Jess Steven Hughes brought his lifetime's fascination with ancient Roman history into his debut novel, The Sign of the Eagle. The fascination continues as this has become part of a chain of books called the Britannia Romanus series. This includes The Wolf of Britannia, Part I and Part II. Another historical novel, The Broken Lance, set in Roman Britain and Imperial Rome is the first book of a duo-logy that includes The Peace Keeper. Jess is a retired a police detective sergeant, Long Beach Police Dept, Long Beach, CA. He holds a Masters Degree from the University of Southern California in Public Administration with a minor (my first academic love) in Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations. He also served four years United States Marine Corps (1962/66). As a retired person, Jess believes in keeping very busy. You must stay active mentally, physically and socially. These are a few of the keys to a long and healthy retirement. Writing novels has contributed greatly to my quality of life. He lives with his wife, Liz, on a four-acre mini-farm in Eastern Washington. His hobby is outdoor model railroading. He has an outdoor model railroad that was featured in the June/July 2010 issue of the regional magazine PRIME NORTHWEST (www.primenw.com). Check their website for the article. He was also featured in the Today segment of the Spokane Spokesman-Review, August 18, 2012, The Longest Chapter, in which he discussed his quest to become a published author. Check the following link for the article. http: //www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/aug/18/the-longest-chapter/ Jess is a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA) and is active in the Red Ink Fictioneers writers support group in the Spokane, WA area.