Wednesday 23 November 2016

Interview with Dr Pamela Rose

Extracts of an interview between Dr Pamela Rose and Katherine Kinsella for the Peoples Independent Irish news.

KK        Thank you to Dr Pamela Rose for agreeing to take part in this interview.  Dr Rose was one of the leading archaeologists who worked on a dig in County Meath this summer which proved to be the site of a significant Iron Age battle.  She is an expert in Viking history and has spent a number of years working in Sweden.
Good morning Dr Rose.

PR        Good morning, please call me Pam.

KK        Okay Pam, how did you become involved in this archaeological dig?

PR        I was invited to join the project this summer mainly because of my expertise in Viking history.  Many of your readers will know that over the years a number of Viking artifacts have been unearthed in this area.  Farmers have found items on their land and a few years ago someone found a Viking armband whilst walking along the river.

KK        Did you believe from the outset that you were digging in the right place?  Over the years arguments have raged between academics regarding the location of the battle site.

PR        It’s true that many historians believed that the battle must have taken place further along the river to the east of Drogheda.  Local legend suggests that an invading army came across the sea from England and that the battle took place nearer to the coast.

KK        Couldn’t an invading army have sailed their ships up the River Boyne?

PR        It’s true that ships could have come up the river as far as Drogheda, but it’s unlikely that they would have been able to navigate much further.  The landscape was much different then, there would have been thick forest where the fields are today and the banks of the river would have been tree lined.  Drogheda was not established then, but it would undoubtedly have made a perfect place for ships to anchor safely.

KK        Dr Orlagh Gairne from the National Museum was running the dig.  I understand that you are old friends.  How was it working with such a distinguished historian?

PR        Indeed, Dr Gairne and I go back a long way.  We have not worked together for many years.  She is an expert in her field, but my knowledge was invaluable to both the project and to those working on the site.

KK        You lived in Sweden for a number of years.  Was this move from England for family reasons or was it purely a professional decision?

PR        I have no family in Sweden.  I went there because I was offered a position at the Department of Archaeology and Classical studies at Stockholm University.  I spent most of my time excavating Birka, one of the first real towns to develop in Sweden.  Birka is on the island of Björkö situated on Lake Mälaren just outside Stockholm.  This UNESCO World Heritage Site is rich in archaeology.  My colleagues Dr Sven Larsson and Nils Holmgren have dedicated their lives to discovering the secrets that remain hidden in this rich landscape.

KK        You talk passionately about your time in Sweden.  Do you intend to return and carry on your work there?

PR        Only for holidays.  My work in Sweden is done and now it’s time to move on and find something new.  Working here in Ireland this summer has been an extraordinary experience.  I’ve been truly inspired and intend to remain in Dublin for a little while longer.

KK        You are working on a book.  Can you tell us anything about it?

PR        It’s not a novel, but an academic review of the Viking influence on the development of early Dublin.  Did you know for example that Dublin was a Viking slaving centre?  People captured from England and the Continent were brought here to be sold into slavery.

KK        I didn’t know that.  Is this the direction in which you see your future going, writing books about this period in history?

PR        No, not really.  It’s something that I’m interested in at the moment.  To tell you the truth, I prefer to be out in the field working with soil under my fingernails.  We’ll just have to wait and see what the future has in store for me.

KK        Do you intend to remain in Ireland for the foreseeable future?

PR        Yes I do, but not indefinitely.  There are many interesting opportunities opening up in Ireland, the UK and on the Continent.  I’m not sure at this point where I might end up.

KK        Will you be working with Dr Gairne on her next project?  She wants to establish the location of an Iron Age settlement close to where the M1 Bridge crosses the river Boyne.

PR        I’m aware of her intentions, but I don’t expect to be invited to take part.  If significant Viking artifacts are unearthed then I can’t rule out offering my services, but by then I should be well into writing my book.

KK        Thank you Pam for taking part in this interview.  I wish you well for the future and look forward to a signed copy of your book.

Katherine Kinsella, Peoples Independent Irish news.


Saturday 19 November 2016

Meet the Author

Today I was at Canterbury Library promoting myself and my books.

The library, which includes The Beaney Museum and Gallery is a beautiful old building in the High Street.





This is one of the posters that staff at the library made for the event.



The Torc Trilogy, all three books on the library shelf.




A table full of books, leaflets and bookmarks.




Just added The Witness, a psychological thriller to the shelf.

Met some great people and had some interesting conversations. Hopefully they will now either buy my books or borrow them from the library.

Monday 14 November 2016

My latest novel

Cutting the Gordian Knot - The Final Solution was published in September and is the third and final novel in The Torc Trilogy.




The story continues directly from the previous book, The Gordian Knot.



The National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street Dublin is where Orlagh works.  This is the archaeological section of the museum, one of three buildings spread out over Dublin.  St.Stephen's Green is close by where Jerry first met Jack in The Belgae Torc.


 

The archaeological dig that Orlagh was involved in is located near to Drogheda, close to where the M1 bridge crosses the river Boyne.
The  Brú na Bóinne  World Heritage site is also in this area.



Newgrange, a fabulous Stone Age passage tomb, one of the most impressive monuments in the Boyne Valley.



Knowth and Dowth are also nearby.




Views of the River Boyne close to where I set the archaeological dig.



The bridge carrying the M1 motorway across the river.  Orlagh is convinced that this is where the ancient village will be found  below the bridge on the banks of the river.


This is how I imagined the standing stone in the sacred grove beside the river to look.  It was a little more overgrown in the book, but the stone is perfect.




The Wicklow Mountains is where more of the action took place.


The beautiful Glendalough Monastic site founded by St Kevin in the 6th century.


The two lakes set in the fabulous Wicklow mountain range.



The route that Jack and his assault team took from the car park at Glendalough when they were moving in on their target at the old mine site.


The granite base that runs in line with the peaks.  Jack and his team had to scale these heights in order to reach the ruins of the mining village.


The ruins of the miners house where Orlagh and the druid took refuge.  This is also where Jack and Dr Pam Rose came to check out the site earlier in the story.


The entrance to the mine high up on the cliff face.


A typical mine tunnel.  Some of the tunnels had been strengthened by The Phoenix Legion, but most remained in their original condition.

The locations that I chose to use in my book exist, they are all sites of outstanding historical and natural beauty.  If you ever find yourself in Ireland then these sites must on your list of places to visit.  You never know, you may even see some of my characters still lurking in the background.

Friday 4 November 2016

The Torc Trilogy

The Torc Trilogy, my action adventure series that sees main character Orlagh Gairne on an assignment to secure a golden torc for the National Museum of Ireland.   What appears to be a simple request turns into something much more sinister.  Over the three books Orlagh is drawn into life threatening situations that could not only destroy her life but the lives of millions of others across the globe.

The Belgae Torc, book one



The Gordian Knot continues the adventure, beginning in a warn torn Germany during the Second World War



The Gordian Knot, book 2



Cutting the Gordian Knot - The Final Solution, returns to Ireland for the conclusion

Cutting the Gordian Knot - The Final Solution, book 3


These books are available from Amazon in both Kindle and Paperback format or can be ordered from all good book shops.  For further information why not check out my website:- www.kevinmarshnovels.co.uk