Samantha Lee Howe

USA TODAY bestselling author and multi-award winning screenwriter, Samantha Lee Howe began her professional writing career in 2007 and has been working as a freelance writer for small, medium and large publishers, predominately writing horror, fantasy and thrillers ever since.

Samantha’s breakaway debut psychological thriller, ‘The Stranger In Our Bed’, was released on 14th February 2020 with HarperCollins imprint, One More Chapter. The book rapidly became a USA TODAY bestseller.

In June 2020, Samantha signed a three-book deal with One More Chapter for her explosive spy thriller series, ‘The House of Killers’. The first three books were published in 2021.

In August 2020, Samantha signed a deal with production company BuffaloDragon for the option and screenplay for The Stranger in Our Bed. The feature film went into production in November 2020 and was released in summer 2022 to much acclaim. The film went on to win BEST THRILLER in the National Film Awards that year, and Samantha has since won multiple awards for the screenplay.

In 2023, One More Chapter bought Samantha Supernaural Gothic Thriller, The Soul Thief, and this was published in December 2024.

In November 2024, Samantha signed a deal with Bedford Square Publishers for her new co-sexy mystery series, Mel Greenway Investigates, both novels, A Thorn In The Rose and Flight of the Turner, will be out in 2026 with the third novel, Bride in Funeral Clothing due for publication in 2027.

A former high school English and Drama teacher, Samantha has a BA (Hons) in English and Writing for Performance, an MA in Creative Writing as well as a PGCE in English.

To date, Samantha has written over 30 novels, 3 novellas, 4 collections, and over 60 short stories, as well a ‘Doctor Who’ spin-off drama that went to DVD.

She is the founder and organiser of Sykehouse Film and Writer’s Festival based in Doncaster, which aims to give a platform for talented writers and filmmakers form all over the world.

Samantha lives in South Yorkshire with her husband David and their cat Skye. She is the proud mother of a lovely daughter called Linzi.

Other Awards

Gabriele Caccini

2007 ForeWord Magazine Book of Year Awards – Silver Award Winner for Best Horror Novel

Futile Flame

2009 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Awards – Finalist for Horror [joint acknowledgement with four other finalist books]

2010 British Fantasy Award finalist

Demon Dance

2010 ForeWord Magazine Book of Year Awards – Finalist for Horror
2011 British Fantasy Society Awards – Winner – Best Novel

Fool’s Gold (from The Bitten Word, ed. Ian Whates)

2011 British Fantasy Society Awards – Winner – Best Short Story

The Stranger In Our Bed

2023 National Film Awards – Winner – BEST THRILLER
Rio De Janeiro World Film Festival – Winner – BEST WRITER (Summer 2023 edition)
Milan Filmmaker Awards – Winner- BEST SCRIPT (Fall 2023 edition)
Paris Lady MovieMakers Festival: Winner – BEST FEMALE FEATURE FILM WRITER & Winner – BEST SCRIPT WRITER (October 2023 edition)
Austin International Art Festival: Winner – BEST SCRIPT IN A FEATURE FILM (November 2023 edition)
Best Indie Film Awards Festival: Winner – BEST THRILLER SCREENPLAY (Winter 2023 edition)
Edinburgh Film Awards: Winner – BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY (Winter 2024 edition)
Chicago Script Awards: Honorable Mention – BEST THRILLER SCREENPLAY (Winter 2024 edition)
8 and Halfilm Awards: Winner – BEST FEATURE SCRIPT & Winner – BEST ORIGINAL WRITER