It’s February 14th, and you must choose one Valentine from fourteen. Who will you pick as your date?
This is just for fun because, sadly, I can’t bring my characters to life anywhere else but on the page. But, if you could invite one of them to step from the past and go with you on a Valentine’s date, who would you choose?
Below, in random order, are fourteen characters from the Clearwater, Larkspur, and Delamere Mysteries. I have put their name and their main series so you can see who’s who.
When you’ve made your choice, put a comment on my Facebook page and let’s see who you think would be good to take on a date, and why. (You can copy and paste the photo too, if you want.)
This was a question I posed to a search engine the other day, simply out of interest. I guess I wanted to check whether AI had naughtily rummaged inside any of my books, but was pleased to see that all the information gathered came purely from my own blurbs and website. It’s an interesting summary, and here’s what it said, with a few notes from me.
Jack Merritt is a central character in The Delamere Files series of gay romantic Victorian mysteries by Jackson Marsh. He is portrayed as a 24-year-old carter and [ex-] labourer at the East India Docks who becomes involved in investigative work with the Clearwater Detective Agency. [Carter = cabbie, I guess.]
Here are the key details about Jack Merritt: [Misspelt, I note, but not by me – I hope.]
Background and Personality: Originally from a humble, working-class background, Jack [initially] lives in Limehouse with his grandparents, Reggie and Ida Merrit. He is characterised by a “bewildered look of innocence,” deep thinking, and a sense of vulnerability that contrasts with his, at times, dangerous investigative work.
Role in the Series: Jack is one of the key investigators, working alongside Will Merritt and with the guidance of characters like Jimmy Wright. He matures throughout the series, evolving from a labourer into a dedicated, albeit sometimes insecure, detective.
Relationships: A significant aspect of his character is his romantic journey, particularly his relationship with Larkin Chase.
Key Storylines: In A Case of Make Believe (Book 5), Jack takes charge of the agency’s new staff and a difficult missing person case. In A Fall from Grace (Book 2), he learns detective skills and navigates his professional and romantic life.
Jack Merritt is often depicted as having a “charming and innocent” perspective, often serving as the reader’s lens into the complex social and criminal world of Victorian London.
Not bad. He is my MC, for sure, closely followed by Will Merrit (left), and, later in the series, Benjamin Baxter. The cast list for Delamere seems to grow with each new book.
We started with Jack, Will and Larkin, then added more of Max the butler, then Baxter, and as the Clearwater characters began to take a back seat (Jimmy Wright, Mrs Norwood), so came along Mrs Sparks, Simeon and Ronny Felman, and more recently, Charlie Inning. Around them, we’ve started to see more of the police connections, including, in the last book, Tom Bradley of the City of London Police.
Now then. A few people have hinted that they would like to see more of Tom (he was painted as charming, sensitive, cute…), and I am thinking about working him into a subplot in book eleven.
(Left: Ben Baxter.)
I am not sure, but I think it’s about time we shook things up in the Baxter/Charlie relationship, as it’s never really been a settled one. It’s always been a bit mad passion followed by cooling off, followed by being an open relationship and then not… We shall see.
The point is, I am working on book eleven, so far untitled, and as you can see from last week’s post, it has something to do with the Thirteen Club. This was a real club/society, and gave me the idea of using such societies and associations as the background for the mystery.
In the past, Jack, Will and the rest have been involved in criminal gangs, the Old School network, the music halls, the theatre of Grand Guignol, the London sewer system, creepy castles, the reading of a will, serial killers and the martyrdom of saints, and rural smugglers. In the most recent book, ‘A Depraved Indifference,’ although they saved lives, the criminal escaped and is still out there…
It will be interesting to revisit this online search for ‘Who is Jack Merrit of the Delamere files?’ and see what it comes up with.
MM Promos and Others
Meanwhile, don’t forget there are still some promos running, if you want to explore them or simply give a random click to boost my reputation for sharing. Here are two new ones:
Andrej Borysko Yakiv Kolisnychenko (Fecker or Fecks) is one of the most enduring characters of the Clearwater and Larkspur series, and he began life as someone else.
As part of my online Clearwater Companion, a guide to the series with notes and other material that I didn’t use in the books, I am putting up a transcript of my bible notes. My ‘bible’ being the main notebook(s) in which I record character and other details so, in theory, I don’t contradict myself later. Today, I’m going to share my notes on Fecker, as he became known in ‘Deviant Desire.’
He started out as Andy, an East End lad, an Artful Dodger to Silas’ Oliver, but I soon realised that a) he wasn’t an Artful Dodger (if anyone, that was Silas) and b) he shouldn’t be an Eastender but an immigrant, and he shouldn’t be gay but straight. There were so many nationalities living in London’s East End at the time of the story, (1888) that the chances are, Silas’ best mate would be from abroad. So, I made him Russian, then German, then settled on Ukrainian, because it was slightly more unusual. As the stories progressed, so did his background because he was a character that formed as I went, rather than being one who arrived on the page fully formed. Creating as you go like this necessitates a well-kept bible, and I’m not always very good at keeping notes, so some of Fecks’ details got lost in my memory, which is one reason we never know exactly how old he is.
As the series progressed, so I wanted to understand more about him and Silas and how they met, and that’s how the prequel, ‘Banyak & Fecks’ came about. Now, after finishing two series during which Fecks goes from fleeing the Russian army in Ukraine, to moving into Academy House as an Austrian Baron, I realise that he is the backbone of both series. All 18 books are really only about him, except they are not, and he is only in the distance in some, while at the forefront of others. He’s my shadow character, the one whose life changes in an epic fashion though mainly in the background as we follow the lives of the others.
Still… Enough rambling. Below are my basic notes, and there are not many of them.
Andrej when he believed he was descended from the Cossacks, hence the long hair. This is one of the depictions created by my cover designer, Andjela, and it captures Fecker’s nobleness and stature.
Andrej Borysko Yakiv Kolisnychenko (Fecker or Fecks)
I have to admit that Fecks always had a vague timeline, and no-one is sure of his exact age, including himself. I wrote an outline of his life when writing ‘Banyak & Fecks’, and some of the dates below do not now correspond with what is in the books. However, what is in the books is as accurate as it can be. In Fecks’ case, there are notes from my bible and from other files.
From the bible.
Andrej Borysko Yakiv Kolisnychenko, “Fecker” or “Fecks” nickname. Born 1867. Ukrainian. Born around Easter. In 1888, is 19, fix-foot-two (later six-foot-four), blond, long hair, built like a docker. Strong, Blue eyes, on streets since 14 (1883), straight, quiet, loyal, wars a greatcoat, generous, dopey, doesn’t swim. Can understand English and speak it okay, but chooses not to. ‘Big everywhere’ (massive dick). Silas’ stone, taken from burnt house, was Danylo’s. Khanjali, Fecker’s knife. Shuska, Cossack sword.
From my other notes:
Born in March 1867
He thinks he is about 19, as does Silas, but he is actually 21 in 1888, and doesn’t know his exact birthday. He thinks it is around Easter as he remembers celebrations near his birthday and thought they were for him.
He was born inland from Odessa, towards Kiev, in the Mykolaiv region. (Serbka.)
Family
Parents Father Borysko 1840 to 1878 (Turkish War) Mother 1842 to 1869 (childbirth) Poor farmers with five children: Danylo 1859 possibly still alive Vladsylav 1861 to 1879 Alina 1864 to 1876 Andrej (Fecker) 1866 (?) Daria 1869 possibly still alive
His Names and meaning.
Andrej Andrew, manly, masculine Borysko Fight/Battle Yakiv James, Jacob, supplant Kolisnychenko The longest Ukrainian surname I could find, lol.
Mykolayiv Region
The boundless fields of Pobuzhzhya and Ingul River region, green vineyards and wonderful flowering gardens under bottomless blue sky is Mykolayiv land.
The agriculture is the leading industry of the regional economy. Mykolayiv Region makes significance payment in strengthening of the country, producing almost seven percents of cereals and sunflower, three percents of gross milk production. The production of cereals and sunflower per capita in the region exceeds the proper indexes on average in Ukraine by three times as well as milk – 10 percents. (wiki)
Year
Age
Real age
Events
1867
0
Fecker born Andrej Borysko Yakiv Kolisnychenko Danylo aged 8 (1859), Vladyslav aged 6 (1861) Alina aged 3 (1864)
1868
1
1869
0
2
Daria born – mother died in childbirth Compulsory education introduced in Russia
1870
1
3
Father remarried much younger girl, Fecks considers her mother
1871
2
4
1872
3
5
1873
4
6
Fecker compulsory schooling. Farm working. Horses a particular love
1874
5
7
Poverty
1875
6
8
Danylo general conscription
1876
7
9
One sister died (Alina, aged 12 at hands of Russian soldiers)
1877
8
10
Vlad general conscription
1878
9
11
Fecker taught fencing by older brother Danylo and other military roles – tough life, local land skirmishes, learnt to look after himself. Father died, mother left with younger sister Daria, brother away so Fecker left alone to cope with farm.
1879
10
12
Vlad killed in a battle in Turkish War/Balkans; dad dead, step-mum and sister gone, other sister dead and then Danylo goes missing after Turkish War. (Possibly to turn up later in a story?)
1880
11
13
Fled Ukraine made his own way across Europe, through Austria-Hungary (Moldova, Romania) Working where he could, fighting off abuse and mistreatment when he joined a traveling group of circus horsemen. Killed a man who was trying to rape him and fled towards Hungary
1881
12
14
Across Hungary and Slovenia, working, looking after horses, taken in by an older woman and family Left there when woman’s husband returned from war, mad and angry.
1882
13
15
Arrived Italy. Crossing towards Med coast, had first experience of sex for sale. Stowed away on a ship not knowing where it was bound. He probably caught the ship in Genoa, but can’t remember the name of the place. Was discovered at sea and able to stay thanks to sexual favours; learnt his trade. Arrived in London in the autumn
1883
14
16
Met Silas (book one) Renting
1884
15
17
Renting/dock work
1885
16
18
Renting/dock work
1886
17
19
Renting/dock work
1887
18
20
Renting/dock work
1888
19
21
Deviant Desire – moves to Clearwater House
Feck appears on more than one cover:
Fecks & BanyakOn a charger on his way to rescue damsels in distress.Fecks is 2nd from the right, between Prof Fleet (centre) and Will Merrit.
This week, I took delivery of the illustration that will go at the beginning of ‘Starting with Secrets.’ Since beginning the Larkspur Mysteries series, I have added an illustration at the start of each book because… Well, I’m not sure. When I published ‘The Clearwater Inheritance’ I had someone draw me a map of Europe showing the route of the Orient Express, because I thought it would be fun for readers to follow the journey. Previously, I’d engaged an artist to draw some of my characters from photos and add some Victoriana, such as the correct costume. I was doing this for a book I am still considering, ‘The Clearwater Companion, and I’ll tell you about that another time.
What I thought I would do today is put up the collection so far: the collection of illustrations which have been drawn by an artist who lives in India and has a company called DazzlingDezigns. If you click on that link, you will see her page on Fiverr, which is where I was lucky enough to find her. I’ve not been able to commission every main character (and let’s face it, there are a lot of them!), but here, in no particular order, are those who have so far made it into the gallery. There are also a couple of other illustrations which have been used in the Larkspur books and for the cover of ‘Banyak & Fecks.’
Lord Clearwater, Archer, around whom both series revolve
Silas Hawkins, trickster, mimic and all things underhand
The map from ‘The Clearwater Inheritance’
Thomas Payne, when he was a butler
Silas Hawkins from the cover of ‘Banyak and Fecks’
The plague mask from ‘Agents of the Truth’
A new character you will meet in ‘Starting with Secrets’
Mrs Norwood, the ‘new woman’ housekeeper and coachwoman
Joe Tanner, deaf antiquarian
Jasper Blackwood, the concert pianist from the workhouse
James Wright, messenger to footman to valet to detective
The Colvannick standing stones
Frank Andino, the Greek, foul-mouthed mathematical genius
Fecker cover drawing
Andrej Borysko Yakiv Kolisnychenko (Fecker to his friends, Fecks for short)
Dr Markland, the bonkers medical genius with a thing for cricket
Dalston Blaze (who drew all the sketches)
Chester Cadman as a master of ceremonies
Billy Barnett, the opera-singing caretaker of Larkspur Hall
