I had always had a fascination for Alternate History, and when I discovered the BelleHistoire group on AncientSites, I found another home. I dove right in.

I helped create the Blue Empire scenario—which took place in an alternate Europe, where the Celts had their own empire, originating in Lugdunum (Lyon). It was remarkable how a number of creative people got together to create characters who interacted with each other in a world that never existed. I’m going to start rattling off names… Xtreemli Curius, Mescal Venetii, Lollia Junius, Catalus Aemelius, Dia Flavius, Viaggra Aristides, Secundus Maximus, Gothicus Aelius—and forgive me if I can’t remember everyone, this is only a small fraction of the people who took part!

The writing I did at AncientSites influenced my writing later on. I wrote an entire first draft of a novel set in the same world as that in Blue Empire... which I’m sad to say I haven’t picked back up.

But at least the writing skills I developed at AncientSites helped me publish two short stories in anthology compilations.