Ask the Author: Mark Oldfield
Answered Questions (13)
Mark Oldfield
Hi Richard, very pleased to hear you enjoyed the first two books! I hope you'll enjoy the 'Dead' which is scheduled for release on 10th August.
There are lots of books about the Spanish Civil War, so I've listed a few below which I think would help you understand the causes of the War and the things that occurred during it. Most of these books have provided me with incidents and anecdotes which crop up in my books. If your Spanish is up to it, the last one on the list is well worth a read.
Many people wonder why the SCW still evokes such strong emotions. The book by Paul Preston 'Spanish Holocaust' answers those questions in great (though depressing) detail.
The Spanish Civil War - Hugh Thomas
A Concise History of the Spanish Civil War -Paul Preston
The Spanish Holocaust -Paul Preston
Doves of War: Four Women of the Spanish Civil War - Paul Preston
No Pasaran!: Writings from the Spanish Civil War -Pete Ayerton
Spain in our Hearts -Americans in the Spanish Civil War -Adam Hoschschild
The Spanish Labyrinth - Gerald Brennan
The Spanish Civil War - Hugh Thomas
Una Historia De La Guerra Civil Que No Va A Gustar A Nadie -Juan Eslava Galán
You'll find many more books on the subject on Amazon but these are a good start. Let me know your thoughts once you've read one or two?
Best wishes, Mark
There are lots of books about the Spanish Civil War, so I've listed a few below which I think would help you understand the causes of the War and the things that occurred during it. Most of these books have provided me with incidents and anecdotes which crop up in my books. If your Spanish is up to it, the last one on the list is well worth a read.
Many people wonder why the SCW still evokes such strong emotions. The book by Paul Preston 'Spanish Holocaust' answers those questions in great (though depressing) detail.
The Spanish Civil War - Hugh Thomas
A Concise History of the Spanish Civil War -Paul Preston
The Spanish Holocaust -Paul Preston
Doves of War: Four Women of the Spanish Civil War - Paul Preston
No Pasaran!: Writings from the Spanish Civil War -Pete Ayerton
Spain in our Hearts -Americans in the Spanish Civil War -Adam Hoschschild
The Spanish Labyrinth - Gerald Brennan
The Spanish Civil War - Hugh Thomas
Una Historia De La Guerra Civil Que No Va A Gustar A Nadie -Juan Eslava Galán
You'll find many more books on the subject on Amazon but these are a good start. Let me know your thoughts once you've read one or two?
Best wishes, Mark
Mark Oldfield
Hi Tanya, I haven't visited Extremadura other than on Google Earth. Are there many British people there? Do you like the weather? Great that your husband likes the books as well as you. The third volume is somewhere in the depths of HOZ towers, although the publisher is moving out of there soon as the building has been sold (for a fortune since it's on Clerkenwell Green!). At the moment I'm not sure of the publication date though will be glad to share it once they let me in on it!
Mark Oldfield
Hi Tanya, I'm really pleased you enjoyed the books. Book 3 'The Dead' went off to the publisher last week and so now all that remains is the editing and marketing stuff. Hopefully they'll use the same narrator again, although that side of things is out of my control, though I'll ask.
Mark Oldfield
Hi Gloria, as far as I know, there haven't been any bids to publish the Exile in Italy though there may have been some at the Frankfurt Book fair that I don't know about. Will post if I hear any news!
Mark
PS the English version is available on Amazon Italia.
Mark
PS the English version is available on Amazon Italia.
Mark Oldfield
Hi Kirsty, I'm really pleased you enjoyed The Exile! The next book is 'The Dead' and I'm just working on the final edit now so depending on the Publisher's schedule, it will either be released later this year or early next.
If you care to add a review on Amazon & Goodreads, that would be great.
But whether you do or don't you're also welcome to visit the book's page on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkOldfield... where there are photos I've used to provide inspiration for the books.
Very best wishes and thanks again for your message.
Mark
If you care to add a review on Amazon & Goodreads, that would be great.
But whether you do or don't you're also welcome to visit the book's page on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkOldfield... where there are photos I've used to provide inspiration for the books.
Very best wishes and thanks again for your message.
Mark
Mark Oldfield
Good question Mitch! Are you referring to the the sample file I've made available on this site? The file I put up is a straightforward pdf so if that's what's giving you trouble it may be because the format I've put it in may not work well for the kindle though if you download it, it should open OK in windows. There are photos in there as well as quotes from the book.
If that doesn't work for you, It's possible to download a kindle sample from Amazon - click on the book cover and there's a link to download the Kindle sample.
Hope this helps. Mark
If that doesn't work for you, It's possible to download a kindle sample from Amazon - click on the book cover and there's a link to download the Kindle sample.
Hope this helps. Mark
Mark Oldfield
In a word yes. I wanted to convey the dark atmosphere of that time, when anyone who didn't conform to the dictates of Franco's regime could soon find themselves in trouble. Paul Preston's book 'The Spanish Holocaust' addresses the scale of the killing during the Civil War but figures can only convey so much. I wanted to portray the casual violence and intimidation that ordinary people suffered. And of course, the rampant corruption. Sometimes a high level of detail is necessary to do that.
Mark Oldfield
Firstly from my travels and experiences in Spain. Secondly form my interest in contemporary Spanish History. And third, my burning desire to write a complex story that spans various lives and time periods.
Mark Oldfield
I sit down at my laptop and I'm good to go. No matter what I feel before hand, when I see the manuscript on the screen, I'm in the mood for writing. But inspiration comes in all sorts of ways. It's good to go for walks sometimes!
Mark Oldfield
I'm just finishing 'the Exile' volume two of the vengeance of memory trilogy. Like the Sentinel, it's set in three time periods and has multiple and overlapping plotlines.
Mark Oldfield
Write regularly. Have a plan and build on it. Start it simple and add complexity as you go.
Always remember tension is good: don't give characters an easy ride.
If someone asks 'How are you today, Ana?' The answer isn't 'Fine thanks,' it's 'What's it to you buster?'
Be logical. Make sure things have consequences.
Always remember tension is good: don't give characters an easy ride.
If someone asks 'How are you today, Ana?' The answer isn't 'Fine thanks,' it's 'What's it to you buster?'
Be logical. Make sure things have consequences.
Mark Oldfield
Two main things:
1) Writing. Getting up on a cold winter's day - or a summer's day or whenever - and sitting down to build a world.
2) People who come up and say they liked the book and explain how they have a favourite character and why.
1) Writing. Getting up on a cold winter's day - or a summer's day or whenever - and sitting down to build a world.
2) People who come up and say they liked the book and explain how they have a favourite character and why.
Mark Oldfield
Sometimes, I make a list of possible responses (for dialogue) or events. I do them as fast as possible, brainstorming them no matter how silly some are. Usually after a few minutes of that, something crops up.
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