Guest Post *EXCERPT* // Lee Hutch, Author of So Others May Live

So Others May Live Book Cover So Others May Live
Lee Hutch
Historical Fiction
Brady L. Hutchison | 2019
December 31, 2019
Audiobook
8 hrs. 50 mins.
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In the space of a single night, four lives collide as Berlin staggers under the weight of British bombs. Mick, a Lancaster pilot, proposed to Grace on his last leave but one more mission stands in between him and the end of his tour. Grace harbors a secret, one which she fears might change the nature of their relationship forever. Unsure of how he will respond, she has decided to tell him upon his return knowing that to do so risks losing him forever.

Seven hundred miles away in Berlin, war-weary firefighter, Karl is haunted by the images he's seen both on the home front and in Russia. Now he takes command of a group of teenage auxiliaries who find themselves on the front lines of Germany's defenses against a nightly rain of fire. On a call, he meets Ursula, a young woman who lives near his station. Karl quickly finds himself falling for her, unaware that she is playing a dangerous game, one which might place his own life in danger.

As the raid unfolds, they face choices that will forever change them, and those they love.


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Thank you to Author Lee Hutch for sharing a guest post with us today. Enjoy!


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Please click the image to listen to the audio excerpt.

Author: Lee Hutch | Narrator: Siobhan Dowd




Songs that could be in the soundtrack for this book.


Since this is a World War Two novel, any of the big wartime hits would be suitable. However, there are some more modern songs that are appropriate as well. In my own life, I associate certain songs with periods or episodes from my own life. That is applicable to my novel as well. So let’s begin! 

I think that if Karl alive today, he would appreciate Only God Knows Why by Kid Rock. In particular, Karl would appreciate the line that says, “People don’t know about the things I say and do. They don’t understand about the s—t that I’ve been through.” Given how haunted Karl is by his experiences on the Eastern Front and in Hamburg during the big raids in July of 1943, that line would really resonate with him. 

After you listen to the novel, you absolutely must check out the song Bomber’s Moon by Mike Harding. It tells the story of a doomed Lancaster over a German city. Harding’s father was a navigator on a Lancaster and was killed in action a few weeks before the birth of his son. The song is a fitting tribute. It’s perfect for my book, though I did not hear it for the first time until after the book came out.

Move over Dawson and Pacy, I Don’t Want to Wait by Paula Cole goes with the novel as well. All of the major characters carry residual scars from the war. Therefore, the line that says, “and the war he saw lives inside him still” would reach out and grab each one of my characters. Though the story takes place over a two-day period, one wonders what the surviving characters’ lives might have been like once the war ended.

And last but not least, A Long December by the Counting Crows fits the story, even though the novel is set in late November of 1943. As that year draws to a close and a new one looms ahead, the characters would not doubt wonder if 1944 would bring about the war’s end. Or would it drag on endlessly until the war consumed everything and everyone? 

Naturally, 40s hits such as I’ll Be Seeing You and my personal favorite, We’ll Meet Again fit the book, as does the German hit Lili Marlene. But the vintage song I listened to the most while writing it was Keep the Home Fires Burning, which was popular in both world wars. Though it was likewise popular in both of the wars, I do wonder whether or not Michael would like It’s a Long Way to Tipperary, given that the song is poking fun at the Irish. He does have a sense of humor, so he’d probably be whistling it to himself in the cockpit of his bomber. 

So there you have it! After you listen to the book, give these tunes a listen and see if you agree that they fit the overall tone and mood of the novel. Or, if you think of others, drop me a line and let me know.




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Author Lee Hutch

Award-winning author Lee Hutch grew up on the Texas/Louisiana border. As a child, he enjoyed reading history books and hanging around fire stations. As an adult, he entered the fire service and worked as both a firefighter and then an arson investigator before an injury led to his retirement. Along the way, he picked up a BA and an MA in History and an MS in Criminal Justice. He now teaches history for a community college in Southeast Texas. He loves books, cats, boxing, the Red Sox, and the New Orleans Saints.

His historical interests include the history of the fire service, particularly how firefighters have adapted to wartime conditions, the American Civil War, and the World Wars. When he’s not in the classroom or in his office, Lee can be found reading or listening to either a Red Sox or a Saints game on the radio with his cat Anastasia. His next novel is set in Civil War-era New York.


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Narrator Siobhan Dowd

I record High-Quality Voiceover in variations of my native South London accent – I can offer both bright and enthusiastic commercial reads or a more laid back and enigmatic explainer style. 

I have lots of experience in Explainers, E-Learning, Commericals, Audiobooks, and more.

I work in VO full time, and deliver high-quality audio from my fully equipped home recording in South West London, always including amends or pickups as needed to ensure complete client satisfaction.

I use Source Connect or Cleanfeed for remote record-directed sessions and I can travel in and around London and the South East for studio-based jobs.

Please have a look (and listen) around my site and get in touch by email, phone, or via social media if you’d like any more information on my services or to book a job.



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