This week and next, I have the joy of sharing some new reads from some very gifted authors. I'm looking forward to this and you'll want to check in every few days, as there will be multiple posts in the next ten days. If you love historical fiction, then you will find some fascinating literature available right here!

Also, just a reminder that Antonius: Soldier of Fate launched Friday, October 16th, and is now available on Amazon, Kobo, & Barnes & Noble. And it's not too late to let friends and family know about my GIVEAWAY coming up on Friday, October 30th! To enter, you only need to be subscribed to this website. 

And now, I'd like to welcome Anna Belfrage to Brook's Scroll, along with an excerpt of her newest historical fiction saga: His Castilian Hawk! And might I add that Anna gives an exquisite Edward Longshanks!!!

                                                          His Castilian Hawk
                                 (The Castilian Saga, Book 1)
                                        By Anna Belfrage
 
 
For bastard-born Robert FitzStephan, being given Eleanor d’Outremer in marriage is an honour. For Eleanor, this forced wedding is anything but a fairy tale.
 
Robert FitzStephan has served Edward Longshanks loyally since the age of twelve. Now he is riding with his king to once and for all bring Wales under English control.
 
Eleanor d’Outremer—Noor to family—lost her Castilian mother as a child and is left entirely alone when her father and brother are killed. When ordered to wed the unknown Robert FitzStephan, she has no choice but to comply.
 
Two strangers in a marriage bed is not easy. Things are further complicated by Noor’s blood-ties to the Welsh princes and by covetous Edith who has warmed Robert’s bed for years.
Robert’s new wife may be young and innocent, but he is soon to discover that not only is she spirited and proud, she is also brave. Because when Wales lies gasping and Edward I exacts terrible justice on the last prince and his children, Noor is determined to save at least one member of the House of Aberffraw from the English king.
 
Will years of ingrained service have Robert standing with his king or will he follow his heart and protect his wife, his beautiful and fierce Castilian hawk?




                                      EXCERPT FROM HIS CASTILIAN HAWK


                            ~The recently knighted Robert realises his wife is no doormat…~
 
Over the coming hour, the king interrogated Robert at length about the recent battle, nodding at Robert’s conclusion that it was the Shropshire archers who had carried the day rather than the mounted knights.
 
“Strange that Llywelyn wasn’t there to fight with his troops,” the king said.
 
“Aye.” Robert went on to explain that as he’d heard it, the Mortimers and LeStrange had sent word to the prince they wished to be received into his peace, which was why Llywelyn had been far away from his men when the English army attacked. A necessary measure, perhaps, but too duplicitous for Robert’s taste. Not, to judge from the king’s reaction, for his liege’s taste.
 
“Drastic times require drastic measures. Hopefully, this will do it.” The king drained his goblet and sat back. “What with Llywelyn dead, one can hope these rebellious Welsh realise theirs is a lost cause.” He poured himself some more wine. “He was not a bad man, Llywelyn,” he muttered. “Honourable in his own way. But that brother of his…” His drooping eyelid twitched. “Him I want caught alive.” 
 
Robert shifted on his seat. There was a vicious streak in his lord that now and then made him uncomfortable company. And God help any fool who chose to betray the king’s trust—that was a sin he’d never forgive.
 
“We’ll find him eventually,” the king said. He looked Robert up and down. “Best find something better to wear. A knight needs to cut a figure.” He narrowed his eyes. “You do have something better to wear, don’t you? I’ve never seen you in anything but that worn old leather surcoat.”
 
“Yes, my lord.” Courtesy of his wife, he had two new tunics, one in a very pleasing shade of green.
 
“Good. We meet within the hour to discuss how to run that false bastard of a Welsh princeling to the ground.”
 
 
Once dismissed from the king’s presence, Robert returned to the hall and his waiting friends.
 
“A knight?” John offered him a deep bow. “Our Robert rises higher and higher.”
 
“Truly?” Edith appeared beside him. “Are you a knight?”
 
“Should we call you Sir Robert now?” Harry swept off his cap. “Will you be requiring a squire, my lord?”
 
“Shut up,” Robert muttered, but he grinned all the same. A knighthood. A man with lands. Edith slipped her hand into his and squeezed. A man with a wife, he reminded himself. A wife whose lands had made knighthood possible. Edith pressed closer.
 
“We must celebrate,” she murmured.
 
“I do not think Eustace will be inclined to celebrate my knighthood,” he said, disengaging himself from her hold. “I must change. The king has instructed me to present myself in his chambers in less than an hour—without my leather surcoat for once.” 
 
“I want to celebrate with you. Just you and I,” she said, falling into step with him. “Afterwards,” she added in a whisper. God help him, but his cock twitched in response.
 
 
It was close to midnight by the time Robert was allowed to retire and find his bed. Too much wine, too many “to Sir Robert” toasts followed by back-slapping had left him in a mellow mood, and once he’d made his way across the inner ward and through the gate to the outer bailey, he stopped for a while, craning his head back to gaze at the sky. He’d hoped for stars to celebrate his newfound status, but the skies were as compact and cloudy as they’d been the last few days.
 
He’d been given a room above the smithy. The proximity to the forge made the room agreeably warm, but it also meant that come morning he’d wake to the sound of bellows and hammers. Still, he had a room, albeit the size of a closet, all to himself. And to Edith, who was lying in his bed.
 
“What are you doing here?”
 
“Waiting for you.” She gave him a smile. “I’ve never bedded with a knight before.”
 
“No?” He found that hard to believe.
 
“Not a knight I can call my own,” she amended.
 
“I’m not your knight,” he replied.
 
“You could be for tonight.” She was out of bed, all naked, rosy skin and fair hair. “And for tomorrow night, and the night after.” She nibbled his neck. “A knight deserves a good ride now and then.”
 
“A knight is expected to hold to his vows.” Besides, the king frowned on extramarital relations, being a man blessed with a happy marriage. But Edith was warm, she was soft, and the way she moved in his arms, how she rose on her toes to kiss him--
 
The door crashed open. Robert shoved Edith away from him and wheeled, a hand on the hilt of his dagger.
 
“My liege? Has something happened?” He was already reaching for his sword belt.
 
“We need to talk,” the king said. He gestured at Edith, who’d draped herself in a sheet. “Without her.”
 
For a woman without a thread on her body, Edith was remarkably collected, taking her time as she pulled on her shift and found her shoes.
 
 “Make haste or I’ll have you thrown into the cesspit,” the king growled. Some moments later, a scowling Edith was gone.
 
“I just received a letter,” the king said, holding out several sheets of stiff parchment. “From the Bishop of Worcester, no less.”
 
“Now?” Robert asked.
 
“No, of course not. But it is only now that I’ve found the time to read it.” The king shook the documents. “It seems the bishop has had a letter from your wife—or should that be your purported wife?” He cleared his throat, one long finger moving down the neat lines of writing.
 
“I turn to you, your excellency, as I do not know who else to turn to. As you may well know, I was wed back in August to Robert FitzStephan, a loyal servant to the king. As you likely also know, my father and brother died some days earlier. You may, however, not know that they died at Robert’s hand. God’s blood, Robert! Why did you tell her that?”
 
“I didn’t,” Robert said grimly, casting a look in the direction of the door.
 
“In recognition of his services, the king decided to give me to Robert as his wife. While it may well be that Robert is delighted with the lands that accompanied his new wife—albeit he has so far not done a thorough inspection of them beyond ascertaining that the walls of Orton Manor are in need of fortification—it is clear he finds my person displeasing. How else to explain that a man chooses to rise from my bed and spend our wedding night in the arms of another woman?” The king lowered the letter and studied Robert. “Truly, Robert?”
 
“It wasn’t like that,” Robert protested. “I ...Well, she was so young and fearful, and—”
 
“Instead of allaying those fears, you chose to leave her to spend the night alone and rejected while you cavorted elsewhere.” The king made a disgusted sound. “She’s your wife! She deserves more respect than this. Damn it man, she’s a relative of my wife!”
 
“She is what?” Robert asked.
 
“She didn’t tell you?” King Edward pursed his mouth. “Maybe she doesn’t know. Sancha was always closemouthed and seeing as she and Eleanor did not part in the best of ways, she might ...Well, no matter. Forget I ever said that.” He cleared his throat and went back to the document.
 
“Our marriage remains unconsummated, and I haven’t seen him for nigh on four months, not since he rode off in response to the king’s summons. Nor have I had word of him beyond the odd request for victuals, but I do know his trollop rides with him everywhere, as if she, not I, were his true wife. It therefore seems to me Robert FitzStephan has no desire for our marriage to continue, and I myself am of the same opinion. But I am young and inexperienced, and I have no one to ask for advice in this matter, which is why I turn to you.  What would you suggest I do, your excellency?”
 
The king spent some time rolling the document together. “As you surely understand, my good bishop sent this on to me, stating that in his opinion little Eleanor has every right to demand an annulment. Is that what you want, Robert? Is that how you treat my gifts?” He scowled. “There are plenty of ambitious men who would leap at the chance to wed and bed her.”
 
Something stirred in Robert. His little bride, all dark eyes and soft curves, in bed with another? What if they hurt her? He quelled a laugh; how could they possibly hurt her more than he had? “She is my wife, my liege,” he said stiffly. “I may not have done right by her, but it was out of consideration.”
 
“Originally, maybe,” the king retorted. “But now…” He gestured at the rumpled bed. “Wives need affection. They need to be wooed, loved a little. Not to see themselves displaced by some lowborn trollop.”
 
“Edith and I go back a long way, and—”
 
“Save it for St Peter,” the king interrupted. He stood, his heavy robe flaring round his long legs. “You must make amends to your wife.” He fixed Robert with a beady stare. “That does not mean raping her into submission. I do not hold with such.”
 
“Neither do I, my lord.” 
 
“Good. I expect you and your blushing, happy wife at court for Candlemas.” He made for the door. “And I’d suggest getting rid of your trollop. You’ve outgrown her.” 

                             





​                        Anna Belfrage
 
Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with two absorbing interests: history and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England. 
 
More recently, Anna has published The Wanderer, a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense trilogy with paranormal and time-slip ingredients. While she loved stepping out of her comfort zone (and will likely do so again) she is delighted to be back in medieval times in her September 2020 release, His Castilian Hawk. Set against the complications of Edward I’s invasion of Wales, His Castilian Hawk is a story of loyalty, integrity—and love.   

To get a copy of His Castilian Hawk, click here: Amazon
 
To connect with Anna Belfrage:
Website            Twitter               Facebook              Amazon Author Page
 

 

I’m delighted to be Brook’s guest today and I’m here to talk about the Anglo-Saxons as part of the Stepping Back into Saxon England tour with Helen Hollick. Brook writes (wonderful) books about ancient Rome though, so today I’d like to talk about how the Anglo-Saxons used, or didn’t use, the things the Romans left behind.
 
I suppose the first thing that springs to mind when we think about ‘what the Romans did for us’ is that they left some rather straight roads. Did the Anglo-Saxons use them? I’d say absolutely yes. Why would they not? Let’s work backwards here. With York being so important, not only to the Anglo-Saxons but then later to the ‘Vikings’ who had it as the centre of their kingdom, a road heading due south from York - Ermine Street - was bound to have seen heavy traffic, in particular, when Harold Godwinson marched his troops up to Stamford Bridge in 1066 and back down again to meet William of Normandy. Could he have moved his troops - men and horses - so quickly without using the Roman road (the most direct route)? And as my joint blog tour author Helen Hollick has pointed out, those roads must therefore have been well maintained. 
 
Another Roman road, Watling Street, was, famously, the line used to divide up the kingdom when Alfred the Great came to an agreement with Guthrum the Dane in the ninth century so, again, we have to assume it was still in use in the late ninth century if it was used as a boundary marker.
 
We have more certain and tantalising proof that the Roman roads were still in use though. In 2009 one of the most exciting finds to date was dug up in a field. This was the seventh-century Staffordshire Hoard (above) and it’s surely no coincidence that it was found just off the A5, more usually known as Watling Street. Imagine the scene: whoever buried the hoard made a quick getaway along the old road, intending to come back at some point to retrieve it… (It’s a scenario I portrayed in Cometh the Hour.) 
 
The Staffordshire Hoard included many items - almost all of them military - inlaid with garnets, which brings me on to another aspect of Roman ‘remains’: jewels. From the seventh century on, for example, while glass beads remained popular, amethyst was incorporated, possibly from recycled Roman ornaments, but they were repurposed and worn strung lengthways with other beads, rather than dangling down, and pendants were also made from old Roman coins.

​What else did the Anglo-Saxons upcycle?
 
They didn’t, on the whole, reuse the domestic buildings. If the buildings were in poor repair, why did they not rebuild? They certainly knew how to build, so that wasn’t the issue. Reconstructions, such as those at West Stow, and the excavation of great halls such as Yeavering, show that they were not incompetent builders. Tacitus said that none of the Germanic tribes on the continent lived in walled cities, so it’s more likely that the Anglo-Saxons preferred to live in buildings that kept them feeling close to the natural world. I also think that affected the way they communicated. Their lifestyle was one of community gatherings, of feasts in great halls, with many folk sleeping on benches or on the floor of the halls once the food and tables had been cleared away. It was where they exchanged stories, gifts, and heard songs and poems performed. 
 
And here’s the crucial thing: the acoustic properties of wooden buildings also offer opportunities for intimate conversation. Sound will fall away, muffled by the absorbent materials in the building. Living communally provides companionship and a strong sense of belonging, but it must have been a boon to be able to conduct private conversations if the need or urge arose. Stone buildings have large spaces where sound echoes and resonates. 

​​Churches, of course, are a different matter. Plenty of these were built in stone and an early example can be seen in the surviving crypt at Hexham Abbey (left), commissioned by Bishop Wilfrid in the seventh century. With a good ethos of ‘waste not, want not’ recycled Roman bricks were used, from the remains of the Roman fort and town at Corbridge just a few miles away; Wilfrid's church was probably built entirely from stones taken from this site.
 
A Roman town also played a part in a pivotal real-life scene in my novel Alvar the Kingmaker. It was the setting for a coronation, and not just any old coronation. King Edgar, who became king in 957, was crowned there in 973. Yes, 16 years after he ascended the throne. Can this be right?
 
Edgar had a chequered love life, with historians unable to agree whether he had two or three wives, and with earlier chroniclers suggesting that one of them was even a consecrated nun. For his supposed sins, he was allegedly given a seven-year penance, which delayed his coronation. But we know that by 964 he was married to his last wife, so that doesn’t explain the delay of the coronation until 973. Often-times, Anglo-Saxon kings had delayed coronations, but not usually for this length of time. 

​​Edgar’s epithet was The Peaceable, and there were no Viking raids during his reign. He had control of Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria and East Anglia and, during another ceremony in 973, was famously rowed along the River Dee by 6-8 (depending on sources) other kings of the British Isles, who paid him homage. He was also probably 30 years old in that year, the canonical age for ordination. This might have been significant; a sort of symbol of spiritual maturity. 
 
I suspect that this was a second coronation, and that Edgar’s age, and his supremacy over the kingdoms, was being marked. Bath was on the edge of the two major erstwhile Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia, kingdoms which had traditionally voted for different candidates for the throne, including Edgar’s own accession, so its location would signify a unification. More than this, though, is the fact the Bath was a remnant of the Empire and this would have been a very clear sign that this was some kind of imperial coronation (depicted at right). It’s clear that the memory of the Romans was very much alive.
 
Not that this helped in the long run. With all those wives/women came a few children, which meant, ultimately, another fight for the throne. Alvar the Kingmaker certainly had his work cut out…

Before I launch into this week's blog on Roman warships, I wanted to remind my readers of several things... First, it's GIVEAWAY TIME!!! Five subscribers will win the Antonius Trilogy book of their choice, signed by moi on Friday, October 30th. Winners will be selected randomly and contacted via email. I will also announce the winners on Facebook & Twitter. Let your friends know so they can take part! To enter, you only need to subscribe to this website.

Secondly, a local bookstore in my area, BOOK NO FURTHER is hosting a lovely virtual book launch for me on Thursday, October 15th. They will also be taking pre-orders for books (any of the three). People ordering from BOOK NO FURTHER will receive signed, personalized copies. To "attend", you do have to sign up here: ​https://bit.ly/3i1OfFp. This is a ZOOM event, so space will be limited. SIGN UP TODAY!!!

When I began writing about Antonius & Cleopatra's fleet of warships, I hit some walls. How standard were these boats? How long were they? How many rowers did it take to man a trireme? How were the rowers arranged--in cubicles, sitting on benches? Did more than one man operate a single oar on the larger ships?

I found that my questions had multiple, opinionated answers, no answers, or a confusing conglomeration of information that was impossible to disseminate, because no Roman warship in its entirety has ever been discovered. Many ships from the ancient world have been located intact, but most are transport merchant vessels, most notably the Antikythera ship which contained numerous works of ancient art. That being said, there are many excellent and probable theories answering some of the questions above. But unless an actual warship is discovered at least partially intact, theories they shall remain.

On the above right, is a relief housed in the Palatine Museum in Rome. It is a warship, with a crocodile perched on the side. Thus, scholars assume that this relief represented one of Antonius's ships. It's a remarkable relic, because it shows a small portion of the ship's ram on the very bottom left. Larger warships had multiple layers of oars, and it's well-known that Antonius had some very large vessels, so it's surprising more levels of oars aren't depicted here. This may suggest some more subtle propaganda on the part of Octavian. Near the prow is a tower, which was erected only for warfare and legionaries are right behind it, ready to rock and roll.

Another relief segment of a ship in the Palatine Museum clearly shows that these boats were sleek war-machines. In this sample, not as complete as the first, one sees the ram on the right end. 

These fragments were found in the area of the Temple to Apollo atop the Palatine, located next to the House of Augustus. They were probably part of the Temple decor, as Augustus (formerly Octavian from my books) loved using Roman history, mythology, and any symbolism for propaganda in building his regime. It's also well-known that this Temple of Apollo was loaded with allusions to the Battle of Actium. For more on how Octavian engineered his personal image, check out The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus by Paul Zanker. It's a fascinating read.

It's samples such as these that became extremely valuable for me to look at, imagine, and read about as I was writing Soldier of Fate. I wanted my naval warfare scenes and the details of ship-designing to seem as realistic as possible. Even though evidence of their configuration is missing!

As it turns out, maritime scenes were popular in Roman art, which was helpful. At least we have a grasp as to their exterior appearance. Sometimes ships were popular graffiti, too! This piece of pottery turned into somebody's canvas, as a warship was scratched onto the bottom of it. It's easy to see that it's a warship, because of the ram on the bottom right. Judging from the single bank of oars, it may have represented a smaller vessel, known as a liberna, which was popularized by Marcus Agrippa at the Battle of Actium. 

It's interesting to note that the Romans weren't always the best of sailors. They were known for their land army, and it wasn't until the Punic Wars in the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC that Rome had no choice but to take to the seas against Carthage. After that, there were occasional sea battles. Pompeius Magnus defeated Cilician pirates in the 1st century BC, and Octavian, along with Agrippa, defeated Pompeius Magnus's son, Sextus Pompeius in 36 BC at the Battle of Naulochus in the Straits of Messina. Then, of course, there was Actium, to which I'll dedicate an entire blog later this year. As one can well imagine, ships and the sea, along with their battles, became legendary, and by the time the Colosseum was built in the time of Emperor Titus, there is archaeological evidence to support that naumachia (mock sea battles) were staged inside the Colosseum! THAT must have been something to see!

So with all of these ancient battles, has any portion of a warship survived? 

YES!!!

​Remarkably, anchors have survived. Obviously, not just from warships, but from merchant vessels, too. This one, at left, is an astounding find, as the anchor portion was actually wood, and the heavy bronze weight at the bottom was what kept it in place. Others have been discovered comprised completely of bronze.

With the advent of underwater archaeology, several rams have also been discovered. One, pictured below, kept at the Israeli National Maritime Museum, is known as the Athlit Ram and dates from the 3rd century BC. Needless to say, this museum will certainly rank high on my "to-do list" whenever I finally get to visit Israel!

An integral part of my third book deals with Antonius's navy and the one that Marcus Agrippa contributed to his side of the war effort, for they were very different fleets, Antonius had larger, heavier, imposing-looking ships, and Agrippa using lighter, faster ones. Actium was the last major naval battle of the ancient world, and it's my sincere hope that Soldier of Fate will not disappoint where the naval depictions are concerned. 

In the next few weeks, I have some exciting guest bloggers coming aboard, so be sure to stay tuned. And in the meantime, READ ON!

Welcome to Brook's Scroll. As promised we have a LOT going on this month, as I prepare to launch Antonius: Soldier of Fate, the final book in the Antonius Trilogy.

BOOK NO FURTHER, a local bookstore in Roanoke, Virginia will be teaming with me in a Virtual Book Launch on Thursday, October 16 from 6-7:30 Eastern Standard Time. This will be a fabulous event and for my European readers, consider taking a nap and staying up late to join us for at least a few minutes. I would LOVE to meet some of you face to face. This event does require you to sign up. So click HERE to do so. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up TODAY! Print versions of my books will be on pre-order, so if you want an authographed, pre-ordered copy, HERE'S YOUR CHANCE!!!

Also, remember to be sure you're subscribed to my website, because on October 30th, I'll be GIVING FIVE BOOKS away. Winners may choose whichever of the Trilogy they'd like to have.​

When Bly returned on September 22, Cockerill had his answer. He wanted Bly to fake her way into an insane asylum for women on Blackwell’s Island (above), a slim strip of land in the East River that was home to the city’s misfits and malcontents. She was to remain for ten days and report upon what she found when she returned.
 
For a woman who was just twenty-three, Bly had already shown a remarkable predisposition to grasp whatever opportunities that came her way and think about the risks later. Cockerill, for his part, was just the sort to dish them out without compunction. He was also, of course, testing Bly. Did she really have the nerve to execute such a bold feat?
 
He left all the planning to her. She’d have to figure out on her own how to convince nurses and doctors (and a judge and a few police officers as it turned out) that she was mad. All Cockerill promised was that, in ten days’ time, a representative of the paper would come get her out.
 
Bly accepted. 

Why the Blackwell’s Insane Asylum? For one, the island itself was just the sort of vulgar backdrop that would pique the interest of the World’s legion of readers. The island had long been known as a place of misery. A ferry ride over was often a one-way trip to hell.
 
It was home to a penitentiary for the criminal, a charity hospital for the poor and infirmed, an almshouse for the poor and disabled, and a workhouse for minor criminals, vagrants and the able-bodied poor. The women’s asylum housed the lunatic poor, where 1600 female inmates lived in a space originally built to accommodate just 850.
 
The asylum had a long history of mismanagement but in the summer of 1887, just months before Bly showed up in Cockerill’s office, some interesting tidbits had surfaced in the papers. The Times reported that two young nurses had filed charges against doctors that brought the doctors’ characters into question (a veiled Victorian reference, no doubt, of unwanted, ungentlemanly behavior toward them). Both the nurses and the two doctors were later suspended.
 
Additionally, the World alleged in two editorials that on Ward’s Island (which housed the city’s lunatic males), gross mistreatment of the inmates had taken place. Two attendants at the Ward’s asylum were indicted for manslaughter for the killing of an inmate.
 
These stories, and others, triggered the papers to call for an overhaul of the men’s and women’s facilities. However, further investigation by the press was thwarted. Those who ruled at Blackwell’s and Ward’s apparently wanted to keep their goings-on under wraps.
 
Bly’s assignment couldn’t have come at a better time.

The path to Blackwell’s required commitment from a doctor at Bellevue Hospital, about 2 ½ miles southwest of the island on the river. Bly and 4 other women soon found themselves taking the Bellevue ferry up river to their fate.
 
Two of these women were around Bly’s age and it was they whom Bly got to know the best. One of them was Anne Neville, a girl who had been let go from her position as a domestic maid when she became too ill to work. The other, Tillie Maynard, had also lost her position due to recent illness. Sick and without work, they had fallen victim to sudden poverty, a situation Bly soon realized applied to many of the women she would encounter.
 
But not all of them. There were others, kept in separate areas of the asylum, who had their own dark stories.


---
Tonya Mitchell is the author of A Feigned Madness, the tale of pioneering journalist Nellie Bly and her ten-day undercover ordeal in an insane asylum in 1887. It will be published by Cynren Press in October 2020 but is available for pre-order here. Tonya’s short fiction has appeared in The Copperfield Review, Words Undone, and The Front Porch Review, as well as various anthologies, including Furtive Dalliance, Welcome to Elsewhere, and Glimmer and Other Stories and Poems for which she won the Cinnamon Press award in fiction. She is a self-professed Anglophile and is obsessed with all things relating to the Victorian period. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society North America and resides in Cincinnati, OH with her husband and three wildly energetic sons.

Find her on social media:
Website: https://www.tonyamitchellauthor.com/
Twitter @tremmitchell
Instragram @tmitchell.2012
Facebook @TonyaMitchellAuthor
Email: tremitchell.2012@gmail.com

Before each blog, I always tend to take care of any business, and this week's business is FUN! I will be holding a GIVEAWAY for anyone subscribed to my website for a FREE BOOK! Though I'm celebrating the upcoming launch of Antonius: Soldier of Fate, winners will get to choose from any of my three books. I will hold the random drawing on Friday, October 30. Five winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond to my email to receive their free book. So let your friends know about the Antonius Trilogy so they can subscribe and participate, too!

This week, I'm introducing a superpower in the East that rivaled Rome in greatness and mystique. The Parthian Empire lay beyond the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now Iraq and Iran. I'll begin this tale in 53 BC with the wealthy Marcus Licinius Crassus, who was a part of the First Triumvirate at the time, along with Julius Caesar, and Pompeius Magnus. 

Despite his wealth, Crassus lacked what both his colleagues possessed--military prowess. Since the Parthians were causing trouble along Rome's newly conquered Syrian borders, the Senate agreed that Crassus would be the man to lead legionary force into Parthia to subdue them, once and for all. Crassus was delighted at his appointment, for now he'd get his chance at flexing military muscle. His son, Marcus Licinius the Younger was notified immediately, as Dad wanted him to join his campaign. Crassus the Younger was serving with Caesar at the time in Gaul, and was considered a capable officer. However, Caesar released him from command to join his father.

Crassus's campaign was disastrous, ending at a stronghold called Carrhae. Parthians used cavalry in their method of warfare. These horsemen, known as cataphracts--were armored and could fire arrows from both in front and behind their mounts. They were incredible riders, and their skill was known throughout the Roman world as being formidable. Though the stele above at the right shows a cataphract wielding a spear instead of bows and arrows, his horsemanship is obvious. He's using both hands to manage his weapon while riding and confronting the lion, controlling his horse with leg cues. Pretty phenomenal!

Both Crassus and his son were killed at Carrhae, as was most of his army, leaving very few survivors. It is believed that prisoners were taken into Media and held at Phraaspa, along with Crassus's captured legionary standards--a big hit to Roman pride. Julius Caesar planned on taking up Crassus's campaign after he finished off the last of his civil wars. However, only days from his departure to head East on what may have been another Caesarian victory, history intervened upon the Ides of March.

Thus, it was Marcus Antonius who picked up the torch to vanquish the Parthians. Before he even began his campaign, Parthians and their allies began more incursions along the Syrian and Armenian borders. This strife caught Antonius at a difficult time--during more civil strife in Italy that involved both his wife Fulvia and his brother, Lucius Antonius. Needless to say, it added much fuel to the fire in his quest to conquer the Parthians.

It was vital that Antonius have loyal allies at his back. He was far from Rome and his dealings with Octavian by this time had been shaded with bitter rivalry. He couldn't expect much support from him. For several years now, Antonian constituents had courted the favors of Artavasdes II of Armenia (see coin at left). This king had an artistic flair for play-writing and some of his works were popular throughout the Hellenized East. In his account on Antonius's life, Plutarch states that Artavasdes gave to Antonius "... six thousand horse and seven thousand foot..." However, while passing through Media, Artavasdes betrayed Antonius, resulting in a dreadful massacre.

For his part, Antonius did make it farther into Media than Crassus did. This was probably due to his route, as he had access to Caesar's original plans, which it is commonly believed he used. However, due to insurmountable problems, partly due to Artavasdes's betrayal, he was forced to turn back after making it as far as Phraaspa, the heart of Media, which (at that point) was 100% loyal to Parthia.  furnished six thousand horse and seven thousand foot" 

​Unfortunately for Antonius, this is where things went south. Though the mercurial King Phraates of Media (coin at right) assured the Romans that they'd be allowed to leave without pursuit, his assurance was nothing but lie. Median and Parthian cataphracts pursued the Romans on a daily basis, hounding them like the Furies.

Antonius's "escape" from Parthia will be a highlight in Antonius: Soldier of Fate, and both of these royal despots will make appearances in my story.

To close, I'm sharing a map (below) which will be featured in my third book, designed by Cathie Helms of Avalon Graphics. It shows the route both in and out of Parthia that Antonius is believed to have taken. Imagine traversing this distance as a Roman legionary--on foot--carrying a kit of 50-60 pounds, and being harassed night and day by mounted archers. In closing, I'll add that Rome never did "best" Parthia with their military. Eventually, it was Augustus's negotiations that finally returned the lost standards to Rome, not military might. 

Be sure to share my Giveaway details with friends. Encourage them to join the Antonius adventure online and subscribe to my website, here at brookallenauthor.com. There will be FIVE WINNERS!!!
​

Before launching into this week's blog, I want to be sure everybody is aware that the Kindle edition of my upcoming book, Antonius: Soldier of Fate is now available for PRE-ORDER on Amazon. For those readers interested in print copies, I will let everyone know when they are available for pre-order, as well. Hopefully in a few weeks. 

This week, I'm delighted to introduce the antagonist of my story: Gaius Octavian Caesar Augustus. This humble-looking bust at right is Octavian at a very young age--probably around the time of Julius Caesar's assassination and Octavian's ascension into the world of politics. He would have been nineteen or twenty years old. I've always loved seeing this work, found at the Capitoline Museum, for it captures Octavian at his most vulnerable--before he assumed absolute power. It's also much more veristic, unlike the Augustan art following his principate, which is idealistic--more like Classical Greek sculpture. Unfortunately, this one is a difficult piece to photograph, for it's high up on a shelf about four feet above my own height, and whenever I'm there and attempt a picture, I wind up wishing for a ladder!

In my story, it's never easy to reveal Octavian's pleasing traits, since he was Antonius's enemy, and my books are all from Antonius's point of view. So this blog is an opportunity to sing Octavian's praises, for my story reveals some of his ruthless cruelty all too well.

​The stunning aureus at left was minted by some of Antonius's constituents in 41 BC. This was right after the Battle of Philippi and the fall of Brutus and Cassius, when Antonius chose the East and Octavian chose to remain in the West. Again, this beautiful coin depicts Octavian when he was extremely young--still getting his feet wet in the political scene.

Octavian's father died in his early youth and his mother, Atia, remarried Lucius Marcius Philippus. Young Octavian maintained close ties to his stepfather, but when Philippus encouraged him to reject his inheritance from Julius Caesar, Octavian refused to do so.

As great nephew to Caesar, it's unclear how close he was to the Dictator. However, Caesar obviously valued him. Around the time of his Triumphs in 45 BC, Caesar either visited Octavian in his ill health or sent trusted colleagues in his place. Yes,Octavian suffered a great deal of his life from un-named maladies. Whether they were severe allergies, asthma, or maybe malaria, the young man just wasn't healthy. As a result, he never excelled at the same physical training as most men of his social status. Perhaps it was due to this that he befriended a young man of his own age, who would serve him faithfully and remain close to him through middle age--Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa--a man who did have the martial skills needed to help Octavian rise to prominence. 

Allow me to apologize for the poor photo at right. However, I wanted to include it because it helped me immensely in my own portrayal of Octavian. Taken from primary sources, Anthony Everitt, in his fabulous Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor, describes the future emperor: 

"He was not very tall, perhaps only five feet, six inches, but, writes Suetonius, 'with body and limbs so beautifully proportioned, one did not realize how small a man he was, unless someone tall stood close to him.' He had near-blond curly hair, small teeth, and clear, bright eyes."

Inside the phenomenal collection at the Vatican Museum, resides a statue that Classicists visit as though it was Mecca. The Prima-Porta Augustus is one of the sublime examples of Augustan art--for indeed, it was crafted during the years when Octavian--having been named Augustus (exalted one) by the Senate, was at the height of his power. It found a home inside a villa at Prima Porta, Italy, where his wife, the Empress Livia, had a villa. One can still see the spot where historians believe it once rested. Among the many artistic analyses the Prima Porta Augustus has endured, one was especially fascinating. It's no secret that ancient statuary were painted--sometimes garishly. The Prima Porta Augustus was no different from any other statue, and fortunately, enough tiny flakes of pigment remained for art historians to determine what the statue's colors were like in ancient times. Though Everitt's description, based upon Suetonius, described him as "blond", I chose to give my Octavian strawberry-blond hair, based upon this recreation.

It took me three visits to Rome before I finally stood before Octavian's Prima Porta presence. The first two trips (frustrated me!) left me behind barriers within the Vatican Museum that had been closed off to guests. Last year, was my best shot at it of any, as it had finally been opened and I got to view it within its original niche in the building. The photo I took bears testimony to what a spectacular piece it is. 

Octavian was big on symbolism in his rule. He gave tax-breaks to Romans who married and had multiple children, frowned on extra-marital affairs (even though he had them himself, and so did members of his family), and he glorified the god Apollo and the deity's many symbols, for he believed Apollo bestowed upon him the right to lead the Roman state. 

I have spent years analyzing this unique, gifted, yet cold and calculating man, who had oft-times been near death in his early years. Octavian struggled for supremacy against Antonius, and finally lived on to lead Rome through her Pax Romana--the great Augustan peace, I found that his most powerful advantage had been his dearest motto: "festina lente"-- "hasten slowly". But another of his assets was that Octavian was the original spin-doctor. His greatest power over people was his willingness to use rhetoric (and often lies) in the Senate to turn the tables on his enemies--and his greatest enemy was Antonius. Whether it was manipulating the Roman Senate to his favor, or using a declaration of war to appear as the savior of his country, Octavian was truly a prince of propaganda. 

​One of my favorite museums in Rome is the Palazzo Massimo--a museum of ancient Roman civilization. Inside is another likeness of Octavian--the Pious Augustus. This statue captures Octavian Augustus at worship to the Roman gods. If the hands had not been broken, perhaps they would have held a small plate of offerings. One clue as to what he was doing is that his head was covered. Ancient Romans often covered their heads in worship or grief. And Octavian liked to appear as the "traditional" Roman against Antonius's free thinking.

In 14 AD, following a good forty years of successful rule of Rome's Empire, which virtually paved the way for western civilization, Octavian Augustus took ill at Capri. He and Livia returned to Neapolis (Naples) and there, it is believed that Livia poisoned some figs, which he ate. Most likely, she did this so that her own son, Tiberius, could become the next "Caesar". And he did, beginning more tumultuous years of terror and violence which would ever haunt the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

Octavian Augustus died, just inside from the garden where a fig-tree stood, the fruit of which had been poisoned by his wife. Truly, he'd brought Rome out of the horror of one-hundred years of civil war. However, Rome was to be ruled by one man for the rest of her preeminence as a super-power in the Mediterranean. Buried in the tumulus he had started building while Antonius was still his rival, the Tomb of Augustus is still standing today, and has been undergoing recent renovations in anticipation of a celebration in the Emperor's honor. I look forward to going there upon my next visit. 

Rome's first emperor was titled "princeps", meaning "first citizen". Despite his many building projects, level-headed governance, and his claim that "I found Rome built of clay: but I leave it in marble," Octavian's earlier years had been drenched in the blood of those who he had conquered, many of them innocent souls.

As I begin this week's blog, I'd like to thank my incredible web-designer, Michelle Gill. Last week, my homepage got a much-needed updating and as always, Michelle did a phenomenal job. I send her my appreciation and I know readers will be drawn in by her professional and detailed designing.

I know a lot of people have been awaiting this week's blog post. Not a century that has passed without artists, dramatists, and writers being captivated by Cleopatra VII. It's incredible really, how one woman has held court from the grave and commanded such mystery, commentary, argument, and creativity about her life's history.

At right, is a bust, believed to be of Cleopatra. Indeed it resembles coin images. There are many misconceptions about her, and perhaps the most common, is that she was Egyptian, for she was not. After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC, one of his generals--Ptolemy--won the right (in 321 BC) to bury Alexander in Egypt--in a city the deceased Macedonian founded--Alexandria. So on the northern coast along the Mediterranean Sea, Ptolemy I, by then called Soter (savior), built a magnificent tomb for Alexander's mummified remains, called the Soma. It has never been found, and probably remains hidden beneath Alexandria's tall modern-day buildings.  

Cleopatra, born some three-hundred years later in 69 BC, was Ptolemy Soter's descendant and fated to be the last reigning Pharaoh of Egypt. Her father was Ptolemy XII, Auletes--the flute-player. He wasn't a very impressive king, and when his people rebelled in favor of his daughter, Berenice (Cleo's older sibling), he fled to Rome, pleading for help. He was known for his love of music, art, and flute-playing. Apparently, he fared better in the arts than in ruling his country! 

During this time, his famous daughter, Cleopatra, was an adolescent and probably afraid for her life. She remained in peril, either by her sisters or younger brother (another Ptolemy) along with his advisors, until Julius Caesar visited Egypt shortly after his victory over Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. Whatever ever else happened between them, two things are certain. Cleopatra became pregnant AND gained the throne of Egypt with Caesar's backing. Her brother, unwilling to take her as his Queen (Ptolemies had continued the nasty habit of incest), fought Caesar and lost on an epic scale.

A great deal of what we know about Cleopatra VII comes to us from a man who lived over one-hundred years after she did. His name was Plutarch, and he wrote a huge compilation of biographies that classicists cling to, since they delve into the personal histories of ancient Roman men such as Antonius, Caesar, Cicero, Sertorius, Brutus... I could go on and on. If you've never read Plutarch's Lives, this collection is fairly easy-reading and very eye-opening. It's a great way to begin interest in Classics. The bulk of Cleopatra's story is told in the Life of Antonius. And it's interesting that Plutarch says this: 

"For her actual beauty, it is said, was not in itself so remarkable that none could be compared with her, or that no one could see her without being struck by it, but the contact of her presence, if you lived with her, was irresistible, the attraction of her person, joining with the charm of her conversation, and the character that attended all she said or did, was something bewitching. It was a pleasure merely to hear the sound of her voice, with which, like an instrument of many strings, she could pass from one language to another..." Life of Antonius, Plutarch.

​At left is Cleopatra portrayed as an Egyptian queen. If one looks at her coinage or many of the other busts which historians believe to be her likeness, you won't find very "Egyptian-looking" portrayals. We must remember that by the time of her reign, the Greco-Roman world was far more influential than that of Egypt. Her everyday attire probably reflected more of a Greek look, though archaeologists in Alexandria are finding that much architecture, art, and religious beliefs in Ptolemaic Egypt were blendings of styles. Alexandria and Rome were "global" communities as are New York, London, and other large cities today. However, there were obviously times when it was important for the Queen to "play the part" of an Egyptian in both custom, ceremony, and attire. There are a number of statues and busts, similar to this one, portraying her as truly Egyptian. 

And there is plenty of evidence that, unlike many of her forbears in the Ptolemaic Dynasty, Cleopatra was anxious to show the Egyptian people in Upper Egypt--the country's real natives--that she cared for them deeply. She was the only Ptolemaic ruler to learn the ancient Egyptian tongue and speak it fluently. It was just another language, as she was particularly astute in languages--speaking at least seven! 

​Though Octavian Augustus tried to suppress it, the Egypto-mania that resulted in the Roman world after the Augustan Age began was NOT part of his plan. Cleopatra's reign, her influence, and religious beliefs (the cult of Isis had an enormous following in Rome, despite its initial banning) became so popular that it bled into Roman art. 

This wall-painting from a wealthy home in Pompeii is believed to be Cleopatra. It resembles some of her busts and coins, along with Cleopatra-esque jewelry and the hairstyle that she made famous during her lifetime. The painting's subject is also wearing a white diadem on her head, indicative of Eastern royalty of the period.

Other art proving Egypt's popularity among the Romans included Nilotic scenes, capturing reed marshes, very much like Lake Mareotis near Alexandria. Such works would always incorporate ibis, crocodiles, and other fauna that suggest Egypt.

It's poignant that Cleopatra became such a fascination to the Romans AFTER her death, for she was much hated by them during her lifetime. One of the nails in Julius Caesar's coffin was allegedly the likeness of her he installed in his brand new Temple of Venus Genetrix. He actually had the cult-statue of the Temple modeled off of Cleopatra herself during her visit to Rome! It wasn't long after the Temple's dedication that Brutus and Cassius started putting their heads together to plan the Ides of March.

When I visited Egypt back in 2008, I spent nearly a full week in Alexandria, and seeing some of the actual places where Antonius and Cleopatra went--not to mention Caesar and Cleopatra, too, was sensational. At left is a photo I snapped of Lake Mareotis (Lake Mariout), where Plutarch records Cleopatra taking Antonius fishing. Today, Lake Mareotis has become infested with a lot of plant-life, which wasn't the case two-thousand years ago. It was much larger in ancient times--more open and grandiose-looking, but still a real thrill for this author to be able to see.

 








For my last image, I happened on this brilliant sketch by A.M. Faulkner who was an illustrator for publications in the Edwardian Age. I thought the detail was stunning, and was struck by how much "blending" there was between the Egyptian and Greco-Roman styles here. The Queen's throne looks Imperial Roman, but one can clearly see hieroglyphics on the palace walls behind it. Her guards at the top of the stairs wear armor that looks like something between Egyptian and Hellenism. I felt Faulkner NAILED it!

Here, Cleopatra is welcoming Antonius to her court, which I simply couldn't resist. 

Below, I'm sharing something else extra-special. My cover-designer, Jenny Quinlan has out-done herself on my next book's cover and I'm mighty pleased with it. Antonius: Soldier of Fate will launch on Friday, October 16th! Pre-orders should begin in the next few weeks, so I will let everyone know once they're available. 

​In the meantime, READ ON!

​At last: the Antonius Trilogy’s riveting conclusion…                             
 
Antonius: Soldier of Fate
 
Marcus Antonius has it all—power, prestige, a heroic military reputation among his countrymen, and the love of Queen Cleopatra. But as master of Rome’s eastern provinces and kingdoms, he must maintain peace, and in so doing, sacrifices his own happiness, yoked within a loveless marriage and an eroding alliance. As his colleague Octavian’s star rises, Marcus must compete with his rival’s success, though it leads to an embittered struggle threatening to end their unity.
 
Once Marcus finally takes matters into his own hands, his fate becomes tied to the east—far from Rome and his seat of power, to a horrific campaign that will forever alter him. He is a man torn between two countries and two families, and ultimately—a soldier fated to be the catalyst transforming Rome from Republic to Empire.

​Welcome to Brook's Scroll this week! 

First, I have a thrilling announcement. This week, my debut novel, Antonius: Son of Rome was awarded a SILVER MEDAL in the international Readers' Favorite Book Reviewers Awards for 2020. This award was in the sub-genre of Biographical Historical Fiction, and I'm humbled and honored, as thousands of authors entered this competition. 

Now, let's get to the blog!!!

Because I have two very important ladies to cover, I'm going to address both Octavia and Cleopatra one at a time. Today is Octavia's day. To the left, you'll see a bust of her that probably dates from around the time of her marriage with Antonius. 

Octavia was born in Nola, Italy in 67 BC. Within the gens Julii, she was known as Octavia Minora (the Younger), for she had an older sister by the same name. (Roman names are horrible things for authors to wrestle with!) 

Octavian was her full brother and their mother's name was Atia. And here, I must add that if ever a woman's character was maligned by a series depiction on television, HBO's series ROME treated Atia of the Julii horrendously! But I digress... Octavia's father died, and Atia remarried Lucius Marcius Philippus. 

Sometime around 52 BC, Octavia married Gaius Claudius Marcellus. She was to give him two daughters and a son, posthumously. There must have been some pretty tense family dynamics going on, because Marcellus was fiercely anti-Caesarian. He opposed Julius Caesar staunchly and Philippus was inclined to side with him politically, too. So it's rather intriguing that Julius Caesar remained so very fond of this side of his family. At one point, Caesar made a long-distance offer to Pompeius Magnus of marriage to Octavia, with one small obstacle in the way. She was already married to Marcellus. Marcellus haughtily refused Caesar's plan, refusing to divorce here, and there was probably a juicy scandal, quickly smoothed over by Pompeius, who promptly married another lady, Cornelia.

I find this particular Octavia bust striking, because it shows how much she resembled her brother, Octavian (below at right). ​She was six years his senior and it makes me wonder how awkward it would have been for her once Marcellus died and suddenly she came under her brother's umbrella of control. 

I can't imagine she was pleased to marry Marcus Antonius. First of all, at the time of their betrothal, she was still in mourning, and so was he. Fulvia had recently died, leaving him widowed. Their marriage was signed and sealed when Antonius returned to Italy after his first fling with Cleopatra (more on her NEXT week!). 

But there was more. Not only was Octavia in mourning--she was PREGNANT with Marcellus's child and her delivery was imminent. Undoubtedly, she was coerced into marrying Antonius. And it's likely that he had little choice in the matter, as he was responsible, along with Octavian, for preserving peace, and this was Octavian's demand to seal their alliance at the Treaty of Brundisium. 

Plutarch's account, of course, is festive and full of joyful celebration, probably much like the Roman people felt at the time: 

"Everybody concurred in promoting this new alliance, fully expecting that with the beauty, honor, and prudence of Octavia, when her company should, as it was certain it would, have engaged his (Antonius's) affections, all would be kept in the safe and happy course of friendship. So, both parties being agreed, they went to Rome to celebrate the nuptials; the senate dispensing with the law by which a widow was not permitted to marry till ten months after the death of her husband."  
​     Plutarch, Life of Antony

I love coins! My father was a numismatist, so I think my affinity for them is genetic. Anyway, I love this coin, featuring Antonius and Octavia after they were wed. Look at her likeness for a moment, then scroll back up to the bust at the top of the page. She's wearing the same flipped back hairstyle and I think bears many of the similar features as in the marble. 

The coin here mentions that Antonius was both Imperator and Consul. Being hailed "Imperator" by one's legions was the highest accolade a Roman general could achieve on the field. And the consular title was the highest office in Rome, though by this time, the Republic was no longer holding regular elections. The powers that be--in this case, the Second Triumvirate--of which Antonius was a senior member at the time, gave him the "right" to declare the consulship.

Octavia and Marcus Antonius spent a good three years together. For about a year and a half, they lived in Rome proper, but then Antonius had to head east again to prepare for his invasion of Parthia (modern day Iran/Iraq). His operations at that time were located in Athens, and the Greek people loved Octavia and ancient sources state that the couple spent a very happy, but short interlude there. Sometime before they left Rome or shortly after arriving in Greece, Octavia bore Antonius the first of their two daughters. Both were named Antonia (more confusion for this author to differentiate in her story!). 

There were plenty of tense moments in Octavia's is marriage for alliance--not so much between Octavia and Antonius, but between Antonius and her brother. Things began to unravel shortly after their sojourn in Athens, when Antonius headed back to the East again, Octavia returned to Rome with the children, who included his two sons by Fulvia, Fulvia's children by Clodius, and Octavia's children by Marcellus, along with the two Antonias. This turned out to be the marriage's "fork in the road" and where I shall end Octavia's story, in the hope that you'll want to continue it in my next book. 

So what do we have left of Octavia besides a few coins or busts? Believe it or not, there is a ruin in Rome that Octavian built in her honor, the remnants of which can still be seen today. 

​This is the Portico of Octavia (red brick arch at right), which Octavian built in honor of his sister sometime after 27 BC. There was a lovely colonnade behind the Portico, connecting existing Temples to Jupiter and Juno, along with the magnificent Theater of Marcellus (also still standing). Marcellus, if you recall, was Octavia's son by her first husband, and he completed the theater which had been started by Julius Caesar before his assassination. Sadly, Marcellus died prematurely and suspiciously, too. In her grief, it's believed that Octavia built the library in memory of her son.

Octavia will be an integral character in my upcoming book!

I'm so excited about the next few weeks of blogging! I have some amazing guests with fascinating material and upcoming books to share. Also, I'll be sharing more about my own book--Antonius: Soldier of Fate, which launches on Friday, October 16th! Next week, we're headed for Alexandria, Egypt for an intimate look at HER MAJESTY, Cleopatra VII Philopater! See you then and READ ON!

Hello, readers!

I'm delighted to begin a series of blogs which will support content in my next book, Antonius: Soldier of Fate--the final book in the Antonius Trilogy. Today, I'll be sharing a little about Marcus Antonius's first three wives: Fadia, Antonia, and Fulvia Bambula.

Not much is known about Fadia--wife #1. She has certainly proven herself to be a favorite character in Son of Rome, though. Every reader loves her! Cicero is the only primary source that mentions Fadia, and it was in an assault against Antonius, in one of  fourteen speeches, known as the Philippics. So what do we know about her? First, she was the daughter of a freedman, Quintus Fadius. Whether or not she was actually a slave within the domus Antonii is unknown. Some Classicists suggest that perhaps Fadius was a man of great wealth and that Antonius chose the marriage to assist in his great debt. However, that cannot be proven, so it was delightful coming up with my own material concerning her.

Fadia and Antonius may have been parents, as Cicero mentions it, but if so, both mother and children were dead by the end of 44 BC. It is not impossible that she may have been a slave in the domus Antonii, as was the case in my novel, Son of Rome. 

High-born ladies, such as Julia Antonia, Antonius's mother, would indeed have had slave women to dress them, do their hair, make-up, and even accompany them shopping, the baths, or to cater to their needs at dinner-parties. As depicted in Sir Lawrence Alma-tadema's rich painting at right, "The Frigidarium", personal slaves, attached to wealthy nobles would have been at their disposal night and day.

Many question why Antonius would have married Fadia, since he was of a noble family and she was the daughter of a former slave. We'll probably never know his motives, so it was a fun thing upon which to build my story. Did they love one another? Were there children? Was there an awful tragedy as I wrote into my story in Son of Rome? Some scholars don't believe they were married at all and that Fadia may have simply been Antonius's first great love-affair.

​It is well-known that Antonia Hybrida (daughter of Marcus Antonius's uncle, Gaius Antonius Hybrida) was Antonius's first marriage to a noble lady. Antonia was also his first cousin. Though we consider such marriages incestuous in our culture today, Romans in the 1st century BC allowed the practice. However, they frowned upon unions to any closer blood relatives than that. 

Antonius's marriage to his cousin probably took place after his first adventures in the East as a cavalry officer under Gabinius. They remained married at least until after Caesar's victory at Alesia (52 BC). Alledgedly, Antonia formed a romantic relationship with Publius Dolabella. He and Antonius probably endured a rather stormy relationship, since Dolabella was married to Tullia, the daughter of Cicero, who was already at odds with the Antonii by that time. It's unclear exactly when, but once Antonius learned of the affair, he promptly divorced his cousin. Together, Antonius and Antonia had a daughter--another Antonia! (I swear the ancient Romans had ZERO imagination whatsoever when it came to names!)

At right, is a coin bearing the likeness of Fulvia Bambula, the 3rd wife of Marcus Antonius. Interestinly enough, it is the first coin bearing the profile of a mortal woman in Roman coinage. I say "mortal", as it was common practice to place representations of female deities on coinage.

Fulvia was first married to Publius Clodius, the politician and well-known riot-monger of Rome's late Republic. Cicero claimed in his Phillipics that Antonius was having an affair with Fulvia. (In my book Second in Command, she is the one who actually makes moves on him!) And there was a recorded altercation between Antonius and Clodius in the Forum Romanum (again mentioned in Cicero's Philippics.)


After Milo murdered Clodius, it wasn't long before Fulvia remarried another one of Antonius's colleagues--Gaius Scribonius Curio, the younger. When Antonius finally married her after Curio's death, he indeed had a wife of noble lineage, as Fulvia could boast descent from the famous Punic War hero Scipio Africanus. 

Like her heroic ancestor, Fulvia had no interest in household matters, though such was expected of women. She enjoyed being around men who wielded power, so as Antonius rose to prominence at Caesar's side she was undoubtedly involved in many aspects of his career. Possibly too much so, as was revealed while Antonius was in Egypt in 41-40 BC, when she and Antonius's brother Lucius Antonius were involved in the siege at Perusia. 

Fulvia was the mother of Marcus Antonius's Roman heir, named for his father but called "Antyllus". She also bore him a second son, Iullus Antonius. Iullus is mentioned in my final book, but his fate was as tragic as his father's. He fell into a romantic relationship with Octavian Augustus's daughter, Julia. When Augustus learned of this, he had Iullus imprisoned and the young man chose suicide. Fulvia's eventual fate was also tragic, and is an integral scene in my last book in the trilogy, Antonius: Soldier of Fate.

Next week, I'll be sharing about two very important ladies who share leading roles in Antonius's later life: Octavia and Cleopatra VII, Philopater. I hope you'll join me next week to learn a few fun-facts about both of them! In the meantime, READ ON and I'll be sharing my big cover reveal SOON!

It is hard to believe, but I've been an author for nearly a year and a half and it's been the most incredible experience. Researching, traveling WHILE researching, meeting new people, teaching workshops, brushing up on public speaking, seeing things from unique perspectives, and learning how to BE an author. Thank you for following me on this adventure, because that's truly what it is--a rip-roaring ADVENTURE!

In just two months, I will be done with the Antonius Trilogy. My final book (be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom for my first tiny portion of the cover reveal!) will launch on Friday, October 16th. And I CAN'T WAIT to share it with you! I will be announcing another giveaway soon, so be sure to keep an eye out on the website.

One of the most difficult things for me to embrace as an author is to stir up "buzz" about myself. I've never been very comfortable in that department. However, it's part of the game, and though I try to present blogs that are scholarly, interesting, and full of information about my books' period or characters, I feel I also need to share occasionally about myself.

Recently, a Twitter friend, contemporary romance author Elizabeth N. Harris from the UK, offered to interview me. I figured this was perfect timing, since I'd been needing to share a little more about "moi" on my blog in lieu of the upcoming book, so I accepted her kind offer. Here is my interview with her. I hope you'll get a few extra details from it about both my work and my background. 

Elizabeth: Hello! Welcome to the Author of the Week Page, where I interview Indie Authors, This week's Author of the Week is the interesting and wonderful Brook Allen. ​Hi Brook, welcome, let's start with what books you've written.​

Brook: The Antonius Trilogy: Antonius: Son of Rome & Antonius: Second in Command. My third and final book in this trilogy is due to launch on Friday, October 16th.​

Elizabeth: Tell me a little about yourself, see we're all nosy here!

Brook: First off, thanks so much for having me, Elizabeth. I’m a professional musician in my day-job and with rehearsals and performances, it takes up a lot of my time. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, there haven’t been many concerts or music lessons lately. Hopefully, things will be back to normal soon. My husband and I live with our two black Labradors in a rural community in Virginia’s beautiful, Blue Ridge Mountains.​

Elizabeth: I had to look those up Brook, they are really beautiful. What got you into writing?

Brook: I’ve been writing off and on since high school. However, after I focused on Roman Studies while going to grad school, I started the Antonius Trilogy. It’s been a labour of love now for over fifteen years and it’s hard to believe I’ll be done by the end of October. That means new projects, though. I’m looking forward to that!​

Elizabeth: That sounds interesting, who is your favourite author, and why?
 
Brook: Margaret George is my favourite author. She is truly the grande-dame of historical fiction in the US, and her characters are so varied. What a career this lady has had, from reaching the acclaim of being a NYT Bestselling Author to appearing live on a celebration honouring Garth Brooks. Her book, The Memoirs of Cleopatra led me to write my Antonius Trilogy. Best of all, she’s been my mentor along the way.
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Elizabeth: She sounds like a wonderful mentor. Who encouraged you the most to write?
 
Brook: My parents encouraged me first. I won some awards in high school for my writing. Then came my husband who has slipped into their shoes of being my cheerleader. Lastly, Margaret George’s encouragement, advice, and endorsement have been a great honour and joy to have.
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Elizabeth: How wonderful you've had so much support, Brook. Are you as avid a reader as a writer?
 
Brook: I try to be. It’s been an easy role to slip into during these months of the pandemic. However, when I’m working full-time in my day-job, it’s pretty much impossible to both read a lot and WRITE novels. I look forward to retiring so I can focus on writing like I’ve been able to do during these months of the pandemic.