EXCERPT: What Remains

1brookallen
Nov 7
3 min read

It's probably almost time for me to share another update on my current project, so I promise to do so soon. Let's just say that it's coming along at a brisk pace and I'm really thrilled about it. And like today's excerpt, it's a dual timeline.

Dual timelines, split timelines, call them what you will--are written in more than one setting. Once, I read a TRIPLE timeline, and for me--that was just too much! However, I find dual timelines fascinating. An author must choose two periods. In the one I'm currently working on, I have chosen the present day (slightly in the future) and Augustan Rome in 25BC. Each timeline has a specific character that must show growth (a character arc) and must also contain a fascinating object or circumstance that is shared in some way by both protagonists. In this way, it will have a solveable mystery element to the story. Those are just a few of the goals an author focuses on when outlining a dual timeline.

This week on Brook's Journal I have something near and dear. Anybody who knows me well, knows what a geek I am about ancient history--especially that of Rome. This story is a dual timeline dealing with both a present day character and one from ancient Rome.

So I'd like to welcome Erryn Lee to Brook's Journal. Now I invite my readers to scroll down and read more about WHAT REMAINS.

ALL ABOUT THE BOOK

What Remains is a haunting dual-timeline mystery that bridges centuries-and secrets-between ancient Rome and the modern world.

Forensic anthropologist Tori Benino has just landed the opportunity of a lifetime: leading a dig at a long-buried Roman village lost to the eruption of Vesuvius. But when she uncovers the remains of a Praetorian guard hidden in an ancient latrine-clearly murdered-Tori realizes she's stumbled onto something far more sinister than a routine excavation. As she digs deeper into the past, her own carefully ordered life begins to fall apart.

Nearly two thousand years earlier, Thalia, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is desperate to escape an arranged marriage to a brutal and politically powerful senator. Her only hope lies with a Praetorian soldier assigned to guard her-but trusting him could cost her everything.

As past and present collide, What Remains asks: When history is buried, what truths refuse to stay hidden?

Perfect for fans of Kathy Reichs and Kate Quinn, this novel is inspired by true events and delivers a compelling blend of suspense, history, and heart.

EXCERPT FROM WHAT REMAINS

I put the skull down gently, relieved this meant the annoying buzz of millenia-old anger faded as I did so. Brushing off my knees I faced Holly and the camera.

‘No self-respecting Roman would crawl inside a toilet to die. The most likely scenario suggests that someone hit him on the back of the head and stuffed his body inside the lavatory channel. Someone strong...’ I added, shifting to show how thick the slab was that had been moved to accommodate the body. ‘Given the location and the fact that he was found beneath the slab of the seats, it seems highly likely that he was murdered. We’ll finish exhuming the remains and take them back to the lab for analysis. But first...’ I hesitated to develop the drama, ‘We’ll have to rule out the possibility that he was alive when he was shoved in there.’

Holly shuddered dramatically. ‘Left alive, shoved in a loo? How very prep school.’

ALL ABOUT ERRYN

Erryn Lee has spent most of her life between the covers of books, her love for historical fiction drew her to a career as an English and History teacher, where she enjoys sharing her passion for both language and the past with young adults (at least until she needs to give it up to write full time).

When not teaching or writing she is deeply immersed in research and studying her Masters in History. Erryn lives with her husband, a fluctuating number of horses and three bossy cavoodles on a horse farm in the picturesque central west of NSW, Australia.

CONNECT WITH ERRYN

Amazon Author Page

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