My latest post on the History Girls blog features the story of the vicious last queen of Rome – Tullia Minor. Her conniving ruthlessness to place her husband, Tarquinius Supberbus, on the throne led to a string of murders culminating in the desecration of her father’s corpse. Definitely one of Rome’s legendary but lesser known psychopaths! Read more on the… read more
The History Girls – The Legend of Tanaquil
My latest post on the History Girls is about the legend of Queen Tanaquil, an Etruscan prophetess, who was the power behind the throne of two of the early kings of Rome. Tanaquil’s first prophecy was based on observing the flight of an eagle which is an example of the art of auspication ie divining the future from the flight… read more
Switching from alternate history – Alison Morton
I’m delighted to welcome Alison Morton as my guest today. She’s a fellow Romaphile who’s has written alternate history for years. Now she’s has decided to switch to ‘straight historical’ fiction with her new release, Julia Prima. Alison is writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her nine-book Roma Nova series is set in an imaginary European country where a… read more
Paulette Kennedy interviews Elisabeth Storrs
Paulette Kennedy kindly interviewed me about A Tale of Ancient Rome series together with Treasured, my current work in progress. Many thanks, Paulette! You can read the author spotlight here. I also interviewed Paulette recently on her sources of inspiration for her debut novel, Parting the Veil, on Triclinium.
The Legend of Tarpeia – my latest post on The History Girls
My latest post on the History Girls: The Legend of Tarpeia – a Roman Morality Tale explores how the legends of Roman women in the Foundation stories of the city are morality tales depicting a women as either paragons of virtue or the epitome of disgrace. They are victims who become the catalysts for revolution but never lead rebellion. Read… read more
Guest Post: Best Books on Etruscan, Greek and Roman Mythology
This month I was asked to provide a guest post on the Discover The Best Books site. This site has been set up to create an experience like wandering around your favorite bookstore with little notes from authors pointing out their favorite books. Each author nominates their topic which range from the specific to general. It’s worth taking a look…. read more
A lost civilization by Kate Johnson
I’m always delighted to connect with other Ancient World authors, especially fellow Romaphiles. My trilogy deals with Rome’s war with the mysterious Etruscans but there was another famous civilization which fought the Romans in early Republican times. Kate Q. Johnson joins me today with a post on the famous struggle between Rome and Carthage. Kate is a writer, scientist and… read more
History Girls: Son et Lumiere of Ancient Portents
My recent post on the History Girls explores the power of sound and light when interpreting portents from lightning bolts in Son et Lumiere – Ancient Portents. The Etruscans were expert. Read more
History Girls: The Quandary of What to Wear
What to wear? An age old question. In my post on the History Girls, I examine The Quandary of What to Wear when it comes to clothing a prostitute, concubine and noblewoman. Read more
The History Girls: Ancient ‘Girl Power’
My recent post on The History Girls deals with Ancient ‘Girl Power’ that dates back millenia. Compare the influence and eminence of Etruscan women to their Roman and Greek sisters. Read more…