Diana talks to Derek Birks

 

 

Hi Derek, thank you for joining me. I am sure that you are tired of being asked the usual questions that would-be interviewers ask authors, so hopefully this interview is an interview with a difference and I have come up with some unusual questions!

 

First things first I am sure there is a question that you have always longed to be asked. Now is the chance. Ask your own question and answer it!
Well, I’d like someone to ask me what sort of historical fiction I set out to write because I did have some specific ideas in mind.

The answer would be that I wanted to write: ‘historical fiction, Jim, but not as we know it.’[Star Trek reference]

It had to have loads of non-stop action, several young main protagonists - both male and female. It would aim to keep the reader guessing what would happen next and almost no character would be safe from oblivion.
 

If your latest book, Scars From the Past, was adapted into a TV show or a film, who would you like to play the lead role?

I was asked this question once about my first book, Feud, and I still think that a young Sean Bean would have been an excellent Ned Elder. For Scars, I think his son, John Elder, who is a more brooding individual, might be played by a younger Tom Hardy. And his rather woman-friendly cousin, Will, by Santiago Cabrera, who played Aramis in the Musketeers.
 

What made you choose this genre?

I chose historical fiction for 2 reasons:

Firstly, I’ve always enjoyed reading it, so it’s very familiar to me. More importantly, my background is in history – some would say I’m still living in the past…

My degree was in history and I taught the subject for 35 years. So, in terms of writing what you know, it was a no-brainer.
 

How do you get ideas for plots and characters?

Ideas for plots? God knows! People often ask but it’s not easy to explain. Ideas just sort of creep into my head – usually when I’m not trying to think of plot ideas!

Characters are, I think, rather more deliberately conceived at the start. But even then, some characters just appear, fully fledged at a random point in the writing process. I quite like that.
 

If, as a one off, (and you could guarantee publication!) you could write anything you wanted, is there another genre you would love to work with and do you already have a budding plot line in mind?

I’ve considered writing fantasy before or perhaps a thriller. It would be quite liberating to write either, because historical fiction does have quite strict parameters. The research might be a little less complicated too.
 

Was becoming a writer a conscious decision or something that you drifted into (or even something so compelling that it could not be denied?) How old were you when you first started to write seriously.

When I was about 17 or 18, I started writing. I always had creative ideas for stories, but I was also into writing music too. Let’s face it when you’re 18 you don’t know what you’re going to do next, do you?

Anyway, I wrote about 100 pages – longhand, no computers back then! I suppose it was a sort of dystopian thriller - though not very thrilling… Let’s be honest, it was rubbish and I thought: I just don’t know enough about people to write a good story.

So I went to university and then I developed a theatrical bent - which can be painful, you know! ((Giggle.)) Once I started teaching, I didn’t have much time to write. Much, much later on, I felt the need to discover whether I really could write. So I took early retirement and gave it a try.
 

Marmite? Love it or hate it?

Marmite? Absolutely loathe the stuff! It should definitely be listed as a dangerous substance.
 

Do you have any rituals and routines when writing? Your favourite cup for example or ‘that’ piece of music...??

Well, I do tend to follow a routine. I write in the mornings mostly, with frequent injections of coffee – I mean, not literally injections… I generally drink my coffee from my Most Brilliant Dad in the World mug… jury’s still out on that one…

I often write to a soundtrack of music and frequently add new tracks to the list, so there’s well over a hundred now.
 

I promise I won’t tell them the answer to this, but when you are writing, who is more important, your family or your characters?

No question, when I’m writing, I’m not really bothered about much else. Unless it’s an emergency, my family know not to disturb me –though, of course, my wife and daughter haven’t really bought into that convention…
 

Other than writing full time, what would be your dream job?

I think international playboy sounds good, or beach bum – or film director – but being a writer is pretty great!
 

Coffee or tea? Red or white?

Coffee – I don’t drink tea at all.

And red, always. White wine makes me sneeze…

Red wine is a genuine enhancement to life.
 

How much of your work is planned before you start? Do you have a full draft or let it find its way?

I plan a framework for the story at the start, but much of what I write is quite spontaneous. I also make big changes as I go along, especially in terms of how characters develop. This helps to impart a certain unpredictability to the story.
 

If you had free choice over the font your book is printed in, what font/fonts would you choose?

Fonts? They’re a bit of a mystery to me – I mean serifs, what are they for anyway? I think my books are printed in Garamond, unless that’s an island in the Pacific…
 

Imagine that you could get hold of any original source document. What would it be?

Virtually anything in the fifteenth century! It’s almost as if they all got together and said: right, what will folk want to know in the future? OK. Let’s destroy all the records about those things – that’ll fool the buggers!

Seriously though, I want Richard of Gloucester’s ‘to-do list’ in 1483. ((Yes!!))
 

Have any of your characters ever shocked you and gone off on their own adventure leaving you scratching your head??? If so how did you cope with that!?

It might be easier to say when my characters don’t shock me! They’re always going ‘off piste’. I’ve tried a few coping strategies, but by far the best one is to kill them off! ((Brutal!))
 

How much research do you do and do you ever go on research trips?

I do an enormous amount of research: with documents, secondary sources and online, but also with site visits. I’ve dragged my longsuffering wife around many, many historical sites. Mostly, there’s something of interest there but on one occasion we visited a hill outside Tewkesbury where there was nothing at all. I stood surveying the bare landscape and said: do you think I should put the castle over here or over there?

But site visits are essential for me.
 

Fiction authors have to contend with real characters invading our stories. Are there any ‘real’ characters you have been tempted to prematurely kill off or ignore because you just don’t like them or they spoil the plot?

Real characters? No I don’t want to kill any of them off. I think the challenge is to weave your story around them. To do that, I feel I need to understand them as much as any historian does.
 

Are you prepared to go away from the known facts for the sake of the story and if so how do you get around this?

I never stray from the known facts because the accuracy of the history is so important to me.
 

Do you find that the lines between fact and fiction sometimes become blurred?

Yes, the lines can get blurred because, inevitably, I am making things up. Edward IV never interacted with any of my fictional characters, so when, in my books, he does meet Ned Elder, I’m writing fiction. However much I use my knowledge of Edward IV, the motives and attitudes I attribute to him must also be fictional. So yes, it can get very blurred.
 

Have you ever totally hated or fallen in love with one of your characters?

Hated, no, but I have been in love with one of my characters from the start. Readers will not be surprised to discover that it’s Eleanor Elder. She just rocks – and continues to rock! I don’t think I’m alone in this either…
 

What do you enjoy reading for pleasure?

I generally read historical fiction and thrillers with the odd crime or fantasy.
 

What drink would you recommend drinking whilst reading your latest book?

I would always recommend red wine for any occasion, but there might be a few times when a stiff whisky, or gin and tonic, would be helpful…
 

Last but not least... favourite author?

Living, would be Bernard Cornwell.

Dead, would be Alexandre Dumas.

These two between them have inspired me a lot.

 

The handsome and charming Derek Birks.

 

About Scars From the Past

 

An unwelcome legacy. An impossible love. A relentless enemy.

By 1481, England has been free from civil war for ten years.
The Elder family have found a fragile peace after their part in the bloody struggle for the throne, yet the scars remain with them all. And close to home, in Ludlow, trouble is stirring once more.

Born out of the carnage of the Wars of the Roses, young John Elder is now the heir to his father’s legacy, but he finds it a poisonous one. After a brutal fight with an outlaw, John abandons his home and inheritance to become a mercenary in Flanders. But, in his absence, the Elder family must face his ruthless outlaw enemy alone.

When the young Edward, Prince of Wales, is caught up in their bitter struggle, the life of the heir to the throne hangs in the balance. To save the prince, all other lives must be put at risk, but will John Elder return in time to help?

Only if the Elders can leave the scars of the past behind them, is there any hope of survival.

 

Sharon's review of this brilliant book can be found here. Please note that the competition is now closed.

© Diana Milne January 2017 © Derek Birks 2017

Sharon Reviews Scars from the Past by Derek Birks

The author is giving away a signed paperback (for a UK winner) or an ebook (for an international winner) of Scars from the Past to one lucky winner. To be in with a chance of winning this fabulous novel, simply leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

The prizedraw will be held on 24th November 2016.

Good luck!

 By 1481, England has been free from civil war for ten years.
The Elder family have discovered a fragile peace in the lands they fought to win back, yet scars from the past remain with them all.
Given time, they might heal, but when did the Elders ever have enough time? And close to home in Ludlow, trouble is stirring.

Born out of the bloody devastation of the Wars of the Roses, young John Elder is now the heir to his father’s legacy, but he finds it a poisonous one. Driven from the woman he loves by a duty he fears, John abandons his legacy and flees the country to become a mercenary in Flanders.

In his absence, stalked by a ruthless outlaw, the Elder family must face a deadly storm of blood and chaos. When the young heir to the throne, Edward, Prince of Wales, is caught up in their bitter struggle, the future appears bleak.
Only if the Elders can put the scars from the past behind them, is there any hope of survival.

Scars From the Past is the first novel from Derek Birks' new series and, I have to say, it is the ultimate page-turner! It is a new direction for the author. While there is just as much action as in the first series, the story is less about national politics and more family orientated, as the Elders fight to survive, and to avoid the family imploding.Where the first series concentrated on duty and feudal loyalty, this new novel examines more personal relationships; love and friendship.
The original Rebels & Brothers series told the story of Ned Elder, a Sharpe-like hero who fought his way through the Wars of the Roses and Edward IV's battle to win - and hold - the throne of England. The new series, set ten years after the end of the fourth book, The Last Shroud, follows the adventures of the next generation. Ned's son, John, is a young man finding it difficult to live up to his father's legend and the reader follows his journey as he realises his own identity and that duty and responsibility are not so easy to run from.
The storyline and character development of Scars From the Past lives up to the high standard that fans have come to expect from Derek Birks. Each character has his - or her - own unique traits and characteristics and the novel is as much about a study in personalities as it is about the plotline and constant action.

"The Elder estates include more than just the two manors you know of."

"How? What are you saying?"

"There are ten manors in all, six of them granted to the estate after Tewkesbury, for Ned's services to the king that year."

"Ten manors!" cried Eleanor. "How did I not know this?"

Maighread smiled a crooked smile. "When did you ever want to know about the estates, Ellie? George Spearbold manages it all for us - I only know because someone had to ... I wanted to keep Ned's family here together, but that dream has gone away now with John and Will. So, perhaps it's time for you and I to lead our families along separate paths."

"Who else knows about the lands? My sister, Emma?"

"No, but her husband does."

"Of course," muttered Eleanor bitterly.

"He only knows about the three northern manors, from which Emma gets her income - just as you, without knowing it, have received income from another three manors. All the land remains as part of the Elder estates. In John's absence, you can choose where you wish to go: north or south; near or far. Spearbold can tell you which manors provide your income and where they lie. Then you can decide where to go."

"Just like that," said Eleanor, "after all these years. I thought I was the only one with secrets."

"Well, sister, we all have our secrets, it seems, even John. How unhappy he must have been to leave us as he did."

Eleanor nodded. "You're right. As always, you see these things more clearly than I do. And it's true that I'm restless. Perhaps it is time for me to go. I'll see Spearbold and make the arrangements. Give me a day or two."

"Two days! My dear, I didn't mean to drive you off quite so fast!" said Maighread.

"You know me, sister - strike hard and fast and to hell with the consequences," said Eleanor. "And, if I'm to track down my nephew and son then I'll have to move fast. Too much time has passed already. Oh, and I think Lizzie Holton should come with me - at least for a while."

"Why? She should be with her mother."

"Elias Slade is a threat to us both, but especially to Lizzie. If neither of us is here, there is less danger for the rest of you."

"I suppose, but only for a few weeks, mind. I'll speak to her mother." Maighread took Eleanor's hands in hers. "It will seem strange not to have you here."

"I'll survive, Maighread," said Eleanor, "as always."

One characteristic I always loved about the Rebels & Brothers series was that the women were not all crying, panicking ladies who would scream if they broke a nail. Heroines like Eleanor and Maighread would fight just as hard as the men, for their loved ones. I need not have been concerned that that trait would not carry over into this series. Eleanor is still there, fighting the only way she knows how. But she is joined by numerous other female characters; not all physical fighters, but each is strong and independent in their own, unique ways. The author proves that war is not the reserve of men; that women have their own battles to fight.
Where the story is more personal for the heroes, so it is for the villains. Elias Slade is a nasty piece of work, his personal feud with John turns into a vendetta against the wider Elder family. He is truly despicable!
As usual, the author's dedication to research shines through. His description of the town of Ludlow is so in-depth that you imagine yourself walking the streets with John Elder, becoming aware of all the little passages, nooks and crannies that only a local - or dedicated novelist would know. The locations are wonderfully vivid, whether in Burgundy or Ludlow, in a castle or bath house, the author has the unique ability to transport you there.

Derek Birks has a way of invoking all your senses and emotions when reading his books. The action keeps you on the edge of your seat; but there is an emotional aspect too. These people are all-too- human, subject to insecurity, rash actions and incredible heroism and you feel every emotion as you join their journey. Fans of the Rebels & Brothers series have come to expect a certain standard of action and realism, combined with a credible, fast-paced storyline. And they won't be disappointed. Derek Birks has taken his usual high-standard of story-telling to a whole new level.
Scars From the Past is impossible to put down - I lost a couple of afternoons of work in my desperation to finish it. The beauty of the novel is that it continues the Elder's story, but you don't have to have read the previous series to totally immerse yourself in this new story (though I defy you to enjoy this book and not want to go back to Feud, where it all started). Although it is part of a series, the novel passes as a standalone story, the climax will leave you breathless and satisfied - and wanting more.

Luckily it is not the last we'll hear from Derek Birks and the Elder family, and I can't wait for Book 2!

Derek Birks was born in Hampshire in England but spent his teenage years in Auckland, New Zealand where he still has strong family ties.  For many years he taught history in a secondary school in Berkshire but took early retirement several years ago to concentrate on his writing.
Apart from writing, he spends his time gardening, travelling, walking and taking part in archaeological digs at a Roman villa. Derek is interested in a wide range of historical themes but his particular favourite is the later Medieval period. He aims to write action-packed fiction which is rooted in accurate history. His debut historical novel, Feud, is set in the period of the Wars of the Roses and is the first of a series entitled Rebels & Brothers which follows the fortunes of the fictional Elder family.  The sequel to Feud, A Traitor's Fate, was published in November 2013 and Book 3, Kingdom of Rebels, was released on August 31st 2014.
The final book in the series, The Last Shroud, was published on 31st August 2015.
 Scars From the Past will be released on November 24th, 2016, and is available for pre-order at Amazon.
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Sharon Bennett Connolly has been fascinated by history for over 30 years. She has studied it at university and worked as a tour guide at several historic sites. She has been writing a blog entitled 'History...the Interesting Bits' for almost 2 years and is currently working on her first non-fiction work, 'Heroines on the Medieval World' which will be published by Amberley in 2017.

Sharon chats to ... Derek Birks

The Harrogate History Festival is a fabulous weekend in October, where you can chat about the past from morning 'til night and no one will complain ( unlike at home!). You get to meet some great authors and historians and they are more than happy to chat away, whether its at a talk, in the bookshop or in the bar. While there, I took the opportunity to chat with Derek Birks about his latest book, Scars From the Past, the start of a new series, which comes out on 24th November.

So, Derek, tell me about the new series. It begins in 1481, ten years after the end of my first series, Rebels & Brothers. It concentrates on the younger generation of Elders, who are growing up and getting involved in family duties. At 17 Ned's son, John, inherits his father's lordship. However, as he saw so many deaths as a child he sees the lordship as an unwelcome legacy. He is a ward of Earl Rivers and spends his days training and nights in the company of prostitutes. He has grown up with Lizzie Holton, daughter of his father's steward, but their relationship is damaged from the outset of the book - it's an impossible love. After getting into a fight John decides  to run away with his cousin Will.
The first part of the book sees the two sides of the family: those left at home, affected by his absence and John's adventures on the Continent.
It's different from the first series, less linear. And there's no involvement with the king, the country is at peace.
There are some completely new characters - and some old favourites.
I hope that people, who have not read the first series, can pick this up and enjoy it.

How many books do you have  planned for this series, will there be four again? I don't have an actual number planned, these books are more standalone than the first series, so I'm not restricted to a particular number. I have at least three in mind at the moment, but it could go on indefinitely. There are so many threads to explore. And I'd like to go into Henry Tudor's reign.

Does Eleanor (she's my favourite character from the first series) calm down and retire, or is she still as feisty? Eleanor is a major player in the new book. She is 10 years older and has grown up some, but is still slightly reckless and noble. She can't be as sword-wielding as previously - she's a mother now, with a son and daughter to be responsible for. I have tried to put John and Eleanor in a realistic context. Emma is also there, with Robert Radcliffe, but she will come into it more in later books.
The servants are still there and Lizzie's presence brings the lower classes more to the fore.

How is the new series different from the last? One of the hardest things is to make characters unique and individual. Especially the women. I had a problem with the new generation, with two girls close in age, both teenagers. My problem was, if they are next too each other, what is it that makes them different? So I kept them apart, and in different situations; in that way they wouldn't be compared. One off them is quite prominent and will establish herself later in the series.
The most difficult thing was how to make John different from his father: so he drinks, spends evenings with the girls, but is not so good with women. He's a reluctant fighter, whereas his father was quicker to get involved. As a mercenary he ran away from the responsibility in warfare, leadership, while still doing what he was trained to do.


Is there - or will there be - a new 'strong woman' to take over from Eleanor as she gets older? Ah... that would be revealing too much. There are other strong female characters, yes - but that's all I'm saying.

Did you feel obliged to have a strong woman in your second series? It's in the Elder family genes, so it would have to be a strong possibility.

Scars from the Past - the title - underlines the baggage they carry. John and Eleanor do carry on their strong link - forged from shared experiences in the first series - and that informs their decisions. I was reluctant to make an Eleanor mkII. The women have to have different strengths, rather than sword-fighting. They carry on the fight in their own, different ways.

How do you plan your story, are you a plotter or a non-plotter? I knew how the book was going to end, but didn't plot the beginning. Also, I didn't write the book in order. I knew where it was going, though. I tend to plot a sequence of scenes - maybe 10 - that are used as the framework and that I can change as I go along. The order of writing may depend on what is researched. I rough out 2 or 3 scenes and then fill in the gaps once I have done the research. For example, Corve Manor; I had originally used Stokesay Castle as Corve, but had to plot its location for this book, and so now it is Corvham Castle - there's nothing left of it now, but I needed a sense of place becausse of events that happen there. And the scenes at Ludlow, I had to research the locations and walk the streets to get the timings right.

Do your characters take over the story? It's like magic, an alchemy. One new character came very close to death, but grew from being a bit part to becoming very important to the story. He's a very different character to the others and becomes quite an emotional trigger.

Have you been strict with continuity, from events in the first series? With the people - yes. Such as eye colour - I had to go back and check. I started with a spreadsheet of characters of that moment - ie. 1469 - and added to it. So I have all the physical characteristics of each of them. Continuity with the places was more difficult, such as with Corve Manor, but I was keen to build on what had already been sasid and not be contradictory. I have plans for the layouts of Ludlow, Corve and Caversham. I also have a map of Ludlow, and plans of the houses and rooms where scenes take place. I did have to work out how many people could fit in each of the properties.

Do you do an extensive bibliography? in my historical notes I emphasise how something has been documented and verify whether events are true or not. So I do record where I get information from, and give credit to particular historians that have been helpful, such as Nichoolas Orme.

Do you have a family tree? I have one for personal use, but don't want to put it in the book, as it would give away too much of the story, such as who married who, when children were born - and when so-and-so died.

Scars from the Past is released on 24th November and can be pre-ordered on Amazon

I would like to express a huge 'thank you' to Derek for such a fabulous and candid interview. Please look out tomorrow for my review of Scars from the Past and a giveaway of this fabulous new novel.

Sharon Bennett Connolly has been fascinated by history for over 30 years. She has studied it at university and worked as a tour guide at several historic sites. She has been writing a blog entitled 'History...the Interesting Bits' for almost 2 years and is currently working on her first non-fiction work, 'Heroines on the Medieval World' which will be published by Amberley in 2017.