Science fiction and fantasy have always been favorites of mine. I grew up reading Robert Heinlein, Roger Zelazny, Keith Laumer, and Tolkien. I also found that sci-fi and fantasy frequently have a basis in real historical events, and my reading branched out into theoretical physics, ancient history, biography, and military history. Of course, when I started writing my own material, I did what I could to combine all these elements. That's why you'll find history and science even in stories that are nominally fantasy. And it's why you'll find fantasy even in my historical fiction. That's not to m...