Welcome to Brook's Scroll and welcome DECEMBER!

It's hard to believe it's actually here! Before introducing my very special guest and friend this week, I wanted to update everyone on a little change to my sales. All of my books are now listed on Kindle Unlimited, so if you subscribe to that, my books are now FREE for you! Remember that books are super Christmas gifts for readers, so consider giving the gift of escaping into a novel for the Holidays.

This week, I'm so thrilled to introduce my guest-blogger. Sarah Penner and I met rather unexpectedly at the 2017 Historical Novel Society Conference in Portland, Oregon. We were both working on projects and Sarah's debut novel is scheduled to launch in March. I had the pleasure of being an advance reader for it, and I cannot say enough good things about this suspenseful, exciting, and intriguing read!

So, allow me to welcome Sarah Penner to the Scroll and she'll tell you more about mudlarking and her road to publishing The Lost Apothecary.
​

                                                            An Accidental Mudlark

In the summer of 2019, I found myself along the banks of the River Thames in London, wearing old tennis shoes and blue latex gloves. In my backpack was a small card—my temporary permit from the Port of London Authority, granting me access to go mudlarking on the river’s foreshore. 

​​In case you’ve not heard the term “mudlarking,” it means hunting the riverbed for interesting or valuable artifacts. (To “lark” means to enjoy oneself by behaving in a playful or mischievous way.) Mudlarking has been around for hundreds of years, and in the Victorian era, children would scrounge about in the mud looking for items to sell. Today, mudlarking isn’t meant to support the livelihood of a family, but instead represents a pastime for locals and tourists alike.

I first learned about mudlarking years ago, while reading London in Fragments: A Mudlark’s Treasures by Ted Sandling. In the book, Sandling shares striking images of interesting things he’s found near the River Thames: flint from a 4000 BC fishing spear, a Roman hypocaust tile dated AD 100, and my personal favorite… a mid-seventeenth century delftware apothecary jar. 

​Indeed, it was this image that inspired my debut novel, The Lost Apothecary. My novel is about an apothecary in eighteenth-century London who sells well-disguised poisons to women seeking vengeance on the men who have wronged them. Two centuries later, my present-day character goes mudlarking along the River Thames and discovers a strange apothecary vial. Soon, she suspects she’s found the culprit in the never-solved apothecary murders that haunted London long ago.
​
By the time I went on my own mudlarking adventure, I was agented and well into revisions on The Lost Apothecary. Still, going down to the riverbed provided visceral sensory detail which I then incorporated into my manuscript, and the experience allowed me to more fully appreciate the delight in discovering old artifacts. Over the course of several days, I went down to the river three separate times, finding an assortment of pottery, clay pipes, metal pins, even animal bones. As I lifted each object from its spot in the silt or sand, I couldn’t help but think of the person who might have last touched it. In The Lost Apothecary, my present-day character, Caroline, muses on this: “I felt a strange connection with the person who last held the vial in his or her hands—an inherent kinship with the person whose fingerprints last impressed on the glass as mine did now.”

​Before going mudlarking, I did my homework. I studied closely the tide tables because a rising tide poses a hazardous situation for an inexperienced mudlark (God forbid, one finds themselves in rising water without a set of stairs to exit quickly.) Ironically, it is this same tide that turns over the riverbed twice a day, which means each visit to the river is unique and has the potential to reveal something new.

Before my visit, I also chose a couple of locations that were recommended for beginners, spots that were easy to access, and within sight of passerby in the event of a slip or injury. I donned the appropriate gear and, just before heading down to the river, I steeled myself with a dark ale at a nearby pub.

The adventure was an absolute joy, and I highly recommend for anyone who loves history or archaeology—or simply has an adventurous spirit! The River Thames is a museum in its own right, but the artifacts aren’t behind glass and viewable by the masses… instead, they’re hidden in shallow water or between rocks, and it is very possible that the things you discover haven’t been seen or touched in hundreds of years.

I didn’t, unfortunately, find an apothecary vial while on my own mudlarking adventure, but this is where fiction comes into play. No matter my personal experience, I clung to the vision of an eighteenth-century apothecary who dispensed disguised poisons, and this vision remained central to my story.
​
The word apothecary is evocative, drawing forth visions of a candlelit storefront with sash windows, its walls lined with mortar bowls and pestles, and countless glass bottles. There is something beguiling, even enchanting, about what might lie within those bottles: potions that bewitch us, cure us, kill us. When describing the apothecary’s hidden shop in my book, I did my best to capture this allure. Indeed, many contemporary retail shops are doing the same, and it seems most cities now have some sort of “apothecary” shop selling cosmetics or natural remedies.

​Researching the many poisons and herbal remedies for The Lost Apothecary was a time-consuming, albeit entertaining, task. I spent time in the British Library reviewing old manuscripts, medical ephemera, and druggist diaries. I reviewed digitized pharmacopeias and studied extensively some well-known poisoning cases in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. I was surprised by the number of plants and herbs that are highly toxic, and I was fascinated while reading about the clever, if ineffective, remedies used by the predecessors of modern-day pharmacists. 

​








​Bio:
Sarah Penner is the debut author of The Lost Apothecary, forthcoming March 2021 in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and to be translated in fifteen territories worldwide. Sarah lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, with her husband. To preorder The Lost Apothecary, visit TheLostApothecary.com. 
Contact:
Instagram: @Sarah_Penner_Author
FB: @SarahPennerAuthor
Twitter: @SL_Penner

It's my sincere hope that all of my American readers have a delightful Thanksgiving, with or without family members, due to COVID-19. In the U.S., "after Thanksgiving" becomes the unofficial/official beginning of the Christmas Season. May it be warm and bright, unlike the rest of 2020!

This week, I have a lovely guest author, sharing her work on early Denmark. Let's welcome M.J. Porter to discuss a royal lady of the Danes--Estrid!


                                               Lady Estrid: A Compelling Character

Lady Estrid, or Edith or even Margaret, daughter of King Swein Forkbeard of Denmark (and briefly England) is one of those beguiling characters who lived through momentous change during her lifetime.
 
I’ve long been drawn to her, and used her as a ‘bit’ part character in my The Earls of Mercia series, but I wanted to dedicate both more time to Lady Estrid, and also to Denmark. Even when I’ve written about Cnut, who was king of England and Denmark, much of the action has taken place in England. There’s simply not enough ‘space’ to fit everything in.
 
Lady Estrid, like similar royal women (Queen Eadgifu of England, and Lady Elfrida in the tenth-century), had the advantage of living a much longer life than many of her male family members. She’s the ‘glue’ that holds together the narrative of what was happening in Denmark at this time. And because of her vast family, it also allows me to weave the story of not just Denmark, but Norway, Sweden and also England and Normandy, into the narrative. She was the daughter of a king, the sister of three kings, the aunt of four kings, the mother of one king, and in time, the grandmother of three further kings. 
​

written about Queen Eadgifu, Lady Elfrida, and King Edward the Elder’s daughters (in tenth century England), I wanted a new ‘woman’ to bring to life. I could have chosen Queen Emma, or even Queen Edith of England, but their stories are more well-known. I’ve long been fascinated by the Scandinavian countries during the Viking Age, and Lady Estrid was just too good a character to leave in her ‘bit’ part without adding anything further.
 
For all Lady Estrid’s claims as mother, aunt, sister and daughter, there’s very little that can be said about her, not even the order of her three marriages, if they occurred, can be confirmed. It’s only possible to say that her marriage to Jarl Úlfr took place because of the survival of her children. It’s the lack of ‘hard facts’ about her, and the potential to weave a story that includes so many of the other well-known women, and men of the period, that made Lady Estrid so irresistible. When stories focus on Earl Godwine, or King Cnut, or even on King Harald Haradrada, it’s possible to lose sight of the bigger picture, and Lady Estrid certainly provides the potential to show the overarching events that occurred from AD1013-1050.



                                                                Author Bio

M J Porter is an author of fantasy (Viking age/dragon-themed) and historical fiction (Early English, Vikings and the British Isles as a whole before the Norman Conquest), born in the old Mercian kingdom at some point since AD1066. 
 
I write A LOT. You’ve been warned!

                                                       Connect with M.J. Porter

                                                       Website • Twitter • Instagram

                                                          Buy the Book​
                                                 Amazon UK • Amazon US  

Hello, readers!

I have some more exciting guest bloggers coming. Next week, we'll be hearing from debut author Sarah Penner. Her book The Lost Apothecary is launching this coming March, and you won't want to miss it! And there will be more, so get ready for a worthwhile ride into the year's end--which I know we're ALL glad to see come to a close.

Also, for those of you who have not yet started the Antonius Trilogy's adventure or if you're in the middle of it, my ebooks are now available on Kindle Unlimited for an unspecified time. Be sure to check them out! 

This week, I have a special post I've been saving until after I finished the Antonius Trilogy. I have probably mentioned this before, but my Dad introduced me to coin-collecting when I was probably only 4-5 years old. Actually, I think it was a combination of "I'll get her going on it and that way get to do it myself!", because that's how it turned out. Whenever I wanted to get something special for Dad, it always came in a minute cardboard frame with cellophane stretched across each side so you could see them both. Dad had a preference for American coins, but he loved collecting foreign ones, too. We lived in Florida in my teenage years, and I remember clearly that one night, a Russian ship docked downtown and Dad hopped in the car with a handful of coin-books and (Cold War, who CARES!) somehow managed to board their ship! He was gone until about 1am and Mom was frantic, thinking he was on his way to the USSR! 

I bought him his first Roman coin and after that, whenever I was traveling abroad, I'd often drop by a coin store to see what they had available. Once, in Grand Cayman, I bought him a Spanish piece of eight, which got him pretty fired up. Then I started writing and along came a coin show to our area.

I went, expecting to purchase a Christmas coin for Dad, but wound up finding one that I wanted. Stunned that the seller met my price, I left with a denarius once minted by my main character, Marcus Antonius. Since my birthday was coming up, my husband's gift to me was to have the coin made into a pendant. It's one of my favorite pieces of jewelry now.​

Wouldn't it be fantastic if this coin could talk? Oh, the tales it could tell! Well, even though numismatists have to read between the lines a bit, coins DO tell tales. This one's story began toward the end of Antonius's life. War with Octavian was imminent, and the propaganda war had already begun. Mud was slinging from both sides, but one of the most insulting things Octavian said about Antonius was that he was no longer Roman. 

In the middle of all of this, during the preparations for what would be the Battle of Actium in what was probably 32 to early 31 BC, Antonius and Cleopatra were in Patrae, Greece. Since he had to mint coinage to pay his legionaries from the war-chest, Antonius apparently made the decision to honor his legions with this series of coins. And the imagery here is clear: his statement?

I AM ROMAN!

Look carefully at the left photo of my coin. Between to signa (standards) was the aquila (eagle standard). Legionaries swore to protect the eagle at all cost--sometimes sacrificing their lives for it--much like American soldiers do for the Stars & Stripes. Nobody BUT a Roman would have minted a coin with Roman insignia on it. At the bottom is the name of one of Antonius's legions. On my coin, it's the Sixth Ferrata (Ironclad). Romans loved to abbreviate, and you'll notice this a lot with this coin. The word LEC(G) stands for "legion" here.

On the flip side, Antonius identifies himself. Arcing across the top is his name and the priestly office he held for life in Rome--that of augur. You'll see the letters clearly etched: ANT*AVG. The there's the ship--representing the incredible fleet at his fingertips that Cleopatra built for him. However, keep in mind that he wasn't necessarily identifying himself with her as much as it was showing the sea-power he now wielded, because Octavian and Agrippa had it too. Agrippa had spent the past several years training Rome's first official fleet at Misenum, near what's now the Bay of Naples.

​For one of my final blogs this year, I'll be sharing more about my visit to the Actium site and my thoughts on it. And I'll also go into more detail on the battle itself. In the meantime, READ ON! 

Welcome to Brook's Scroll! First off, I'd like to announce the winners of my Giveaway. Congratulations goes to: Selma Martin, Bev Honaker, Lisa Moore, Barb Hunt, & Laura Chiesa. I'll be having other Giveaways, so stay tuned! 

This week's guest blogger is author Tom Roberts. He has recently launched a novel entitled Lost Scrolls of Archimedes, and in discussion, we discovered that we share a fascination for an object discovered off the coast of Greece from a wreck yielding precious and priceless works of art and science dating from the 1st century BC. Tom is going to tell us much more about the intriguing Antikythera Mechanism. Welcome, To



                                             The Antikythera Mechanism

I wish to thank my fellow ancient historical fiction author, Brook Allen, for inviting me to be a guest blogger on her website.
 
Brook and I both write in the late Roman Republic era, and we have a common character. Marcus Antonius, or Marc Antony, the Roman general, consul, triumvirate, and lover to Cleopatra, is the major character in Brook’s novels, while Antony appears in a key scene in my novel, Lost Scrolls of Archimedes.

I’m going to discuss an item from antiquity that fascinates Brook and me. You may have heard of the Antikythera Mechanism, an unbelievable demonstration of ancient achievement that scientists and researchers continue to probe to expose its secrets. Some call it the world’s first computer, while others scoff at the idea that the Greeks built this object over 2,000 years ago.

When I first learned of the device, it launched me on a quest for knowledge that led me to write my novel.

What is the Antikythera Mechanism? In a nutshell, it was a mechanical device designed to predict astronomical positions and eclipses for calendrical and astrological purposes. The ancient Greeks would find such an instrument very useful for tracking the four-year cycle of the Olympic Games, the ancient athletic games that served as the model for the modern Olympics.
​
The mechanism is a one-of-a-kind discovery. Based on dating studies, the Greeks built the device between 150 and 100 BC, and no other similar archeological find from that era has ever been made. Only vague references regarding it have been made in ancient texts.
 
In 1900, sponge divers found an ancient shipwreck off a small, rocky Greek island in the Mediterranean, Antikythera. The island lay in the middle of the channel between the Greek mainland and Crete and sat on the shipping route between the near east and Rome. The brutal storms in the area of the island often drove ancient merchant ships onto its rocky shores.

​Diving to the theoretical limits of the time, the men had discovered an ancient shipwreck. The sponge divers, frightened at first by the arms and legs sticking out of the seabed, soon found the wreck contained a cargo of exquisite marble and bronze sculptures. One of the most famous was the Antikythera Youth, a bronze of genius work.
 
The sunken ship, later dated to 60-80 BC, sailed from Rhodes with a rich cargo bound for Rome. Along with the sculptures, the divers found precious jewelry and decorative vases.
 
When the divers returned to the site in 1901, they pulled up some strange lumps of corroded metal. They promptly turned them over to local archeologists.
 
The recovered pieces lay in an archeological warehouse in Athens for decades before anyone started determining the nature of the objects. Eventually, scan and x-rays of the metal pieces revealed its internal mechanism comprised gears, cogs, and springs. Before Antikythera, scientists and historians presumed the ancient Greeks didn’t possess the advanced metallurgical skills needed to construct such precise gears.

​Besides the mechanical parts, hidden under the rust, limestone, and corrosion of the centuries were surface engravings that hinted at how to operate the mechanism. Once investigators applied modern CT scanners, they discovered over 29 gears, carefully placed, one on top of another like some oversized Swiss watch.
 
Recent analyses of the device show that it had several dials and clock faces thought to allow for measuring the movements of the sun, moon, stars, and major planets. A user could dial in a date by cranking a handle on the main gear. While modern computers work with ones and zeros, the builders of this ancient computer encoded its logic in the mathematical ratios of its gears. Major parts of the mechanism include:

• a solar calculator showing the 365 days of the year;
• a lunar calculator for charting the 19-year lunar cycle;
• a marble-sized ball that rotated to show the phases of the moon;
• a dial to position the sun and moon relative to the constellations of the zodiac;
• a dial displaying the number of days to the Greek Olympics.

 
It’s still a mystery why the Greeks built the device. Was it a teaching tool? An aid to doing scientific calculations? Of course, how the Greeks came to possess this technology remains a prime mystery. Do similar devices lie hidden beneath the seas or buried under the rubble of an ancient city? Were the Greeks on the verge of a great scientific golden age just before their civilization fell to the conquering Roman legions?
 
The ancient Greek technology used to build the Antikythera Mechanism had been lost by the time of the Roman Empire. It was not to be rediscovered for millennia when Islamic and medieval Byzantine scientists began creating similar devices.
 
Being a math major and an engineer by profession, the device’s century-long discovery process captivated me. That process is richly detailed in Jo Marchant’s excellent book, Decoding the Heavens, which I read in 2012, and which I recommend. She discusses modern scientists who spent years studying the device, including Derek De- Solla Price and Michael Wright.

​In Marchant’s book, she talks about which ancient Greek engineers/mathematicians might have been responsible for the theoretical design of the Antikythera device. Her discussions of Archimedes and Ctesibius as possibilities intrigued me, and I began reading anything I could get on the two men.





*(At left) A front page from Derek DeSolla Price's study of The Antikythera Mechanism.

*(Below right) The Archimedes screw.

Soon, I became somewhat obsessed with writing a novel about this mysterious device. In the fall of 2013, I viewed the intriguing Antikythera exhibit in Athens at the National Archeological Museum. It was an encounter bordering on the spiritual. My mind reached back and envisioned looking over the shoulders of ancient Greek geniuses as they worked out the details of the astronomical equations and gear ratios. Yes, I’m a geek!

I pondered many “what-if” questions. What other lost technologies did the ancient Greeks have? Were they written about? If so, what happened to the writings? Did the device imply that a high level of knowledge existed 2,000 years before we previously imagined? What if the ancients had nurtured that technology? Where would we be today? Out in the stars?
​
These questions led me to do more research—about Ctesibius and Archimedes, metallurgy, ancient mechanical inventions, and my speculations led to the plot of my novel, Lost Scrolls of Archimedes. It’s a science-based story of history that might have been. It was born of my fascination with the beauty and the promise of the Antikythera Mechanism.

                                                          Author, Tom Roberts

Tom Roberts is the author of an historical novel and a short story collection. In 2019, at the Florida Writers Association’s Royal Palm Literary Awards, his historical novel, Lost Scrolls of Archimedes, was awarded Gold for best unpublished historical novel (publication planned for first quarter 2020). A software engineer in a previous life, Mr. Roberts began writing in 2017. He is avid reader of ancient history and technology and a member of the Florida Writers Association, the Atlanta Writers Club, and the West Florida Literary Federation. His favorite authors are Bernard Cornwell, Patrick O’Brian, Steven Saylor, and Arthur C. Clarke. An Air Force veteran, he loves dogs and enjoys hiking, classical music, video games, and college sports.


Connect with Tom:
Website: https://www.tomrobertsauthor.com/
Twitter: @Tom44BC
 
For further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism
http://www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/
http://www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/events/exhibitions/nam-2012
https://joyofmuseums.com/museums/europe/greece-museums/athens-museums/national-archaeological-museum-athens/antikythera-youth/

To purchase the Lost Scrolls of Archimedes, click on the book. 

October was such an exciting month for this author. A new release, lots of sales, promos, guest blogs, and giveaways. My five website winners should have received their emails by now. I am still waiting to hear back from a few, and should they not respond before Tuesday, (11/3/20) then I'll draw more random names in their place. 

I have more fantastic guests planned for the blog site this month and the next, so stay tuned. But it's always my pleasure to return to blogging myself. This week, I wanted to share a blog on my main character: Marcus Antonius. He was not always an easy guy to chase down when it came to the truth of his history, since much of it was written by his enemies. Anyway, this blog is the result of my thoughts as I look back over these years of research and travel. I hope you enjoy it. 

​​One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, “Why are you writing about him?” Others shake their heads, commenting, “That story has been told too many times.”
So, why HIM? Why Marcus Antonius—more commonly known as Marc Antony?
​
I have known since I was a Sophomore in high school that I wanted to write on the 1st century BC and focus on Rome. Fourteen years ago, when this project’s first chapter began, I chose Antony because other people had written so many times on Cleopatra and Caesar. Robert Harris had just started his well-researched books on Cicero.

Antony seemed to be the only one left untouched. So I started writing.

I’m sure glad I did. Antony’s life was full of drama, action, and tragedy. First of all, he lived through the Spartacan revolt, the Catiline conspiracy, was a cousin to Julius Caesar, probably met Cleopatra before Caesar ever did, helped restore her father’s throne, became Caesar’s second-in-command, gave the world’s most famous funeral oration, and later married Cleopatra. And that’s just for starters.

Whew! Perhaps you can see why he’s such fun to write about.


(At right) The Vatican Museum's bust of Marcus Antonius doesn't even date from his lifetime. It's from the Flavian period, 130 years after Antonius died. So it's uncertain how much of a "likeness" this is of him. His statuary, inscriptions, and overall memory were treated with "damnatio memoriae"--the damning of one's name.

As far as I know, my trilogy will be the first historical fiction work (at least in fifty some odd years) to focus on Antony’s entire life from his perspective. Some years ago, author Alan Massie did a terrific job of depicting the second half of his life. And there have been other non-fiction biographies done on his life and times. The two mainstays being by Eleanor Goltz Huzar and Patrician Southern. Why other historical fiction authors haven’t jumped on this guy’s story is BEYOND me. Granted, he had a larger-than-life personality, truly became a legend, and was as impulsive in decision-making as a squirrel crossing the road in front of a truck!

But here was the man who became the very catalyst transforming Rome from Republic to Empire. 

(At left) This coin depicts Antonius with his wife Octavia. 

Why did Antonius do the things that he did? Binge-drinking, womanizing, and at the end, choosing the East over Rome. Author Patricia Southern’s eye-opening biography, Mark Antony: A Life, really helped me grasp something. To paraphrase her words, she explained that “Antony never saw Rome’s Republic work properly.” And that’s pure fact. He was born and raised in the Republic’s death-throes. His grandfather was beheaded by the general Marius. The dictator Sulla instituted a Caligula-like reign of terror over the city when Antony was a baby. Why, the Republican government was already becoming impotent before Julius Caesar, Antony and Octavian ever set foot in the Curia.
For years now, I’ve spent time and money going back and forth to the Mediterranean, trying my best to place myself in a position to feel Antony’s life and times. Five years ago, I stood atop the great theater in Philippi, overlooking the battlefield where he faced off with Brutus and Cassius, Caesar’s assassins. To see the breadth and scope of a battlefield that once held almost two-hundred-thousand legionaries locked in civil war, was mind-boggling. In fact, it made such an impression on me, that I wrote Antonius: Second in Command’s final scene from that perspective—at the top of the theater.

It’s been one phenomenal ride, experiencing the first century BC and becoming “friends” with Marcus Antonius. I invite you to come along for one of history’s most complicated, insightful, and adventurous histories, by reading the Antonius Trilogy.

Join me in discovering the man behind the myth. Read ON, everyone!

I'm so thrilled to present TWO guest bloggers to my readers this week! Historical fiction has so many possibilities and the past continues to expand, leaving us authors with plenty of book-fodder on which to ruminate. Before I introduce my next guest, just a couple of reminders...

First, THIS FRIDAY, October 30th is my BIG GIVEAWAY!!! Five readers will win one book from the Antonius Trilogy and the winner decides which book they want. Winners will be notified via email and will have forty-eight hours to respond. Once all winners have responded, I'll announce who they are. Good luck, everybody! Also, I have posted a video of my Virtual Book Launch on my home page, sponsored by BOOK NO FURTHER, a local independent book store in Roanoke, Virginia. If you didn't get to come, here's your chance to see my interview, hear a reading from Antonius: Soldier of Fate, and meet some of my special guests from that night! Just scroll down a bit and you'll find the link.

Now I'd like to introduce my second guest to Brook's Scroll this week. Tom Kane's new book is a saga surrounding the Titanic disaster. So I'd like to welcome him and let him tell you more about The Brittle Sea, which I think is an alluring title, to say the least!

Welcome, Tom!

                                                           A Titanic Tragedy


Tragedy, when it strikes, can be a devastating blow when we are faced with the loss of loved ones. In our modern times, news of a tragic event with loss of life is usually very quick to hit the news cycle. But in the early 20th century, news travelled far more slowly. When the Titanic sank in the northern Atlantic on her maiden voyage, it only slowly became clear to a handful of ships in the immediate area that a tragedy had occurred because the early Marconi telegraph sets were not always manned 24 hours a day. In some instances, a ship signaling, in dire need of assistance, was ignored. Put simply, there were no cohesive protocols in place where a ship in distress could be assured of assistance quickly. The Titanic tragedy changed all that, but not before a high loss of life in awful circumstances made those in power sit up and take notice.

The story of the Titanic is a story that has been told many times in print, on film and even on the radio. It’s a story that shouts tragedy from on high, yet a tragedy made worse by the folly of many who should have known better but did not.

I, like many, have been and still am fascinated by the story and again, like many, I have watched the movies A Night to Remember and Titanic numerous times. A Night to Remember concentrated on the many stories of the people on the ship, rich and poor, that we as viewers knew were probably going to an icy death. Titanic concentrated on a star-crossed couple where the man died, and his English rose survived. It was that thought that made me wonder, what would have happened to a lone survivor, missed by other ships and one of the last to be picked up. And what would happen if in the ensuing death throes of the ship she was injured, and on reviving on a strange ship realised she had no memory of who she was. It was on this premise that I built my novel, The Brittle Sea, which is book one in a trilogy.

{"Untergang der Titanic" as conceived by Willy Stöwer, 1912: Wikipedia.}​​


The Titanic is simply a tool used in the writing to introduce my readers to my star-crossed loves, Magda and Richard Blackmore. The ship and its sinking is the foundation, a simple building block used to introduce these lovers and then introduce a variety of other compelling characters. Like the killer William Harker and the corrupt governor of Sing-Sing prison, as well as shadowy figures in the background of what is essentially a romance, married to a story of mental illness, murder and criminal intent. All this against a backdrop of a still young country where business, enterprise and fortunes are created, sometimes on the back of innocent bystanders.

The Brittle Sea introduces a saga, a saga of two families, brought together with crossed swords of hate where one will not bow down to the other, and the only way forward is to crush your opponent. In that moment, a vendetta is born which spills over into book two, The Brittle Land. Against a backdrop of world war, pandemic, an astronomical loss of life, and a land ravaged by the weather and banking system built on a house of cards, our families battle head to head on more than one front.

Families at war is both a figurative and actual description of The Brittle Land. Which takes us to the very brink of destruction for one family. But after many years of being denied justice, a hero finally claims his true love.
But that true love reaps true hate in the beginning of the third book, where the depression years across the globe instils yet more hatred in the families at war, until total war on a global scale burns across the skies of beleaguered Britain and Europe in The Brittle Sky.

​

                                      THE BRITTLE SEA

The Titanic disaster is the catalyst that sparks a bloody feud between two families in early 20th century America.

Magda Asparov is travelling from her home in the Ukraine to be the chosen bride of American businessman Matthew Turner III. But the ill-fated voyage of the unsinkable ship has far reaching consequences for her and her savior.

Magda has lost her memory and a new personality, Maggie, has taken hold. The Captain of her rescue ship, Richard Blackmore, has fallen for Maggie.

A mental illness, betrayal, murder, and corruption destroy Blackmore's life until all that remains is for him to seek revenge.

                                     AUTHOR TOM KANE

As a child, Tom Kane's family always insisted he was born in the corner of the living room, behind the TV. That strange assertion, true or false, seems to have set the tone for the rest of his life. Kane's mother inspired him to write. Doctor Who and Isaac Asimov inspired his love of science fiction. Monty Python inspired him to be silly and he continues to blame Billy Connolly for his infrequent bursts of bad language In the corner or behind the TV, what is officially known about Tom Kane's birth is that it took place in England many moons ago.

Want to read The Brittle Sea? Amazon (Kindle) • Amazon (Paperback)

Connect with Tom: Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram
 

Greetings to all of my readers and visitors! Before we meet this week's first guest author, I wanted to remind everybody about the Giveaway coming up this FRIDAY, October 30th! I'm giving away FIVE books. Winners get to pick which Antonius Trilogy book they want. Be sure to let friends and family know. All they need to do is subscribe to my website.

Also, if you happened to miss my Virtual Launch of Antonius: Soldier of Fate, a video of the event has been posted on my homepage. Scroll down a bit and you'll see it. 

Now, on to the first of my special guests this week!

      An Interview With Laurence O'Bryan

​Laurence, welcome to Brook's Scroll. Please tell a little about yourself, your background, your books, and how you started writing. 
​
Hi, my name is Laurence O’Bryan. I was published by Harper Collins in 2012 and translated into 10 other languages. Three books were published by Harper Collins in that series. I spent many years in the UK and returned to Ireland to write. Writing is what keeps me sane. My Roman series has been independently published using the same editorial standards I encountered at Harper Collins.

What is it about Constantine that spurred your interest as a book character? 

Constantine made Christianity the religion of the empire, founded the Byzantine empire and defeated all his enemies, yet we know very little about him except for a few dates and relationships.

This provides a real opportunity for filling in the gaps. And there are a lot of gaps. Why did his father die soon after Constantine arrived from east? Why did Constantine support Christianity? Why did he kill his own son and heir and why did he kill his second wife in a bizarre manner?
I hope you will enjoy the story I created from these gaps in the ancient record.

It sounds as though there are some other fascinating people in your book. Which ones were your favorites to write, and why? 

I wonder about the people who surrounded him, his slaves and generals and his mistresses. He must have had some. These were red blooded times and there were a lot of incidents in his life. You don’t become emperor by doing nothing.

What makes this part of Rome’s history particularly fascinating for you? 
 
The transition from a pagan empire to a Christian one has implications right down to the present day. What would have happened if he hadn’t taken up the Christian cause? Would the type of Christianity we have? How different would it be?

How has this trilogy, “The Dangerous Emperor”, challenged you as an author? 

The challenges were many. I was concerned about getting as much of the detail right as possible, what they ate, what they slept on, how the get around the empire and how they fought and what their tribal enemies were really like fascinated me. You can read the results of my research in the series.

For a moment, place yourself in Constantine’s Rome. What would it be like? Would it differ from say, Augustan Rome or Julius Caesar’s Rome?  

The mix of different religions would be very different.
 
Finally, Christians are in power, laying the foundations of the first St. Peter’s and other great churches, but there are still many who worship the old gods.
 
There must have been a lot of power struggles, over everything from land to rich donors to the discovery of Christian relics, such as the true cross, rediscovered by Helena, Constantine’s mother, in Jerusalem during a visit she made there in real life and described in the final part of my trilogy.

The rest of your trilogy is already completed for your readers. What’s next? Can you give us a hint?

I am writing a contemporary thriller series, based during this pandemic, which will be an extension of the series Harper Collins published. It’s called PayBack Time and will be available late October 2020.
 
Thank you for your time. I do hope you enjoy The Sign of the Blood and the other books in the series and my new books.

                                             Blurb for The Sign of the Blood

The first Christian emperor faces ruthless enemies on his journey to power.
 
Cool mist settles over the legion advancing toward the Persian army. Constantine, the son of an emperor, the Roman officer leading the attack, tells his men to halt - something is wrong.
Before long, the battle rages. He frees a slave named Juliana. She is half Persian and half Roman. As they are pursued to Britannia over land and sea, he learns that she can see the future - his future.
 
It is 306A.D., long before Constantine the Great converted to Christianity and became the first Christian emperor.
 
To ensure he survives, he must eliminate his enemies. But who must die first? The priestess, Sybellina, who joined them in Rome and practices dark and seductive magic? Or the brutal legion commanders who surround his father? Or, as Juliana suspects, are those who want him dead even closer?
 
A gripping historical novel about Constantine’s bloody rise to power, the woman who helped him, and the real reason he supported a persecuted Christian minority, a decision which changed the world into the one we know. 
 
Praise for The Sign of the Blood
 
"Exciting and original." - SJA Turney, author of Praetorian.
 
“It is an enthralling story from start to finish…” The Coffee Pot Book Club


                                               About Laurence O'Bryan


I spent twenty years studying Roman history and reading every book about Constantine the Great I could find. I also visited numerous sites where my Roman series is set, including in London, where I lived for ten years, Jerusalem, Rome, Trier, York, Nicomedia and Istanbul.

The first novel in the series, The Sign of The Blood, is about the rise to power of Constantine the Great, the women who helped him, and the others who wanted him dead.

The Road to The Bridge, the second novel in the series, is about the lead up to the battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 A.D. and how Constantine the Great lured Maxentius, his rival emperor, out of Rome.

The third novel in the series, The Cursed City, is about the dedication of New Rome, later to be called Constantinople, and how Constantine fell out with his wife, Fausta, and his son Crispus, and what he had to do to survive.

To join the mailing list and receive news of these books use this link: http://bit.ly/TSOTBseries

There are five novels in the puzzle series, The Istanbul Puzzle, The Jerusalem Puzzle, The Manhattan Puzzle, The Nuremberg Puzzle and The Cairo Puzzle.

There is a story link from The Istanbul Puzzle to The Cursed City.

My books have:
* Achieved #1 ranking on Amazon,
* Been translated into 10 languages.

My roots go back to a small estate deep in the Mountains of Mourne near the Silent Valley, in County Down, Northern Ireland.

I went to school in Dublin, drank way too much, studied English and history, then business, then IT at Oxford University.

My research has taken me all over the world, from San Francisco to deep in the Muslim world. There are secrets everywhere. I enjoy writing about them. I hope you enjoy reading about them.

  
​                              Connect with Laurence O'Bryan

Click here to purchase The Sign of the Blood                                    Find Laurence on Twitter      

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!