James Mullins

Born into a military family, I was introduced early to a life of travel, history, and discovery. My childhood unfolded against the backdrop of Europe’s castles and ruins, where my fascination with the past took root. A later journey to Southern Italy to meet extended family deepened that passion. Walking through ancient Roman streets, surrounded by the weight of millennia, I found the seed of what would eventually grow into my life’s work.

My own military service took me to lands steeped in history, from the windswept coasts of Iceland to the sands of the Middle East, reinforcing my love for ancient cultures and the conflicts that shaped them. Though life briefly pulled me away into academic and professional pursuits, the call of history never faded. After completing my Master’s degree, I returned to what I loved most: storytelling.

I began writing with a question: What if history had taken a darker turn?

My debut novel, Scourge of Byzantium, launched the Byzantium Infected series, a fusion of historical fiction and alternate history that imagines a viral outbreak in the twilight of the Roman Empire. That vision expanded across three sequels: Damascus of the Damned, Emperor’s Errand, and Emperor’s Errand Part II — following the exploits of Athos, Baltazar, and Constan as they navigate the chaos of a crumbling world where both the undead and imperial intrigue lurk in the shadows.

Craving new terrain, I shifted from speculative fiction to historical realism. Specifically, the underexplored battlegrounds of the 1939–1940 Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union. Thus was born The Winter Sniper series, a gritty, character-driven saga centered on Hale, a Finnish sniper defending his homeland against overwhelming Soviet forces.

To date, I have written eight novels in the series, including The Winter Sniper, Against the Commissar, Assaulting the Commissar, Suomussalmi, Machine Guns and Mottis, The Raate Road, Raid on Russia, and Loytavaara Hill, with more planned. These books explore the icy battlefields across Finland and the fierce resistance of a nation outnumbered but never broken.

Most recently, I turned my attention to modern warfare with the launch of the Ukraine Invaded series, an unflinching look at the human cost of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The first two novels, Special Military Operation and Mariupol, delve into the brutal realities of urban combat.

Drawing inspiration from writers like Harry Turtledove, Simon Scarrow, and Gordon Doherty, I strive to bring overlooked corners of history to vivid life — blending tactical realism, emotional depth, and cultu