The Bear and the Wolf A short story of love and danger on the Roman Empire’s most hostile frontier. It's always a delight to work with Simon Turney. He and I took opposite sides in the "Romans versus Britons" debate at the Alderney Literary Festival, (there are photos here) but we both knew it was … Continue reading The Bear and the Wolf
Saturday, final stop on the Blog Tour – For Winter Nights
Many thanks to For Winter Nights, the final host on the Blog Tour! If you haven't yet discovered this excellent book blog, now is a good time to nip across there - not only for the chance to win a copy of Vita Brevis, but also to browse a splendid collection of reviews and articles, … Continue reading Saturday, final stop on the Blog Tour – For Winter Nights
Tuesday on the Blog Tour – Parmenion Books
Many thanks to the excellent Robin Carter over at Parmenion Books for hosting today - a VITA BREVIS giveaway and some medical remedies you very probably haven't tried before. Or even considered.
Competition fever!
There's competition fever here at Downie Towers, with the caption competition running till the end of July, plus two more chances to win goodies. Apologies to those who've heard this all before, but in case you haven't... First, a chance to stock up your summer reading bag with books of your choice, or to win … Continue reading Competition fever!
Io, that was Saturnalia!
There's a marvellous video of this year's Deva celebrations on YouTube. Somewhere in there you may spot the author of the Empire series, Anthony Riches (dressed as a centurion), the Emperor Domitian (being suitably megalomanic) and yours truly. An extra treat was the combination of Saturnalia with the Winter Watch parade, which made for a … Continue reading Io, that was Saturnalia!
Another skeleton!
Basking in reflected glory here, because some of my former comrades from the site at Whitehall Roman Villa have made a wonderful find: the skeleton of a man who died in about the 5th century, and the remains of the shield that was buried with him. There's video footage and some pics from the local … Continue reading Another skeleton!
Distribution confusion – resolved!
Friends, something has gone strangely amiss of late with the distribution of some of the Medicus series in the UK. If you're searching for a paper copy and even your lovely local bookseller can't find one, please get in touch via the Contact page and I'll see whether I can supply the book you want … Continue reading Distribution confusion – resolved!
In the footsteps of a Roman on a mission
A piece of unexpected good news has arrived at Downie Towers - Ruso and Tilla's first adventure is being translated into Croatian. To celebrate, here's a view of Croatia's most famous Roman building, the palace of the emperor Diocletian at Split. Diocletian was an unusual emperor. Others had commissioned sprawling extravganzas with vistas and lakes … Continue reading In the footsteps of a Roman on a mission
Author loses one plot, two vowels and three consonants
There's much rejoicing here at Downie Towers over the news that the lovely Stuart (a Man who Can) will shortly be giving the blog a face-lift. l will thus be able to concentrate all of my muttering and cursing on Book Seven, which has reached that special stage where plot and author appear to be … Continue reading Author loses one plot, two vowels and three consonants
A day of DIY
It would have been wiser not to start redesigning the blog when I'm supposed to be working on Book 7. But the layout here was looking a bit tired and it seemed like a simple enough job: just cut my name from the new book cover and paste it in at the top of the … Continue reading A day of DIY
