FAQ

When will the next book be published?

Currently, 13 Marius’ Mules titles are available, 6 Tales of the Empire. 5 Praetorian novels, 5 Templar books, 2 Damned Emperors and 4 of the Ottoman Cycle, as well as a number of short story works and collaborations. All three books in the collaborative trilogy with Gordon Doherty are now complete, with the first due for publication with Head of Zeus on December 10th. Look for Templar 6 in the late autumn. Regular updates are given on my Facebook page and Twitter account.

Why are only some of your titles available in certain formats/regions?

Sadly, it depends partially on the publisher and rights available. Currently it stands thus:

• The Damned Emperors books are in every format.
• Marius’ Mules are available everywhere in paperback and digital formats, and are being gradually released on audio also.
• Praetorian are worldwide, but only in paperback, audible and kindle editions due to exclusivity contracts.
• Tales of the empire & Ottoman Cycle in paperback and all digital everywhere through Canelo.
• Templar novels. Also Canelo, available everywhere in paperback & ebook.

I will update this as any new options become available.

What is next with Marius’ Mules?

Marius’ Mules has followed Caesar’s Gallic wars and the ensuring Civil Wars. There is one year of said war left, and 2021 will see book 14 taking on the war in Spain. Beyond that there remains only a final volume dealing with the tumultuous events of 44 BC, leading up to the Ides of March. The last book will e released in 2022

What Damned Emperor is next?

Though Orion declined to continue the series after Caligula and Commodus, Canelo have taken up the mantle. Though the timescale for production has yet to be agreed, the remaining two books on Domitian and Caracalla will be forthcoming through this different publisher.

What about Young Fronto?

I have been asked more than once whether I intend to write anything set when Fronto was younger, such as in Spain with Caesar. The answer to that is: who knows? Perhaps when the series is complete I will be struck by a Bernard Cornwell-esque desire to go back and tell the early stories. Might happen. In the meantime, I have so many projects on the drawing board that I simply can’t figure any time I could get to it, so it remains a possibility. I have, of course, covered some of this history in MM9.

Why don’t you do a talk/signing in my area?

The simple upshot is that I probably will, if invited and if it’s cost-effective. If you have a venue in mind and I can do it without huge outlay or there is payment enough to cover expenses, do get in touch.

Why do you also write fantasy works?

There is something liberating about launching into a project that is based entirely on my imagination and not limited by the definitive events laid out in history. I have thoroughly enjoyed telling the tales in Tales of the Empire, and there is at least one still to come.

Have I thought about writing about (period x) in Roman history?

I have had several suggestions of subjects and periods that I could write about. Some are very good suggestions and I will seriously consider them when the time comes (I have several works scheduled for the next few years). Periods and situations suggested (that I love) include Constantinian Rome and Roman Egypt. Well good news there: if you have kids, they might like Crocodile Legion, my children’s novel set in Roman Egypt, and the trilogy written with Gordon Doherty is based around the era of the Tetrarchy and the rise of Constantine and Maxentius.

Have I read Wallace Breem’s Eagle in the Snow?

I have been asked this three times and that has astounded me. And the answer was no. Miraculously, given the high esteem in which the book is held, I had remained strangely unaware of it. This has recently been corrected. During the final stages of writing MM3, I took the time to purchase and read Breem’s seminal work. It is an astoundingly emotional ride, I have to say. To those of you who likened Fronto to Maximus in that novel, all I can say is thank you. I can see a similarity myself.

Why are my Kindle titles priced so low, when the paperback list price is quite high?

Very simply, I have no control over the paperback price, which is determined by the publishers, depending upon the size of the book (and most of my books are pretty long.) I do, however, have control over the price of the electronic editions, and I have deliberately set them as low as the publishing system will allow. The reason for this is that I am passionate about both reading and writing, and I believe that books are becoming too pricey. If things continue with the current trend, people will stop reading unless they’re quite wealthy, and will rely on TV. I would rather lower the price and encourage people to read.

Did the HBO series Rome influence my writing of Caesar?

I actually began writing Marius’ Mules long before Rome came on, but was almost ecstatic to see how well their portrayal meshed with my own view of him. It is, in retrospect, almost as though the MM series is a prequel for the show. In a similar way, since I finished the first novel, I have found echoes of my work in that of others. I guess that’s unavoidable, given the closeness of the subject and period.