John W Egan
@authorjwegan.bsky.social
Author of alternative histories and an historical fiction duology. Historical board gamer. Family first. Veteran of the RUF War. A Canadian in the beautiful Ottawa Valley of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation. http://historicalalternatives.blogspot.com.
I play board games and made one for my alternate 6th century novels. Each player starts Ducemculi with 15 pawns and a dux in 2 rows with open flanks. Whoever captures the other player’s dux or 10 pawns wins. I also put actual 6th century games in the stories. Who else has games in their stories?
October 24, 2025 at 4:19 AM
I play board games and made one for my alternate 6th century novels. Each player starts Ducemculi with 15 pawns and a dux in 2 rows with open flanks. Whoever captures the other player’s dux or 10 pawns wins. I also put actual 6th century games in the stories. Who else has games in their stories?
It is a creepy honour to see my first novel is among the 1.5 million titles that META “took” to develop its AI. But then, Google’s AI gives a good summary of that novel. I guess the AI share data and so my reaction is, “AI, AI, Oh!”
October 15, 2025 at 2:54 AM
It is a creepy honour to see my first novel is among the 1.5 million titles that META “took” to develop its AI. But then, Google’s AI gives a good summary of that novel. I guess the AI share data and so my reaction is, “AI, AI, Oh!”
The Maple Leaf Forever. We value our good neighbours and families to the south but not a regime that is hostile to our freedom and wellbeing. Meanwhile, I will continue to write my stories set in an altered 6th century.
September 21, 2025 at 3:32 PM
The Maple Leaf Forever. We value our good neighbours and families to the south but not a regime that is hostile to our freedom and wellbeing. Meanwhile, I will continue to write my stories set in an altered 6th century.
My Roman Sky series sells well in the US, UK, EU, and Australia. Only seven weeks’ royalties has paid for the editing, cover, formatting, and author’s stock of my latest book, Justinian’s Torch. Yet I have few sales at home in Canada. So, I will try again to alter that trend at Canada’s bookstore:
September 6, 2025 at 9:32 PM
My Roman Sky series sells well in the US, UK, EU, and Australia. Only seven weeks’ royalties has paid for the editing, cover, formatting, and author’s stock of my latest book, Justinian’s Torch. Yet I have few sales at home in Canada. So, I will try again to alter that trend at Canada’s bookstore:
“Angel and Mercy: The Ceasefire War” was my first novel. It was about two girl rebels trying to survive the final months of the RUF War. It was also about my tour in the Sierra Leone Army then. It was easier to write fact as fiction. So, it was good to read this new review by someone who was there:
August 31, 2025 at 3:44 PM
“Angel and Mercy: The Ceasefire War” was my first novel. It was about two girl rebels trying to survive the final months of the RUF War. It was also about my tour in the Sierra Leone Army then. It was easier to write fact as fiction. So, it was good to read this new review by someone who was there:
Working on Empire’s Frost, Book VI of the Roman Sky series, but taking time to enjoy my surroundings. This morning’s mist and sunrise were greeted by loons’ haunting calls and fish breaking the water’s surface to breakfast on bugs.
August 21, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Working on Empire’s Frost, Book VI of the Roman Sky series, but taking time to enjoy my surroundings. This morning’s mist and sunrise were greeted by loons’ haunting calls and fish breaking the water’s surface to breakfast on bugs.
After one week, Justinian’s Torch has reached #2 in two sales categories and #30 in a third. And it placing 25,914 out of a million titles [or more] overall puts it in the top 3% of a huge market. This level of readership is great for an indie author to see.
July 13, 2025 at 5:42 PM
After one week, Justinian’s Torch has reached #2 in two sales categories and #30 in a third. And it placing 25,914 out of a million titles [or more] overall puts it in the top 3% of a huge market. This level of readership is great for an indie author to see.
I have begun writing Empire’s Frost. It takes place as a dark, cold haze blankets this alternate 6th century Earth, as it did ours. Despite this, Rome and Gothia must repel the invading Persians and their allies. So, my new story needs a new map with place names from six languages. But which six?
July 13, 2025 at 4:43 PM
I have begun writing Empire’s Frost. It takes place as a dark, cold haze blankets this alternate 6th century Earth, as it did ours. Despite this, Rome and Gothia must repel the invading Persians and their allies. So, my new story needs a new map with place names from six languages. But which six?
“Winter of 1813” sold well at Indigo yesterday. It’s an alternative history, but its Canadian theme attracted buyers. With me in the photo is my fellow author, John W. Partington. Today, I am reviewing the editor’s mark up of “Justinian’s Torch” my latest alternative history of the 6th century.
June 22, 2025 at 8:01 PM
“Winter of 1813” sold well at Indigo yesterday. It’s an alternative history, but its Canadian theme attracted buyers. With me in the photo is my fellow author, John W. Partington. Today, I am reviewing the editor’s mark up of “Justinian’s Torch” my latest alternative history of the 6th century.
I will be signing books at Indigo in Kanata on Sunday. This Canadian chain has all nine of my novels as ebooks and now carries five as paperbacks.
June 21, 2025 at 4:07 AM
I will be signing books at Indigo in Kanata on Sunday. This Canadian chain has all nine of my novels as ebooks and now carries five as paperbacks.
After weeks of dealing with a respiratory virus I have finished the last chapter of Justinian’s Torch and updated its map. Farewell to the Scoti (Irish) and Caledonii (Picts) as the airships must fly east to another alternative history. And I posted something about the Roman Sky series on Blue Sky.
May 26, 2025 at 7:47 PM
After weeks of dealing with a respiratory virus I have finished the last chapter of Justinian’s Torch and updated its map. Farewell to the Scoti (Irish) and Caledonii (Picts) as the airships must fly east to another alternative history. And I posted something about the Roman Sky series on Blue Sky.
Draft 2 Digital distributes to major booksellers as well as sells on its own site.
May 3, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Draft 2 Digital distributes to major booksellers as well as sells on its own site.
This is the draft cover for Justinian’s Torch, Book VI of the Roman Sky series. It shows 6th century Roman airships fire bombing the Highlands, the parts held by the Scots. But Rome’s allies—Picts, Britons, and Druids—do not like this way of waging war.
April 13, 2025 at 3:48 AM
This is the draft cover for Justinian’s Torch, Book VI of the Roman Sky series. It shows 6th century Roman airships fire bombing the Highlands, the parts held by the Scots. But Rome’s allies—Picts, Britons, and Druids—do not like this way of waging war.
Planning the 6th century invasion of the Mull of Kintyre: forces, distances, terrains, names, times, winds, and sea-states—all for one chapter. Readers will not see all this detail, but I need such research and actual history to write a realistic alternative history. I am a plotter, not a pantser.
March 13, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Planning the 6th century invasion of the Mull of Kintyre: forces, distances, terrains, names, times, winds, and sea-states—all for one chapter. Readers will not see all this detail, but I need such research and actual history to write a realistic alternative history. I am a plotter, not a pantser.
While in the jungles of Sierra Leone, I found a pup on my cot beeping and rubbing himself on an oil stain. I did not know what he was and took a “flash” photo. He flew off the cot and out of the hut leaving a skunk-like stink. I learned later he was a civet. I called him Charlie, after the perfume.
January 14, 2025 at 9:39 PM
While in the jungles of Sierra Leone, I found a pup on my cot beeping and rubbing himself on an oil stain. I did not know what he was and took a “flash” photo. He flew off the cot and out of the hut leaving a skunk-like stink. I learned later he was a civet. I called him Charlie, after the perfume.
I was on a long field exercise 45 years ago this month. The windchill averaged below -45 each day, with gusts of -70. On our last day, the wind died and it rose to -20, which felt warm. Years later, I was in a West African jungle where daily highs reached 45 [113 F]. Of the two, I prefer +45 to -45.
January 4, 2025 at 9:54 PM
I was on a long field exercise 45 years ago this month. The windchill averaged below -45 each day, with gusts of -70. On our last day, the wind died and it rose to -20, which felt warm. Years later, I was in a West African jungle where daily highs reached 45 [113 F]. Of the two, I prefer +45 to -45.
In Justinian’s Wall, Emperor Justinian seeks to conquer the Picts, something no one has ever done. After the Nika Riots, he needed a victory to show the Gods approve of his reign. The story also sets up a new challenge for the MC, Cillian. And, I wanted to write about my Pict/Scot/Irish ancestors.
January 3, 2025 at 8:18 PM
In Justinian’s Wall, Emperor Justinian seeks to conquer the Picts, something no one has ever done. After the Nika Riots, he needed a victory to show the Gods approve of his reign. The story also sets up a new challenge for the MC, Cillian. And, I wanted to write about my Pict/Scot/Irish ancestors.
In Angel and Mercy: The Ceasefire War, one of the title characters, Angel, wore a “war charm” as did many fighters in the RUF War. The charm she wore was actually my charm: a ricocheted bullet that hit me between the eyes years earlier. I still wear it. I often put my experiences in my stories.
January 2, 2025 at 6:11 PM
In Angel and Mercy: The Ceasefire War, one of the title characters, Angel, wore a “war charm” as did many fighters in the RUF War. The charm she wore was actually my charm: a ricocheted bullet that hit me between the eyes years earlier. I still wear it. I often put my experiences in my stories.
Empire’s Victory was inspired by the Nika Riots in which mobs were provoked by senators to overthrow Emperor Justinian. As parallel worlds tend to have similar histories, I changed only one word in Empress Theodora’s speech that stirred Justinian’s officers to win the day: ‘boats’ became ‘airships.’
January 2, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Empire’s Victory was inspired by the Nika Riots in which mobs were provoked by senators to overthrow Emperor Justinian. As parallel worlds tend to have similar histories, I changed only one word in Empress Theodora’s speech that stirred Justinian’s officers to win the day: ‘boats’ became ‘airships.’
Empire’s Shield is based on the Persian siege of Martyropolis, known today as Silvan, Turkey. In this alternative 6th century story, it is called Maipa, its earlier name, by a Roman Empire that remained pagan.
December 30, 2024 at 4:54 PM
Empire’s Shield is based on the Persian siege of Martyropolis, known today as Silvan, Turkey. In this alternative 6th century story, it is called Maipa, its earlier name, by a Roman Empire that remained pagan.
We are about to have our belated by a few days’ Solstice Dinner, aka Christmas Eve’s Eve Dinner. The Pink Christmas Tree is another annual tradition that our daughter began. I have come to like it.
December 23, 2024 at 9:58 PM
We are about to have our belated by a few days’ Solstice Dinner, aka Christmas Eve’s Eve Dinner. The Pink Christmas Tree is another annual tradition that our daughter began. I have come to like it.
I was delighted last June when a US library bought the first four books of my Roman Sky series. It proves they are not “Banned in Boston” and that there must be a demand for Alternative 6th Century novels in parts of New England.
December 22, 2024 at 9:50 PM
I was delighted last June when a US library bought the first four books of my Roman Sky series. It proves they are not “Banned in Boston” and that there must be a demand for Alternative 6th Century novels in parts of New England.
Autumn ends here tonight with a windchill of -21. The windchill for the first night of winter tomorrow is -31. All we need is more snow.
December 21, 2024 at 3:26 AM
Autumn ends here tonight with a windchill of -21. The windchill for the first night of winter tomorrow is -31. All we need is more snow.
Whenever I need a break, the town of Perth, Ontario is the place, no matter the season. It has several book stores, fine shops, and great restaurants. The old, mostly limestone block, buildings that house them are also worth the trip. It is also a good place for writing.
December 20, 2024 at 8:19 PM
Whenever I need a break, the town of Perth, Ontario is the place, no matter the season. It has several book stores, fine shops, and great restaurants. The old, mostly limestone block, buildings that house them are also worth the trip. It is also a good place for writing.
I write outside in our courtyard during the summer, which is from May to September. But I retreat to my Fortress of Solitude if it is raining.
December 20, 2024 at 8:05 PM
I write outside in our courtyard during the summer, which is from May to September. But I retreat to my Fortress of Solitude if it is raining.