Tag Archives: Ava Gardner

Historical thriller set in Singapore? Maybe…

So, what’s in store for me in 2020? Well, for the things that I can see in the near future, is the release of my new crime thriller, Spiral, which is set against the South Australian backdrop. 

Meanwhile, I’m working on the sequel to Gun Kiss. Same characters:  Blake Deco, Hollywood movie star Goldie Saint Helen, and Jack, a character that many readers tell me they love. 

I don’t know how long it will take me to finish the manuscript, but I hope to make the story longer than my previous one.  After that, I might try my hand at a historical thriller set in Singapore during the Japanese occupation.  The idea of a historical thriller came about after I posted a photograph on Facebook, and fellow Carmen Amato was quick to suggest it. Let’s see how it goes.

I do have characters and the setting in mind, but what I don’t have is a plot. I’ll need to get out of my mind for a while to find it, and  I expect a lot of research effort. Now, where can I get some powerful vitamins to get me going? 

Random Thoughts

 

Speaking of movie stars, Singapore, and its history,  here’s a photo of Hollywood movie star Ava Gardner at The Raffles Hotel in Singapore. The photo was taken in the 1950s. She visited for the Asian premiere of her film The Barefoot Contessa and stayed at the Raffles Hotel. But where else? 

Ava Gardner at The Raffles Hotel.

Other famous names who visited the island included Elizabeth Taylor (1957), Roger Moore (1969), Jack Lord (1979), and Charlie Chaplin (1932).  I was 14 in 1979 when Jack Lord came to shoot an episode of Hawaii Five-O. Everybody wanted to meet Jack Lord. 

Singapore is no longer exotic

But the Singapore of yesterdays is different from Singapore today. Truth? It’s less exotic and charming and somewhat of a tight-ass environment compared to the previous nonchalant, breezy atmosphere. Excuse my candor, but that’s how I feel.  Anyway, I want to make this piece an enjoyable read — shoo away the bad energy, embrace the positive. 

Well, let me think this through and see what kind of plot I can come out with for a new book. 

Happy 2020.