Alexander Stuart

Brilliant Chang. The image below of a woman taking cocaine is, I believe, from the 1910s and is one of the many research pictures I've amassed for my noir novel - a love story and thriller set in 1919 - Chinatown Nights. Although drugs do not play a huge role in the plot, several of the characters in the novel are i nvolved in the world of illegal drugs, illicit drinking clubs and other rather suspect activities - including arms dealing. Woman taking cocaine in the 1910s. Brilliant Chang, a notable Chinese figure in London in the 1910s and 1920s, who is fictionalized as a character in Chinatown Nights , was alleged to be one of London's primary cocaine dealers (cocaine was a popular drug, then as now) and was the subject of a great deal of police attention. Chang was charged in 1924 with possession of a single packet of cocaine (a surprisingly small amount for one of the supposed "drug kingpins" of London - probably planted by the polic

I was thrilled that the Kickstarter campaign for Chinatown Nights ended yesterday, meeting not only its initial target of $2,000, but the new unofficial target I set of $2,500, thanks to a very generous donation yesterday afternoon. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed. My full thanks, and more details of both the novel and the campaign, are on the Chinatown Nights Facebook Page . Please "Like" it if you visit it! Thank you.

Only 7 hours to go to the end of the Kickstarter campaign for my noir novel set in 1919, Chinatown Nights - and it's just $101 short of my new unofficial target of $2,500! The campaign will end at 6:13pm Pacific time today, Thursday August 6, 2012. Please contribute now, if you can. More details, images and extracts from the novel are at its Facebook page: Chinatown Nights. There are also several posts about the book if you scroll down below, including an extract from the end of Chapter Three of the novel. Huge thanks to everyone who has contributed so far! Very best wishes, Alexander

We are fortunate indeed to have a First Lady as intelligent, eloquent, committed, compassionate and grounded as Michelle Obama. Here is video of her entire and very wonderful speech at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday September 4, 2012.

Charong and Paradise walking along the cliffs at Wilder State Park. We have fallen in love with Santa Cruz , and in particular with Wilder Ranch State Historic Park , located on the coast of Monterey Bay, just north of the town of Santa Cruz. Originally known as Rancho del Matadero , and founded by Mission Santa Cruz in 1791, the Wilder family later acquired the land and operated a very successful dairy on the property - which includes an extraordinary stretch of coastland, with spectacular cliffs and coves. Hudson sitting on the rocks, while I climb out to him. Many of the coves of what is now a state historic park are preserved for the benefit of marine wildlife - snowy plovers, pelicans, seagulls, seals and dolphins.  You can walk along the cliffs and enjoy the spectacular vistas, but only a couple of the beaches are accessible for swimming - but they are well worth the hike to get there. Hudson jumping in to join me in the water. Our entire family, includi