What happens when you combine a love of classical history with a dose of dark humour? A story of ancient Rome where real men wore togas and tunics and never worried about political correctness. Or underwear. A time of bloody battles and the equally deadly game of politics. Where slander, bribery, and thuggery-along with the odd murder-were normal campaigning tools for a politician on the rise.

And Roman women? Well, they knew how to get around their society's patriarchal rules. A whispered word here, a drop of poison there-they had ways to manage the men in their lives and wield power behind the scenes.

My story is based on real people who lived, loved and fought in the last decade of the Roman Republic. Who did stupid things on occasion, just like us. And like us, some just never learned.

I hope you enjoy my irreverent take on Publius Claudius (later Clodius) Pulcher's rule-bending attempts to get ahead in his world. A huge thank you to all who've read and supported my work.