Author: thomasmdbrooke

Out today!! BEDROCK OF EMPIRE Sequel to the award winning and highly acclaimed novel ROMAN MASK by Thomas M.D. Brooke

Published by

Cassius returns to Rome, intent on restarting his life after escaping death in one of the greatest military disasters of the ancient world, the loss of three legions in the Teutoburg Forest. Hopes of a hero’s homecoming are soon dashed as he discovers that a shaken Rome now scorns the returning survivors of the battle, believing them stained and tainted with ill luck. Worse is to follow, as he once again becomes entwined in the machinations and court-intrigues of the imperial family. Cassius seethes with anger as he discovers that the man behind the betrayal in Germany – his former best friend Julius Arminius, may be endangering another Roman province. Once again, Cassius must travel far from Rome, this time to Spain, and find the one man who may hold the answer – the younger brother of Julius Arminius.   Paperback: Amazon.com $18.99 Amazon.co.uk £14.99 Kindle version: Amazon.com $2.99 Amazon.co.uk £1.99   Praise for  Roman Mask by Thomas M.D. Brooke “I loved this book. There’s no other way to say it. Filled with action and adventure, Roman Mask will keep you on the …

Bedrock of Empire – Out on 18th October!

Published by

  Okay, I know that this has taken a lot longer than I said it would, but the sequel to Roman Mask is almost here.   The release date is set for 18th October, and it is even available for pre-order today – Hooray! The name of my new novel is Bedrock of Empire, and it follows the story of Cassius after he returns to Rome from the Teutoburg forest.  Here is the full blurb: Bedrock of Empire is the much-anticipated sequel to the highly acclaimed novel, Roman Mask – Winner of the 2016 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal award for Fiction/Action. Cassius returns to Rome, intent on restarting his life after escaping death in one of the greatest military disasters of the ancient world, the loss of three legions in the Teutoburg Forest. Hopes of a hero’s homecoming are soon dashed as he discovers that a shaken Rome now scorns the returning survivors of the battle, believing them stained and tainted with ill luck. Worse is to follow, as he once again becomes entwined in the machinations and …

Out now!! Audio version of Roman Mask!!

Published by

  Yes, it’s true! You can now get the Audio version of my novel, Roman Mask.  Due to the success of the book, the Publisher Tantor decided to create an unabridged version of my work.  You can buy the Audio CD from Amazon and other retailers, or listen to it on Audible, or from Apple iTunes. Audio books, made for companies such as Audible, have become an increasingly popular way to enjoy novels.  Audio books bring their own form of magic to the literary world.  When listening to a work through a headset, it is easy to lose yourself in the woven spell of audio.  You can immerse yourself totally, through the hypnotic sound of the narrators’ voice, into the writers’ world.  Audio books are also sometimes better at fitting into our busy lives.  So if this is your medium of choice, you can now transport yourself to Ancient Rome before delving into the dark forests of the Teutoburg, by listening to my novel Roman Mask. I have been incredibly fortunate to have my work …

War chariots!!

Published by

We are quite used to the dramatic use of ancient cavalry and horses in both historical and fantasy novels.  However, riding on the back of horses actually came quite late in history (roughly 700 BC), before then the chariot held sway.  Horses were domesticated from around 3500 BC in the Eurasian steppes and used for farming and simple wagons with solid wheels.  But we need to wait until the invention of the spoked wheel in 2000 BC before the first chariots started to appear in the Indo-Iranian cultures of modern day Russia and Kazakhstan.  Quite quickly this light vehicle, with two wheels, drawn by one or more horses, spread throughout the ancient world and dominated the ancient battlefields between 1700 BC and 500 BC.  Surely there is scope here for some fantastic historical and fantasy novels to exploit these wonders of the ancient world?  Here are a few types. traveltoeat.com Hittite Chariot The first references to chariot warfare came in the ancient Near East where forty chariots were used at the siege of Salatiwara.  The …

Another Brick in the Wall. Guest post by Rahul Gandhi

Published by

Today, I am incredibly happy to introduce an immensely talented young author.  Rahul has already completed three works of non-fiction, spoken at conferences for young historians, and now is about to enter the historical fiction genre with his new novel – Another Brick in the Wall. He explains in this post the motivation behind this novel and I’m sure you’ll agree, that it is a fascinating concept and a incredibly original idea.  So without further delay, I will pass you over to Rahul… Thomas M D Brooke J.K. Rowling conceived the Harry Potter series while on a train from Manchester to London. What has that universe turned into? A multi-billion dollar entertainment industry that includes everything from books to movies to merchandise. The only word I have for that is wow! It is amazing that a simple idea, created in the most mundane of ways, has morphed into this massive worldwide phenomenon. I am an author, and no I am not enjoying the success of the likes of Rowling. But, I was struck by an …

Sale 0.99!!! Roman Mask Winner of Readers’ Favorite 2016 Gold Medal award.

Published by

My novel recently won the Readers’ Favorite 2016 Gold Medal award for Fiction/Action.  To mark this event, I have decided to reduce the cost the Ebook\Kindle version of the novel for the rest of the week.  The price will return to normal on Sunday, so grab it whilst you can!  This will apply to the Amazon Kindle version, the iPad version, and the Nook version which you can buy at Barnes & Noble or Kobo.   “The classical world is brought vividly to life in this novel by Brooke, a new voice in the crowded chorus of historical fiction. Set at the height of the Roman Empire’s power, Brooke’s writing brings us both the decadence that eventually undermined and destroyed the seemingly invincible Romans, and the merciless military action that won Rome its mandate to rule in the first place.” Daily Mail – UK National Paper “I loved this book. There’s no other way to say it. Filled with action and adventure, Roman Mask will keep you on the edge of your seat. Focused on …

Great Ancient Warships!

Published by

What could be more exciting than ancient warships?  The great monsters that prowled the ancient seas, who spread fear and exuded power with deadly grace. Nation’s fortunes were both made and destroyed by the success or failure of their fleets, and here are a few of the types that used to rule the seas… Trireme.  someinterestingfacts.net The classic Trireme first appeared during the eight century BC, as part of the Greek city of Corinth’s great fleet.  It would take a dominant role in the seas of the Mediterranean for the next thousand years and beyond.  The name derives, not from its oar decks, although it did indeed have three, but instead the number of oarsmen lined in banks of three.  The skilled oarsmen were tightly packed, one near the base (thalamois) the next overlapping slight above in the middle (Zygios) and the uppermost (thrantis) on the upper deck.  By arranging the oarsmen in this tight formation, which was repeated down the long length of the ship, they could keep the beam of the vessel narrow, thus maximising its power …

ROMAN MASK. 2016 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal winner for Fiction – Action

Published by

My book ‘Roman Mask’ has won an award!  Hooray! My novel has won Readers’ Favorite 2016 Gold medal award for Fiction – Action! Reader’s Favorite has become the fastest growing book review and award contest site on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies. It was a complete surprise, as I never even considered myself being an award winning novelist.  So how did this come about?  Well, when I released Roman Mask just over a year ago, I decided I needed to get an impartial review from a world recognised body, who are known for complete impartiality and honest reviews.  So despite a lot of nervous trepidation, I submitted Roman Mask to Readers’ Favorite, and was delighted to receive 5 stars! As my …

Great Fantasy Prophecies.

Published by

Prophecies can add a fascinating plotline to a novel, giving the book depth, mystery and intrigue.  It also instills the story with a great sense of importance – as if the ages were just waiting for this one conjuncture of events, or particular character to come to prominence.  It can sometimes be found in historical novels, but it is fantasy writing that the use of prophecy is far more common, becoming almost an art form in itself.  Many readers may think that creating a fictitious prophecy would be straightforward, but it certainly isn’t, and it is especially difficult if you wish to imbue it with a high level of mystery and complexity.  After sprinkling prophecy throughout Game of Thrones, George R R Martin said ‘Prophecies are, you know, a double edge sword.  You have to handle them very carefully; I mean, they can add depth and interest to a book, but you don’t want to be too literal or too easy…’ http://www.adriasnews.com escume.deviantart.com George R R Martin, Game of Thrones So let’s look at how …