Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 502

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Oct. 16, 1941: Panic in Moscow as Germans advance within 60 miles. Soviet government except Stalin evacuates Moscow to Kuibyshev. Germans & Romanians take Odessa. Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe resigns.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Oct. 15, 1941: Soviets evacuate Odessa.

New Book Series Title!

It's official! My publisher, Revell, notified me this week that the title for my next series will be Wings of the Nightingale - for the first time, a title I actually came up with! The first novel in the series is officially titled With Every Letter, and the titles for the other two books will be determined later.

In Wings of the Nightingale, three World War II flight nurses pioneer medical air evacuation in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and southern France. Danger, deprivation, and tragedy cause them to grow in friendship, while romance awakens them to adventures of the heart and soul.

With Every Letter is now complete and waiting for its first edit at Revell. It's scheduled to release Fall 2012. Shy Mellie Blake has never fit in anywhere, but if she doesn't learn to make friends, her position in the new 802nd Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron will be jeopardized. Through a morale program, she enters an anonymous pen pal relationship with an Army engineer. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, who serves with the 908th Engineer Aviation Battalion, must always be sunny to overcome the legacy of his namesake father, and he relishes the chance to be his true self in anonymity. In North Africa and Sicily, Tom builds airfields under Nazi fire, while Mellie and the other nurses struggle to be allowed to conduct air evacuation. But what will happen if their paths cross? Will Tom be put off by Mellie's unconventional looks, or will she be repelled by his name? Can their relationship ever move beyond paper?

I'm starting work now on To Every Shore (working title), which is scheduled to release Summer 2013. Lt. Georgie Taylor loves her job as a flight nurse, but the goals of pharmacist Sgt. John "Hutch" Hutchinson are frustrated at every turn. As Georgie and Hutch care for American soldiers in Sicily and Italy, tragedy brings them together. But will their differences keep them apart?

With Every Beat  (working title) is scheduled for Summer 2014. Flight nurse Lt. Kay Jobson collects hearts wherever she flies, but C-47 pilot Lt. Roger Cooper is immune to her charms. Throughout Italy and southern France, as she evacuates the wounded and he delivers paratroopers and supplies, every beat of their hearts draws them where they don't want to go.
The next step...the cover for With Every Letter! Considering the gorgeous work Revell did for the Wings of Glory series, I can't wait to see what they do for Wings of the Nightingale!

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Oct. 14, 1941: Germans encircle 6 Soviet armies near Vyazma. Germany announces that all German Jews will be deported.

Book Beat - Remembering Christmas by Dan Walsh

[image error] It's 1980, and yuppie Rick Denton has everything going for him. Job, cash, car, condo, and women. The only thing he can complain about is gas prices - a dollar a gallon? What is the world coming to? But then his obnoxious stepfather collapses from an aneurysm, and his mother begs for Rick's help to keep their business running. Their smarmy little Christian bookstore with the crazy customers and the homeless man sleeping in the doorway. Rick agrees, but the only good thing about the deal is the pretty young woman who works at the bookstore. However, the next few weeks will turn Rick's assumptions about himself, his family, and his life upside-down.

In Remembering Christmas , Dan Walsh writes with humor and a fun bit of attitude - and still writes a heartwarming tale. The story delighted me, and one twist completely surprised me. Realistic and lovable characters - even shallow Rick - and the refreshing Florida beach town setting make this a memorable Christmas story. I loved Dan's previous novels, The Unfinished Gift, The Homecoming, and The Deepest Waters. Remembering Christmas is sure to please his fans and to enthrall new readers as well. I highly recommend this novel.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Oct. 13, 1941: Luftwaffe ordered to stop night intruder raids against British air bases.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Oct. 12, 1941: Nazis massacre 11,000 Jews of Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Oct. 11, 1941: New song in Top Ten: "Tonight We Love," a Big Band version of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto in B-Flat Minor.[image error]

Port Chicago - the Explosion

In the worst Home Front disaster of World War II, an explosion at the Naval Magazine in Port Chicago, California on July 17, 1944 killed 320 men, of whom 202 were black. The tragedy was followed by a work stoppage and a controversial mutiny trial. This sent ripples of change through the segregated armed forces. I included these events in my third novel, Blue Skies Tomorrow. Last week I discussed the situation in the armed forces and at Port Chicago, today I'll cover the explosion, and over the next few weeks we'll look at the work stoppage, trial, and aftermath.One Summer NightThe evening of Monday July 17, 1944 was cool, clear, and moonless. Down by Suisun Bay, where the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers merge, floodlights illuminated the docks at the U.S. Naval Magazine at Port Chicago, California.The U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theater depended on the ammunition loaded at Port Chicago, so men worked around the clock. For the night shift, 202 black men were hard at work loading two cargo ships from sixteen boxcars on the rails leading to the dock. Nine white officers and twenty-nine armed white Marine guards were also present, along with the crews of both ships and a Coast Guard fire barge moored nearby. The SS E.A. Bryan, a Liberty ship, had already been loaded with 4600 tons of cargo by 10 pm, including fused (live) 650-lb incendiary bombs, depth bombs, 1000-lb bombs, 40-mm shells, and cluster bombs. The SS Quinault Victory (also spelled Quinalt), a brand-new Victory ship, had docked at 6 pm to be loaded for her maiden voyage. About 429 tons of explosives were on the docks or in the boxcars. The ExplosionAt 10:18 pm, two massive explosions occurred, seven seconds apart, equivalent to five kilotons of TNT, about the same magnitude as the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The first explosion appears to have happened on the dock area, and the second explosion was most likely the E.A. Bryan exploding as a whole.A flash of bright orange, a sound like giant doors slamming, and a column of fire, smoke, and debris rose to over 12,000 feet. Exploding shells within the column of smoke produced effects like fireworks. An Army Air Force plane at 9000 feet reported seeing debris above its altitude.The DamageOn the ships and docks, all 320 men present were killed instantly, 202 of whom were black. (News sources at the time reported the figure of 322 deaths; therefore, I used that figure in Blue Skies Tomorrow.) The E.A. Bryan completely disintegrated, and the Quinault Victory spun 180 degrees and snapped in two. The dock, locomotive, and boxcars disappeared.Out on the river, two nearby boats were swamped by a thirty-foot wave, killing one, and the nearby Roe Island Lighthouse was seriously damaged.On the base, every single building was damaged. The explosion knocked men off their feet and out of windows over a mile and a half away. In the town of Port Chicago, almost every home was damaged, but no one was killed. The explosion was felt within a 40-mile radius, as far away as San Francisco. Windows were blown out and plaster shaken down in Pittsburg and Antioch (east of Port Chicago, not on map), Martinez, Benicia, and Vallejo. Electricity and phone service was disrupted for many hours.About 390 civilians and military personnel were injured. The most common injuries resulted from flying glass, including many cases of blindness. The first explosion brought people to the windows to investigate, then the second explosion shattered the windows.Some of those close to the explosion thought the Japanese were bombing. Those further away judged the rumbling and shaking as an earthquake.Rescue EffortsOn the base, the uninjured quickly and calmly rallied for search, rescue, and first aid. Local military bases and civilian fire departments sprang to action. The first ambulances arrived within thirty minutes and transported the wounded to local hospitals. Red Cross, USO, and Salvation Army groups provided aid on the base and in the local communities.Cause of the ExplosionSince every eyewitness to the explosion was killed, the exact cause will never be determined. Poor training and leadership emphasized speed over safety, and several of the booms had been reported to have faulty parts. Since fused incendiary bombs were being loaded, rough handling or an accident could easily have led to a dockside explosion, which then spread to the heavily loaded E.A. Bryan.Sources:Allen, Robert L. The Port Chicago Mutiny. Berkeley CA: Heyday Books, 2006.Port Chicago Naval Magazine Explosion on 17 July 1944: Court of Inquiry: Finding of Facts, Opinion and Recommendations. Washington DC: Department of the Navy, 30 October 1944. On Naval Historical Center website. Accessed 9 October 2011. http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq80-4a.htm Antioch Ledger, various articles, July 1944. Accessed on microfiche, Antioch Public Library, Antioch CA.[image error]

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Oct. 10, 1941: In Luxembourg, less than 3% of the population votes to join Germany. Theresienstadt concentration camp opens.[image error]