First steps

Welcome to my blog and its very first post. Before I go any further, I just want to place on record my heartfelt thanks to a lovely lady by the name of Emily Dixon who when the call went out to help me create a website, stepped up to the plate. I've worked with Emily on and off for a number of years as story judges at Secret Attic and several of its reincarnations and she therefore knew what I was like, yet still she volunteered. Thank you, Emily, you're a star as well as a talented writer.

Those of you who have read my "About" info, will know that I have always had a love of writing, though it's probably better described as a compulsion. I started out writing short stories entering as many competitions as I could trying to hone my craft, but it took nearly 2 years of submissions before I received my first recognition. This was 4th place and outside the prize-winning top 3, but the judges were effusive about my story and it spurred me on.

From that point on I wrote with a new-found confidence and ended up being published about 150 times and being placed in over40 competitions.

It was after being selected in one of these competitions that I began writing novels. I was delighted that four of these were published by Netherworld Books, an imprint of Mirador Publishing, who gave me my first break, something for which I shall always be grateful. After that they published an anthology of my prize-winning ghost and horror stories.

Fast forward a number of years and after entering a novel-writing competition run by Sapere Books, I was asked if I would be interested in writing an initial 3-book Roman military series? Would I? Oh yes!

And now, 10 months after its conception, I am thrilled to announce that "Fortress of steel" the first book in the "Legion of the damned" series, will be up for pre-order from Monday 17th March (see the pop-up on my home page).

Well that's enough for now, but I will be posting regularly about my books and all things Roman.

I hope you drop by again soon.