I'm an author of historical fiction (Early English/Saxon, Vikings and the British Isles as a whole before the Norman Conquest, as well as four 20th-century historical mysteries) and fantasy (now published under a different name). I've also written my first non-fiction book, The Royal Women Who Made England: The Women of the Tenth Century, which is available now.

I was born in the old Mercian kingdom at some point since 1066. Raised in the shadow of a strange little building, told from a very young age that it housed the bones of long-dead kings of Mercia and that our garden was littered with old pieces of pottery from a long-ago battle, it's little wonder that my curiosity in Early England ran riot. I can only blame my parents!

I like to write. You've been warned!

Not sure where to start your journey through Saxon/Early England?

If you're new to Saxon England, then Son of Mercia, book 1 in Eagle of Mercia Chronicles, is perhaps where you should start. And then follow on with Wolf of Mercia and Warrior of Mercia and the continuing books in the series.

King of Kings, book 1 in The Brunanburh Series, is the story of the build-up to the greatest battle on British soil you've probably never heard about, Brunanburh. 'An epic story of kingsmanship that will set in motion the pivotal, bloody Battle of Brunanburh where allies have to be chosen wisely.' The continuing series takes readers to Brunanburh and beyond.

The Dark Ages trilogy will take my readers back to the very beginnings of Saxon England before the creation of Mercia and the other kingdoms.

If you like action adventure with a heavy dose of violence, foul language, and good old camaraderie - The Mercian Ninth Century series is for you, starting with The Last King (there are also Cleaner versions where much of the foul language has been removed - they can be a little harder to find but they are available). Fans of The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles will also find a familiar face. Or The Seventh Century, starting with Pagan Warrior, has a little more politics to go with the set-piece battles.

If you like stories about the forgotten women of history, then the Tenth Century series, starting with The Lady of Mercia's Daughter, is a good place to begin, the story of Lady Ælfwynn after the death of her mother. Or, The First Queen of England, with a little more romance.

If you're interested in the last century of Early England (before 1066) then The Earls of Mercia series is for you.

If you want to read it all, then you can read in chronological order or mix it up. The series weren't written in chronological order (I have a tendency to move backwards through time).

If you're as interested in the ancient kingdom of Mercia as I am, then the loosely connected, The Tales of Mercia is for you. The individual series can be read in this order but can be read in any order. I started my historical fiction writing journey with The Earls of Mercia, so yes, I began at the end.

1) The Dark Age Chronicles starting with Men of Iron.

2) Gods and Kings starting with Pagan Warrior.

3) The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles starting with Son of Mercia.

4) The Ninth Century books starting with The Last King

5) A detour to The Lady of Mercia's Daughter and A Conspiracy of Kings, from the Tenth Century series

6) The Earls of Mercia series starts with The Earl of Mercia's Father.

If you're interested in my 20th-century mysteries, then The Custard Corpses and The Automobile Assassination are the books for you. The Secret Sauce is coming soon. And Cragside, a standalone 1930s murder mystery set at the beautiful North Northumberland estate, and inspired by my Lockdown walks around the property.

My first non-fiction book, The Royal Women Who Made England, is now published by Pen and Sword in hardback and ebook, detailing the information I used to write The Tenth Century series and the two trilogies about England's first queen featuring Ælfwynn, Eadgifu and the daughters of Edward the Elder.

If you want to keep up to date with my latest writing projects, then please find me on your social media channel of choice, and check out my blog, where you will find lots of information about my books..

Happy reading:)