Author Bio | Roger Burnage The Merriman Chronicles

Roger Burnage (1933 - 2015)

Roger was born and raised in the village of Lymm, near Warrington in the United Kingdom.

His life took an intriguing turn when he served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during his national service. He was stationed in Ceylon, which is now known as Sri Lanka, where he worked as a radio mechanic, handling large transmitters.

After his release from the RAF, Roger went on to work as a draughtsman at Vickers in Manchester. Through dedication and hard work, he eventually climbed the ranks to become a sales engineer. His job involved traveling abroad to places like Scandinavia and India, which exposed him to new cultures and experiences.

It was during this period that Roger stumbled upon the Hornblower novels by C. S. Forester and later the Aubrey–Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian. These captivating tales of naval adventures ignited a spark of interest in the historical fiction genre within him.

Eventually, Roger settled in North Wales, where he focused on building a business and raising a family. Throughout his professional and personal life, the desire to write for himself never waned. However, it wasn't until retirement that he finally had the time and opportunity to pursue his dream of becoming an author.

In 2012, with the support of his youngest son, Robin, Roger self-published his debut novel, "A Certain Threat," on Amazon KDP, making it available in both paperback and Kindle formats. Despite facing health challenges, Roger's creativity and passion for writing remained steadfast. He had many ideas for the future of "The Merriman Chronicles" series and left several unfinished manuscripts at various stages of development.

Unfortunately, Roger's life journey came to an end in December 2015, following a short illness. However, his legacy lives on through his writing, and the adventures of The Merriman family is to be continued.

Robin Burnage continues the adventures with fresh eyes on the horizon!

He has taken over the helm of The Merriman Chronicles, a naval adventure series begun by his late father, Roger Burnage, and is determined to see it through to the end. His first novel, The Threat in the Atlantic, carries on the story of Captain James Merriman as the Napoleonic wars rage on. His second novel is set during The War of 1812.

Before turning to writing, Robin worked in financial sales, horticultural wholesale and then property management, but was always more drawn to boats than boardrooms. In 2012, he sold up, bought a yacht, and spent five years sailing full-time. That was followed by a long road trip through Europe in a battered old Land Rover, and later a motorhome.

These days, he’s back on dry land in Wales, looking out over the Irish Sea—and quietly plotting the next leg of Merriman’s journey.