From my mother's knee I was brought up to love the ancients. A frustrated scholar - she had to go out to work by 14 - mum lapped up the classics and my childhood was littered with emperors, battles, heroes, gods and goddesses. No surprise then that I went on to study Ancient History and Social Anthropology at UCL back in the not-so-swinging '70s and although there is surely an element of the parent living through the child I am glad that this is the path I took. 

Ancient history and its cousin (shhhh don't tell the academics) archaeology have remained constant sources of interest and pleasure right up until my present ripe 'old' age. I was lucky enough to learn more about Ancient Rome during my legal studies. It was a first year option so what was a girl to do? I have lead a Young Archaeologists’ Club and been a member of a local archaeology society for several years. I am a member of The Roman Society listening every year for the latest copy of 'Britannia' to come clattering through the letterbox. I also live in the beautiful north west of Britain where I have been able to research and visit all the sites mentioned in 'Amazon - Slave of Rome'. I  hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I have enjoyed researching and writing it.