Illinois State Library

General Information

Name:  Carl T. Smith  

Genre:

Born: 1937 in Chicago, Illinois

Sites:

• Website -- http://www.carltsmith.com
• WorldCat -- http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=carl+t.++smith

E-Mail:

• ctsmith@hargray.com

Carl t Smith. 1999

"A Terrific Novel! The best insiders guide to Nashville and country music that I have ever read." -Pat Conroy, author of Beach Music and Prince of Tides

NASHVILLE 1968. John Ryan Stone, ex-army officer, ex-teacher, ex-husband and wannabe songwriter has been pushing his music for three years with no success. Down and out, his luck changes when he is invited to audition his songs for Don Hendrickson, one of Nashville's top producers. Although he is a reluctant performer, the raw earthiness of his voice and his sensual lyrics suggest a new direction in country music.

Stone is suddenly catapulted into a whirlwind of cutting demos, and making career plans that he has little say in. Soon he is flying to New York to sign a contract with Trayhorn International, a recording giant making its first foray into Nashville music. At Trayhorn he meets Kate Belden, a beautiful and focused promotion manager who is assigned to direct his career. What he doesn't know is that Trayhorn is infused with members of the Tedesco Crime Family, which is trying to take over the company and targets the rising star as the key to that end. All too soon, John Ryan and Kate find themselves enmeshed in the dark side of the music business involving bribery, threats, counterfeit records, cut-out schemes, and murder.

Carl T. Smith's first novel seamlessly moves from the recording studios of Nashville to the underworlds of New York and Philadelphia. Through a variety of colorful, romantic and dangerous characters, he skillfully weaves a tale of rising stardom, suspense, new-found love and innovation in the music industry. This book is sure to appeal to the country music fan and readers of suspense alike.

River City Publishing. 2005

Sam Larkin--former merchant marine and environmental officer in Louisiana--is unjustly sent to prison. Released under mysterious circumstances, Larkin moves to Covington, South Carolina, to begin a new, peaceful life. His newfound isolation is shattered when undercover federal agent Karen Chaney comes to town as part of a drug sting operation. Together they face an entrenched society willing to look the other way when crime pays and a group of high-profile conspirators ready to kill to make sure it does.

River City Pub. 2006

"Sam Larkin is drawn into an investigation of the judge who unjustly sent him to prison twelve years ago, propelling him on a difficult and increasingly dangerous quest for justice and personal retribution. A man with a cause wars against corruption and greed at the highest levels of politics"--Provided by publisher.