Sunday update! I’ve started work on a sequel!

It’s been a while since I’ve had some news on my own writing, so I am delighted to tell you that I have now started writing the sequel to Roman Mask.  It will obviously be a long project, so don’t expect anything soon, but at least it is on its way now.  You may be wondering why it has taken me so long before even starting this book, but before I could begin, I needed to do mountains of research for this particular story.  I will keep the story-line to myself for now, but rest assured that Cassius will be back and I hope that this novel is as exciting and as well received as Roman Mask.  I still plan to be just as committed to this blog as you have come to expect, so you can still look forward to weekly posts on historical and fantasy novels. 

Speaking of Roman Mask, I received an excellent review for my novel on the website Tometender last week.  The reviewer very kindly gave me five stars and I’ve posted part of the review below.

I read Roman Mask in one sitting; it was that powerful, that mesmerizing and that well-written. Thomas M.D. Brooke is a master storyteller as he brings the glory and the shame of war to life in a time long ago when Rome thought it was its right to rule the known world. Vicious battles, brave soldiers, bloody battlefields and the brutality of hand to hand combat when one misstep means certain death. Mr. Brooke does not argue the rights of one country over another; he presents a tale of war, of one man’s battle within himself and his chance for personal redemption and honor.

There is tentative romance, heroes falling to the blade as the villain survives. This is war at its worst and best. Heroes will rise, as will the strong and the very lucky, deceit will be uncovered and inhumane torture will turn your stomach, but war is to the death, to the victors go the spoils. Through it all, one man distinguishes himself for the sake of his countrymen, but will he be rewarded if he survives or will knowing he has done the best he could under the worst of circumstances be the only acknowledgement he needs? Powerful reading that should be on everyone’s shelf.

You can read the full review here 

The reviewer liked my work so much that she has offered to run a give-away contest for the paperback version of the book.  You can enter it just by going to her site and runs from tomorrow until the 7^th December.  Here is the link, although it won’t be live until tomorrow as that is when the give-away starts.   ‘Roman Mask give-away’