I hope readers will allow me today to give a boost to my most recently published historical novel.

Entitled The Gammadion, it is a completely new and revised edition of an earlier book from 2002, and is a prequel to The Tiger and the Cauldron which I serialised here recently.

Previously available only as a digital book, The Gammadion is available today from Amazon UK as a paperback. It will be on sale in the US, the Eurozone and other markets in a few days time.

Although fiction, the novel is based on true life events, the wooing of the West by the Mongol Khans of Persia during the late thirteenth century. Sent by Pope Nicholas to Tabriz to negotiate a treaty with Arghun Khan, Italian nobleman Giovanni finds love instead. But as the old saying goes: the course of true love is never smooth.

Here are a few random quotations to whet the appetite:

‘The ambassador turned to see Nadia on the threshold. In full daylight and at this proximity she seemed younger than he had at first though her, and even more beautiful. He felt a thrill of pleasure ….’

‘Giovanni had no ear for the sounds of merriment. He heard a sudden swish of air and felt a stab of pain. Then he was staring in horror and disbelief at the red stain spreading over his tunic and breeches, where a deady shaft has buried itself in the flesh of his thigh.’

‘In his dream, Gobras froze in terror. The bright object had fallen on the floor, a gold cross with the span of a man’s hand, one whose hooked arms were turned to the left and at whose centre was the engraving of a crescent moon.’

‘Hassan uttered a howl of despair. He rushed forward, fell on his knees by the side of the corpse and threw himself, groaning, on the ice-cold and lifeless neck.’

‘[Gaikatu] bared his teeth again, and for once there was a trace of real amusement in his smile. “By the gods, Taghachar, this Christian is a worthy adversary. When you find him, do not kill him. I’ll enjoy slitting his throat myself.” ‘

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The digital edition is already on sale worldwide from all the major e-book stores, including Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Apple.

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