Why I Wrote About Ancient Hookers: Guest Post by Stephanie Dray, Co-Author of A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii Plus Giveaway!

Oh do I have a treat for you today! I am so excited that A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii has released as it is a compilation of six short stories by some of the best authors in historical fiction writing today. Below you'll find not only an exciting guest post by one of those wonderful authors, Stephanie Dray, but also more information about the book, the authors, the blog tour and even information about a giveaway of a GORGEOUS Roman-style necklace and earrings set (yay!!).

Why I Wrote About Ancient Hookers

By Stephanie Dray

When we think of ancient Rome, we tend to think about the magnificent architecture. The roads, the innovative warfare, and the spectacular contributions the Romans made in art and governmental theory. But underneath all of that, of course, was the seedier side of the ancient world--the details of which were preserved for us forever on that day in 79 AD when Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried the city of Pompeii in ash, trapping a whole city in time for us to discover thousands of years later.

And what was first discovered, of course, was how deeply sex and sexuality ran through the culture. Early archaeologists were so scandalized, in fact, by the myriad phalluses, sensual artwork, and clear references to sex work that they reburied what they found.

In writing A Day of Fire with my fabulous co-authors, we wanted to be true of the Vegas-like nature of a Roman resort town like Pompeii, which is why none of us shied away from the predominance of brothels or sexual themes. But I very specifically wanted to write about the lives of two ancient sex-workers--not just as background color, but as protagonists in my story.

There were a few reasons for this. While sex work was entirely normalized and legal in the Roman world, the people involved in the trade were classified as infamia and treated shabbily. They enjoyed fewer rights and were subject to systematic abuse. In the ancient world--as in current times--women who traded sex for money were essentially dehumanized.

I wanted to put a human face on this. I wanted to show people whose culture defined them by their profession, but who had their own hopes and dreams, loves and losses, strengths and frailties. And a certain bit of graffiti in Pompeii caught my eye, describing two tavern whores--Capella and Prima--of very different physical types.

I began to wonder who these women were, beyond what was written about their price and unique skill sets upon the wall. Who were they to each other, I asked myself, and did they survive the eruption in Pompeii?

And their story really started to take shape in my mind once we started collaborating. My heroines appear briefly in the fast-paced soldier-and-gladiator tale Ben Kane wrote at the book’s center. Then I realized that Vicky Alvear Shecter’s hero-with-growing-pains would be in love with Prima, my hooker-with-a-heart-of-mud. Prima then appears again to cause trouble for the charming senator in Kate Quinn’s story. Meanwhile, her sister Capella serves as a friend in Sophie Perinot’s tale and a visionary in E. Knight’s. And I fell more deeply for them with each story.

Their plight became even more interesting while I was researching. I wanted to know what prostitutes wore. (Brightly colored clothing, often togas to delineate themselves from other women.) What they were called. (They had different names for different sorts of specialties and types of prostitutes.) Where they worked. (They could rent beds at the brothels, use cubicles off the street, or even ply their trade in the necropolis.)

The details were fascinating. But none more than a note about Emperor Vespasian’s ruling on prostitution in Thomas A. J. McGinn’s work on Prostitution, Sexuality and the Law in Ancient Rome. Allegedly, slaves sold with the express condition that they not be used in prostitution would be freed if they were so used. What might that law mean for two girls who had been used illegally in prostitution? And how would their struggle impact everyone around them?

Ultimately, I think I wrote the least salacious story about prostitutes in the history of stories about prostitutes and I’m so very proud of it. The characters moved me and will stay with me for a long time--I’m very honored to have been able to shine a light on a part of Roman life that is often overlooked. And I’m even more honored to have had to chance to creatively collaborate with such fantastic authors to produce something so special for readers.

 

Thank you so much for this insightful post, Stephanie! Knowing that the various characters find themselves hopping over into other stories makes me even more excited to read the book!

 

Please join historical novelists Vicky Alvear Shecter, Sophie Perinot, Ben Kane, Kate Quinn, E. Knight, and Stephanie Dray as they tour the blogosphere for A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii, from October 27-December 5 with HF Virtual Book Tours!

In honor of the Blog Tour the authors have included a very special giveaway of a beautiful one-of-a-kind Roman style Necklace (18″) and Earring set inspired by jewelry from the ancient world.  Handcrafted of real carnelian, the most popular semi-precious gemstone of the ancient world, it was designed to commemorate the release of “A Day of Fire.”  Wear it yourself and imagine you are in Pompeii (not on the day of disaster of course), or, with the holidays approaching, it would make a great gift for a fan of ancient roman historical fiction.

 

 

 

Publication Date: November 4, 2014 Knight Media, LLC
eBook; 315p
ASIN: B00NI5CBXI

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

Pompeii was a lively resort flourishing in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius at the height of the Roman Empire. When Vesuvius erupted in an explosion of flame and ash, the entire town would be destroyed. Some of its citizens died in the chaos, some escaped the mountain’s wrath . . . and these are their stories:

A boy loses his innocence in Pompeii’s flourishing streets.
An heiress dreads her wedding day, not knowing it will be swallowed by fire.
An ex-legionary stakes his entire future on a gladiator bout destined never to be finished.
A crippled senator welcomes death, until a tomboy on horseback comes to his rescue.
A young mother faces an impossible choice for her unborn child as the ash falls.
A priestess and a whore seek resurrection and redemption as the town is buried.

Six authors bring to life overlapping stories of patricians and slaves, warriors and politicians, villains and heroes who cross each others’ path during Pompeii’s fiery end. But who will escape, and who will be buried for eternity?

Order the Book

Amazon US
Amazon UK

About the Authors


STEPHANIE DRAY is a multi-published, award-winning author of historical women’s fiction and fantasy set in the ancient world. Her critically acclaimed historical Nile series about Cleopatra’s daughter has been translated into more than six different languages, was nominated for a RITA Award and won the Golden Leaf. Her focus on Ptolemaic Egypt and Augustan Age Rome has given her a unique perspective on the consequences of Egypt’s ancient clash with Rome, both in terms of the still-extant tensions between East and West as well as the worldwide decline of female-oriented religion. Before she wrote novels, Stephanie was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Learn more at www.StephanieDray.com.



BEN KANE worked as a veterinarian for sixteen years, but his love of ancient history and historical fiction drew him to write fast-paced novels about Roman soldiers, generals and gladiators. Irish by nationality but UK-based, he is the author of seven books, the last five of which have been
Sunday Times top ten bestsellers. Ben’s books have been translated into ten languages. In 2013, Ben walked the length of Hadrian’s Wall with two other authors, for charity; he did so in full Roman military kit, including hobnailed boots. He repeated the madness in 2014, over 130 miles in Italy. Over $50,000 has been raised with these two efforts. Learn more at http://www.benkane.net.




E. KNIGHT is an award-winning, indie national best-selling author of historical fiction. Under the name, Eliza Knight she writes historical romance and time-travel. Her debut historical fiction novel, MY LADY VIPER, has received critical acclaim and was nominated for the Historical Novel Society 2015 Annual Indie Award. She regularly presents on writing panels and was named Romance Writer’s of America’s 2013 PRO Mentor of the Year. Eliza lives in Maryland atop a small mountain with a knight, three princesses and a very naughty puppy. For more information, visit Eliza at www.elizaknight.com.




SOPHIE PERINOT is the author of the acclaimed debut, The Sister Queens, which weaves the story of medieval sisters Marguerite and Eleanor of Provence who became queens of France and England respectively. Perinot has both a BA in History and a law degree. A long-time member of the Historical Novel Society, she has attended all of the group’s North American Conferences, serving as a panelist at the most recent. When she is not visiting corners of the past, Sophie lives in Great Falls, VA. Learn more at www.SophiePerinot.com.




KATE QUINN is the national bestselling author of the Empress of Rome novels, which have been variously translated into thirteen different languages. She first got hooked on Roman history while watching “I, Claudius” at the age of seven, and wrote her first book during her freshman year in college, retreating from a Boston winter into ancient Rome. She and her husband now live in Maryland with an imperious black dog named Caesar. Learn more at http://www.katequinnauthor.com.




VICKY ALVEAR SHECTER is the award-winning author of the young adult novel, Cleopatra’s Moon (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 2011), based on the life of Cleopatra’s only daughter. Shehttp://www.vickyalvearshecter.com/main.
is also the author of two biographies for kids on Alexander the Great and Cleopatra. The LA Times called Cleopatra’s Moon–set in Rome and Egypt–“magical” and “impressive.” Publisher’s Weekly said it was “fascinating” and “highly memorable.” Her young adult novel of Pompeii, Curses and Smoke (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic), released in June 2014. She has two other upcoming books for younger readers, Anubis Speaks! and Hades Speaks! Vicky is a docent at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Antiquities at Emory University in Atlanta. Learn more at

Giveaway



To enter to win this beautiful one-of-a-kind Roman style Necklace (18″) and Earring set, hand-crafted with real carnelion, and inspired by jewelry of the ancient world, please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form HERE.


Giveaway is open internationally.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on December 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on December 6th and notified via email.

Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

A Day of Fire Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, October 27

Review at The Maiden’s Court

Wednesday, October 29
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews
Spotlight at Passages to the Past

Thursday, October 30
Review at leeanna.me

Monday, November 3
Review at Bibliophilia, Please

Wednesday, November 5
Review at Peeking Between the Pages

Monday, November 10
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, November 12
Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book

Thursday, November 13
Review at Book Lovers Paradise

Tuesday, November 18
Spotlight at Historical Fiction Connection

Wednesday, November 19
Review at Book Babe

Tuesday, November 25
Review at Reading the Past

Wednesday, November 26
Guest Post at Historical Tapestry

Friday, November 28
Review at The True Book Addict

Monday, December 1
Guest Post at From the TBR Pile

Thursday, December 4
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Friday, December 5
Review at Let Them Read Books



 







 

 



What Makes a Good Historical Novel by Ben Kane (guest post)

We are pleased to welcome Ben Kane to Historical Tapestry today as part of his blog tour for his book Spartacus: Rebellion. Ben is talking about a subject that is close to all of our hearts.... What Makes a Good Historical Novel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’ve been a fan of historical fiction for more than thirty years. I can’t remember the exact book that started my love of the genre, but Rosemary Sutcliff’s iconic novel, The Eagle of the Ninth, was certainly one of the first novels that pulled me into the past. Although I spent many years reading fantasy as well, I never gave up on historical fiction. Books that influenced me heavily as a boy include the afore mentioned The Eagle of the Ninth, Conan Doyle’s Sir Nigel and The White Company, Henry Treece’s Viking trilogy and Ronald Welch’s series about the stories of individual members of the same family throughout history. All of these books were able to create a vivid image of the past in my mind, and were full of (what I felt at the time) was realistic characters and events.

The years have gone by, and despite the fact that my day job is as a writer of historical fiction, it is still my reading genre of choice. I love a good read, and I still find myself drawn to books that immerse me ― totally ― in the past. A good example of a novel that has done that is Hawk Quest, by Robert Lyndon. I devoured this in late 2011, and would rate it as one of the best books ― of any genre ― that I have read in the last three to five years. Indeed, it’s one of the best five historical fiction novels that I have ever read.

Why is that? First of all, it’s about a period that fascinates me. Few of us choose to read books about time periods that do not rouse our interest. Secondly, the premise was fantastic. In Europe of the eleventh century, birds of prey, notably gyrfalcons, were worth immense sums of money – so much so that men were prepared to sail to Greenland to try and trap them in the wild. The thrust of the story in Hawk Quest is that a Norman knight, taken captive by the Seljuk Turks, has had a ransom price set at four gyrfalcons. A party of adventurers is sent to capture these birds from England (recently vanquished by the Normans). They must travel by sea to Iceland and Greenland, and thence to Scandinavia, Russia, Constantinople and Anatolia. An epic journey, to say the least, yet one that was historically undertaken if not the whole way by individual men, then in large stages. All across the sea and overland, with the most incredible obstacles in the way.

Of course a richly described stage is nothing without strong, believable characters to walk upon it. With confident strokes, Lyndon paints us five of these: Vallon, a troubled Frankish knight; Hero, a naïve and idealistic Sicilian scholar; Wayland, a wraithlike and haunted Englishman; Syth, a strong-willed young English girl and Raul, a tough, brutal mercenary. They are as disparate a group of people as one could hope to find in the pages of a book, yet they come alive within a few lines of arriving onto the stage. Their interactions were what turned the incredible idea of Hawk Quest into a great story. Vallon’s cynicism competes with Hero’s idealism; Wayland’s abilities and sensitivities stand in stark contrast to Raul’s earthiness and rough joie de vivre. This is a lesson that I’ve learned in writing: that a great idea/historical happening does not a novel make. There has to be a good story, and there have to be characters in whom the reader believes. Hawk Quest provided these in spades. I tore through its 650 pages+ in a matter of days. I enjoyed it hugely and really did not want it to finish. Towards the end, I found myself in the very rare position of counting the number of pages that were left, and dreading the moment when I reached the last one. In my mind, that’s the mark of a truly great book.

Tour Details

Link to Tour Schedule: http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/spartacusrebellionvirtualtour/
Twitter Hashtag: #SpartacusRebellionTour

Ben Kane's website

Ben Kane on Twitter

Ben Kane on Facebook

About the Books

About Spartacus: Rebellion

Publication Date: May 14, 2013
St. Martin's Press
Hardcover; 464p
ISBN-10: 1250012775

Spartacus has already done the impossible—not only has he escaped from slavery, he and his seconds have created a mighty slave army that has challenged Rome and defeated the armies of three praetors, two consuls, and one proconsul. On the plain of the River Po, in modern Northern Italy, Spartacus has defeated Gaius Cassius Longinus, proconsul and general of an army of two legions. Now the road home lies before them—to Thrace for Spartacus, and to Gaul for his seconds-in-command, Castus and Gannicus.

But storm clouds are gathering on the horizon. One of Spartacus's most powerful generals has defected, taking his men with him. Back in Rome, the immensely rich Marcus Licinius Crassus is gathering an unheard-of Army. The Senate has given Crassus an army made up of ten legions and the authority to do whatever it takes to end the slave rebellion once and for all.

Meanwhile, Spartacus wants to lead his men over the Alps and home, but his two seconds have a different plan. They want to march on Rome itself and bring the Republic to its knees. Rebellion has become war. War to the death.

Praise for Spartacus: Rebellion

"The author comes into his own during the numerous battle scenes when his burly prose highlights the pain, brutality and chaos of ancient combat. Kane's Spartacus is brave, vain, ruthless and sexy, a Superman for more savage times. The author is genuinely deserving of praise for taking on this mighty subject matter in such a bold and regularly entertaining fashion. Admirers of Kane's work to date will not be disappointed and there's every chance this latest instalment will attract plenty more." (Daily Express )

"Kane succeeds in drawing a convincing picture of how it might have been, which is what a good historical novel should do." (Historical Novel Society )

Praise for Spartacus: The Gladiator

Gritty, passionate and violent, this thrilling book is a real page-turner and a damn good read. It brings Spartacus - and ancient Rome - to vivid, colourful life (Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of Gates of Fire )

Ben Kane manages to bring a freshness to the saga ... Told with Kane's usual panache and historical knowledge, this book is highly recommended (Kathy Stevenson, Daily Mail )

Eyes are merciless, blows are wicked and screams are piercing, but this is a compulsive if relentless story, vividly recounted in muscular prose. Definitely one for the boys (Daily Telegraph, 4 stars )

If you want to become familiar with the lanista and the rudus, to know your scutum from your licium, then Kane's your man ... plenty of action (Independent )

There is much to enjoy in this saga of the downtrodden triumphing temporarily over their oppressors, and the portrait of Spartacus as charismatic leader is a vivid one (Sunday Times)

About the Author

Ben Kane was born in Kenya and raised there and in Ireland. He qualified as a veterinary surgeon from University College Dublin, and worked in Ireland and the UK for several years. After that he travelled the world extensively, indulging his passion for seeing the world and learning more about ancient history. Seven continents and more than 65 countries later, he decided to settle down, for a while at least.

While working in Northumberland in 2001/2, his love of ancient history was fuelled by visits to Hadrian's Wall. He naïvely decided to write bestselling Roman novels, a plan which came to fruition after several years of working full time at two jobs - being a vet and writing. Retrospectively, this was an unsurprising development, because since his childhood, Ben has been fascinated by Rome, and particularly, its armies. He now lives in North Somerset with his wife and family, where he has sensibly given up veterinary medicine to write full time.

To find out more about Ben and his books visit www.benkane.net.