To Rule a Ruler

'I lived forty glorious years in the heart of one of history's most powerful civilisations ... I knew men in my life who would become gods and women who deserved to. Magnificent as they all were, I am not a mere footnote in their stories. Mine is a history all its own.'

Fulvia Flacca Bambula is now a wealthy young widow, with more than gold to her name. In the wake of the death of her husband, the populist politician Clodius, she has captured the love and loyalty of the people for herself, while harnessing the force of one of ancient Rome's most violent criminal gangs.

As civil war erupts, the clever and ambitious Fulvia takes advantage of the unrest to establish her own authority. And finally, the men who rule Rome begin to understand just how formidable she has become. There are those who fear her and those, like Julius Caesar, who see her potential.

When Fulvia is reunited with Marcus Antonius, an old friend appointed by Caesar as his general, she sees a man who could rule all of Rome - with her help. They marry, and when Caesar is assassinated, Fulvia and her new husband make a perilous bid for ultimate power. As they battle to gain control of an empire, their opponents are legion: Caesar's killers, Brutus and Cassius; the wily young queen Cleopatra; the great orator Cicero, and the cold and calculating Octavian.

Fulvia must face down these ruthless political players, protect her children, and fight to keep the loyalty and attention of Marcus Antonius. The odds against her are almost overwhelming, but Fulvia's warrior spirit has been forged by tragedy and condescension, and now she will fight for the legacy she knows she deserves.

To Rule a Ruler is an epic tale of ambition, power, and the indomitable spirit of a woman who defies the patriarchy of ancient Rome to carve out her own place in history.

Whatever the cost.