Derek lives in Dorset but was born in Hampshire and spent his teenage years in Auckland, New Zealand, where he still has strong family ties. After teaching for many years in a Berkshire secondary school, he decided to concentrate on his writing. Interested in a wide range of historical themes, Derek began his writing career with the late medieval period. He writes character-driven, action-packed fiction which is rooted in accurate history. His debut historical novel, Feud, is the first of a series of eight books and one novella entitled The Wars of the Roses which follows the fortunes of the fictional Elder family. Derek has also written the Amazon bestselling trilogy, The Last of The Romans, which focuses on the real fifth century Romano-British character of Ambrosius Aurelianus. His latest book is Rebel Sword which is set during the Anarchy in twelfth century [...] out now is a modern thriller, Eyes Like Blades, under the pen name Tom Hadley, which marks a significant change of genre for Derek. Pen and Sword have recently published his first non-fiction book: A Guide to the Wars of the [...] has also written and produced over 40 podcasts on the Wars of the Roses. With historian, Sharon Bennett Connolly, he now co-hosts the podcast series, A Slice of Medieval, which is a fusion of history and historical fiction featuring both popular historical novelists and medieval historians.