Jack Harrowsmith is a Canadian author who writes genre-blending fiction. He is the pen name of Bruce Smith. He writes Tales from the Borderlands, a series set along the Minnesota-Ontario border. The series is set in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Smith was born in 1957 in Cornwall, Ontario. He grew up in the east end of Ottawa. He spent summers in Ontario cottage country. He worked as a lifeguard and dishwasher at a local summer camp. He started hitchhiking when he was fourteen. He logged thousands of miles in the early 1970s.
At age seventeen, he joined the Canadian Armed Forces. He served with the Royal Canadian Regiment and the Intelligence Branch. During a thirty-year career, he had postings to multiple countries. These included Northern Norway, Cyprus, Germany, Washington DC and the Balkans. He also served in the Middle East, including Israel, Bosnia and the Gaza Strip. He completed a BA in History from the University of Manitoba. In 1990, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross. This is one of Canada's highest military decorations. He received it for his work in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He retired as a Master Warrant Officer in 2005.
Smith married his high school sweetheart. They have been married for over forty-five years. They have a son, a daughter and two grandchildren. He lives in Kingston, Ontario. This is just across the border from the Adirondacks. His influences include Elmore Leonard, Ross Macdonald and Robert Stone. They also include Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.
His latest book, Thirsty Girl, was published in 2025. The novel is part of the Tales from the Borderlands series. The story is set in Harden, Minnesota, in October 1952. A silent new boy arrives at a small-town high school. Tommy Odessa becomes the subject of rumour and fear. He keeps to the walls and speaks only when forced. He disappears every afternoon on a bus. The bus heads beyond the edge of town. Most people decide he is dangerous.
Cindy Deltanna decides he is interesting. Cindy is a Roddette. She is rebellious and sharp-tongued. She is never without a straight razor. She is drawn to trouble and bored with rules. She ignores the warnings and follows Tommy home. What she finds inside the isolated farmhouse is not just a lonely boy. She discovers someone running from something far worse than gossip.
As night falls, paranoia and real danger collide. Tommy claims creatures are roaming the countryside. He says they are hunting him. Cindy must decide whether she has fallen for a harmless outcast. She might have stepped into a fight for survival. With gangs closing in and secrets in the basement, trust becomes crucial. There are monsters on the roads.
The book blends 1950s youth culture with raw horror and dark romance. It is described as a gritty, pulpy tale of rebellion and forbidden love. The series also includes The Petting Zoo Motel.
Photo credit: www.besmithwrites.com
Smith was born in 1957 in Cornwall, Ontario. He grew up in the east end of Ottawa. He spent summers in Ontario cottage country. He worked as a lifeguard and dishwasher at a local summer camp. He started hitchhiking when he was fourteen. He logged thousands of miles in the early 1970s.
At age seventeen, he joined the Canadian Armed Forces. He served with the Royal Canadian Regiment and the Intelligence Branch. During a thirty-year career, he had postings to multiple countries. These included Northern Norway, Cyprus, Germany, Washington DC and the Balkans. He also served in the Middle East, including Israel, Bosnia and the Gaza Strip. He completed a BA in History from the University of Manitoba. In 1990, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross. This is one of Canada's highest military decorations. He received it for his work in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He retired as a Master Warrant Officer in 2005.
Smith married his high school sweetheart. They have been married for over forty-five years. They have a son, a daughter and two grandchildren. He lives in Kingston, Ontario. This is just across the border from the Adirondacks. His influences include Elmore Leonard, Ross Macdonald and Robert Stone. They also include Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.
His latest book, Thirsty Girl, was published in 2025. The novel is part of the Tales from the Borderlands series. The story is set in Harden, Minnesota, in October 1952. A silent new boy arrives at a small-town high school. Tommy Odessa becomes the subject of rumour and fear. He keeps to the walls and speaks only when forced. He disappears every afternoon on a bus. The bus heads beyond the edge of town. Most people decide he is dangerous.
Cindy Deltanna decides he is interesting. Cindy is a Roddette. She is rebellious and sharp-tongued. She is never without a straight razor. She is drawn to trouble and bored with rules. She ignores the warnings and follows Tommy home. What she finds inside the isolated farmhouse is not just a lonely boy. She discovers someone running from something far worse than gossip.
As night falls, paranoia and real danger collide. Tommy claims creatures are roaming the countryside. He says they are hunting him. Cindy must decide whether she has fallen for a harmless outcast. She might have stepped into a fight for survival. With gangs closing in and secrets in the basement, trust becomes crucial. There are monsters on the roads.
The book blends 1950s youth culture with raw horror and dark romance. It is described as a gritty, pulpy tale of rebellion and forbidden love. The series also includes The Petting Zoo Motel.
Photo credit: www.besmithwrites.com
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