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Monday, August 31, 2009

Guest Post from Michelle Moran, author of CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER

Michelle Moran has carved a niche for herself in bringing to life the tumult and drama of the ancient world. From the intrigues and tragedies of ancient Egypt's most famous queen, NEFERTITI, to the struggles and triumph of her neice in THE HERETIC QUEEN, Michelle has enthralled readers with her vivid descriptions of a legendary time and people. Now, in her third novel, CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER, we meet Selene, daughter of Egypt's doomed last pharoah, who is brought as a hostage to Rome along with her brothers, and whose keen instincts for survival help her forge a new life for herself. As colorfully rendered and meticulously researched as Michelle's previous efforts, CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER is also a marvelous cross-over historical novel which will appeal to adults and young adults alike.

Michelle has kindly offered me this guest post, which sheds light on her research techniques and the importance of creating an authentic world for her readers. Please join in me in giving Michelle Moran a warm welcome!

Life and Libraries in the Classical Age by Michelle Moran
One of the most frequent questions I’m asked by readers is what life was like two thousand years ago when Julius Caesar walked the corridors of the Senate house and Cleopatra visited Rome. Surprisingly, life for the ancient Romans was not unbelievably different from today. The Romans had many of the little luxuries that we often associate exclusively with the modern world. For example, baths were to be found in every city, and public toilets were viewed as a necessity. The toilets depicted in HBO’s Rome Series are copies of those discovered in Pompeii, where those caught short could find a long stretch of latrines (much like a long bench with different sized holes) and relieve themselves next to their neighbor. Shops sold a variety of wigs, and women could buy irons to put curls their hair. For the rain, there were umbrellas, and for the sun, parasols. Houses for the wealthy were equipped with running water and were often decorated quite lavishly, with elaborate mosaics, painted ceilings, and plush carpets.

In the markets, the eager shopper could find a rich array of silks, along with linen and wool. You could also find slaves, and in this, Roman times certainly differ from our own. While some men spoke out against it, one in three people were enslaved. Most of these slaves came from Greece, or Gaul (an area roughly comprising modern France). Abuse was rampant, and the misery caused by this led desperate men like Spartacus to risk death for freedom.

For those few who were free and wealthy, however, life in Rome provided nearly endless entertainments. As a child, there were dolls and board games to be played with, and as an adult, there was every kind of amusement to be had, from the theatre to the chariot races. Even the poor could afford “bread and circuses,” which, according to Juvenal, was all the Romans were really interested in.

For those more academic minded, however, there were libraries. Although I don’t portray this in Cleopatra’s Daughter, libraries were incredibly noisy places. The male scholars and patrons read aloud to themselves and each other, for nothing was ever read silently (the Romans believed it was impossible!). Other cities were renowned for their learning, too: Pergamum (or Pergamon) was the largest and grandest library in the world. Built by the Greeks, Pergamum became Roman property when Greece was captured and many of its people enslaved. The library was said to be home to more than 200,000 volumes, and it is was in Pergamum that the history of writing was forever changed.

Built by Eumenes II, Pergamum inspired great jealousy in the Egyptian Ptolemies, who believed that their Library of Alexandria was superior. In order to cripple this Greek rival (and also because of crop shortages), Egypt ceased exporting papyrus, on which all manuscripts were written. Looking for an alternative solution, the Library of Pergamum began using parchment, or charta pergamena. For the first time, manuscripts were now being written on thin sheets of calf, sheep or goat’s skin. The result of this change from papyrus to parchment was significant. Now, knowledge could be saved by anyone with access to animal hide. Manuscripts (although still quite rare) were now available to more people. Alas, so impressive was this vast Pergamese library of parchment that Cleopatra asked Marc Antony to ship its entire contents to her as a wedding gift. This transfer marked the end of Pergamum’s scholarly dominance, and is the reason why, today, we remember Alexandria as possessing the ancient world’s greatest library.

Thank you, Michelle! To find out more Michelle Moran and her work, please visit her website.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Please help save Idaho's Wolves

Once again, Idaho officials have announced that they plan to allow hunters to target the 1,000 wolves in Idaho, shooting and killing up to 220 wolves during this hunting season alone. The aim is to reduce the population by half, which will kill parents and leave many orphaned wolf cubs to starve to death in the harsh winter months ahead. And all this is happening because Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, has rubber-stamped a Bush Administration decision to delist the wolf as an endangered species, though every scientific study done to date emphasizes that the population has not fully recovered and continues to be targeted by cattle ranchers, bounty hunters and ignorant state governors pandering to the hunting community.

If you have ever had the opportunity to see a wolf in the wild, as I have, you would never believe anyone is capable of the cold-blooded slaughter planned in Idaho. Yet in just a few days, more than four thousand - of an estimated 70,000 - wolf-killing permits have already been sold, so I urge you to please help Defenders of Wildlife save these wolves. Go here and fill out the form to send President Obama a message urging him to halt Idaho’s horrific wolf hunt and restore the Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in Idaho and Montana. It will only take a few minutes of your time and it could save these magnificent and misunderstood animals for future generations. Thank you!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Farewell, Ted Kennedy

This week, the United States lost a great man, an icon from a legendary political family and a tireless champion for human rights. Fallible, charming, often overshadowed by his late brothers, Ted Kennedy created an indelible role for himself in the Senate, where he fought throughout his career for equality for all Americans. From his stance against the first invasion of Iraq to his dedication to women's rights, gay rights, and government-sponsored healthcare that would support the thousands who struggle every day in an insurance-dominated system, Ted Kennedy never wavered in his resolve or devotion to public service.
Farewell, Ted Kennedy. You will be greatly missed.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

On vacation!

My partner and I are off to southern Spain and Madrid from September 2 - 18. I'll bring back photos and stories, as I'm meeting up with a book group in Marbella to discuss THE LAST QUEEN. I'm also seeing family and friends, and touring Sevilla, Granada and Cordoba.

On the book news front, I recently received approval for my revisions to THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI, which is exciting. Publication is scheduled for May 25, 2010. I'll keep you posted on developments; for the moment, I'm eagerly awaiting the copyedited manuscript and looking forward to first drafts of cover art - one of the fun parts of bringing a book to print.

While I'm gone, I have two fantastic guest posts lined up: On September 1, Michelle Moran will visit in celebration of the upcoming release of her third novel, CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER. Michelle will be blogging about the importance of ancient libraries.

On September 22, Jeri Westerson joins us to celebrate the release of SERPENT IN THE THORNS, the second in her Crispin Guest medieval 'noir' series. Jeri offers us a look at a little-known medieval custom called 'swan upping.'

Have a safe and fun end of summer, and I'll look forward to catching up with you on my return!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Winners of the INVASION giveaway!

Here are the 5 winners of the INVASION giveaway, as determined by random.org. Please send your full mailing address to me by August 12 at: cwgortner[at]earthlink.net so I can forward these to the publisher, who'll mail out the copies. Congratulations and thanks to all of you who entered!
1) Buddy T.
2) Justin Aucoin
3) Terry Carine
4) Jess
5) Linda