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Steve Smith

Authors on Characters

Penmore Press authors offer a rich and entertaining array of short reflections on characters and how they were created in the novels.  READ

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Steve Smith

 Fast Moving Military Action/Adventure Novels — Steve Smith is a former British Army officer who specialised in logistics, intelligence and high threat, counter-terrorist, bomb disposal. He served on operations in Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Iraq, and deployed on short-term missions to a number of other hot spots.

On leaving the Army as a colonel, Steve became involved in international aid and development. As CEO/Board member of several charities, he has overseen programmes to reduce armed violence, support refugees and safeguard children, principally in conflict zones in Africa and the Middle East. His second career led him into a range of improbable situations, from dealing with the ramifications of a voodoo witchdoctor’s invisible magical dragon in Liberia and the use of witch guns in Sierra Leone, to minefield clearance in the Sahara desert and addressing the United Nations in New York.

Steve holds Master’s degrees in War in the Modern World (MA, King’s College London) and Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management (MSc, Leicester). He was appointed MBE in 1993 for his work on operations in Northern Ireland. In addition to fiction, Steve is also the author of 3-2-1 Bomb Gone – a history of the fight against terrorist bombers in Northern Ireland during ‘the Troubles’ (1969-1998)

In Better to Die, we follow the struggles of Jack Adair to become an officer in the King’s Royal Rangers, a prestigious regiment in which his father fought and died. But the odds are stacked against him. Unknown to Jack, his father’s name is reviled throughout the Regiment, having falsely been labelled a coward after his death in action twenty-five years before. Jack quickly discovers that there are many with long memories who are keen to see him fail.

Steve’s extensive military experience comes out, not just in his descriptions of the grim realities of modern combat, but also in the vivid portrayal of the characters of all ranks, who often resort to black humour to get them through terrifying situations.

Better to Die by Steve Smith

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Better to Die

1996: Sergeant Nick Adair defends British Army border post “Hotel 55” from being overrun by the IRA, but the only witnesses to his bravery tell a different tale, with themselves as heroes and Adair castigated as a coward.
2021: After a five-year stint with the French Foreign Legion, Jack Adair is determined to have a career as a Sandhurst officer, preferably in his father’s old regiment, the King’s Royal Rangers. But the KRR considers itself elite, professionally and socially, with scant room for a rough diamond like Adair. Cadet Vyvyan Phillips is more the thing: younger son of General Philips, the decorated hero of the Hotel 55 incident. The General’s reputation shines so brightly, it blinds everyone but Jack to Vyvyan’s incompetence. The rivalry between Adair and Phillips extends beyond the confines of training and field command. Both take a keen interest in fellow officer Gemma Page, of Intel Corps. And then the battalion deploys to Gaziantep.

“Jack Adair is a soldier’s soldier who knows his trade. Steve Smith has written a ripping-good yarn and knows of what he writes. Move over Bernard Cornwell and Wilbur Smith! We have another maverick who brings real adventure spiced with a devil-may-care-attitude that keeps him in trouble with his superiors but at the same time puts the Queen’s enemies on notice. Any ex-squaddie is going to be reminded of the hilarious comments made by their mates as they navigate the overbearing behavior of some of their superiors as well as the grim reality of real soldiering.”
— James Boschert, author of When the Jungle is Silent

Penmore Press Headquarters in Tucson, AZ

Penmore Press Catalog

Explore our online catalog alphabetically by author.  VIEW

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About Penmore Press

A Hard-Charging Independent Publishing Company -- Penmore Press is an Arizona-based independent publisher dedicated to publishing fiction and nonfiction from emerging and established authors. While we welcome most genres of fiction, we are
looking for authors who can craft compelling stories, engage us with their prose, and introduce us to intriguing characters. For nonfiction works, we look for interesting subjects, impeccable research, and an accessible writing style.

Penmore Press Staff

 

Michael James, Senior Editor, has lived in some of the more interesting parts of the world, including Malaysia, Borneo, Iran, and Europe. He joined the British Military at age 15, then went on to become an engineer on a ship in the North Sea, a polo player in Iran, and an editor, a production manager, and publisher in the United States.  He enjoys reading—and publishing—the kind of books that bring vivid experiences and events to life.

. . .

Chris Paige, Editor, was the kid in seventh  grade who loved diagramming sentences, and who in college was the go-to classmate for anyone who wanted to turn a C essay into an A-grade paper. When she served in the Army, her natural skills as an editor enabled her to help soldiers, senior NCOs, and officers with their compositions. As a civilian, she has taught English at the secondary level and worked as an editor and copy editor for small independent presses.

. . .

Lauren McElroy, Editor & Audio Book Coordinator, got started in editing at age 13, helping her father compare punctuation in seven editions of a book by Washington Irving. Bilingual as a child, by 18 she was fluent in five languages. She loves bringing Penmore Press novels to life as audio books, finding the right voice and talents for each book as a painter would use color, with the book as her canvas. Lauren’s editing and translation clients have ranged from small local newspapers to UN agencies.

Alphabetical by Author

 

Philip R. Ackman, The Man in the Spider Web Coat

Lou Aguilar, Jake for Mayor

Philip K. Allan, The Captain's Nephew

Philip K. Allan, A Sloop of War

Philip K. Allan, On the Lee Shore

Philip K. Allan, A Man of No Country

Philip K. Allan, The Distant Ocean

Philip K. Allan, The Turn of the Tide

Philip K. Allan, In Northern Seas

Mark K Bois. Ensign James Lockwood

Mark Bois, Lockwoods of Clonakilty

Mark Bois, Lieutenant James Lockwood at the Battle of Waterloo

Mark Bois, Captain James Lockwood

James Boschert, Assassins of Alamut

James Boschert, Knight Assassin

James Boschert, Assassination in Al Qahira

James Boschert, Greek Fire

James Boschert A Falcon Flies

James Boschert, The Dragon's Breath

James Boschert, Assassins of Kantara

James Boschert, Storms of Retribution

James Boschert, A Congress of Kings

James Boschert, When the Jungle is Silent

James Boschert, North Sea Windstorm

James Boschert, Midshipman Graham

Michael Brown, The Girl Who Was Me Is Gone

Susan Boulton, Hand of Glory

Sandra Camillo, The Journey of an Invisible Woman

Ann Chamberlin, The Book of Wizzy

Kerry Cue, Target 91

John M. Danielski, The King's Scarlet

John M. Danielski, Blue Water, Scarlet Tide

John M. Danielski, Capital's Punishment

John M. Danielski, Bellerophon’s Champion: Pennywhistle at Trafalgar

John M. Danielski, Bombproofed

John M. Danielski, Attaché Extraordinaire

Leah Devlin, Vital Spark

Leah Devlin, Spider

Leah DevlinForger's Revenge

Leah Devlin, The Bottom Dwellers

Leah Devlin, Aegir's Curse

Leah Devlin, The Bends

Elena Douglas, Shadow of Athena

Elena Douglas, Warrior's Prize

Diana Forbes, Mistress Suffragette

Patrick Gabridge, Steering to Freedom

Craig Godfrey, Taken to the Grave

Craig Godfrey, 1814

Craig Godfrey, Silent From the Shadows

Craig Godfrey, Coral Moon

Lee Gold, Valhalla: Absent Without Leave

Lee Gold, Valhalla: Into the Darkness

J.G. Harlond, The Chosen Man

J.G. Harlond, A Turning Wind

J.G. Harlond, A Force of Circumstance

J.G. Harlond, The Empress Emerald

J.G. Harlond, Local Resistance

Roger Hileman, A Killing Snow

Roger Hileman, In the Blood

Helen Hollick, Sea Witch

Helen Hollick, Pirate Code

Helen Hollick, Bring It Close

Helen Hollick, Ripples in the Sand

David Hoing, A Killing Snow

David Hoing, In the Blood

J.A. Ironside, An Argument of Blood

J.A. Ironside, A Black Matter for the King

Bruno Jambor, Wildfire in the Desert

M.J. Jones, The King's Corpse

Toni Bird Jones, The Measure of Ella

James Keffer, Brewer's Luck

James Keffer, Brewer's Revenge

James Keffer, Brewer and the Barbary Pirates

James Keffer, Brewer and the Portuguese Gold

James Keffer, Hornblower and the Journey Home

James Keffer, Brewer and The Black Rose

James Keffer, Hornblower and the Island

Sarah Kennedy, The Altarpiece

Sarah Kennedy, City of Ladies

Sarah Kennedy, The King's Sisters

Sarah Kennedy, Queen of Blood

Patrice LaPlante, Follies in Flanders

Marc Liebman, Cherubs 2

Marc Liebman, Big Mother 40

Marc Liebman, Render Harmless

Marc Liebman, Forgotten

Marc Liebman, Inner Look

Marc Liebman, Moscow Airlift

Marc Liebman, Raider of the Scottish Coast

Marc Liebman, Carronade

Marc Liebman, Death of a Lady

Marc Liebman, The Simushir Island Incident

Benerson Little, Fortune's Whelp

Lynda Lippman Lockhart, The Laundry Room

Olivia Longueville, Between Two Kings

Marie MacPherson, The First Blast of the Trumpet

Marie MacPherson, The Second Blast of the Trumpet

John Harmon McElroy, Benjamin Franklin and the Quaker Murders

Stephen McGarry, Napoleon's Blackguards

Charles Monagan, Carrie Welton

Steven M. Moore, Son of Thunder

Steven M. Moore, Rembrandt's Angel

Marina Julia Neary, Saved By the Bang: A Nuclear Comedy

Marina Julia Neary, The Gate of Dawn

Roger Paine, Ships and Sealing Wax

R. Kenward Jones. Buried at Sea

Marleen Pasch, At the End of the Storm

Donald Michael Platt, Close to the Sun

Donald Michael Platt, Rocamora

Donald Michael Platt, House of Rocamora

Donald Michal Platt, Bodo the Apostate

Donald Michael Platt, A Gathering of Vultures

Donald Michael Platt, The Sorceress and the Skull

Marshall Riggan, Sulu Sea

Mark A. Rimmer, The California Run

Mary Donnarumma Sharnick, Orla's Canvas

Mary Donnarumma Sharnick, Painting Mercy

Mary Donnarumma Sharnick, The Contessa's Easel

Stephan A. Silva, Heaven Cries

Ron Singerton, Villa of Deceit

Ron Singerton, The Silk and The Sword

Ron Singerton, A Cherry Blossom in Winter

Ron Singerton, A Blossom in the Ashes

Ron Singerton, The Refused

Hale Michael Smith, Religion Reinterpreted

Steve Smith, Better to Die

Jim Stempel, Windmill Point

Jim Stempel, American Hannibal

Amaya Tenshi, Dracula's Match

Amaya Tenshi, Dracula's Guest

Chéri Vausé, Shadows

 Rod Vick, The Book of Invasions

D. C. Wales, The Prick

Margaret Walker, His Most Italian City

Margaret Walker, Through Forests and Mountains

Matthew Willis, An Argument of Blood

Matthew Willis, A Black Matter for the King

Bruce Woods, Royal Blood

BruChéri Vausé, Shadowsce Woods, Dragon Blood

Bruce Woods, American Blood

Alphabetical by Author

 

Philip R. Ackman, The Man in the Spider Web Coat

Lou Aguilar, Jake for Mayor

Philip K. Allan, The Captain's Nephew

Philip K. Allan, A Sloop of War

Philip K. Allan, On the Lee Shore

Philip K. Allan, A Man of No Country

Philip K. Allan, The Distant Ocean

Philip K. Allan, The Turn of the Tide

Philip K. Allan, In Northern Seas

Mark K Bois. Ensign James Lockwood

Mark Bois, Lockwoods of Clonakilty

Mark Bois, Lieutenant James Lockwood at the Battle of Waterloo

Mark Bois, Captain James Lockwood

James Boschert, Assassins of Alamut

James Boschert, Knight Assassin

James Boschert, Assassination in Al Qahira

James Boschert, Greek Fire

James Boschert A Falcon Flies

James Boschert, The Dragon's Breath

James Boschert, Assassins of Kantara

James Boschert, Storms of Retribution

James Boschert, A Congress of Kings

James Boschert, When the Jungle is Silent

James Boschert, North Sea Windstorm

James Boschert, Midshipman Graham

Michael Brown, The Girl Who Was Me Is Gone

Susan Boulton, Hand of Glory

Sandra Camillo, The Journey of an Invisible Woman

Ann Chamberlin, The Book of Wizzy

Kerry Cue, Target 91

John M. Danielski, The King's Scarlet

John M. Danielski, Blue Water, Scarlet Tide

John M. Danielski, Capital's Punishment

John M. Danielski, Bellerophon’s Champion: Pennywhistle at Trafalgar

John M. Danielski, Bombproofed

John M. Danielski, Attaché Extraordinaire

Leah Devlin, Vital Spark

Leah Devlin, Spider

Leah DevlinForger's Revenge

Leah Devlin, The Bottom Dwellers

Leah Devlin, Aegir's Curse

Leah Devlin, The Bends

Elena Douglas, Shadow of Athena

Elena Douglas, Warrior's Prize

Diana Forbes, Mistress Suffragette

Patrick Gabridge, Steering to Freedom

Craig Godfrey, Taken to the Grave

Craig Godfrey, 1814

Craig Godfrey, Silent From the Shadows

Craig Godfrey, Coral Moon

Lee Gold, Valhalla: Absent Without Leave

Lee Gold, Valhalla: Into the Darkness

J.G. Harlond, The Chosen Man

J.G. Harlond, A Turning Wind

J.G. Harlond, A Force of Circumstance

J.G. Harlond, The Empress Emerald

J.G. Harlond, Local Resistance

Roger Hileman, A Killing Snow

Roger Hileman, In the Blood

Helen Hollick, Sea Witch

Helen Hollick, Pirate Code

Helen Hollick, Bring It Close

Helen Hollick, Ripples in the Sand

David Hoing, A Killing Snow

David Hoing, In the Blood

J.A. Ironside, An Argument of Blood

J.A. Ironside, A Black Matter for the King

Bruno Jambor, Wildfire in the Desert

M.J. Jones, The King's Corpse

Toni Bird Jones, The Measure of Ella

James Keffer, Brewer's Luck

James Keffer, Brewer's Revenge

James Keffer, Brewer and the Barbary Pirates

James Keffer, Brewer and the Portuguese Gold

James Keffer, Hornblower and the Journey Home

James Keffer, Brewer and The Black Rose

James Keffer, Hornblower and the Island

Sarah Kennedy, The Altarpiece

Sarah Kennedy, City of Ladies

Sarah Kennedy, The King's Sisters

Sarah Kennedy, Queen of Blood

Patrice LaPlante, Follies in Flanders

Marc Liebman, Cherubs 2

Marc Liebman, Big Mother 40

Marc Liebman, Render Harmless

Marc Liebman, Forgotten

Marc Liebman, Inner Look

Marc Liebman, Moscow Airlift

Marc Liebman, Raider of the Scottish Coast

Marc Liebman, Carronade

Marc Liebman, Death of a Lady

Marc Liebman, The Simushir Island Incident

Benerson Little, Fortune's Whelp

Lynda Lippman Lockhart, The Laundry Room

Olivia Longueville, Between Two Kings

Marie MacPherson, The First Blast of the Trumpet

Marie MacPherson, The Second Blast of the Trumpet

John Harmon McElroy, Benjamin Franklin and the Quaker Murders

Stephen McGarry, Napoleon's Blackguards

Charles Monagan, Carrie Welton

Steven M. Moore, Son of Thunder

Steven M. Moore, Rembrandt's Angel

Marina Julia Neary, Saved By the Bang: A Nuclear Comedy

Marina Julia Neary, The Gate of Dawn

Roger Paine, Ships and Sealing Wax

R. Kenward Jones. Buried at Sea

Marleen Pasch, At the End of the Storm

Donald Michael Platt, Close to the Sun

Donald Michael Platt, Rocamora

Donald Michael Platt, House of Rocamora

Donald Michal Platt, Bodo the Apostate

Donald Michael Platt, A Gathering of Vultures

Donald Michael Platt, The Sorceress and the Skull

Marshall Riggan, Sulu Sea

Mark A. Rimmer, The California Run

Mary Donnarumma Sharnick, Orla's Canvas

Mary Donnarumma Sharnick, Painting Mercy

Mary Donnarumma Sharnick, The Contessa's Easel

Stephan A. Silva, Heaven Cries

Ron Singerton, Villa of Deceit

Ron Singerton, The Silk and The Sword

Ron Singerton, A Cherry Blossom in Winter

Ron Singerton, A Blossom in the Ashes

Ron Singerton, The Refused

Hale Michael Smith, Religion Reinterpreted

Steve Smith, Better to Die

Jim Stempel, Windmill Point

Jim Stempel, American Hannibal

Amaya Tenshi, Dracula's Match

Amaya Tenshi, Dracula's Guest

Chéri Vausé, Shadows

 Rod Vick, The Book of Invasions

D. C. Wales, The Prick

Margaret Walker, His Most Italian City

Margaret Walker, Through Forests and Mountains

Matthew Willis, An Argument of Blood

Matthew Willis, A Black Matter for the King

Bruce Woods, Royal Blood

BruChéri Vausé, Shadowsce Woods, Dragon Blood

Bruce Woods, American Blood

Alphabetical by Author

 

Philip R. Ackman, The Man in the Spider Web Coat

Lou Aguilar, Jake for Mayor

Philip K. Allan, The Captain's Nephew

Philip K. Allan, A Sloop of War

Philip K. Allan, On the Lee Shore

Philip K. Allan, A Man of No Country

Philip K. Allan, The Distant Ocean

Philip K. Allan, The Turn of the Tide

Philip K. Allan, In Northern Seas

Mark K Bois. Ensign James Lockwood

Mark Bois, Lockwoods of Clonakilty

Mark Bois, Lieutenant James Lockwood at the Battle of Waterloo

Mark Bois, Captain James Lockwood

James Boschert, Assassins of Alamut

James Boschert, Knight Assassin

James Boschert, Assassination in Al Qahira

James Boschert, Greek Fire

James Boschert A Falcon Flies

James Boschert, The Dragon's Breath

James Boschert, Assassins of Kantara

James Boschert, Storms of Retribution

James Boschert, A Congress of Kings

James Boschert, When the Jungle is Silent

James Boschert, North Sea Windstorm

James Boschert, Midshipman Graham

Michael Brown, The Girl Who Was Me Is Gone

Susan Boulton, Hand of Glory

Sandra Camillo, The Journey of an Invisible Woman

Ann Chamberlin, The Book of Wizzy

Kerry Cue, Target 91

John M. Danielski, The King's Scarlet

John M. Danielski, Blue Water, Scarlet Tide

John M. Danielski, Capital's Punishment

John M. Danielski, Bellerophon’s Champion: Pennywhistle at Trafalgar

John M. Danielski, Bombproofed

John M. Danielski, Attaché Extraordinaire

Leah Devlin, Vital Spark

Leah Devlin, Spider

Leah DevlinForger's Revenge

Leah Devlin, The Bottom Dwellers

Leah Devlin, Aegir's Curse

Leah Devlin, The Bends

Elena Douglas, Shadow of Athena

Elena Douglas, Warrior's Prize

Diana Forbes, Mistress Suffragette

Patrick Gabridge, Steering to Freedom

Craig Godfrey, Taken to the Grave

Craig Godfrey, 1814

Craig Godfrey, Silent From the Shadows

Craig Godfrey, Coral Moon

Lee Gold, Valhalla: Absent Without Leave

Lee Gold, Valhalla: Into the Darkness

J.G. Harlond, The Chosen Man

J.G. Harlond, A Turning Wind

J.G. Harlond, A Force of Circumstance

J.G. Harlond, The Empress Emerald

J.G. Harlond, Local Resistance

Roger Hileman, A Killing Snow

Roger Hileman, In the Blood

Helen Hollick, Sea Witch

Helen Hollick, Pirate Code

Helen Hollick, Bring It Close

Helen Hollick, Ripples in the Sand

David Hoing, A Killing Snow

David Hoing, In the Blood

J.A. Ironside, An Argument of Blood

J.A. Ironside, A Black Matter for the King

Bruno Jambor, Wildfire in the Desert

M.J. Jones, The King's Corpse

Toni Bird Jones, The Measure of Ella

James Keffer, Brewer's Luck

James Keffer, Brewer's Revenge

James Keffer, Brewer and the Barbary Pirates

James Keffer, Brewer and the Portuguese Gold

James Keffer, Hornblower and the Journey Home

James Keffer, Brewer and The Black Rose

James Keffer, Hornblower and the Island

Sarah Kennedy, The Altarpiece

Sarah Kennedy, City of Ladies

Sarah Kennedy, The King's Sisters

Sarah Kennedy, Queen of Blood

Patrice LaPlante, Follies in Flanders

Marc Liebman, Cherubs 2

Marc Liebman, Big Mother 40

Marc Liebman, Render Harmless

Marc Liebman, Forgotten

Marc Liebman, Inner Look

Marc Liebman, Moscow Airlift

Marc Liebman, Raider of the Scottish Coast

Marc Liebman, Carronade

Marc Liebman, Death of a Lady

Marc Liebman, The Simushir Island Incident

Benerson Little, Fortune's Whelp

Lynda Lippman Lockhart, The Laundry Room

Olivia Longueville, Between Two Kings

Marie MacPherson, The First Blast of the Trumpet

Marie MacPherson, The Second Blast of the Trumpet

John Harmon McElroy, Benjamin Franklin and the Quaker Murders

Stephen McGarry, Napoleon's Blackguards

Charles Monagan, Carrie Welton

Steven M. Moore, Son of Thunder

Steven M. Moore, Rembrandt's Angel

Marina Julia Neary, Saved By the Bang: A Nuclear Comedy

Marina Julia Neary, The Gate of Dawn

Roger Paine, Ships and Sealing Wax

R. Kenward Jones. Buried at Sea

Marleen Pasch, At the End of the Storm

Donald Michael Platt, Close to the Sun

Donald Michael Platt, Rocamora

Donald Michael Platt, House of Rocamora

Donald Michal Platt, Bodo the Apostate

Donald Michael Platt, A Gathering of Vultures

Donald Michael Platt, The Sorceress and the Skull

Marshall Riggan, Sulu Sea

Mark A. Rimmer, The California Run

Mary Donnarumma Sharnick, Orla's Canvas

Mary Donnarumma Sharnick, Painting Mercy

Mary Donnarumma Sharnick, The Contessa's Easel

Stephan A. Silva, Heaven Cries

Ron Singerton, Villa of Deceit

Ron Singerton, The Silk and The Sword

Ron Singerton, A Cherry Blossom in Winter

Ron Singerton, A Blossom in the Ashes

Ron Singerton, The Refused

Hale Michael Smith, Religion Reinterpreted

Steve Smith, Better to Die

Jim Stempel, Windmill Point

Jim Stempel, American Hannibal

Amaya Tenshi, Dracula's Match

Amaya Tenshi, Dracula's Guest

Chéri Vausé, Shadows

 Rod Vick, The Book of Invasions

D. C. Wales, The Prick

Margaret Walker, His Most Italian City

Margaret Walker, Through Forests and Mountains

Matthew Willis, An Argument of Blood

Matthew Willis, A Black Matter for the King

Bruce Woods, Royal Blood

BruChéri Vausé, Shadowsce Woods, Dragon Blood

Bruce Woods, American Blood

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