You have to know history before you can 'alternate' it

Roma Novan heroines, ancient and modern

To write alternative history with authenticity, it’s helpful to be as well-versed and researched as an author writing a more conventional historical novel.

Let me unpick that… Alternate (or alternative) history is based on the premise that the standard timeline diverged at a certain point and followed […]

INCEPTIO 10th Anniversary hardback!

Yes, it’s ten years since INCEPTIO burst into the world. For some full-on nostalgia, here’s what happened in 2013 when it launched at Tunbridge Wells Waterstones with broadcaster SueCook speaking.

Ten years is a long time for a book. Many don’t make it into bookshops at all. Some only survive there for six weeks. The […]

Meet Aurelia Mitela – warrior, diplomat, spy

The three ages of Aurelia

Aurelia Mitela, archetype Roma Novan, came to life when I was writing the first Roma Nova book, INCEPTIO. Then, she was the clever, experienced grandmother of Carina, the book’s heroine. But she had secrets behind her contained exterior. By the time I was halfway drafting SUCCESSIO, I was […]