Even before she pulled on her first set of combats, Alison Morton was fascinated by the idea of women soldiers. Brought up by a feminist mother and an ex-military father, it never occurred to her that women couldn’t serve their country in the armed forces. Everybody in her family had done time in uniform and in theatre all over the globe.
So busy in her day job, Alison joined the Territorial Army in a special communications regiment and left six years later as a captain, having done all sorts of interesting and exciting things all over the NATO area that no civilian would ever know or see. Or that she can talk about, even now…
But something else fuels her writing…
A ‘Roman nut’ since age 11, Alison misspent decades clambering over Roman sites throughout Europe. Fascinated by the breathtaking mosaics at Ampurias in Spain and the engineering brilliance of the Pont du Gard in France, she was curious about the role of women in the complex, powerful and value-driven Roman civilisation. That started her wondering what a modern Roman society would be like if run by strong women. She heaps trouble on her heroines – conspiracy, revolution and heartache but gives them all a sharp line in dialogue.
Alison’s reading
Her favourite fiction genres are mainly historical, crime and thriller fiction, especially spy stories, and speculative fiction, but her ‘comfort reads’ – something she tries to keep a secret – are without doubt Georgette Heyer’s Regency novels (Favourites: These Old Shades and Arabella). What Alison read in 2023.
Now, she lives in France with her husband and writes Roman-themed alternate history thrillers with tough heroines and has begun a new series with a Franco-British ex-special forces heroine.
Fact file:
Education: BA French, German & Economics, MA History
Memberships: International Thriller Writers, Historical Novel Society, Alliance of Independent Authors, Society of Authors, Crime Writers Association
Speaking and media participation
Alison gives talks/workshops/panels on writing, thriller writing, self-publishing, alternative and historical fiction and social media at international writers’ and genre conferences, tutorial groups and associations.
She has also written articles for Writing Magazine, appeared on local radio and has written a column on writing and publishing for The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, the local English language magazine since 2012.
https://www.alison-morton.com/about/speaking-and-media-participation/
Social media links
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alison_morton @alison_morton
Alison’s writing blog: https://alisonmortonauthor.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisonmortonauthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5783095.Alison_Morton
Alison’s Amazon page: http://Author.to/AlisonMortonAmazon
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@alisonmortonauthor
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/alisonmorton.bsky.social
Newsletter sign-up: https://www.alison-morton.com/newsletter/
About the books…
The Carina strand
INCEPTIO, the first Carina Mitela adventure, where New Yorker Karen Brown is thrown into a new life in mysterious Roma Nova and fights to stay alive with a killer hunting her
CARINA, the second Carina Mitela adventure, a novella, Carina’s first mission abroad. What could go wrong?
PERFIDITAS, the third Carina Mitela adventure, six years later, where betrayal and rebellion are in the air, threatening to topple Roma Nova and ruin Carina’s life.
SUCCESSIO, the fourth Carina Mitela adventure, where a mistake from the past threatens to destroy the next generation.
The Aurelia strand
AURELIA, the first Aurelia Mitela adventure, in late 1960s Roma Nova, Aurelia Mitela battles her life-long nemesis, silver smuggling and is forced to choose between her love, her child and her country
NEXUS, the second Aurelia Mitela adventure, novella, Mid 1970s, London, where a simple favour for a friend becomes a chilling pursuit across Europe
INSURRECTIO, the third Aurelia Mitela adventure, where Aurelia Mitela struggles against a manipulative tyrant grabbing power. But it may already be too late to save Roma Nova…
RETALIO, the fourth Aurelia Mitela adventure, a classic tale of resistance and retribution – the endgame between Aurelia and Caius
ROMA NOVA EXTRA, a collection of short stories from AD 370 to 2029
The Roma Nova Foundation strand
JULIA PRIMA, set in AD 370 in Roman Noricum riven with political and religious strife. Prince’s daughter Julia meets Lucius Apulius and the world will be changed forever.
EXSILIUM, set in AD 395 when a group of Roman families, persecuted for worshipping the tradition gods, decide voluntary exile is a better option than death. But can they survive the journey?
The Mélisende Series
Double Identity, a contemporary crime thriller where Mel/Mélisende, an ex-French special forces intelligence analyst, must hunt down her fiancé’s killer ‘helped’ by grumpy cop Jeff McCracken who wants to pin the murder on her…
Double Pursuit, the sequel, where Mel is hunting arms smugglers. But who is hunting her? And will she have to return to the place she dreads?
Contributions:
‘My Sister’ in Historical Stories of Exile
Preparing the biggest rupture in their lives, urbane and clever lawyer Marcellus Varus is completely at a loss about how to tell his awkward sister Flavola that they are going into exile.
‘A Roman Intervenes’ in 1066 Turned Upside Down
How Galla Mitela, Roma Novan imperial councillor, attempts to stop the Norman invasion of England. One of a series of possible alternative outcomes of 1066.
‘The Mystery of Victory’ in RUBICON (HWA/Sharpe Books)
What did happen to the Altar of Victory in the dusk of the Roman Empire?
‘The Idealist’ in Betrayal
Was 19th century Statia Mitela’s act of altruism a betrayal or was she betrayed?
Non Fiction
Military or civilians? The curious anomaly of the German Women’s Auxiliary Services during the Second World War.
The 500 Word Writing Buddy: 35 Inner Secrets for the New Writer
Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers – INCEPTIO, CARINA (novella), PERFIDITAS, SUCCESSIO, AURELIA, NEXUS (novella), INSURRECTIO and RETALIO, and ROMA NOVA EXTRA, a collection of short stories. Audiobooks are available for four of the series. Double Identity, a contemporary conspiracy, starts a new series of thrillers. JULIA PRIMA, Roma Nova story set in the late 4th century, starts the Foundation stories. The sequel, EXSILIUM, will be out on 27 February 2024.
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