Fiction/Musical Audiobook
Date Published: August 24, 2023
Narrators:
Zoe Wright, Ross Kemp
Run Time: 01:40
Hannah - The Soldier Diaries is a musical audiobook featuring a foreword by Ross Kemp.
This musical audiobook contains 11 narrated chapters with each chapter being complimented by its own song.
A story of love, separation and an uncertain future. When the gorgeous Hannah meets Lance Corporal Jack Webb in the Summer of 2012 she is quickly smitten. However, Hannah has to decide quickly whether to embark on a whirlwind affair or walk away, as the couple only have four weeks together before Jack has to return to the army to fight in the Afghan War. Hannah follows her heart and spends the most amazing four weeks of her life with Jack, before he has to leave. Over two months later, Jack is missing, and Hannah—who is three months pregnant—is beside herself with worry. Out of nowhere, a face she knows only too well appears at her door. Are all Hannah's worries over or is this the beginning of the end for Hannah and Jack?
Interview with Steve Wallis – Hannah – The Soldier Diaries.
Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?
To be honest I’m not a big reader, I started to write after someone said to me a while back, just write about what you know and I followed their advice. Although Hannah is fictitious, there are many truths in there.
How do you select the names of your characters?
When I was writing for these characters I had to visual what they would look like and in the main the names kinda just materialized. I guess it’s that thing where when you see or meet someone you often think oh they look like a Jack or they look like a Hannah.
Having said that, I’ve always liked abbreviations for names, for example “Mr T”, so I used something very similar for one of my characters “Mrs M” which is actual short for Mrs Martindale.
The only name I used in Hannah which is actually based on someone in my close family is John which was my dad’s name.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
There are a few phrases and information that only my wife would find in there and would mean something personally to her.
What was your hardest scene to write?
Without giving too much away, there’s a scene where Hannah has just been told that Jack (her soldier boyfriend) is missing in action. It was quite tough to get the tone of this scene just right. Whilst this news that Hannah has just received is devasting, I didn’t want it to be too over the top, Hannah is a strong young woman so trying to show her pain without too much outward emotion was challenging. A physical example of this scene would be to show Hannah with a single tear rolling down her cheek rather than her in floods of tears with 3 boxes of Kleenex!
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
This is the first Audiobook in the series, with a second due out in December 2024. This second book will complete the initial Hannah story but a third installment is due out in the Summer of 2025.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
My goal was to write something in a similar format to the amazing Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds which I’d always loved and been inspired by.
In my case though, I wanted to tell a love story using this format in Hannah which is much like some stage Musicals, so we get to hear a short chapter of narration followed by a song.
Although I don’t profess to be in Jeff Wayne’s league, I think I achieved what I set out to do, the structure is as I hoped, and I believe the chapters and songs work very well together moving the story forward without repeating what they have each just individually portrayed.
I wanted to write and produce a quality piece of work, and I know quality as in the quality of the writing and songs can be subjective, so what I mean by quality is the quality of the recording of the Audiobook. I wanted to make sure that the narration was clear for the listener to listen to, make sure the songs and vocals were in tune and that the volume levels were consistent with no uneasy and awkward gaps. – I think I have achieved that.
I
also wanted to produce something that is a little different in terms
of a product.
I know what I have produced is not totally
unique but there doesn’t seem to be too many like it.
People think it’s a recording of a staged production, but it’s not, it’s a narrator telling a story which is then followed by a song – So if you close your eyes its like going to the theatre but its not actually set on stage.
It’s also much shorter than an audiobook story, it runs at just 1hour and 40 mins including the eleven songs which is more in line with a staged musical (without the break)
What inspired you to write Hannah – The Soldier Diaries?
I think the early inspiration was from my Grandmother who told me some wonderful stories from her time living through the second world war in the UK, especially those stories around her relationship with my Grandfather during this time, how she would have to be at home with my mother waiting for his letters to arrive, never knowing if he would ever come home.
Although Hannah is set modern day ish (2012) it does draw on those similar themes of love and longing, hope and desperation.
Further inspiration came from when I moved to a sea side town called Scarborough in the UK, I really feel at home here and I found some amazing inspirational places to set Hannah in.
Can you tell us a little bit about the next books in Hannah – The Soldier Diaries series or what you have planned for the future?
Volume 2 will be a continuation story as (spoiler alert) Volume 1 doesn’t fully resolve) The format will be same with 11 Chapters and 11 brand new original songs.
Volume 2 will complete and resolve the initial Hannah story although Volume 3 will be out in Summer of 2025.
To compliment and support the Hannah Audiobooks a stage version will be produced in the Summer of 2025 in our home town of Scarborough.
In addition, we have just completed a short film version of Hannah, which we intend to use as a pitch for funding to make the full length feature film based on both the first two Hannah Audiobooks.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Hannah – The Soldier Diaries?
So,
Hannah is a twenty something, single, attractive, emotionally strong
and independent young working-class woman who works as a hairdresser
by day and studies for an Open University Geology Degree in the
evenings and weekends. Hannah’s dream is to be a geologist in her
home Town of Scarborough.
Hannah is “happy go lucky” in
the main until one day she meets Jack…
Jack
is a twenty something twin, single, handsome, affluent and a Lance
Corporal in the British Army. Jack is preparing for his first active
duty assignment but before he goes he is carrying out recruitment
duties in Scarborough where he meets Hannah…
Mrs M is a
fifty something widower, highly fashionable, highly confident, and
highly flirtatious who enjoys the company of gentleman, slightly
younger than herself. Mrs M is Hannah’s number one client,
confidant and stand in mother figure.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Developing the characters was really exciting and finding out all about them, what makes them tick, and what makes them react the way they do.
I also loved writing the songs too, there’s quite a mix of styles in there which I personally really like as my record collection is very diverse which I think has come across in the Audiobook.
There’s a Song called Butterflies, which is the first song you will hear in the Audiobook.
It’s a particular favourite of mine and I think really captures that feeling you get when you meet or see that certain someone for the very first time.
There’s also a song in there called Funk IT, which is, as you may imagine, a one or two fingered salute to all those people who tell you how you should live your life. I think it’s extra fun as it comes from the perspective of a maturer woman which gives it extra sentiment.
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