No nation can stand against his legions but even the Empire has its limits. The brooding forests across the Rhine hold warriors who will not submit and the Suevi are the mightiest of them. With only their hatred of each other in common, the Romans and the Germans cross the river to raid and slaughter but neither of them has the force to take the other’s territory and hold it. This does not prevent them trying. Otto of the Suevi, son of the Chieftain and war counsellor Badurad, lives freely among the woods and glades on the far side of the river, hoping to live the same life as his father and become a respected warrior in his turn but that is not to be. He visits a wise woman with his father and her shocking, prophetic vision of his future sets him on a different path than he could never have imagined. Fate is not to be defied so Otto accepts what she has told him as absolute truth and lets it guide him through blood and fire to his personal destiny far from his own people.

    He hopes to find a safe refuge in the south-west near Durnovaria, where he believes his dead mother’s kinfolk might be found. Arriving in the area, Ambrosius finds a small, abandoned settlement where his company can take shelter for the night before moving on to the town of Vindocladia – just north of Durnovaria. But Vortigern has put the word out: a high blood price will be paid to anyone who captures Ambrosius; and there are many who would take up the challenge… This story was first written in March and April 2020 as a contribution to Authors Without Borders, set up by distinguished author Ben Kane, as a means of providing some free stories online in first ‘lockdown’ during the Coronavirus Pandemic. It was written in 25 daily instalments, but has now been assembled and re-edited into a complete narrative.

    The ‘Sword of Empire’ series follows Marcus Aurelius and his centurion Gaius Maximus during the final years of Aurelius’ reign. The stories are a blend of action, intrigue and Ancient History. ‘Sword of Empire: The Complete Campaign’s includes: ‘Sword of Empire: Praetorian’ 171AD. Rome is at war with the northern tribes - and is yet to win a significant battle. The Germanic armies have crossed the Danube and have attacked the Empire, slaughtering thousands. The Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, is losing the support of the people and the Senate. Yet he has formed a plan he believes will change the balance of power in the region. Aurelius has despatched an officer in the Praetorian Guard, the centurion Gaius Maximus, to escort the son and daughter of a powerful German tribal chief back to their village through enemy territory - in hope of arranging an alliance with Rome. But Maximus, to complete his mission, must contest with enemies at home, as well as abroad. One man will change the fate of an Empire, or die trying… ‘Sword of Empire: Centurion’ 174AD As the war continues in the north Marcus Aurelius orders Gaius Maximus and Rufus Atticus to return to Rome. Enemies lurk in the shadows in the capital, spreading propaganda and sowing dissent. The praetorian guards must lure their enemies out – and defeat them. Yet Maximus is returning home for something, or rather someone, else: Aurelia. The soldier will be caught between his duty and his happiness. Rufus Atticus will also be forced to make a choice, between the duty he owes to his Emperor and the duty he owes to his family. The centurions will be caught-up in a web of intrigue - as well as a battle on the streets of Rome - that will decide the fate of Marcus Aurelius and the Empire. ‘Sword of Empire: Emperor’ Britain. 179AD. The centurion Rufus Atticus is intent on finding Gaius Maximus – a fugitive and friend. Whilst doing so however Atticus finds trouble - in the form of the brutal Meriadoc clan. The Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, wants to offer the former praetorian a pardon. Atticus also has important news for Maximus, which will change his life. But as well as offering the soldier a pardon the Emperor has summoned Maximus to ask him to complete one final mission. He must venture into enemy territory and assassinate Balomar, king of the Marcomanni. Maximus will not only need to best barbarians and the king’s bodyguard to fulfill his mission however. To succeed – and survive – Maximus will have to defy the future Emperor Commodus and defeat a band of Roman mercenaries. Richard Foreman's books have been widely praised. Praise for 'Augustus: Son of Rome': 'Augustus: Son of Rome forges action and adventure with politics and philosophy. This superb story is drenched in both blood and wisdom - and puts Foreman on the map as the coming man of historical fiction'. - Saul David, Author of the Zulu Hart series. Praise for Raffles: The Complete Innings: “Classy, humorous and surprisingly touching tales of cricket, friendship and crime.” - David Blackburn, The Spectator. Richard Foreman is the author of numerous best-selling books, including 'Augustus: Son of Rome' and the Sword of Rome series of historical novellas. He is also the author of 'Warsaw', a literary novel set during the Second World War. He lives in London. You can find him tweeting at @rforemanauthor. Endeavour Press is the UK’s leading independent publisher of digital books.

    

     Mare Internum. Mesogeios. The Mediterraneus. That sea has been known by many names since the creation of the world. To the people living around its shores, it was the entire world. Myron had no use for the myriad of gods that the people of his village worshiped - and cursed. And it was obvious to himself that those immortals, in turn, had no interest in a young man whose future would be bound by the reed pools and swamps of the Nilos delta. His disinterest was such that he seldom even bothered to bash the ears of whichever deity was supposedly responsibility for the daily misfortunes of an orphan. Then came the evening when the marauders struck... Had he been given even a glimpse of his future from that moment on, he would have dismissed it as the ravings of a drunken myth weaver. In fact, the story might have been similar to the tales that were told on occasion, around the evening fires, by an itinerant bard who entertained the village in return for a bone to gnaw and a jar of bitter beer to quaff. But, sanctioned by the gods or no, his future would take him to the far reaches of the known world. And his rise from the lowest drudge to the command of men was certainly not derived from bending his knee to some vaporous deity, but by innate skill and the ability to take the measure of a man. Indeed, his story was the kind of tale that a bard loved and would cause his listeners sit in total silence to hear. After all, why would a man in reality, who had fought his way to power and riches, would give them up for a mere woman and an uncertain future? Of course, only the gods knew of his unique gift...

    

    But there is treachery afoot, and Cyrus's life is in danger. When Darius, dispossessed prince of the Royal House of Parsa, tries to save the King of Kings, he is arrested and falsely condemned for treason.In a fast paced tale of love, betrayal, war and revenge, Blood of Kings sweeps the reader up on an epic journey from the mud brick cities of Ancient Persia to the burning heart of Pharaoh's Egypt.Packed full of dramatic and authentic battle scenes, it recreates the sweat, blood and fear of ancient warfare, as Persia smashes Egypt's army and brings the reign of the Pharaohs to a violent end.But it is also a book that will delight Herodotus fans, bringing the ancient Greek historian's characters to life like never before, as it follows the doomed 'lost army of Cambyses' into the Libyan Desert, marching towards a fate that would baffle archaeologists for millennia to come.

    Only twenty years old and not long qualified as a nurse, she had signed up to serve in the Burma Campaign. She would be based on the Indian border, near the frontline where a fierce battle was raging between Allied forces and the Japanese.As Madge arrived in Chittagong, she wondered how she would adapt to the ever present danger of invasion and to life in a military hospital. She spent long, exhausting hours nursing the badly-injured young soldiers in her care, but found strength in her friendship with the other nurses. And then, one day, she met Captain Basil Lambert . . . Could their fragile, new found romance survive the terrifying final months of war? Heart-warming and poignant, Some Sunny Day by Madge Lambert is a story of courage, sacrifice and the power of true love.

    

    Having spent six years in Africa with her English missionary husband, she knows that the desert is not as empty of water as most suppose, if one knows where to look. Thus she leads her party on an epic two hundred mile walk to gain the fertile grassland to the south. To achieve this, she must drive them ever onwards, quell two mutinies and watch some of her party die. Their lives are saved when they reach an oasis, but to gain true safety they must now face Arab slaver traders, bloodthirsty Ashanti warriors, and the all-consuming forest. Victoria's walk has hardly begun. Set at the turn of the 20th Century, when the British Empire was approaching its zenith, with a handful of administrators and soldiers endeavoring to rule vast areas and dominate peoples they did not understand, VICTORIA'S WALK is a tale of the human spirit at its highest and lowest, its most courageous and its most bestial, of one woman's unceasing fortitude, of the men who loved her, and the women who hated her.

    Meanwhile, her older sister Peggy works as an apprentice at the Girls' School, hoping for a more prosperous future as a schoolteacher.Jennet and Titus Eastwood have always made decisions for their daughters' futures. But as the sisters near adulthood they are determined to make their own choices. And with temptation in the way, will the girls find love - or infatuation - leads them astray?Then an unexpected but familiar face arrives in town, and the family's future is threatened. For Bessie and Jennet, a difficult choice must be made - love or family . . .

    Her father was a chimneysweep and she loved him. He was all she had after her mother took off with a man Maggie stumbled upon when she was sent home from school because she came without a lunch…again. From five years old, her life centered on herself and her father. His many years working in soot filled chimneys took a toll on his health until Maggie was fifteen. Their hope of one day buying a little cottage in the country where they would enjoy the fresh clean air and home grown food was close to becoming a reality when his body could not recover from the years of abuse, leaving Maggie on her own. Traveling west with nothing but their few household possessions, ‘Old Mule’, and a wagon, Maggie began her new life alone but determined to find a place that the money they saved over the years would buy. Occasionally, she would supplement her supplies by cleaning a chimney, picking up information along the way.

    Enticed by promises of work with good pay, people flock to textile mills in the South. Many leave their beloved mountains for what they hope is a step up from their grinding poverty. It’s guaranteed pay and housing. Being the sighted sister of the Hooper/Watson family, Lottie is grieved by a dream that sorrow will come to her home. Yet, she leaves Cocke County, Tennessee, with Beck Radford, her new husband, and her four children from a previous, abusive marriage, and goes to Clifton, South Carolina. Lottie is a stranger to village life and close neighbors. Life is harder than any of them imagined. In spite of hard work, widespread poverty remains a fact of life for everyone in the mill town. Lottie’s “gift” of second sight into the future is not an ability she would’ve chosen. One event she didn't see coming, yet someone else did, rips apart their life, as well as everyone’s around them.

    But, as a woman of true faith, she decides to move west and accept a position as a school teacher. When she arrives in Brown Ridge, a small town filled with faith and anger, Greta is soon cast into the middle of a family battle involving a bitter cowboy, a preacher, and an innocent newborn baby. It isn't long before Greta falls in love with the newborn baby as she slowly begins to understand that in order to save a lost soul, she must place her heart on the line. Depending on God, Greta decides to care for the bitter cowboy in order to lead his heart away from the anger eating him alive. But caring for an angry man with the hopes of changing him into a healed man isn't as easy as Greta hopes. Facing off against anger and pain, she steps into a battle that must be won for the sake of a newborn baby, a desperate preacher, and a bitter cowboy that is being destroyed by his own anger. Will Greta's faith overcome the dark clouds facing her? Or will the storm she is thrust into destroy all of her hope?

    She was a young slave girl. He was an African warrior purchased at a slave auction with the intent he would father a new breed of stronger slave. Despite all odds, a language barrier and the disapproval of her family and friends, the two fight for a life together.