Tonie and Valmai Holt have been writing since they were at school.

Tonie Holt joined the British Army, graduated from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and the Staff Colleges at Camberley and Shrivenham.

He took a BSc in Engineering. He resigned his Commission to take up writing and worked as a volunteer for some time with the Prince's Trust.

A keen hockey player he played at County and  Army levels.

Valmai Holt studied at London University, graduated in French and Spanish and later taught History.  She was also a keen hockey player.

Valmai served on the Board of the Kent and Canterbury Hospital Trust.

In the 1970s they founded Major and Mrs Holt's Battlefield Tours, the first organisation that offered such tours to the General Public.

Later they re-organised and ran the Royal British Legion Pilgrimages.

They have two children, Sian and Gareth and  two grandchildren, Jessica and Rebecca.