Yeah, yeah. I write dark modern paranormal romance for HQN Nocturne. But my alter-ego writes historical fiction and I’m a fan of all things Roman. I like the idea of a Vestal Virgin with a forbidden love. To that end, it’s my pleasure to welcome my Maryland Romance Writer chapter mate, Kate Poole as a guest today. Kate’s latest book has just released and she’s here to tell us about it:

Sara is the daughter of the emperor’s legate in Caledonia, the Roman name for Scotland. Annachie is a Pictish warrior captured by her father’s soldiers and made a slave. Their friendship grows into a love neither of them can even acknowledge, much less consummate. When her father finds them in what he thinks is a compromising position, he gives Annachie to a notorious slave trader and takes Sara back to Rome. Thinking that she will never see Annachie again, Sara agrees to become a Vestal Virgin. But six years later, her world is turned upside down when the games in the Coliseum feature the renowned gladiator, the “Beast of Caledonia”. Annachie! Only for him would Sara forsake her vow of chastity and risk her life. And when she faces the ultimate price for loving him, only Annachie may be able to save her.

Many thanks to Stephanie for allowing me to post on her blog.

The Beast of Caledonia is my second book, and a bit different from my usual Scottish settings. But not as much as you might think. The book starts in Rome, with flashbacks to when Annachie and Sara first meet–in Scotland, or “Pictland” as it was known at the time.

Most everyone has heard of Hadrian’s Wall, in northern England, but a lot of people don’t know that there was a second wall–the Antonine Wall–that bisects southern Scotland. Built by the emperor Antoninus in 148 A.D., it was meant to keep the “savages” out of Briton. But, as Annachie points out in Beast, it also kept the Romans out of Scotland!

I don’t remember when or why I got the idea for this story. I have been writing on it for 3 years, so it preceded HBO’s Rome series, and definitely Starz’s Spartacus. But I won’t deny that both those excellent shows helped me in my research. As did Colleen McCullough’s truly superb Rome series. I hope that I have given my readers a taste of the religion, customs, and violence of that time period which will peek their interest to explore these other media.

If you decide to give the Beast a try, I hope you enjoy it. If you do (or don’t!), please let me know: katepoole06@comcast.net

Thanks again, Stephanie, for letting steal your blog for a while!

Kate Poole, Anchor and Storm, Beast of Caledonia Coming August 24, 2010 – “Exhibition”

www.jasminejade.com www.katepoole.net

The New York times has an interesting story on the upcoming Starz Television Show, Spartacus. They seem to imply that it’s going to be all sex and gore. Maybe that’s not a bad thing.

I’m sure there are other lessons that the writers could have taken from HBO’s Rome, but this is what they zeroed in on:

The show’s creators were also fans of “Rome,” and they say they learned two important lessons from that series. One was not to spend a fortune on building sets. (“Spartacus” relies instead on green-screen technology and C.G.I.) And the other was that their story line needed, like that of “Rome” to be character driven.

HBO’s Rome was some fantastic television, and Showtime is doing great with the Tudors, so why not. As long as it doesn’t try to remake Kubrick’s film–because seriously, the original Spartacus does not need to be remade–it could be pretty great. Here’s the trailer for it. As an author of myth-inspired and historical fiction, I cheer and say bring on more of the Sword & Sandal epics!

After my interview with author Michelle Moran, I wanted to read her book about the very last Ptolemaic Queen a second time, and I’m glad I did. It’s in the second reading of Cleopatra’s Daughter that the atmospheric details and astute editorial choices not only surprise but delight.

As far as ancient women go, Selene, isn’t as famous as her mother, but she was arguably more successful, and this book is a captivating story of her youth as a virtual prisoner of war in Rome. Ms. Moran stays close to the true events of history, but like all the best writers of historical fiction she adds some flair of her own. She conjures up a mythical figure of the Red Eagle, a Spartacus-like hero who encourages slave rebellions.

This was a fantastic addition both because it highlights the sociological problems that slavery presented to Rome, and also gives us a romantic figure for Selene to admire as a young girl. What’s more, it emphasized the turbulent nature of the times. Because Augustus lived to be a very old man, we often look back on his reign as a time of stability and peace. He wanted us to remember it that way. The truth is that it wasn’t always peaceful, or inevitable that he should remain in power, and this book illustrates that very well.

Ms. Moran is a world traveler and it shows. This novel effortlessly brings Alexandria and Rome to life. The scenery, and particularly the architectural exploration, is not only well-researched, but fascinating. I particularly enjoyed the way Selene was portrayed as an artist and budding architect (something very relevant to her later life). Also, it was a rare treat to explore ancient Rome through Selene’s eyes, giving us fascinating insights into the daily life of the imperial family and the odd customs of the Romans, many of which would have horrified a young princess of Egypt.

As a heroine, Selene is plucky and ambitious, rebellious, but a survivor. She’s exactly the kind of character young girls will love–and older girls will respect. But the secondary characters in the book are also well-drawn and exciting. The author takes telling stories and uses them to illuminate the character of historical figures like Augustus. (For example, the fact Ms. Moran actually managed to work in the incident of Augustus, the slave and the eels in a perfectly organic way is a testament to her creativity and skill.)

In all, Ms. Moran has a gift for telling the stories of women that history has forgotten, and her talent is on full-display in Cleopatra’s Daughter, which will have a proud and permanent place on my book shelf. Everyone should read this book and lucky for you, it’s on sale now.