by E. Knight
BEN KANE worked as a veterinarian for sixteen years, but his love of ancient history and historical fiction drew him to write fast-paced novels about Roman soldiers, generals and gladiators. Irish by nationality but UK-based, he is the author of seven books, the last five of which have been Sunday Times top ten bestsellers. Ben’s books have been translated into ten languages. In 2013, Ben walked the length of Hadrian’s Wall with two other authors, for charity; he did so in full Roman military kit, including hobnailed boots. He repeated the madness in 2014, over 130 miles in Italy. Over $50,000 has been raised with these two efforts. Learn more at: www.benkane.net
E. KNIGHT (aka Eliza Knight) is an award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author. Her love of history began as a young girl when she traipsed the halls of Versailles and ran through the fields in Southern France. She's known for her riveting, scandalous, rip-your-heart-out tales of historical fiction. Eliza's debut historical fiction novel, My Lady Viper, has received critical acclaim and was nominated for the Historical Novel Society 2015 Annual Indie Award. She regularly presents on writing panels and was named Romance Writer's of America's 2013 PRO Mentor of the Year. Eliza lives in Maryland atop a small mountain with a knight, three princesses and a very naughty puppy. For more information, visit her at www.elizaknight.com or www.historyundressed.com
KATE QUINN is the national bestselling author of the Empress of Rome saga and the Borgia Chronicles. Born in southern California, she attended Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Classical Voice while writing tales of ancient Rome to escape the New England winter. All her books have been translated into multiple languages. She and her husband now live in Maryland with a small black dog named Caesar, and her interests include opera, action movies, cooking, and the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit her at www.katequinnauthor.com.
VICKY ALVEAR SHECTER is the award-winning author of historical fiction for young adults and adults. She also writes about ancient history and mythology for younger readers. Her novels include, Cleopatra’s Moon and Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii; her series for kids, Secrets of the Ancient Gods, explores Egyptian, Greek/Roman, and Norse mythology. She has served as a long-time docent at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Antiquities at Emory University where she loves to share her passion for ancient history with visitors and school children. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, two almost-grown children, two weird cats and one lazy dog. Visit her at www.vickyalvearshecter.com.
S.J.A. TURNEY lives with his wife, son and daughter, two dogs and two rabbits in rural Northern England surrounded by ancient remains that have influenced his entire world. A lifetime devotee of all thing historical, and Roman in particular, Simon has spent most of his adult life visiting ancient sites, studying the Roman world—and reenacting it—and writing military adventure novels based on it. Bestselling author of the Marius’ Mules and Praetorian series of Roman fiction and the Ottoman Cycle and Tales of the Empire in non-Roman, Simon excels at bloodcurdling prose and fart jokes.
RUSSELL WHITFIELD was born in Shepherds Bush in 1971. An only child, he was raised in Hounslow, West London, but has since escaped to Ham in Surrey. Russell has had an (almost) life long fascination with ancient Greece and Rome, sparked by seeing the The Three Hundred Spartans on ITV in the seventies. Educated to A-Level, he did not complete college, preferring instead to seek fame and fortune in a heavy metal band. Sadly, fame and fortune were not forthcoming and a career in telesales beckoned. A series of jobs followed culminating in the heady heights of 'content editor' for a large multi-national. Gladiatrix was Russ's first novel, published in 2008 by Myrmidon Books. The sequel, Roma Victrix, continues the adventures of Lysandra, the Spartan gladiatrix, and a third book, Imperatrix, sees Lysandra stepping out of the arena and onto the field of battle. Heavy Metal is Russ's music of choice, though he was also in a goth band and thus has the obligatory Sisters of Mercy and Mission CD's in his collection. He is a huge fan of the Swedish band Hysterica and has written a song for their second album “The Art of Metal.”
