Betrayal is book one in the forthcoming Ann’s War Mystery Series. The series, set in 1944-5, will comprise five novellas, each containing an individual mystery. Betrayal will be published before Christmas, hopefully free. Amazon control the prices on their websites so I require their approval to make the book free. More news about this and background on the series in the near future.
While researching the Ann’s War Mystery Series, I discovered these fascinating stories. In 1944 this Centaur tank was deployed on Morfa Beach, a location in the Ann’s War Mystery series, in preparation for D-Day because the sand and clay of Morfa Beach was similar to the beaches at Normandy. As you can see from the second picture, the tank sank into the sand.
Furthermore, in 1943, the propaganda film, Nine Men, was made on location at Morfa Beach by Ealing Studios. On this occasion, Morfa Beach represented the Libyan desert. Men from the South Wales Borderers and London Irish Rifles were employed as extras to play soldiers on both sides. In the closing scene, a company of these men relieved the nine men of the title who had been under attack from the ‘Italians’. You can see a short extract from the film, including a glimpse of the beach, below.
This week, Sam’s Song reached #1 on the Amazon private investigator’s chart for the fourth time. Many thanks to everyone who has read the book 😃
Digging in the Dirt, Sam Smith Mystery Series book twelve, features an archaeological dig at Kenfig. The dig explores the legacy of the Second World War, left behind in the sand dunes. From real life, here are two Second World War bombs found in the dunes.
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Kenfig, the setting for Digging in the Dirt, Sam Smith Mystery Series book twelve, is regarded as one of the most important sand dune sites in Europe, and has been designated a ‘Special Area of Conservation’. The dunes and large freshwater pool attract a wide range of rare flora and fauna, including this bee beetle photographed on a pyramidal orchid.
In A Parcel of Rogues, Sam flies in one of these, a Citabria, with Mac as the pilot.
And enjoys these aerial views of Cardiff.
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Sam is in Cardiff, in A Parcel of Rogues, searching the streets and parks for a missing husband. Here is a lovely short film about the city.
My Ann’s War mini series is a mystery series set against the backdrop of the Second World War and the Home Front. The first story, Betrayal, is set in March 1944. During that month, Casablanca, one of the most popular films of the war, and of all time, won Best Picture at the Sixteenth Academy Awards.
One of the lines most closely associated with the film, “Play it again, Sam”, was not actually said. The line is, “Play it once, Sam, for old time’s sake.” And, “Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By’.”
Another famous line from the film is, “Here’s looking at you, kid.” That line was not written into the draft screenplays, but has since been attributed to a comment Humphrey Bogart made to Ingrid Bergman as he taught her poker between takes.
January to June saw record-breaking sales figures for the Sam Smith Mystery Series, so many thanks to everyone who read one of my books. Currently, I’m polishing Digging in the Dirt, book twelve in the series, ahead of its September 16th publication. I have just completed the storyboard for A Parcel of Rogues, book thirteen. I am very excited about both books in terms of subject matter and series development. I’m also researching Boston, book fourteen, for next year.
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I have a number of storyline ideas. Some of these ideas won’t fit into the Sam Smith framework, so I’m developing several miniseries to run alongside my main series. My first miniseries will be Ann’s War, a collection of five novellas set during the Second World War. Betrayal will be book one in Ann’s War, and I hope to publish this story in November. Betrayal will be available free from Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords and iBooks. Amazon control the prices on their websites, but I hope Betrayal will be free there too.
In addition, I’m working with my narrator Suzan Lynn Lorraine on the audio book of Family Honour, Sam Smith book seven. As usual, Suzan is doing a fantastic job. Suzan has agreed to narrate Ann’s War as well, and we hope to produce the first audio book in that series early in the new year.
Welcome to Sam’s Sunday Supplement #15, a weekly digest of news from Sam’s World.
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.
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 😃
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.
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.
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.
Hannah Howe 