Today, I’m delighted to welcome D K Marley to the blog with a fascinating post about her new book, Kingfisher.
Delving Into Worlds to Create Worlds
The idea of reading books to create a book, or perusing over endless amounts of websites, articles, dissertations, and more to write one historical novel appears daunting to most people; however, to me the task is one of the most enjoyable aspects of being a historical fiction author. So much so that I have to stop myself from researching to remind myself that I have a book to write. That being said, I do spend at least a month researching and taking notes before writing the first line of any book; and then, I research as needed along the way, especially when I come across something that must be included. My first draft is always a continuous flow from beginning to end with very little stopping and starting. The idea is to get the initial story on the computer because more often than not, everything shifts and morphs from the very first line to the the last by the time all the research is done and I have gone through the story twenty more times.
In researching for the novel Kingfisher I began simply, as I do with most of my novels. I always find one poem to include in my work, something that speaks to the heart of the story as well as giving a clue to the time period ideals that my characters live within. My best source so far in finding great poems is, of course, with Shakespeare, as most of my other novels are based on his plays. Kingfisher is different. This story deals with the loss of an age of innocence before WW1, and the desperation many felt to reclaim the Victorian way of life, so when I came across Martin Donisthorpe Armstrong’s poem “Kingfisher” written in the late 1800s, I felt an instant connection and knew I had to use it as the opening to the book.
Under the bank, close-shadowed from the sun,
By winter freshets spun,
Dry tangled wreckage hung above the shallows
In the long roots of the sallows,
And underneath in cool twilight the stream
Lay calmed to a brown dream.
Then with the gleam and flash of a swift-blue flame
Out from the dusk he came,
And the heart and the breath stood still with delight and wonder,
While in the water under
Shot, swift as he, a streak of blue and green
From unseen to unseen.
O wonder, leaping with sudder flutter of wings
From the litter of common things,
Flash on the inward eye till the soul leaps higher
On the surge of a great desire,
And high in the dim-lit hall of earthly years
Another lamp appears.
The flash of a swift-blue flame, out of the dusk he came… a streak of blue and green from unseen to unseen – sounds like a time traveler to me! And ‘from the litter of common things, flash on the inward eye till the soul leaps higher on the surge of a great desire, and high in the dim-lit hall of earthly years another lamp appears’ bespeaks of hope beyond the present circumstances; thus, hope beyond the dark storm of WW1, and beyond the fall of Camelot.
I must say, Wikipedia was a great help in general information about regions around Wales, specifically the Brecon forest, and Caernarfon. I spent a great deal of time just looking at pictures of the area, imagining my characters walking to the top of a tor, of the River Usk snaking through the valley, and lone Rowan trees growing from rocky crags. Since COVID prevented me from an actual trip to Wales, I had to use the pictures to absorb myself into the landscape (*sigh*). Also, I have to give a shout-out to Deborah Greenfield, an audiobook narrator who lives right near the area I wrote about, who was a great help in making sure my descriptions were accurate.
As far as books and research material, the list is vast! I used JSTOR and Gutenberg.org quite a bit, especially when taking time to read the writings of Einstein and Freud. BBC Online was also a great avenue for videos and articles.
Also, my own copies of Tennyson’s Idylls of the King, and Lady Charlotte Guest’s translated edition of The Mabinogion were essential in developing the story.
Here are just a few more of the research sites I used for the book but my list includes at least 150 to 200 articles, books, and more:
An overview of Arthurian literature: https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/themes/society/arthur_literature.shtml
The official page about the Welsh Bardic festival known as the Eisteddfod:
https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/Social/Eisteddfod
A historical blog article about Victorian-era debutantes:
http://www.katetattersall.com/coming-out-during-the-early-victorian-era-debutantes/
Book – “Ladies of the Manor: How Wives and Daughters Really Lived in Country Houses”
https://books.google.com/books?id=BEdpCAAAQBAJ
As far as an instrumental book on writing, the two I keep with me always are books I was introduced to at the Writer’s Retreat Workshop, a 10-day retreat founded by Gary Provost, and they are Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, and On Writing by Stephen King. Bird by Bird is honest, down-to-earth writing guide, and On Writing is an inspiring book showing how the link between writing and living spurred King’s recovery after trauma, something I can very well relate to. Both books I highly recommend to any aspiring writer.
Thank you for having me on the blog today and I hope you enjoy my story “Kingfisher”!
Thank you so much for sharing your research resources. Good luck with the new book.
Here’s the blurb:
The past, future, and Excalibur lie in her hands.
Wales, 1914. Vala Penrys and her four sisters find solace in their spinster life by story-telling, escaping the chaos of war by dreaming of the romantic days of Camelot. When the war hits close to home, Vala finds love with Taliesin Wren, a mysterious young Welsh Lieutenant, who shows her another world within the tangled roots of a Rowan tree, known to the Druids as ‘the portal’.
One night she falls through, and suddenly she is Vivyane, Lady of the Lake – the Kingfisher – in a divided Britain clamoring for a High King. What begins as an innocent pastime becomes the ultimate quest for peace in two worlds full of secrets, and Vala finds herself torn between the love of her life and the salvation of not only her family but of Britain, itself.
“It is, at the heart of it, a love story – the love between a man and a woman, between a woman and her country, and between the characters and their fates – but its appeal goes far beyond romance. It is a tale of fate, of power, and, ultimately, of sacrifice for a greater good.” – Riana Everly, author of Teaching Eliza and Death of a Clergyman
Buy Links:
Available on #KindleUnlimited.
Amazon UK: Amazon US: Amazon CA: Amazon AU:
Meet D K Marley
D. K. Marley is a Historical Fiction author specializing in Shakespearean adaptations, Tudor era historicals, Colonial American historicals, alternate historicals, and historical time-travel. At a very early age she knew she wanted to be a writer. Inspired by her grandmother, an English Literature teacher, she dove into writing during her teenage years, winning short story awards for two years in local competitions. After setting aside her writing to raise a family and run her graphic design business, White Rabbit Arts, returning to writing became therapy to her after suffering immense tragedy, and she published her first novel “Blood and Ink” in 2018, which went on to win the Bronze Medal for Best Historical Fiction from The Coffee Pot Book Club, and the Silver Medal from the Golden Squirrel Book Awards. Within three years, she has published four more novels (two Shakespearean adaptations, one Colonial American historical, and a historical time travel).
When she is not writing, she is the founder and administrator of The Historical Fiction Club on Facebook, and the CEO of The Historical Fiction Company, a website dedicated to supporting the best in historical fiction for authors and readers. And for fun, she is an avid reader of the genre, loves to draw, is a conceptual photography hobbyist, and is passionate about spending time with her granddaughter. She lives in Middle Georgia U.S.A. with her husband of 35 years, an English Lab named Max, and an adorable Westie named Daisy.
Connect with the author
Podcast: Group: Twitter: Facebook:
Instagram: Pinterest: Amazon Author Page: Goodreads:
Don’t forget to check out the other stops on the Kingfisher blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club.
M J Porter 