David Caldo has one published novel, Florentine Masque, and is currently writing the second in the series, to be called Florentine Gold. David has also written three earlier unpublished novels, and a scattering of short stories.

He has a PhD from Cambridge University and before that, degrees in Law and Engineering from Trinity College, Dublin.

His professional career has included thirty years running a group of companies to develop hi-tech electronic devices and software for classified defence and security projects.

David is an experienced speaker and now enjoys giving talks to writers as well as general interest groups, on:

• His research: e.g. Daily life in the Early Renaissense
• His approach to writing: e.g. The Structure of your Plot

David is a strong believer in 'hands-on' research for his novels. For his book Florentine Masque he spent time riding a horse between the remote villages of the Alta Maremma, the breathtakingly beautiful mountainous region of Tuscany.

In 2006 he visited China and talked about writing to two English Study Groups from Xiamen and Shanghai Universities.

He still maintains friendships with a number of the students he met there.

More recently, apart from travel to Italy, USA and China, he has enjoyed teaching mathematics at a UK state secondary school.

As a result he discovered again how entertaining and exasperating young adults can be. He took the opportunity to ask them what they enjoyed reading most. It was this that gave rise to his young adult fantasy Fractured Light.

Researching for his Florentine series, apart from horseriding, he learned to fly a hawk

David and Fiametta

David is married with three grown-up children and lives near Winchester in Hampshire, England