Miami Book Fair
"Blood Ties" Screenplay of "Until Death Do You Part" Quarter Finalist at Miami Film Festival
Of the approximately 1000 entries in the Miami Film Festival for 2022, "Blood Ties" my screenplay adaption of my novel "Until Death Do You Part: An American Family Meets Their Sicilian Cousins" was selected as a Quarter-Finalists. This selection means that it was chosen to be among the top 100 entries in this year's contest as a feature-length film in the Romance-Adventure category. The 101-page script is available on request to interested parties for production. The novel has received a favorable review from The Hollywood Review and Kirkus review agencies (below). Contact Wm. Hovey Smith at hoveysmith@bellsouth.net for additional information.
Hollywood Book Reviews
"Until Death Do You Part: An American Family Meets Their Sicilian Cousins"
In author Wm. Hovey Smith's "Until Death Do You Part: An American Family Meets Their Sicilian Cousins," the author explores the concept of family against the backdrop of the Italian countryside. When a Louisiana family finds themselves on vacation in Italy visiting relatives, they find their world turned upside down when they are informed that the two oldest sons of the family must wed two women while in Italy, or else no one would leave the island alive. Drawn into the history and culture of the country and the family, the wild and dangerous adventure will bring them into the heart of a Mafia conflict, and through conflicted feelings of love and lust, the family must find a way to escape before it is too late.
The author did such an incredible job of world-building and crafting a setting that felt alive and visceral in its depiction. The unique balance of humor and wit that the characters have in their interactions with one another was amazing to read, while the action and suspense that the main plot follows will have readers on the edges of their seats. The author really has a great way of crafting a story filled with character interactions that feel intimate and well developed, ranging from one character's struggle amidst the AIDS crisis and the fear it instilled, to the sudden and tragic murder than introduces a centuries old family feud, and an artist unable to make a name for himself, each chapter of this story was fleshed out and detailed in its depiction.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy family-driven narratives which also involve international mysteries, suspense, humor, and romantic comedies - all in one. The author's cinematic quality to the imagery his writing conjures will have readers deeply invested in this story and the characters, and the plot of the novel reads like a true Hollywood film that is just waiting to be developed.
Humorous, action-packed, and suspenseful in the best way possible, author Wm. Hovey Smith's "Until Death Do You Part: An American Family Meets Their Sicilian Cousins" is a must-read novel. Twisted and haunting in its delivery yet balanced with lighthearted moments and passionate and heated romance, the narrative will draw readers in deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole until the book's final pages.
Kirkus Review of Books
"Make Your Own Job" - A guide for displaced or disgruntled employees focuses on the fundamentals of starting a business.
The premise of entrepreneur/author Smith’s manual, a follow-up to his book Create Your Own Job Security (2018), is “that the best way for workers to insure their futures is to make their own jobs.” Beginning with an overview of today’s workplace in Chapter 1, Smith discusses older workers who are let go in favor of younger workers; the rise of the gig economy, in which he participated as a contract consultant; and the potential perils of automation. The author quickly transitions from this introductory content to the basics of establishing a business in Chapter 2. He first examines the “three stages” of forming and operating a business, “concept, people, and execution.” Smith suggests that “most people think too small” when starting a new business while cautioning “you have to be watchful about the next trend or market twists that might render your product or service obsolete.” The subsequent 14 chapters outline various elements of small-business management and execution, including the development of a concept, identification of an audience, types of businesses, funding, legal issues, business plans, names and branding, and more. Most chapters are brief, providing only perfunctory information, just enough to help an individual interested in self-employment launch a business. While some chapters cover a topic, such as patents, in adequate detail, others are quite abbreviated; for example, the chapters “Locating Your Business” and “Running Your Virtual Corporation” are a mere two and a half pages each. Still, the book covers a broad range of areas and offers some solid advice. A discussion of selling locally and regionally versus internationally should be useful for globally oriented entrepreneurs. The final chapter helpfully deals with some of the pluses and minuses of self-employment. Here, Smith addresses the psychological aspects of starting a business as well as the impact ownership can have on one’s physical health; the author shares some of his personal strategic wisdom for maintaining wellness. Smith’s uncluttered prose reflects his passion for small businesses.
A worthy rudimentary resource for business newbies."
"U.S. Review of Books Recommends - Make Your Own Job: Anytime, Anywhere, At Any Age
Two of the world’s major book review companies, Kirkus and the U.S. Review of Books, have considered Wm. Hovey Smith’s new business book a useful work presenting new approaches to generating business concepts and converting these ideas into businesses. Kirkus called the book “worthy,” and the U.S. Review put it on their Recommended List. Both of these rankings indicate that the reviewers considered Make Your Own Job an exceptional work that they considered superior to the majority of the books they reviewed.
Reviewer Jordana Landsman writing for the U.S. Review said, “Smith’s book offers articulate, well-organized, and fresh guidance on the conventional components of starting a business, including the analysis required to assess goals, select a business and name, target audience and customers, choose a structure, secure funding, and know and comply with legalities…Yet while this important information is carefully curated here for maximum usefulness, the book’s heart and soul are in the author’s sharing of his own life experiences. His losses and successes are engaging and humanizing, and they make a case for the entrepreneurial path he recommends.”
Landsman grasped my intention to write a brief, but comprehensive, business book based on my own experiences that anyone from teens to seniors could implement to satisfy their immediate needs. She also agreed with my statement that workers were being considered interchangeable work units rather than individuals when she wrote, “This generous, comprehensive entrepreneurial guide posits (presents) that the modern workplace is a shifting, impermanent, and patently disloyal institution that can lead an unprepared worker to a surprising state of unemployment or underemployment at a moment’s notice.” She also agreed with my conclusion that the best safety net was to have a business in development while still employed that could be ramped-up to provide for a family’s security and often improve the person’s mental and physical health.
Small-scale testing of a new venture while working for someone else provides a worker with much more confidence to tell an employer, “To take this job and shove it,” if he, or she, knows that he can prosper by pursuing his own aims, objectives, and ambitions because he has proven that his new business can reach national and international markets.
If you are at a time in your live where you need serious money, then go for that multi-million-dollar payout, but if you want something less stressful that you really enjoy to supplement your Social Security income, follow that path even though its chance of producing more than modest amounts of income are nonexistent. Choose the business to fit your skills and needs, and change as you wish to get maximum enjoyment out of your work and personal life. "
"Dear Hovey,
Thank you so much for being a guest on my show, Starstyle-Be the Star You Are! You were amazing and offered such insights to our listeners. Your expertise in hunting and game cooking are so appreciated. This was a teriffic interview."
The interview may be heard at - http://www.voiceamerica.com/worldtalkradio/vshot.aspx?sid=764
"Thanks again for appearing on my show. You did an excellent job. You are a likable man. Good luck with your book. I hope we meet, someday. Best of luck in every way."
"You have some amazing resources in your books. I will let you know when I have an opening in the magazine."
"One of the more practical deer hunting books to come along in quite some time."
- Cynthia Brian, Starstyle Be the Star You Are, Feb. 5, 2010
"Another chapter in Backyard Deer Hunting that will pique the interest of hunters, as well as the cook in the hunter's life, is dedicated to cooking, where you will find everything from lists of basic kitchen implements through desserts. This chapter is not only committed to deer dishes of every sort, it includes recipes for squirrel, rabbit, duck pheasant, turkey and even panfish. It also consist of some great recipes for vegetables, desserts and side dishes." (Nancy Jo tried some of my recipes and said that she liked the result.)
"Backyard Deer Hunting is not just another time killer and space filler for the avid whitetail enthusiast. Far from it - it's a single reference that covers deer hunting A to Z, from the initial steps of taking a hunter safety course to ultimately putting meals on the family's dinner table."
"Backyard Deer Hunting is an extremely useful book for a beginning or experienced deer hunter. I am waiting closer to deer season to run a review. Good job! A great book!" "...unlike anything the likes of you have ever read." Kenneth Keiser, "I agree!"
"Wm. Hovey Smith's book, "Backyard Deer Hunting: Converting deer to dinner for pennies per pound" is a soup to nuts primer designed to help people capitalize on burgeoning deer populations and feed a family for " pennies a pound" during these tough economic times.
In a lengthy article that follows, Perrott comments that the book is much more comprehensive than a traditional cookbook in also offering useful tips for novice and long-time hunters. He also comments favorably on the books "folksy" style, and states that it has valuable content for all wild-game cooks, regardless of previous experience."
"NPR is asking for readers to submit meals that will feed four that come in for under $10. There are over 300 recipes submitted so far! (This radio media event has since closed.)
Many of the recipes contain rice and beans -- the cheap pantry staples -- but some are so creative and fun. Sweet Potato kale quesadillas, brined pork with strawberry chutney, Moroccan chicken tagine, and on and on.
An entry from William Hovey Smith takes us way beyond rice and beans with a recipe for Road Kill Deer Stew. Luckily for us, William (I go by Hovey) has a book coming out soon: Backyard Deer Hunting: Converting Deer to Dinner for Pennies per Pound! I think that I speak for everyone William: Thank you for this amazing gift to literature."