Interview with author Michael Rudnicki Darsky's Resistance

Please welcome yet another new to me author, world traveler, Warsaw resident whose new thriller Darsky's Resistance is out now. To him this book is more than a novel. Read on to find out why.
Welcome Michael!

• ISBN-13: 9781500738952
• Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing
• Publication date: 8/28/2014
• Pages: 388

 

Overview

'Ian Darsky - the NEW James Bond.' CS Quinn, author of the Thief Taker Ian Darsky. Assassin. Soldier. Secret agent. But for whom?

BOOK DESCRIPTION
It's September 1939. Germany and Russia have invaded Poland and secret agent, Ian Darsky, wants to fight for his country. But which country? Darsky's father is Polish, his mother English. He works for the British Secret Service. But his family home in Poland is under threat. As war descends, loyalties are tested, friends turn into enemies and an old adversary spins a complicated web of deceit and destruction. Will Darsky's resistance prevail? Whose side is he really on?

SOME BEHIND THE BOOK HISTORY:When Michael Rudnicki uncovered the secret diaries of his grandfather, his family were rocked by the revelations within. Throughout the Second World War, the young man had served his country as an undercover agent for the resistance; his speciality was underground court order killing and executions. This extraordinary history of his grandfather inspired Rudnicki to research what might have motivated his grandfather’s actions and his journey during WWII, using his research as a canvas for “what might have been.” The result is a seductive blend of intrigue, romance and dark humour, combined with a rousing and unflinching depiction of the realities of life as a spy in the grip of war. Rudnicki’s first novel is an excellent tribute, not only to his idiosyncratic grandfather, but to the bravery, the resilience and the legacy of Poland and its people. Rudnicki is an ambassador for his beloved Poland, and,with Darsky’s Resistance , pays tribute to her complicated history and how it is relevant to the world today.

Michael Hi!
Welcome to The Reading Frenzy
Tell us about your new book Darsky’s Resistance.

Hi, thanks for having me. The book is a WW2 espionage thriller set in Poland, featuring the Polish Resistance against Germans and Soviets and introducing a new hero, Ian Darsky, Secret Agent, nobleman, musician, actor, traveller, assassin and love-machine.

Let’s talk about your hero, Darsky. Did his character and role in the novel behave the way you wanted him to or did he give you a fair amount of trouble?

Darsky gives everyone trouble! He is the embodiment of modern Poland and unsure where he fits in. He’s cold and cynical but at the same time his artistic leanings and intelligence divulge a deeper sensitivity. A real enigma. Mostly he did what I intended him to do, but originally I didn’t intend for him to fall emotionally for Yelena for example. He’s a lot of fun to write because he’s so changeable.

Was Darsky your favorite character in the novel, if not who was?

The long-suffering Alina is probably my favourite character if I was pushed but it’s a bit like asking who your favourite child is. I mean even Olshakov has his charm, and Joseph took on a lot of my Grandfather’s characteristics. It was hard killing some characters and at least one who was meant to die in the original synopsis survived simply because they were far too cool to leave out of future stories.

Will you be revisiting Darsky in a future work of fiction or will you be going in a different fictional direction?

Absolutely. I’ve already started on a prequel set in Crimea during the late twenties/ early thirties and have the outline for a follow up set in 1950s Communist Poland. And I intend to write many more stories set in different periods featuring Darsky, his ascendants and descendents as well as the supporting cast.

Michael even though this is fiction it was actually inspired by your grandfather’s participation as an agent for the resistance in WWII.
Can you share with us a little about what your grandfather did during the war?

Sure, first and foremost he was a soldier in what would become the Home Army. They would gather intelligence, disrupt supply lines, ambush troops. Whatever was required as they fought a guerrilla war against the Germans and the Red Army. He and his comrades led a nomadic existence living off the land and enduring one of the coldest winters on record following the invasion (39-40). 

They would run messages, send radio transmissions back to London and police their own underground state. 

There were bandits, and of course collaborators that needed to be dealt with and my Grandfather was tasked with executing those found guilty.

Was your grandfather’s role in the war something you always knew about?

I knew a little, but did not find out about he executions until I was handed his diaries after he passed away. It was quite a shock at first!

Michael even though this is your debut novel you’re not a stranger to writing.
Will you share what other kind of writing you do with my readers?

I’ve written a column for a national paper in Poland for a number of years. I’ve also written a couple of albums of songs.

Michael you mention on your website that your day job takes you from Warsaw to the UK often.
Is your hope to one day be a full time novelist?

Absolutely. That’s the dream isn’t it?

Michael thank you so much for answering these questions?

A pleasure

Are you touring with this novel?
Any chance to meet you in the US?

Always a chance, I visit the US and Canada through my day job too.

Connect with Michael – Website – Facebook - Twitter

MEET MICHAEL:

Michael Rudnicki was born in Poland and moved to the United Kingdom in the early 1990s to study. A real self-starter with a degree in Economics, he has specialised in helping corporates to bridge the gap between east

and west.He lives in Warsaw, Poland with his wife and young son. Darsky’s Resistance  by Michael Rudnicki, published by Hoxton Books (RRP $9.99 paperback, RRP $2.99 eBook), is available online at retailers including amazon.com and can be ordered from all good bookstores. For more information, please visit: www.darskylegacy.com 

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