Found Not Lost

My Comments:
I am excited to introduce you to this book, released today, Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran. Here is a short story from the Amazon page for Cleopatra’s Daughter just to give you an idea of what the book is about:

From Publishers Weekly
Moran’s latest foray into the world of classical history (after The Heretic Queen) centers upon the children of Marc Antony and Cleopatra . After the death of their parents, twins Alexander and Selene and younger brother Ptolemy are in a dangerous position, left to the mercy of their father’s greatest rival, Octavian Caesar. However, Caesar does not kill them as expected, but takes the trio to Rome to be paraded as part of his triumphant return and to demonstrate his solidified power. As the twins adapt to life in Rome in the inner circle of Caesar’s family, they grow into adulthood ensconced in a web of secrecy, intrigue and constant danger. Told from Selene’s perspective, the tale draws readers into the fascinating world of ancient Rome and into the court of Rome’s first and most famous emperor. Deftly encompassing enough political history to provide context, Moran never clutters her narrative with extraneous facts. Readers may be frustrated that Selene is more observer than actor, despite the action taking place around her, but historical fiction enthusiasts will delight in this solid installment from a talented name in the genre.

I haven’t had a chance to read the book yet but I have seen it being given away on various blogs and I’ve probably entered every one of them but haven’t had any luck winning one yet. So how much of a coincidence is it that I received an email offering some free book marks and book plates as a consolation price for not winning the giveaway? Not being one to refuse anything for free, I went to the Cleopatra’s Daughter’s website and started looking around. I found some very interesting facts about the book and also some fun facts about Roman history and other related items to the book. Then I found more giveaways direct from the author and also a bloggers section. I found out I can ask to review the book directly!

And guess who replied to my request but the author herself? I was thrilled! When I asked her, she was even gracious enough to provide additional insight into the book and the process involved in writing the book. So I will let you take the journey yourself and read what the author, Michelle Moran, has to say. Giveaway details at the end.

Q&A

Q: What prompted you to write a novel about Cleopatra’s daughter?
A: I do a great deal of traveling both for research and for fun, and most of my destinations are archaeological sites. On a trip to Alexandria in Egypt, I was afforded the amazing opportunity of participating in a dive to see the submerged remains of Cleopatra’s ancient city. More than ten thousand artifacts remain completely preserved underwater: sphinxes, amphorae, even the stones of the ancient palace. Although I’m not a fan of diving, it was an incredible experience, and it changed the way I looked at Cleopatra. I immediately wanted to know more about her life, and it was mere coincidence that my next trip took me to Italy, where her ten year-old children were brought to live after her suicide. While in Rome, I was able to retrace her daughter’s steps, and upon seeing where her daughter had lived on the Palatine, I knew I had my next novel.

Q: What was it like to walk where Selene walked? In particular, what was it like to visit Octavian’s villa?
A: Unbelievable. For two thousand years, Octavian’s villa has sprawled across the top of the Palatine Hill, slowly deteriorating. At one time, its vibrantly painted dining room had hosted magnificent feasts, one of which would have been the celebration of the emperor’s triumph over Marc Antony and Cleopatra in Egypt. As the heir to Caesar, Octavian was determined to rule the western world without interference. He changed his name to Augustus, and with the help of his general Agrippa and his architect Vitruvius, he turned a city of clay into a city of marble.

I had known all of this on that day in March when the villa was opened for the first time in more than a century. What I hadn’t known, however, was just how unbelievable that trip back into the world of ancient Rome would be. After three million dollars in restoration, Italian archaeologists have been able to recreate not just the intimate library and studies Augustus used, but the mosaic floors he once walked on and the vividly painted ceilings he once walked beneath with Ovid, Seneca, Cicero, Horace, and even Julius Caesar himself. As we were quickly escorted through the frescoed rooms, we stopped in the triclinium – the dining room which had once seen so many famous faces smiling, laughing, even crying for mercy. With a little imagination, it was easy to see the tables and couches that had once adorned the chamber, and there was the undeniable feeling of standing in the presence of the ancients. It was the kind of feeling you only get in Grecian temples or Egyptian tombs.

Q: In all three of your novels, your narrators have been teenage girls. Is there are reason for this?
A: Actually, yes. I like to begin my novels during the time of greatest transition in a person’s life. And in the ancient world, the greatest transition in a woman’s life was often the time when she was married. Because women married at much younger ages two thousand years ago (twelve years old was not uncommon), my narrators have all been very young girls. In fact, Random House will be making a concerted effort to market Cleopatra’s Daughter to young adults as well as adults. However, as my novels progress through time (my next book, for example, will be about Madame Tussaud), my narrators will be older.

Q: Is the Red Eagle based on an historical person?
A: Yes. The Red Eagle is actually based on several men who led slave rebellions (unsuccessfully, I might add) against Rome. Spartacus led the most famous revolt, but there were other men too, such as Salvius, who waged war with his army of slaves in ancient Sicily.

Q: You write in your acknowledgments page that the character of the Red Eagle is an homage to the works of several authors. What made you decide to do this?
A: Creative as well as personal reasons. First, I wanted to create a character that fans of swashbuckling adventures might love, and it wasn’t at all difficult to find historical personalities on which to base such a hero. Men like Spartacus and Salvius were heroes in the truest sense of the word. But I didn’t want there to be too much action, and certainly not so much that it would detract from the real story – that of Selene and her twin brother Alexander growing up in a foreign court. I could certainly have chosen not to include anything as obviously fictitious as the Red Eagle. But I wanted to illustrate just how threatening slave rebellions were at that time, and how ever-present the danger of becoming a slave would have been, even to captured royalty. And the creation of the Red Eagle wasn’t a huge stretch. Many rebels who came before – and after – the Red Eagle employed similar tactics: rousing the plebs, arming the slaves, and encouraging those in servitude to passive resistance.

On a more personal note, however, I wanted to include the Red Eagle because I knew it would be a character my father would have loved. He devoured anything having to do with ancient Rome, and I deeply regret not having written this while he was still alive.

Q: Was a third of Rome’s population really enslaved?
A: Sadly, yes. And you didn’t have to be born a slave to become one. You could be kidnapped and sold into slavery, your city could be overrun and you could be turned into a slave, or you might be sold into servitude by your own parents. Slavery meant an absolute loss of every human right we now take for granted, and as a slave, your body was no longer your own. Many slaves were physically and sexually abused, regardless of age or gender.

Q: Where did these slaves come from?
A: Many were Gallics and Greeks. The Gallics were from Gaul, a region which now encompasses France, Belgium, parts of Switzerland, and Germany.

Q: When did slavery end?
A: It hasn’t. In the Western World, it was slowly – very slowly – phased out with the coming of Christianity (which was one of the reasons Christianity flourished… it appealed to the disenfranchised and enslaved, making everyone equal if not on earth than in the next life). But slavery certainly hasn’t ended for everyone. There are women and children who are ensalved today, even in America and Europe. Of course, this isn’t legal. Many of these victims of modern-day human trafficking have been brought over from places like Albania or Algeria and have no resources to escape. That’s why organizations such as STOP International exist. You can visit them here.

Q: Is it still possible to visit the places Selene visited when she was in Rome?
A: Yes. In 2008, I went on a photographic safari in search of the places Selene would have gone during the brief years she was in Rome. Many of the photos are included here!

Q: What are you working on next? Will it also be marketed to both adults and YA?
A: Actually, my next book will be firmly adult fiction. MASKS OF THE REVOLUTION is about Madame Tussaud, who joined the gilded but troubled court of Marie Antoinette, and survived the French Revolution only by creating death masks of the beheaded aristocracy. I’m very excited about this novel, since Marie (the first name of Madame Tussaud) met absolutely everyone, from Jefferson to the Empress Josephine.

CLEOPATRA’S DAUGHTER: a novel
The death of Cleopatra was only the beginning…

Visit CleopatrasDaughter.com
Check out Michelle’s blog at michellemoran.blogspot.com

WIN THIS BOOK!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED
and the winner is:

Congratulations, Patti Bright! and thank you to everyone who entered this giveaway. There’s more to come!

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The author, Michelle Moran, has generously offered to giveaway a hardcopy of Cleo’s Daughter as well as an ancient Roman coin complete with certificate of authenticity like the one on her website.

Contest Duration: September 15-30, 2009
To be eligible for the drawing, here’s what you have to do to enter:
1. Leave me a comment. Tell me, which Roman god or goddess would you like to be?

2. Gain additional entries by sharing this contest in any social media (e.g. twitter, facebook, digg, reddit, etc) . Just come back and let me know or leave the url where your shared it. (one entry per site you share it at)

3. You can also win one entry each day you share it on Twitter. Just copy and paste the text below, tweet it and come back and leave the URL of your tweet.

WIN! Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran @JMom http://bit.ly/EKP6A

There is also the ‘Share This’ and ‘retweet’ button at the end of this post for your convenience.

4. Blog about this giveaway and win three (3) additional entries to the giveaway. Make sure you leave the URL to your post.

Restrictions:
NONE!
Since the author will be mailing out your prize, she said she will get your winnings to you no matter where in the world you are! Isn’t she awesome?

This contest will end on Sept. 30, 2009

Hopefully, I would have read the book by then and will give you an update/review on what I thought of this book.