OK, the dates are in: 28th April to 4th May. We’ll walk west to east, as the wind will be at our backs.
I’ve set up a charity giving page here. We’re raising money for Combat Stress and Medecins Sans Frontieres. I hope that some of you can see your way to sponsoring us, even if it’s only for a few pounds/dollars/Euros. Every little helps – as the old woman said as she did a wee in the sea!
Thank you all.
I took a mad notion a short time before Xmas, and decided to walk the length of Hadrian’s Wall in 2013, for charity. Naturally enough, I will do it in full Roman gear. Anthony Riches, author of the Empire series, and Russell Whitfield, author of the Gladiatrix novels, have foolishly agreed to come along as well. The two charities that we’re raising money for are Combat Stress, and Medecins Sans Frontieres. We aim to walk west to east (this is regarded as the best way to do it), starting on either the 28th or 29th of April. Six days walking, and one day to recover/sign books in Newcastle.
I’m in the process of ordering so much gear that I never knew I didn’t have! So, linen undertunic, tunic, bronze chest plate and back plate; sword belt, javelin, boots, cloak, pouch, waterbag, crest for my helmet. The list is endless, but it’s exciting! As I get my gear in and start walking around home, I’ll post some photos. I’ll also get a donation page up and running soon – and hopefully some of you will throw a few pounds/Euros/Dollars at it! I will have some good prizes for people to try to win according to how much they’ve donated.
Also: so many people mentioned coming along for part of it when I first mentioned the walk, I will try to organise a day or days when you can come to join us for the day’s walk.
Better get back to plotting Hannibal book three now: An Island Aflame.
Many apologies for my radio silence of recent weeks. It was largely down to finishing the second Hannibal book, Fields of Blood. That is now done, and my new editor is happy, which is an immense relief. There will be editing, of course, but I was able to down tools over Xmas and relax with my family. I hope that you all had a good time over the festive season, and that among your presents were plenty of books, both real and e-version.
After I get my tax return details done in the next day or two (AAAAAAAHHH!) I will get down to starting Hannibal 3 – working title not yet sorted. Hanno’s, Quintus’ and the others’ stories will continue in the aftermath of Cannae, and the story will move to Sicily, where the Romans faced an epic siege of the huge fortress of Syracuse. I’ll aim to finish that novel in the summer sometime, and then I am going to change direction again. It’s not decided, but I will either start on my Hundred Years’ War novel, Crecy, or on the first of two books on the infamous Varian/Kalkriese disaster in AD 9, when the Romans lost 3 legions in the German forests.
Happy New Year to you all, and happy reading!
After a great night out in London with fellow Roman authors (JAFRAs), Anthony Riches, Russell Whitfield, Robert Fabbri and Henry Venmore-Rowland, I’m heading to Bari in Italy. My destination is the battlefield of Cannae, which lies about 45 mi./65 km NW of Bari. I visited the site briefly last year, when I was on my Spartacus road trip, but this time I’m going there specifically to soak up the atmosphere before I write the battle scene of all battle scenes. I’ll try to add some photos asap. Ciao!
See what you think!
Watch it here.
After too long, I have finally uploaded one of my documentary style videos about Spartacus onto YouTube. Please forgive the occasional stumble, and please share it with your friends, if they are interested! Thanks.
You can watch it here: Spartacus: the final battlefield?
