You can research about something in books or online.
But there’s nothing quite like being there in person: Seeing, touching, smelling and imagining what it was like in its full glory.
The visit to the Langley Airport helped Coquitlam author David E. Burnell immensely.
He was in the midst of writing the second novel in his trilogy about Second World War airplanes in Britain.
Officials with the Canadian Museum of Flight led Burnell into the hangar to show him a restored Westland Lysander. “They even brought out the ladder for me to get a look up inside,” he said with a chuckle.
A British native, Burnell is fascinated with Royal Air Force stories and memorabilia from WWII; however, fiction is his specialty so he dreams up great page turners about young Canadian pilots fighting in Europe, falling in love and ending up in trouble.
His first book of the genre, A Nightingale Sang, centred on the protagonist David Marshal who is recuperating in England after being shot down in Italy.
His new book, which came out last Monday and has already been read at Coquitlam’s Dogwood Pavilion, is titled In Moonlight’s Shadow.
Here, Burnell captures Richard Forrester who is shot down in occupied France in 1941 in his Hawker Hurricane.
The work — his fifth — took him two-and-a-half years to complete and is the one his publisher, Vivalogue, is most proud of, Burnell said.
For this novel, the New Westminster house recommended he seek a substantive editor for better structure. Burnell sought out a professional in England; however, because of the time delay, he asked her to provide only a general outline to tighten the text.
In the end, with the help of his peers from the New Westminster Writers Group, Burnell shaved the copy down by 1,000 words. “It made a tremendous difference and I’m very happy with the results,” Burnell said. “Their help made all the difference.”
Besides Dogwood, Burnell also has introduced the new work to members of the Surrey Muse, a writers’ organization, and he plans to formally launch it next month — just in time for the Christmas shopping season.
In Moonlight’s Shadow will be sold on Amazon.ca, RedTuqueBooks.ca, Renaissance Books (43 Sixth St., New Westminster) and Reflections Books (1111 Austin Ave., Coquitlam). As well, Burnell has it for sale through his website: davidburnell.com.
As for his third book in the trilogy, Burnell said it’s already underway. Temporarily titled Jerry Brent’s War, the novel will focus on a young pilot in a Bristol Blenheim Bomber whose squadron is to be the first to fly the new De Havilland Mosquito — the British multi-role combat aircraft that was nicknamed The Wooden Wonder.
That book is due out next year or 2017.
[email protected]
@jwarrenTC
EXCERPT
They rode back, neither of them saying very much. Forrester’s thoughts were occupied with the happenings of the previous evening. The spectre of the soldier standing at the top of the embankment, a black shadow against the dark blue of the night, haunted his memory.
Marcel accompanied Forrester into the library. “You did well last night.” He spoke quietly, as if it was a blasphemy just to mention it.
The lines across Forrester’s face were taut, his features creased with guilt and fatigue. “I killed another man.”
“If you hadn’t, the train would have probably gone through and we would all be dead. As I said, you did well.”
“That’s three men that I have killed.”
Marcel looked hard at the young man, a man of twenty-two who looked more like forty. “You’re a fighter pilot. You’ve killed many more than three.”
“That’s different. As a fighter pilot I’ve killed people, but it’s remote. You shoot at aircraft, or ground targets, that are shooting at you. Most of the time you don’t see the results of your actions. You don’t feel the snap of a breaking neck, or hear the thud of a bullet piercing someone’s chest, or see the blood spurt from a crushed skull.”
Marcel laughed, a laugh that lacked any humour. “You are used to fighting your war as a knight of the air. Going out in the armour of your flying machine to do battle with the enemy, a gladiatorial contest. Well it so happens, mon ami, that you have been cast into my war, the dirty war.” He spat the words. “But it is a war that has to be fought and one we must win, no matter what the cost.”
Forrester sighed. “I guess you’re right.”
Marcel gave him a searching look. “If I need a driver again, will you be available?”
“Of course,” said Forrester, brightening a little. “As you said, it has to be done.”
