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Sam Smith Mystery Series Sam's Sunday Supplement

Sam’s Sunday Supplement #15

Welcome to Sam’s Sunday Supplement #15, a weekly digest of news from Sam’s World.

FACEBOOK HEADER SAM AND ANN

Digging in the Dirt, Sam Smith Mystery Series book twelve, is mainly set in Kenfig, which is now a huge expanse of sand dunes on the South Wales coast. During medieval times, Kenfig was one of the largest towns in Wales. However, a series of sand storms during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries forced the burgesses to relocate elsewhere, and they established a number of smaller settlements. Around 1450 the sand had encroached to such an extent that the town was abandoned. The area became a sand covered Pompeii and it has fascinated historians and antiquarians for centuries. This picture shows antiquarian Edward Donovan visiting Kenfig and the remains of its castle in 1804.

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Ever fancied piloting a plane? This clip shows a pilot’s eye view of a Skyranger landing at Margam airfield, a location in Sam #12, Digging in the Dirt

Great news. My narrator, Suzan Lynn Lorraine, has completed the recording of Secrets and Lies and the audio book has been sent to ACX for publication on Amazon, Audible and iTunes. Even better news is that Suzan has agreed to narrate Family Honour, the next book in the series, and future audio books. Exciting times 😃

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The Royal Ordinance Factory at Bridgend, known locally as the Arsenal, will feature in Ann’s War. The Arsenal was the largest of sixteen Royal Ordnance Factories in Britain during the Second World War. Vital to Britain’s war effort, the Arsenal employed 40,000 people, most of them women, and is regarded as the largest factory in Britain’s history. The picture shows workers leaving the Arsenal at the end of their shift.

Arsenal Workers

A contemporary local scene – Llanmihangel – from Ann’s War. During the Second World War farmers were encouraged to plant crops and raise milking cattle, so sheep and other farm animals went into decline.

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Telephone directories were a lot thinner in 1944, and phone numbers a lot shorter. Ann had a three digit number, which was common for the time.

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Categories
Sam Smith Mystery Series Sam's Sunday Supplement

Sam’s Sunday Supplement #12

Welcome to Sam’s Sunday Supplement #12, a weekly digest of news from Sam’s world.

Mind Games has been uploaded to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo and Smashwords. Book eleven in the Sam Smith Mystery Series, Mind Games is available as an eBook for $0.99/£0.99/€0.99 and for £2.99 in print. Many thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered a copy; your support is greatly appreciated Amazon Link

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In Digging in the Dirt, a story about archaeologists, Sam ventures into a cave. One of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries in Wales was unearthed in a cave, Goat’s Hole Cave, on the Gower Peninsula. In January 1823 the Rev. William Buckland found The Red Lady of Paviland (pictured). Buckland identified the remains as female. However, later analysis established that the bones belonged to a man who lived in Britain 33,000 years ago. The skeleton, dyed in red ochre, represents the oldest known ceremonial burial in Western Europe.

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Great news…Suzan Lynn Lorraine, narrator of my Sam Smith Mystery Series, is very keen to narrate Ann’s War as well. So we are aiming to publish the Ann’s War stories in print, as eBooks and audio books 😃

World War Two. England. 1938. The family at home, tuning in to hear the news on the radio news. They have gas masks at the ready.

The Third Man is arguably the finest British film ever made. Orson Welles dominates the film even though he only appears in ten percent of the running time. You can read more about that in my article on this cinema classic The Third Man

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From the Illustrated Police News, 8 February 1896, Saucy Burglar Robs Amorous Honeymoon Couple! Read all about it!

Saucy Burglar

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Sam Smith Mystery Series

Audio Books

Great news…actress, radio performer and theatre producer Suzan Lynn Lorraine has completed the recording of Ripper and the audio book will be available later this month. The first three books in the series, Sam’s Song, Love and Bullets, and The Big Chill are currently available as audio books for the special price of $2.39. Suzan has also agreed to record book five in the series, The Hermit of Hisarya. The recording of this book will start in September.

Audible Link

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Sam Smith Mystery Series

Books Are Us

Phew, a busy weekend! Sins of the Father was published this weekend and the book has broken my personal record for sales on a publication day. Along with that I have the proof copy of the print version to assess, for publication in August, and I’m working with Suzan Lynn Lorraine on the audio book version of Ripper. Suzan has excelled herself with the narration and I think Ripper will be our most impressive audio book to date. I must also mention Lucy Llewellyn at Head and Heart Publishing Services and thank her for her considerable creative contribution to the audio book cover. In addition, I’ve also completed a 125 page outline for the next book, Smoke and Mirrors. Wonderful to be writing and collaborating with such talented people.

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A Writer's Diary Sam Smith Mystery Series

Sam’s World

Exciting times in Sam’s world. At the moment I am editing Sins of the Father for publication later this summer, storyboarding Smoke and Mirrors and preparing to record Ripper as an audio book, with Suzan Lynn Lorraine providing the narration. I am also promoting Family Honour and the audio book version of The Big Chill. Exciting, and busy times!

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Sins of the Father will focus on Sam’s relationship with her father, a man she met for the first time when she was thirty-three years old. This book will define their relationship, dealing with events from the past and hurdles to climb in the present. Will these hurdles bring Sam and her father closer together, or force them further apart? That question provides the essence for the story.

Smoke and Mirrors will have a dramatic start – Sam finds a body in her office. As she investigates the mysterious death of this stranger, she also delves deeper into her assistant, Faye’s, background in an effort to learn the truth about Faye’s childhood trauma. As with Sins of the Father, this is a relationship story and Sam’s discoveries impact on her friendship with Faye, placing both at a crossroads.

More book news soon and, as ever, thanks for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx