11 Maximilian Sam

SATURDAY SPOTLIGHT NO.11 – MAXIMILIAN SAM

Complementing the author spotlights I ran from 2011 to 2016, today’s Saturday Spotlight, the eleventh, is of Maximilian Sam. If you would like to take part in a spotlight, take a look at Saturday spotlights.

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Maximilian Sam is the award-winning author of ‘It’s A Stray Dog’s Life’.

He has, so far, lived in ten countries around the world, starting in the UK before drifting across Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia. He is now, slowly, making his way back from east to west, and is currently based in Turkey until the next stop comes calling.

Having worked in PR for over twenty-five years, with some of the biggest global companies, his career has allowed him to travel to parts of the world most only ever see in holiday magazines. And he certainly isn’t finished yet.

Launched in 2022, the ‘Stray Dogs’ stories tell the tales (tails!) of the stray dogs he has looked after in Turkey through their eyes. There are many other stray dogs and cats he’s made friends with, so expect the series to grow as time goes by.

Max calls Watford his true home, if a stray can ever have a true home. It also accounts for his devotion to Saracens Rugby Club and Watford FC, a combination probably requiring therapy. He finds the easiest way of dealing with bad results is to jump on a boat or jet-ski and leave his troubles out on the water.

Max grew up surrounded by rough collies (think Lassie) and knows, when he finally quits his globetrotting days and settles down, there will be two more of his favourite breed to share his house. He was also fortunate to meet many interesting people as a child and has carried this through his adult life in the belief people make the world interesting. It also supplies plenty of anecdotes and mad escapades to include in future books or his regular blog.

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And now from the author himself:

I’m currently based on the west coast of Turkey surrounded by sun, sea, sand, and an army of stray dogs.

I think I was a digital nomad before the term was invented. However, the pandemic forced my hand and made me restart a journey I began as an eight-year-old when I wrote a comedy script about a news programme just so we could play with the school’s new video camera.

My first two books were aimed at children too old for picture books, but too young for the Harry Potter world, and are based on the lives of the stray dogs I look after.

The third book is a compilation of short stories for a more grown-up audience, covering a wide range of topics. I wrote it in three weeks whilst sitting in a beach café a couple of summers ago.

I will do more books on the stray dogs, but I’m going even further off genre for the next two with a book on PR, and a memoir of my travels. There are many more ideas in my notebook when I get round to them.

My real name is far too common to use so I decided on a pseudonym, and took inspiration from my two nephews, Sam and Max. It helped that the web address was available.

I had a publisher for the first book. It wasn’t an enjoyable experience and we’ve recently terminated the contract, allowing me to self-publish the second edition.

I enjoy controlling every aspect and have some great contacts who help me when I have to do something out of my comfort zone. Self-publishing has made me a lot of friends, which is even more important than selling books.

One frustration with the publisher was them not tapping into my experience. I created the Maximilian Sam brand over a year before the first book was published. There are now another two brands in the stable, The Stray Army, which is the merchandising business, and MaxSam Communications, which is my PR consultancy (I’m even introducing a cut-price service just for self-published authors). I’ve had a life building brands, so have put all that experience to good use.

I also work as a freelance journalist for the local English-speaking newspaper, Voices, in Turkey, with stories ranging from turtle eggs hatching, to beach cleaning, to supermarket openings.

Journalism was my first love, so it’s amazing to be given the opportunity.

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You can find more about Max and his writing via…

(There are currently two free downloads on the website – Smokey’s Story and Batman’s Bar – if you’d like an example of Max’s writing.)

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If you would like to take part in an author spotlight, take a look at Saturday Spotlights or email me for details.

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