Simon Turney

S.J.A. Turney is a well-known British author who has made a significant impact in the world of historical fiction and historical fantasy. He was born in Ripon, United Kingdom, and currently resides in North Yorkshire with his wife and children. Turney is an animal lover and shares his home with pets, which often keep him company while he writes. He has a dedicated room in his house where he spends most of his time writing his novels, often accompanied by a cup of coffee and some digestive biscuits.

In addition to writing under his original name, Turney also uses the pen name Simon Turney for some of his works. His love for history, particularly the Roman heritage of his region, began in his childhood when he would visit historic sites with his grandfather. This fascination with the ancient world expanded to include Egypt, Greece, and Byzantium, but Rome always remained his primary interest. Turney's writing career has been varied, including stints in the Ministry of Agriculture and computer network management before he returned to university to complete an honours degree in classical history through the Open University.

Turney's debut novel, the first volume of Marius' Mules, was completed in 2003 and quickly gained international success, bestseller status, and rave reviews. This series, set during Caesar's Gallic Wars, remains one of Turney's core series, and he has since expanded his repertoire to include Byzantine, Fantasy, and Medieval series, as well as several collaborations and short stories in other genres. Turney is a prolific writer, having published over 40 novels, and he writes full-time, representing various genres and eras. He is represented by MMB Creative literary agents and continues to release novels both independently and through renowned publishers such as Canelo and Orion. His notable works include the Praetorian series, Marius' Mules series, The Ottoman Cycle series, Tales of the Empire series, and the Knights Templar series.