Blog Number 30

I was asked by a friend of mine a few days ago, just before Sword of The Boar was released, whether I read a lot of Roman historical fiction. They mentioned a few of the well known successful shelf fillers. The truth is that I used to and now I steer clear of them. Frequently those tales did not quite hit the mark for me. I'm not sure why, and it's not a criticism. Maybe my perception of Roman Britain is just different from theirs and I did not want to be influenced. Although I enjoy writing fiction I don't read much of it generally.

I got into writing 'Legionaries of the Boar' and 'Sword of The Boar' partly on the basis that, if you think you can do better, then get on with it.

The one overarching story of Roman Britain is, I think, the much debated fate of the Ninth Legion. You could say it is a hackneyed, overwritten cliche of a story, but I think it deserves more than that. Whatever your view on it, the 'legend' has survived down the years and that says something for it.  Living in Edinburgh gives me easy access to the slender archaeological remains at Cramond on the Firth of Forth. From there it is a short step to Antonine's wall. Those three little pieces were the genesis of Velio Pinneius and Legionaries of the Boar. 

The impetus for writing Sword of The Boar got a real help from the archaeological theories that the Antonine Wall may have been temporarily abandoned around AD 155 with reoccupation happening shortly after, around AD158. All suitable for Velio Pinneius and his comrades to still be in situ. But surely they were not living exactly the same lives? Add a little unfinished business to the mix and Velio was marching once more. 

So the thing I forgot to say to my friend after admitting I do not read any other 'Roman fiction' writers is that I do read, with a growing compulsion, the technical and professional archaeology of northern Britannia's Roman remains.

The nuances of 'Antonine Phase 1' and 'Antonine Phase 2,' are all grist to the mill!

I hope you have a look at Legionaries of the Boar and the sequel Sword of The Boar. Both are out on Amazon as ebooks and the hyperlinks are on the Home page. No other writers were hurt in the making of these tales.