by P J Skinner
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Yannis greeted her with a massive smile when she got out of the taxi. She had not been able to leave Sierramar without seeing him again, without saying goodbye. He had sneaked into a corner of her heart while she wasn’t looking and she had been unable to evict him. They spent a lovely farewell together on the quiet beach. Yannis gave her a necklace of beads made of Spondylus sea shell that he had collected from the foundations of one of the cabanas.
‘You must forget me when I leave. I’m too old for you, and I’ll never settle down,’ said Sam.
‘I don’t see your age; I see only you. I know I won’t ever find another woman like you,’ said Yannis.
‘Well, that’s true,’ said Sam. ‘But that might be a good thing.’
‘Please come back one day. You’re the one.’
She tried to be kind, because she knew how it felt to lose out in love, but Sam went home anyway. He’s young. He’ll get over it.
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Other Books in the Sam Harris Series
Fool’s Gold - Book 1
Newly qualified geologist Sam Harris is a woman in a man's world - overlooked, underpaid but resilient and passionate. Desperate for her first job, and nursing a broken heart, she accepts an offer from notorious entrepreneur Mike Morton, to search for gold deposits in the remote rainforests of Sierramar. With the help of nutty local heiress, Gloria Sanchez, she soon settles into life in Calderon, the capital. But when she accidentally uncovers a long-lost clue to a treasure buried deep within the jungle, her journey really begins.
Teaming up with geologist Wilson Ortega, historian Alfredo Vargas and the mysterious Don Moises, they venture through the jungle, where she lurches between excitement and insecurity. Yet there is a far graver threat looming; Mike and Gloria discover that one of the members of the expedition is plotting to seize the fortune for himself and is willing to do anything to get it. Can Sam survive and find the treasure or will her first adventure be her last?
The first book in the Sam Harris Series sets the scene for the career of an unwilling heroine, whose bravery and resourcefulness are needed to navigate a series of adventures set in remote sites in Africa and South America. Based on the real-life adventures of the author, the settings and characters are given an authenticity that will connect with readers who enjoy adventure fiction and mysteries set in remote settings with realistic scenarios.
Set in the late 1980's themes such as women working in formerly male domains, and what constitutes a normal existence, are examined and developed in the context of Sam's constant ability to find herself in the middle of an adventure or mystery. Sam's home life provides a contrast to her adventures and feeds her need to escape. Her attachment to an unsuitable boyfriend is the thread running through her romantic life, and her attempts to break free of it provide another side to her character.
Hitler’s Finger - Book 2
The second book in the Sam Harris Series sees the return of our heroine Sam Harris to Sierramar to help her friend Gloria track down her boyfriend, the historian, Alfredo Vargas.
Geologist Sam Harris loves getting her hands dirty. So, when she learns that her friend Alfredo has gone missing in Sierramar, she gives her personal life some much needed space and hops on the next plane. But she never expected to be following the trail of a devious Nazi plot nearly 50 years after World War II …
Deep in a remote mountain settlement, Sam must uncover the village’s dark history. If she fails to reach her friend in time, the Nazi survivors will ensure Alfredo’s permanent silence. Can Sam blow the lid on the conspiracy before the Third Reich makes a devastating return?
The background to the book is the presence of Nazi war criminals in South America which was often ignored by locals who had fascist sympathies during World War II. Themes such as tacit acceptance of fascism, and local collaboration with fugitives from justice are examined and developed in the context of Sam's constant ability to find herself in the middle of an adventure or mystery. Sam's home life provides a contrast to her adventures and feeds
The Star of Simbako - Book 3
A fabled diamond, a jealous voodoo priestess, disturbing cultural practices. What could possibly go wrong? The third book in the Sam Harris Series sees Sam Harris on her first contract to West Africa to Simbako, a land of tribal kingdoms and voodoo.
Nursing a broken heart, Sam Harris goes to Simbako to work in the diamond fields of Fona. She is soon involved with a cast of characters who are starring in their own soap opera, a dangerous mix of superstition, cultural practices and ignorance (mostly her own). Add a love triangle and a jealous woman who wants her dead and Sam is in trouble again. Where is the Star of Simbako? Is Sam going to survive the chaos?
This book is based on visits made to the Paramount Chiefdoms of West Africa. Despite being nominally Christian communities, Voodoo practices are still part of daily life out there. This often leads to conflicts of interest. Combine this with the horrific ritual of FGM and it makes for a potent cocktail of conflicting loyalties. Sam is pulled into this life by her friend, Adanna, and soon finds herself involved in goings on that she doesn’t understand.
The Pink Elephants - Book 4
Sam gets a call in the middle of the night that takes her to the Masaibu project in Lumbono, Africa. The project is collapsing under the weight of corruption and chicanery engendered by management, both in country and back on the main company board. Sam has to navigate murky waters to get it back on course, not helped by interference from people who want her to fail. When poachers invade the elephant sanctuary next door, her problems multiply. Can Sam protect the elephants and save the project or will she have to choose?
The fourth book in the Sam Harris Series presents Sam with her sternest test yet as she goes to Africa to fix a failing project. The day to day problems encountered by Sam in her work are typical of any project manager in the Congo which has been rent apart by warring factions, leaving the local population frightened and rootless. Elephants with pink tusks do exist, but not in the area where the project is based. They are being slaughtered by poachers in Gabon for the Chinese market and will soon be extinct, so I have put the guns in the hands of those responsible for the massacre of these defenceless animals
You can order these books in paperback at your favourite retailer.
Please go to the PJSKINNER website for links.
Connect with the Author
If you would like updates on the latest in the Sam Harris Series or to contact the author with your questions please click on the following links:
Website: www.pjskinner.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PJSkinnerAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PJSkinnerAuthor
About the Author
PJ Skinner is the author of the Sam Harris Series of adventure-thriller novels. A geologist who has spent thirty years roaming the planet and collecting tall tales and real-life experiences, she now writes fact-based novels from the relative safety of London. She still travels worldwide collecting material for the series and having her own adventures.
The author is working on the sixth book in the Sam Harris Series, Digging Deeper, about Diamond exploration in rebel West Africa, which will be published in 2019. She is also researching two other new books, one of which, Rebel Green, is being written with the help of a childhood spent in Ireland.
The Sam Harris Adventure Series will appeal to lovers of adventure thrillers. It has a unique viewpoint provided by Sam, a female interloper in a male world, as she struggles with alien cultures and failed relationships.
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[1] The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada - a convention for people, companies and organizations in or connected with mining.
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