The end is near!

Editing chapter sixty seven before writing up the next section.  The story is heading for its exciting conclusion so only about ten thousand more words required.

Cutting the Gordian Knot

Cutting the Gordian Knot (The Final Solution)

This is the final part of The Torc Trilogy. 

Continuing on from The Gordian Knot, this book brings the adventure to a close.

Will life ever get back to normal for Orlagh?

Table top sale

I was at a table top sale yesterday in a village close to where I live.  

Sold loads of signed copies of my books.

Best selling book of the day as my psychological thriller The Witness.

It's great promoting myself and my books in little village halls.  It's amazing meeting potential characters for future books.

How many words?

I am often asked how many words my books contain.  The simple answer is count the words on one page and multiply it against the number of pages.  

For the longer answer:-

From a simple notebook where all my ideas are recorded comes the finished product.  This book is beside me all of the time and is where everything goes, ideas, research, dialogue, things that don't make it into the final book, anything that I can think of that may or may not be relevant to the plot.  I am terrible at remembering names so even my characters are listed for my reference. When I get stuck I dip into this book so in theory I should never get writers block.

 Yes I do use highlighter pens to make parts stand out more clearly.

From this comes this-

The Belgae Torc.

The first part of The Torc Trilogy.  This was my first book and was published in 2012.  It contains 110,239 words.

 I always hand write the first two drafts.  I love the feel of a pen and adore notebooks.  This works for me because the thrill of the words flowing from pen onto paper is more than satisfying.  I find it difficult to have that connection with a keyboard.

The Gordian Knot.

 The second part of The Torc Trilogy was published in 2014.  It contains 116,836 words.

Typing up the first draft of the manuscript is an ongoing process.  I don't leave it to the end because editing as I go is very useful.  It allows me to read and digest what I have already written.

Cutting the Gordian Knot (The Final Solution).

The third and final part of The Torc Trilogy was published in 2016 and contains 114,970 words.

Can you see a trend emerging here?

Over time my books have become longer. This is true of The Torc Trilogy and for two reasons.  Firstly I thought that my books looked better with a few more pages in them and secondly I had so much more to say in the second and third books.

The next two books are in a completely different genre.  I wanted to try my hand at writing psychological thrillers and experiment with a different section of the market.

The Witness.

This book came out in 2013 and was my second book to become published.  It contains 111,205 words.

I had an idea to produce five thrillers.  Some notable characters and places from The Witness would appear in all five books.  Whilst each book is a stand alone novel I wanted to create a connection between each book.  

The Cellist.

This book was published in 2017 and contains 112,020 words.

I enjoyed writing The Cellist. 

Authors always have doubts and question their work in progress.  Is it as good as my previous novel is the question that nags constantly.  I am currently working on my third thriller.  Familiar characters and places have made their way into this book which is almost finished.  The editing process is ongoing as I work the manuscript into something worthy of proof reading.

This is what the final manuscript will look like.  Double spaced, Arial font size twelve.  I always provide my proof readers with a red pen.  This pen is mightier than the sword!  

My books are available from Amazon as both paperback and Kindle or they can be ordered from any good bookshop.

Keep a look out in your local UK library because slowly they are beginning to appear.  If you can't find it on the shelf please request it from the librarian. 

A developing manuscript.

The next book is on its way.  

This is another thriller with a number of characters and places from The Witness and The Cellist appearing again. 

The idea is to create five thrillers with my favourite characters and places showing up in each book.
I say five but there could be more, we shall just have to see how things develop.

Happy reading.

The Gordian Knot.

The Gordian Knot, the second book in The Torc Trilogy.

An action adventure novel set in beautiful historical locations. (This book follows on from The Belgae Torc).  

ISBN 978-1-78222-265-1

Synopsis

Twelve months has passed since the traumatic events that almost claimed her life and Dr Orlagh Gairne is looking forward to a well-earned holiday.

With her partner, Jerry, they jet off for the Aegean coast where they plan to make the most of the Mediterranean sun and visit the ancient sites of Anatolia.

The Phoenix Legion, still reeling from a humiliating defeat, have re-grouped and are now planning the next phase of their quest.  They are in possession of the Belgae Torc, but this is not enough to ensure total power so they must rely on the druids and their connection with the spirit world.

Whilst searching for treasure in the Sea of Azov, Jack Harrington and his team make an unexpected discovery and with the past merging with the present are unable to avoid being drawn in to another deadly battle.

The Belgae Torc, Jack Harrington and The Phoenix Legion are far from her thoughts, but as Orlagh enjoys her holiday with the man she loves, these forces come together.  Will she manage to avoid another conflict or will she become a victim of circumstances that are beyond her control?

Testimonials

A terrific sequel to the Belgae Torc which I also thoroughly enjoyed. Orlagh and Jerry are back, this time as a solidified item and once again they become embroiled in danger when the call of the Torc attracts them back into harm's way. Although the story travels back and forth in time (one of its many strengths and enjoyments), the action never stops or wavers. Spanning from Russia to Ireland and many countries in between, there are many players involved in wishing to secure the iconic item despite its seemingly unharness-able horrendous power. Although it helps to have read the first story in the series, this one can be read as a stand-alone without any loss to its logic or power to entertain.

This is the third novel by Kevin Marsh that I have read and thoroughly enjoyed. Now, I love Celtic history mainly involving Ireland and Britain and have read numerous novels headed under the theme of ‘Time Travel’ (yikes) but when it comes to The Gordian Knot he has continued the plot by involving a World War II storyline with a Germanic Paganism subtext! Don’t worry, you don’t have to know very much about the history of the war so don’t let this throw you off in any way! Simply, there is so much adventure, espionage, spy tactics, juxtaposed against a present day storyline and Celtic mythology the reader will not be able to stop reading!

For instance, some of my favorite chapters involved Orlagh’s past issues with the Druids, being haunted by Goddesses and a certain love story that plays out with Jerry Knowles. The Gordian Knot is a true historic adventurous tale that I hope everyone will seek out and enjoy.

There is a lot going on from chapter to chapter, a lot of history during various eras supported by a brilliant cast of characters. The sense of place is presented so succinctly that you would swear you were standing right there in the room! Hopefully, readers will not get overwhelmed with all the action, blood and guts. There is romance, friendship and humor beautifully written within these pages. The author has done his research and his passion for history comes across clearly.

My hope is that everyone gives The Gordian Knot a chance and buys it for themselves. I promise it is a beautiful and engaging read. However, take note that there is a prequel of sorts called, The Belgae Torc. So, if you want an introduction to Orlagh, Jerry, and The Celts, why not check out The Belgae Torc as well!

 The paperback version is available from Amazon at just £9.99 (USA $14.99)

The Kindle version £4.99 (USA $6.60)

The Belgae Torc, a promotion

The Belgae Torc is an action adventure novel that begins in the Iron age with a torc made of white gold.  Not merely a symbol of wealth, it has the power to dominate all those who wear it.

In the 1920s the torc is unearthed by a team of archaeologists on what is thought to be the site of an ancient ritualistic killing.  Even though it has lain buried for 2000 years the torc has lost none of its resplendence or symbolic status.  Coveted by those who see it the torc enters a private collection and is lost to public scrutiny.  Years later it turns up on the inventory of a sunken ship and archaeologist Orlagh Gairne from the National Museum of Ireland is sent to assist a team of marine salvage experts to identify items of historical importance including the torc.

Here begins an adventure that spans three books and changes the lives of all those involved.

Testimonials

The Belgae Torc is at its heart an adventure story. However, it’s a lot more than that. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the story moved from the ancient past into the present and the historical realism gave the impression that the tale might be based on a true story.

There are loads of well-developed characters although at times I found it hard to keep a track of who’s who. The book definitely deserves to be given decent chunks of reading time… it’s not a story to be read in small slices (I read it on holiday and it was the perfect book for long sessions lying in the sun).

While I enjoyed the historical parts of the adventure, I became much more gripped when it moved to the modern times. That’s when the adventure really took off and I thought Orlagh the archaeologist was a super character (maybe that’s something to do with my Irish blood).

Kevin Marsh has a great turn of phrase at times (e.g. ‘A mixture of strong brew and bravado was a deadly catalyst.’) I found myself stopping every so often to reread a phrase I’d particularly enjoyed.

I can happily recommend The Belgae Torc, particularly to anyone who enjoys a bit history and a lot of adventure.

I happen to love Celtic history whether it be Irish, English, Welsh, French and even Italian Celtic history of The Gauls. So, when I read The Belgae Torc, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. Author, Kevin Marsh writes with detailed beauty and clarity about the many characters and history you'll find here. The story was engaging, and I found myself wanting to do some research about this 'Belgae Torc'. If you enjoy historical stories that are intriguing and dramatic with a well written plot and even humor, then I encourage you to give The Belgae Torc a try. I would recommend it to all my friends who enjoy Celtic history.

The paperback version is available from Amazon at just £9.99 (USA $14.99)

The Kindle version £1.99 (USA $2.70)