This week's Latin phrase concerns a topic in which I take particular joy: DOGS! Anyone who knows me knows that my dogs are my family.

In ancient times, dogs were often pets in peoples' homes. In fact, little has changed from Roman times, when it comes to warning a visitor about an unfriendly dog. If you visit Pompeii, the city ravaged by Vesuvius's volcanic wrath, you can still see an ancient mosaic in someone's entryway floor, letting people know that Little Rover might not be too amiable. In letters still easily read today, it says: CAVE CANEM--beware of the dog. And the dog depicted in the mosaic is frisky and enchanting with a modern-looking red collar, similar to one my Ali-dog wears.

Latin words like "canem" in this instance also remind us that we get our species name for dogs straight from the Romans' language. Whenever we say the word "canine", we're really using a Latin term. 

I think it's great that people in ancient times had dogs as pets, trained them, and enjoyed their company just like we do today. While visiting Alexandria, Egypt, where some of the story-line at the end of Antonius: Son of Rome takes place, I saw a splendid mosaic of a beloved dog. It dated from around the 1st century BC, which is the period my character, Marcus Antonius visited Egypt. Look at the color in the mosaic below. It looks as though the artist captured the moment when a dog may have gotten into trouble and knocked over a wine decanter. And the dog is so realistic! It must have been a beloved pet in a wealthy home to have received such special attention from an artist with such talent.

So, the next time you visit Pompeii or Herculaneum, watch out for the houses you wander into that may have CAVE CANEM artistically rendered in a mosaic in an entryway. Fido might bite!

Since Antonius: Son of Rome is about ancient Rome, I thought it appropriate to blog about some Latin terminology for the next few weeks, leading up to the city's birthday--supposedly April 21. Rome is one old lady. This year, she celebrates her 2,772nd birthday.

Let's NOT put candles on the cake!

Ab urbe condita (a.u.c.) means "from the city's founding", which most classicists agree was in 753 BC. Today, when one strolls through the Forum Romanum, it's really difficult to get a clear picture of exactly what the city looked like in any given period, since what we see today was built at different times during the archaeological record. My characters--Antony, Caesar, Fadia--they all lived during the 1st century BC, and not many buildings still stand from that period. For those of you reading my book, you'll find that there are a few extant monuments, but not many.

The majestic Tabularium, which encompasses the west end of the Forum is now part of the Capitoline Museum and one of my favorite places to visit. It was built in the 70's BC. There is the ancient Tullianum prison which is now located inside of Church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami in the Forum. And of course, a few bridges, the Via Sacra, and the network of Roman highways like the Via Appia, can still be seen here and there in their original state. Now, portions of the Theater of Pompeius are being excavated in earnest. That site will be a very important part of my next book, Second in Command. Contrary to what most people think, Caesar wasn't assassinated in the Curia (Senate building), but inside the Theater of Pompeius, which was Rome's first permanent  theater.

When you visit Rome's ruins, the sense of past grandeur is overwhelming. And the Forum is a great place to experience the many layers of history ab urbe condita-- from the city's founding.

                                     The ancient Temple of Saturn in the Forum Romanum beneath the Capitoline Hill

I'm going to be celebrating a lot this week, with my novel's launch on Friday, March 15. For those of you who don't know, my husband came up with the launch date, since it's the Ides of March! How appropriate was THAT for a book about Marc Antony, huh? So this week will culminate in fourteen years of research, study, traveling, writing, editing, and proofing to release the first book in my trilogy: Antonius: Son of Rome.

So, let's have some FUN! Anybody who subscribes to my website will be placed in a drawing to be held on Sunday, March 31st. The giveaway will be for 3 signed paperback first edition copies of Son of Rome. Some of you have already subscribed, so consider yourselves already entered. But there are PLENTY of people out there who I'd love to include on this journey with me who still need to hop on board. Remember that by subscribing, you'll automatically get weekly blog posts, announcements, and updates on a once-a-week basis.
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I'm so ready and excited for the week ahead. Of course, I'm also a little nervous--praying that my Kindle eBook distributes without any issues, hoping that I get a lot of positive reviews from new readers, and watching to see whether my readership increases. And once Friday comes, I'll be whipping out a nice glass of wine, thankful for the completion of Son of Rome and toasting to my second book in the trilogy, Second In Command, which is already in the works.

So, everybody get on board and subscribe for a chance at winning one of three signed hard-copies. GAME ON!!!!!

Whenever I discuss my work with friends or acquaintances, I always get at least one pair of raised eyebrows when I tell them I write "historical fiction". Admittedly, it's a sub-genre that, in my opinion, is often mistaken for NON-fiction.

First of all, you can be guaranteed that historical fiction is a story that deals with the past. Some characters are true to history, while others are fictitious. Often, authors will include notes about ones that are or aren't. Though fiction is expected to be present within the inter-weaving of the story/plot, a conscious historical fiction author will strive to have factual content and be as precise as possible when it comes to world-building, constructing chronological order of events, and detailing actual historical characters/incidents.

That being said, enter the FICTION!

I'll use my story as an example. We know that Marc Antony went to Greece and "studied". We don't know for certain WHAT he studied, exactly how LONG he studied, or with WHOM he studied. In an attempt to be as accurate as possible, I researched what sorts of things a young Roman heir his age would have studied. I came up with rhetoric (using public speaking as a persuasive tool), military tactics/strategies, and probably the Greek language itself. To determine how long he may have been in Greece, I had to know what happens after his studying ended. He joined an auxiliary cavalry as a commander. That meant more research as to who his commanding officer was and when that individual headed east from Rome to take his post. Lastly, who did he study with? For this, I turned to a useful source--an actual guide I'd met while doing research in Greece. I learned about a logical location in the Athenian agora (forum) where tutors offered their services for hire. Since nobody really KNOWS who taught Antony, I made up a character, using a unique Greek name and giving him a life of his own: Rhesus of Athens. 

By reading a work of historical fiction, you'll learn about periods in history, be introduced to famous people from long ago, and invest in the lives of spellbinding fictional characters. Well-written historical fiction proves an indelible truth, which the world needs to remember: ALL history is relevant and should be honored.

Embrace adventure, enter the past, and find a historical fiction book to read and enjoy today.