A Legate’s Pledge

“Let no-one escape sheer destruction, no-one our hands, not even the babe in the womb of the mother, if it be male; let it nevertheless not escape sheer destruction.” — Cassius Dio

While doing research for my Roman Hearts series, I came upon this line referencing Severus’s Caledonian campaign. This single sentence ignited my curiosity about what went down when the Romans invaded the highlands in 208-210.

The answer is genocide.

Naturally, I began wondering how I might take one of the darkest points in military history and weave it into a love story. Why would I do such a thing? Well, I could talk about my love of romance hybrids and pushing the boundaries of the genre, but I think what it really boils down to is that this is the kind of story I enjoy reading. I know I’m not the only person who likes ancient settings and gritty action with their romance. Sure, there aren’t many of us, and yes, the genre is so niche and difficult to market that I’ll probably be forced to return to paid work so we can eat, but sometimes the muse wins.

‘What’s for dinner?’ I hear the kids calling from the other room.

‘Positivity,’ I shout back. ‘Now, shush. Mummy’s writing genocide romance.’

Jokes aside, I find balancing reader expectations and writing what I love tricky. When I look back at the reviews of my very first book, I cry and wish I could start my writing career again think about how many negative reviews I could have avoided if I had played it a little safer with the story and theme.

If you’re playing along at home, the answer is a lot.

So now, as I work through the second draft of A Legate’s Pledge (after storming through the first draft with all my darkness ablaze), I’m letting my inner-critic have a say, because we all know creative me shouldn’t be left unsupervised for long periods. This thing is, I can still tell a great story without relaying every atrocity is graphic detail. So, I’m taking out some scenes, tweaking the story, and dialling down the darkness. At the beginning of each chapter I’m asking myself: Does the violence in this scene advance the plot in some way or I am simply trying mentally process the horrors of what took place during that campaign? Yes, writing is how I make sense of the world, but that doesn’t mean everything I write should be read by other people.

‘Holy cheese puffs,’ I hear you say. ‘This one sounds like a barrel of laughs.’

Fear not (some fear is healthy). I have some amazing characters who offer plenty of reprieve throughout, and our hero Nerva Papias is a perfect example.

Nerva, Nerva, Nerva. You love him, I love him, Rome loves him. That’s why I’ve placed him front and centre for this story. The dashing legate has earned his hero status after playing the dependable older brother to our heroines in books one and two. But his true test of character is yet to come, for he must now take his legion north of Antonine’s Wall with orders to kill all in their path.

Yes, this is possibly one of the meanest things I’ve ever done to a character.

To complicate matters further, he comes head to head with a Maeatae warrior named Brei. (pronounced Bray if you’re wondering—or conjuring images of soft-centred cheese). This fierce little warrior is smart, dangerous, funny, and living in the destructive path of the third legion. Let me say, if you like strong female characters, this one’s for you.

It’s the enemies to lovers trope on steroids.

Their story begins where all good romance stories begin: on the battlefield. Nerva is trying not to kill our heroine while trying to avoid being killed himself. Now if he can just manage to avoid her for the rest of the war.

No such luck.

Our big-hearted hero must make some tough decisions in this book. His loyalties will be tested.

So, what can readers expect from book three in the Roman Hearts series? Guerrilla warfare, pirates, a gladiator fight or two, appearances from some of your favourite characters (*coughs* Felix), a few tears, bloody bits, witty dialogue, and of course, all the romance feels. Don’t be fooled by the setting, this is a love story first and foremost.

A Legate’s Pledge is due for release July 31 and will conclude the Roman Hearts trilogy. I can’t wait to share Nerva and Brei’s story with you.