After years immersed in the world of the ‘Nelson and His Son’ series, I’m now writing the final pages of the finale ‘Nelson’s Inheritance’ which continues Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson and his stepson Josiah’s story. But finishing the manuscript is only the beginning.

As many people use the New Year to reflect on the past to shape resolutions for the future, I found myself reflecting on history from an alternative historical fiction perspective. I attended a lively debate at the Australasian Pioneers Club on the actual contribution of Governor Arthur Phillip to Australia which has fuelled my reflections including on the death of Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson.

Canada – almost the 51st State? As I complete the final novel in my Nelson and Son trilogy, I reflect on The War of 1812 so often overlooked, yet it shaped nations and echoed across generations. I consider some of the personalities and ambitions of that era — and the unsettling ways history could be repeating. If you’re drawn to forgotten wars and the lives caught within them, take a look.