now, but it is a little difficult to walk away from the longest relationship of my life.

At this time of year, I always reflect on the times I've come into contact with the film industry. Sadly, I have a face for radio and a voice best not heard, so a career in front of the camera was never an option. Add in turning on my laptop is about as far as my technological expertise reaches and a career in film was never going to be a viable option. It doesn't mean I can't enjoy the magic.

It also hasn't stopped me from having more than my fair share of fun interacting with the industry. It started as a small child living in Watford. Mum owned a shop and rented the apartment above to a wonderful lady who both played and wrote music on The Muppet Show. She very kindly took me to the studios to meet the late, great Jim Henson and watch some filming. I was transfixed. Two moments stood out for me. We were in the viewing gallery watching filming when someone turned off the loudspeaker picking up the chat from the stage. It was felt best a very young, impressionable child shouldn't hear the language Mr. Henson was using. My Grandmother would have told him to wash his mouth out with soap and water. Thankfully I had no idea what he was saying. The second moment involved going backstage where all the Muppets were kept. We walked straight into the biggest white rabbits I've ever seen. They looked so small on the TV screen, but they were huge and terrified me. Thankfully smiles quickly returned when Jim Henson came over, put his arm around my shoulders and presented me with my very own Kermit the Frog hand puppet.

There's a reason I lead with this particular anecdote. It happened in the same year Star Wars hit the world's cinema screens.

A few years later we moved to a smaller village just outside Watford with the immortal name Elstree. Yup, it's the place the film studios are named after. An important point. The film studios aren't in Elstree. They're next door in Borehamwood across the road from a set of BBC studios containing the EastEnders set. The British film industry was struggling at the time and there was justified concern Elstree Studios would have to close forever. The place where Star Wars and Indiana Jones were filmed came very close to disappearing. If it hadn't been for the efforts of the 'Save Our Studios' group and Hertsmere Borough Council they probably would have done. As it is you can go shopping in a major supermarket and be walking on the very ground so many great movies were made. The future is bright for these historic studios with a multi-million-pound development now underway.

One of our neighbours in Elstree worked at the film studios and arranged a tour for myself and my best friend, who happens to now be a film producer. We saw everything from the Star Wars stages to the pool used for various water scenes in Indiana Jones and other films. The best treat was being allowed into the special effects workshop for a little film called "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" We were shown so many tricks of the trade long before CGI took over. The work that went into creating a cigar-smoking baby in a pram was incredible.

There have been many more episodes where my life has collided with the film industry ranging from meeting James Bond producer Michael G. Wilson at a hotel bar in Watford for a chat just before filming started on Goldeneye at Leavesden Studios (it wasn't always Harry Potter World and wouldn't even exist if Pinewood hadn't been full when the Bond franchise came out of a hiatus), to being on stage with a very famous boyband at the end of Children In Need one year. Each time I feel the same excitement as that day I met Kermit, Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear face-to-face.

I'm sure my run-ins with the film industry aren't over. After all, I'm an author and can always dream one day my books will make the transition to the big screen. It's as good a dream as any and stranger things have happened. I'm not sure what stranger things, but I'm sure they must have.

A Stray Update

Smokey now has a designated route to my balcony by climbing up a tree so spends every night asleep in her new cat bed outside my bedroom door. It's cool and dry so she's happy. She's incredibly loyal and I'm lucky she chose us as her friends. Lucky is being as cheeky as ever. She's never content with her own dinner. She has to check what everyone else is having before she settles down to hers even though it is almost always the same thing.

Princess is taking life at her own pace. She goes for a walk when she feels like it and sleeps in her tent to escape both hot and cold weather. She's an amazing old girl with a life filled with love.

Congratulations Are In Order

As those that know me are aware, I'm a big rugby fan. As such, I can't let this blog pass without saying a huge congratulations to England's Red Roses on a 4th Six Nations title in a row, another Grand Slam and a winning streak better than any other England team in history. It's a roll of honour every team would be proud of.

Also big congratulations to Esher Rugby on winning English National Division 2 South and returning to Division 1 next season. A great club that's well worth a visit if you're in the area of Molesey Road

That's it for this time.

Happy Star Wars Day. Stay away from the dark side.

MaxS and The Strays.

How To Write A Book

The holy grail of an author's internet search is an instruction manual on how to write a book. If only it were that simple. I've spent many of my procrastination hours reading about how other authors work and only managed to come up with one consistent message. Everyone is different. There really isn't a catch-all answer to the title of this blog.

I made you a promise though so it is something I intend to pursue to the best of my ability. I can't give you a definitive guide as that would be far too easy. It is, instead, my way of writing. It won't work for everyone, but I hope there's something you can take from my process in your own journey.

I can already hear my accountant screaming at me for giving away intellectual property for free, but that's why he is an accountant and I'm an author. He'd probably like me to pay his bill too which may well be the best bit of fantasy ideology in history. It also follows my one key principle. Authors aren't in competition with each other. The more we all encourage people to read the more books we all sell. If you don't believe me just put #writingcommunity into Twitter and see the huge support you get back in next to no time.

I've broken this blog into three parts. So let's start at the beginning.

1. Ideas

An idea for a book, short story, novella, song, poem or limerick can strike at any time. The only guarantee is it will be the moment you don't have a pen and piece of paper to write it down. For me, I find inspiration by watching the world go by. It can be the briefest moment in time or the snippet of an overheard conversation that sparks up my imagination. This works regardless of the genre as a reader needs to make a connection to enjoy the book. If you don't believe me read anything by the great Terry Pratchett. Fantasy worlds are filled with very human characters and scenarios. He sold a few copies so I'm happy he knew what he was doing.

I have a trunk at the end of my bed filled with notebooks and lever-arch files containing ideas, story outlines and character descriptions. I have no idea where some of them will fit into books, but their time will come. I've learned no idea is a bad idea. It just needs context. The silliest ideas could become best sellers in a few years.

I only have two rules when it comes to ideas. Firstly, do not, under any circumstances, keep a notebook next to your bed. If you have a good idea in the middle of the night it will still be there in the morning. If not it probably wasn't a good idea. Secondly, imagine yourself being interviewed by a journalist. If you can imagine a lengthy interview talking about your masterpiece (we're authors. Everything we do is a masterpiece) then you've almost certainly got the idea straight in your head. It's then up to you how you plot that idea. For me, I tend to write a short synopsis followed by a two-page outline. Whether that's useful or something that shows I am actually doing some work is for others to judge.

2. Writing

Once the idea has formed it's time to take out a couple of pens and a brand new notebook. I'm old school. I still handwrite the first draft of everything (including this blog). It means my first edit is when I type it up. It saves time in many ways. Once it's typed up I print it and it goes in another lever-arch file. I purposely leave it for a month or so before revisiting it for another edit. It gives me a more objective viewpoint. It's at this stage I annoy family and friends by sending them a copy to see what they think.

The strange thing is I can't sit at my desk writing the first version. I need hustle and bustle around me and the sounds of life. As such I can be found in the nearest coffee house or beach bar scribbling away. I know other people need peace and quiet. That's what makes us all so interestingly different.

3. Editing

Yup, the worst part. There's software that can help with this stage but do be aware most use US English rather than the correct version (ed: that'll set the cat amongst the pigeons!). It's also only really a spelling and grammar help. Only you know the story you're trying to tell and you will change whole pages of text during the editing process. It's a fact of life. I've found several of my stories have completely changed during this process as the characters come to life and take on the story themselves. "It's A Stray Dog's Life" started as a chapter in an, as yet, unfinished novel. It didn't really work until I decided to include more animals and a whole new book was born.

There are two main benefits to this stage. Firstly, coffee growers around the world make a fortune from authors editing their books. Secondly, when it's over it feels amazing.

There you go. I'm an odd person with my own way of writing, but I hope there are one or two things in here that help you too. Over the coming months, I will be giving you my personal guide to publishing with the hope others can fill in the gaps my experience hasn't taken me to, as well as a guide to PR (after the best part of 30 years in the industry I hope I can give some insight).

The stray animals are doing well. Princess is enjoying the warmer weather and the cats keep her company. She has the patience of a saint in the way she lets them climb all over her and snuggle up against her. She certainly didn't get that from me!

I promised a surprise in my last blog and here it is. I've had a very limited number of t-shirts printed. They'll be forming part of competition prizes over the coming weeks so keep your eyes peeled across the website and my social media channels for further updates.

That's me done for this time. The next blog will be a few days late for reasons that will become clear at the time. For now though take care and stay safe.

MaxS and the Strays

It's An Expat's Life

I was recently asked by a journalist how my expat life started. After a couple of days thought I realised I'd given them the wrong answer. In my defence I am into double figures for the number of Countries I've lived in so lapses of memory can happen. I have now cleared up my mistake to much sniggering at the other end of the phone line.

My expat life didn't start in my childhood when my parents lived in Saudi Arabia as I was at boarding school so only spent my holidays in Riyadh. Even those days were interspersed with long weekends in Jeddah and Bahrain amongst others. My days as a stray didn't even start when I returned to the Magic Kingdom two decades later. I'd somehow forgotten about a six month period living on a boat in Mallorca when I left school.

I'm not sure how I forgot as I'd had an amazing time even if I did end up in a hospital bed, but I'm getting ahead of myself. My parents helped me find a job working on boats in Palma as I took a break before University. I'd also be living on their boat for the duration which just added to the sense of adventure.

I'll steal a line from Charles Dickens' Great Expectations to describe the whole period. "Great larks!" and that hits the nail on the head as I discovered a beautiful island and had more fun than an 18 year old gaining his freedom should probably be allowed.

I remember being collected from the airport and taken straight to a bar by my two new bosses. It was a bit of a shock to find one of them was a fully qualified sailing instructor yet had never learned to swim. I suppose it was an extra incentive to not sink the boat.

My job revolved around cleaning. Some days it would be scrubbing a RIB until it shone, others would be spent cleaning a full size wooden bath in the master suite of a super yacht. I soon realised not all sailing was the same. Some ships are floating luxury houses whereas I was showering on the bathing platform of our boat! Chalk and cheese, but give me a 40-foot boat over a super yacht any day of the week. I far prefer the hands-on side of sailing to having a crew do everything for me.

Quieter days were spent exploring the Island as a pillion passenger on a motorbike. I loved it. If you've ever been to Mallorca you probably stayed in Palma. I encourage you to go back and explore the north of the island as it's beautiful.

I still had my fair share of nights in one particular nightclub in Palma as a friend was one of the DJs. Most nights, though, I'd invariably go for dinner at the bar on the marina. It was wonderful eating dishes of freshly cooked tapas every night. As the owner got to know me he even introduced me to a lifelong love of cooking. Patatas Bravas was easy. Cleaning and cooking an octopus took a little practice but was worth it. People talk about France being the culinary capital of the World, they should look at the next door Country as it's better.

I was happy with the life I was living and enjoying every second. Then what felt like disaster struck. I was cleaning the underside of a boat ready for it's coat of antifouling. I finished one part and tried to stand up to move further along the hull. I couldn't move. My knee felt as though it had exploded. I was taken to the local hospital where a specialist took one look at me before taking down a medical textbook. He showed me pictures proving I'd torn the cartilage in my knee. The good news was he could operate the next morning.

The day dawned and I was given a private room in the hospital (I'm so grateful for private medical insurance). The last thing I remember after being taken into the operating theatre was singing Queen's "We Will Rock You" with the anaesthetist as he injected me in the back.

It must have been a few hours later when I came round to see a nurse at the end of my bed. I learned my first lesson as an expat in the next few moments. Always learn some of the local language! I couldn't feel my legs so, in my half-dazed state, almost screamed "What have you done to my legs?" The answer of "Que?" was pure Fawlty Towers. Thankfully the phone rang and the wonderful medical insurance team were calling to check up on me. They were able to calm me down and explain everything. To this day I can't hear the word "Que?" without giggling.

I wasn't going to be of use to anyone for a few weeks so the insurance company arranged a flight home for me. I arrived at Heathrow to be met by groundcrew with an electric buggy waiting for me. They really were wonderful. We passed through the airport until we arrived at the doors to the outside world. "If you've got any sunglasses put them on. Let's have some fun!" said my driver. He was right as people looked and pointed trying to work out if they'd just seen someone famous. They hadn't but let's not burst their bubble.

It proved to be the end of my first expat experience as I landed a job in the UK until I started University. I had learned a lot even if I hadn't realised it at the time.

Future Plans

My plans for the next few months are now taking shape. I'm aiming to publish my second book to coincide with a landmark birthday at the end of July and a second "Stray Dogs" book in November. It has led to me questioning how soon is too soon when giving you new books! I still have no idea of the correct answer. Feel free to use all the usual channels to share your thoughts.

I will ask a favour of all of you. As authors we survive on social media 'shares' and reviews of our work on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Goodreads, Google etc. If you've enjoyed a book by any author please do spend a few minutes writing a review. It makes far more difference than you can possibly imagine.

Next time I'll be bringing you a surprise so keep your eyes peeled on my social media channels and this website. The wait will be worth it I promise.

Stray Animal Update

Princess, Smokey and Lucky are fine and are receiving visits from plenty of other strays as the summer starts and food, water and shelter become easier for them all to find. They do keep surprising me as the below photo shows. How can a stray dog and cat get on so well? It's inspiring.

You can still buy "It's A Stray Dog's Life" by clicking the link below.

Until next time, bye for now.

MaxS and The Strays

I Will Find Time To Write

I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. When I finished writing "It's A Stray Dog's Life" I felt elated. When I signed the publishing contract I was scared as I was entering the unknown. Now the book is out I'm finding my life is all but lived on social media. After all nobody will buy the book if they don't know it exists. I many ways it's an exercise with no end as a book never dies. I find myself asking myself what creature I've let loose on a regular basis.

I'm not overly helped in my writing endeavours by the gorgeous Smokey. Her attempts at distraction when she gains access to y bedroom/office are slowly becoming legendary. I think she might be becoming jealous of Princess, Buster and Snowy so is slowly writing her own book. Looking at the photo her book is clearly going to be titled "The Cat's Bum".

Not everything has been distraction and tiredness though. There have been some real highlights. The biggest of which was the UPS driver knocking on the door with a large parcel. Of course I knew what was inside but being able to open it with my parents to reveal copies of my first book was about as cool as life gets. I've finally achieved something to be proud of!

There have been photos of people receiving the book flooding my inbox and sharing their excitement on social media. Life doesn't get much better than knowing you've spread a little joy.

My wanderings to hand out presents hasn't abated either with dolmus trips into the local town carrying signed posters and book proving more fun than I could have imagined as the drivers spend more time looking at the book and posters than at the road ahead! My favourite stall holders at the local market and pet shop were amazingly enthusiastic to receive these small gifts even if the cold weather recently made smiling almost painful.

As such the journey through writing the book to seeing it on sale continues with me learning every step of the way. It has taught me one thing. All writers are bonkers. We must be otherwise we'd never put ourselves through this not knowing whether anyone would ever read or even like our great works of literature.

It has made my decision over the future very easy. I've used the pandemic to build a library of different books ready for publication so, like it or not, there's more to come over the coming weeks, months and years. Whether that's with a publisher or by going down the self-publishing route is the only major question I have yet to answer. I will give you all enough notice to pre-order the next books so don't worry you won't miss out. I promise there's also another book about the stray dogs in the pipeline (as well as Smokey's bum) and, possibly, a few more than that if I can escape social media long enough to write them.

The most common question I've been asked in the past few weeks is how people can help with the book. Obviously buying it comes top of the list. Equally importantly there are a couple of things everyone can do to help every author of any book you've enjoyed.

Share the title, website, book cover etc. with all your friends and followers on social media. It makes a huge difference. If you've enjoyed a book leave a review online. Everywhere from Amazon to Barnes & Noble, from Waterstones to Google or Goodreads allows you to do this. The more reviews a book ha the higher it rises in the rankings and the more people see it and can share your experience by reading it. Just remember if you liked it 5 stars is good. If you didn't 5 stars is bad! (Ed: Do you think they might spot what you did there?)

That's about it from me for this time. The blog was going to be on a totally different topic but that will have to wait.

Don't forget you can still buy the book by clicking the link below. If you have already done so then please do leave reviews. You can even send me one through the contacts page (I hope) and I'll post it under a new reviews page soon.

Best wishes,

MaxS and the Strays

"It's A Stray Dog's Life" has been published

A journey without end

It's finally happened. After years of dreaming I'm now a published author. It feels incredibly surreal. The emotions I'd expected to go through really didn't happen as I was too busy sending out press releases, updating social media, panicking I'd forgotten something and ironing out a few last minute glitches that I'm sure every author goes through. Thanks to some excellent help we got there in the end and messages started to arrive from friends telling me they'd bought the book. My target was to sell one copy. One of my friends outdid that by buying 5!

Strangely, as the photo shows, I'm not sure Princess was all that impressed when I showed her a signed, framed copy of the front cover. Ear tickles and dog treats were far too distracting for her. It's been one of those weeks in that respect.

There are some people here in Turkey that have been a great help since the day I wrote the first word of the book. The enthusiasm and friendship they showed when I gave them signed posters was a touch overwhelming. A few own restaurants or bars and have put them up in pride of place where everyone can see them. Adding the website address may have been a good idea afterall!

The best moment was visiting my oldest friend and her young daughter to give them a new picture for their wall. The four-year old daughter suddenly started singing in Turkish. Her Mum told me she'd just made up a song about stray dogs. How I didn't cry is beyond me.

Publication day arrived and I was exhausted. Messages from friends kept me going through those moments I'd started to wish I'd never started this journey. A standout moment was speaking to a new friend I've made on this journey who is a veteran of the industry. I asked him if he'd ever felt how I was feeling in these down moments. The answer of "every time one of my books comes out" refilled my fuel tanks on the spot. It also made me reflect on this journey I'd dreamed of since I was a young child.

What had been the best part?

It wasn't finishing writing the book as that came with a sense of relief. It wasn't arriving at launch day as I was far too busy. It wasn't even the moment a journalist messaged me to say they'd had a stupidly high number of hits when they'd posted the story to social media, although it did make me grin for a while. In fact it wasn't a single definable moment in the process.

The highlight has been how many friends I've reconnected with and the new friends I've made. The support of the writing community on social media should, also, never be underestimated. It's like joining a giant family. One example of this togetherness Ive felt throughout was seeing a post on an unrelated social media page liking the announcement of the book coming out. I was sure I knew the name and I was right. It has been 12 years since I'd last seen a particular friend from Saudi. How strange we've both reconnected after ending up in the same part of the world. Now that's what social media is for!

"What about the dogs and cats?" i hear you shout. They're all ok and have had lots of cuddles and treats this week. The weather has been a little up and down so Princess has spent her days in the house enjoying the company and then snoring away in her tent at night. Smokey the cat ensured I missed even more sleep last night as she, somehow, made her way onto my bedroom balcony and made it clear she wanted to come inside. I have no idea how she climbed up there but the effort deserved the cuddles she received in return. I think she may be getting jealous that Lucky is curled up next to Princess in the tent.

The rest of the gang are doing well and making sure they get my attention whenever they see me. It's been like that a lot this week!

So there we go, it's finally happened. I'm a published author. The world will never be the same again.

An Important Postscript

I thought long and hard about whether or not I should post an update to the blog at the moment. The events in Ukraine make everything else seem unimportant. My friend who lived and worked in Ukraine managed, after several days in traffic jams, to cross the border and is now safely back in the UK with his family. Many other haven't been that fortunate including over 950 employees at wix.com (the host of this website and blog) who have done so much to help me over the past few months. I finally made the decision to proceed as the blog highlights friendship and that is what we all need. To everyone in Ukraine and those that have had to leave we stand with you and our thoughts and prayers are with you at this terrible time.

It's A Stray Dog's Life

How it all began

A couple of years ago I had a knock on the backdoor. It was my neighbour and the news wasn't good. She told me my beloved Princess had been hit by a car and killed. I'm not too proud to admit I cried myself to sleep that night. The next day I went and sat drinking coffee in the bar by the beach and started writing about my memories of her. It was cheaper than a therapist after all. Thankfully my neighbour was wrong, but I wasn't to discover that for several weeks.

I kept hearing her bark at night but put it down to middle-aged insanity setting in. I couldn't have been more wrong. Princess is a tough old girl. The car had suffered more damage than her. She'd been taken to the vet and then was looked after by some wonderful people a few streets away. I had heard her barking at night after all.

A month or so after the knock on the door I bumped into some people feeding the dogs on the beach. They invited me back to their house for a coffee and there, in the garden, was Princess. The emotions of the reunion I will leave for you to imagine. These amazing people were just happy they'd reunited me with my best friend. She came home that night and even as I write is asleep in the tent with our two adopted cats, Smokey and Lucky.

The incident set in train a process that, in a week's time, will culminate in "It's A Stray Dog's Life" being published. I sat in our conservatory with her at my feet (and Smokey the cat climbing all over the keyboard) writing about all the stray dog's I've had the pleasure to meet and become friends with. It seems a fitting tribute to them to write about them. All they've ever asked in return is cuddles, tummy tickles and the occasional dog biscuit. The pleasure they've given me has been immeasurable.

So that's how this whole thing started. My love of books and writing collided with a perfect

story.

My commitment to you

Over the past few weeks, since the publication date of "It's A Stray Dog's Life" was announced, I've had several offers of interviews and promotion in return for payment. As such, I make this commitment to you. I will never ask for or accept payment from any contributors to my blog. The interviews will be because I believe they are interesting people with an interesting topic to talk about. I further commit that I will never charge a subscription fee to read my blog. In my opinion sharing is far more important that money.

Coming up

My next blog will, undoubtably, be about the emotions I go through in a week's time as my first book is published. I have a feeling there may be a few tears!

There are certain things I have managed to arrange. In the coming months there will be guest appearance from a film producer, a gentleman that helps run a fan club for a particular English soccer team in the Middle East and an author of sci-fi books. It's a lot to look forward to alongside my own inane musings.

Keep safe, look after each other and remember to smile.

I'll see you next time.

Best wishes

MaxS and the Strays.

Welcome to the World of Maximilian Sam

Welcome to the official blog of author Maximilian Sam.

My aim over the coming months is to give you an insight into my world as an author. I'll be bringing you news about my books, photos and anecdotes especially about my family of stray animals. This coincides with the publication of my first children's book "It's A Stray Dog's Life" available from 28 February 2022 or for pre-order right now (https://www.austinmacauley.com/author/sam-maximilian ).

You'll be able to follow all the adventures through this blog, my social media channels (Facebook: authormaximiliansam, Twitter: maxsamauthor and Instagram: authormaximiliansam) or, of course, on my website. There'll be photos, and answers to some of your questions on the website. If there is anything you'd like to know, advice you're looking for or any other topic that springs to mind then please don't hesitate to ask. I'll try and get back to you as quickly as I can but I do have a day job too that, occasionally, expects me to do some work!

My aim is to update the blog every couple of weeks to talk about topics that I hope interest you. For example my next blog will give an insight into how "It's A Stray Dog's Life" was born. As time goes by I'll be telling you about my journey as an author from those days of writing ideas in my notebook to actually seeing my words in print. There'll also be updates on my crazy band of stray animals, stories from the countries I've lived in around the World, the odd recipe idea, some guest writers and, of course, cheers and tears depending on how my beloved Saracens and Watford FC are performing.

I'll also highlight any competitions and giveaways happening across my social media sites so you won't miss out on anything.

One final thing, I take no responsibility if your children read the book and demand a new addition to the household! If you do decide to go down the route of bringing a new member into your family there are many great charities out that that rehouse animals. It's well worth doing the research. Please do take their advice. You can expect to be giving lots of cuddles and tummy tickles to any animal you welcome into your home for many years to come. The love and laughter you receive will make every second worth while.

I'll sign off my first blog with a quick reminder you can now pre-order "It's A Stray Dog's Life". I hope you enjoy it as much as myself and my stray dogs did putting it togther.

All the best

Maximilian Sam