Roma Amor
A Novel of Caligula's Rome
by Sherry Christie
Publication
Date: April 15th 2016
Published
by: Bexley House Books
Genre:
Historical Fiction
From
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Roma Amor. . .
When I picked this one up, I got much more than I was expecting. I
got an in-depth read of a time and place that has been talked about over the
history of this world. Rome. The intricacies of the rise and fall, the makings
of the politics involved, the allegiances, the backstabbing, the loyalties.
You can feel the world painted come to life with the words and the detailed
paid to the surrounding atmosphere.
I found this to be one of the best if not the best book on ancient
Rome that I have ever read. The richness and depth of the research that went in
to such a project. The details made the various scene stand out.
I loved Nina and Aurima. Even with them being woman in ancient
Rome. I loved these two women for the strength they showed. The battles that
had to endure just to be heard. The characters breathed into them. I would love
to learn more about both these women.
Christie did a fabulous job bringing this time to live and giving
a realness to the drama and intrigue that took place. The hints of romance. The
acts of action took thing over to a more profound level. This was once reading experience
that will hold close to the soul. This taste if history was reviving and
filling.
BLURB
Marcus Carinna hears a voice whisper, "Your turn," as he
rides past his family tomb. An unseen presence also startles the Germanic
priestess Aurima, whom he is bringing to Rome. But hardheaded Romans scoff at
ghosts, and Marcus can't believe it's a warning from his brother, who killed
himself three years earlier.
37 AD: To great acclaim, 25-year-old Caligula
Caesar has become Rome's new master. No one is more pleased than Senator Titus
Carinna, who helped him succeed to the throne. It's a shame the Senator's older
son--Caligula's closest friend--committed suicide after being charged with
treason. But that still leaves Marcus, his second son.
Headstrong and
hot-tempered, Marcus would rather prove his courage by leading legions against
Rome's enemies than take his brother's place. Yet when his father orders him to
befriend Caligula, he has no choice.
Caught in a web of deceit, conspiracy, and
betrayal, he will uncover a secret that threatens his family, the woman he
desires, even his life... and may bring chaos to the young Roman Empire.
"The first installment in a page-turning saga that revisits the heroes
and villains of the grandest city of the ancient world.... Comes alive with the
long gone characters who were its lifeblood" -Kirkus
Reviews
''Combines
current political concerns, the wide lens of the serious historical novel, and
emotional maturity and realism with an utterly splendid grasp of what it must
have been like to live in Rome under Caligula's reign.'' -Sarah
Smith, Agatha Award winner and New York Times Notable author
Buy Links:
MY INTERVIEW WITH SHERRY CHRISTIE
Book Junkie, thanks
so much for the opportunity to visit with you on The Book Junkie Reads! I know
historical fiction is one of your passions, so I’m especially grateful to
introduce an unusual new historical novel to your followers: Roma Amor: A Novel of Caligula’s Rome. In
Roma Amor, a headstrong young Roman is
ordered by his father to aid the erratic new ruler of Rome, Caligula Caesar, despite
being haunted by the suicide of his brother, once Caligula’s closest friend.
How would you describe your style of writing to someone
who has never read your work?
I aim for transparency—a writing style that
doesn’t call attention to itself. Because I’m telling the story of Roma Amor in the first person, I want
the reader to mind-meld with Marcus, the hero, experiencing what he experiences
without any authorial filters.
For example, instead
of writing, “I noticed that her eyes were the pale green of aminea grapes…” or “I heard the
Marcomanni women shriek from their wagon like Harpies...”, I’ll simply tell
what Marcus sees (“Her eyes were the pale green…”) and hears (“The Marcomanni
women shrieked…”). Working toward this transparent style hasn’t been intuitive,
but the prize is being able to forge a stronger emotional connection with an
audience. My goal is for you, the reader, to feel that you’re there taking part
in what’s happening, not watching a movie on a screen.
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when
preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just
free writing)?
Good question! To
start (or resume) working on a novel, a writer needs to be able to dive into a
different world and pull it up over her head. But it’s difficult to immerse myself
in first-century Rome when I’m surrounded by 21st-century assignments
with deadlines, bills to be paid, etc. Three techniques are helpful: rereading
the previous several manuscript pages, checking my notes to remind myself where
the story is going, and playing the right music. (My current favorite is the Outlander soundtrack.) I also try hard
to make sure no one will interrupt and pull me out of the zone.
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture
the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people
watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during
story creation?
Characters often tell
me about themselves. For example, when I started thinking, “Hmm, what am I
going to do about Marcus needing a personal slave?”, up popped Rufus, who
originally belonged to someone else and was so ill-mannered that he was
regarded as “a hill-country yokel” suitable only for mucking out the stables. By
the end of the book he surprised both me and Marcus, who marvels, “The boy was
a lionheart.”
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular
character? If so which one(s)?
Personally, I have
nothing in common with a headstrong, militaristic, aristocratic hothead, but
I’ve bonded closely with Marcus Carinna. Had I lived back then, I doubt I’d
have wanted to marry the guy, but… well, I don’t think I’d have said no to a
fling.
Do you have a character that you have been working on
that you can't wait to put to paper?
Not so much, but I do
sometimes hear from characters that I haven’t done justice to them. For
example, as I’ve worked on Lost Eagles,
the next book featuring Marcus and the Germanic priestess Aurima, Aurima has complained
that she hasn’t been able to tell enough of her story. So I know I’ll have to make
this a priority in the next revision.
Have you ever felt that there was something inside of you
that you couldn't control? If so what? If no what spurs you to reach for the
unexperienced?
Uncontrollable? I
would say it’s the characters again. I may think it would be cool for them to
do something, and they’ll decide to do something else. For instance, in an
early draft of Roma Amor, Aurima puts
on makeup and an elegant gown in order to impress Marcus at a friend’s dinner
party. I had fun with her impressions of Roman high society, but in a later
draft she made it clear that she was much too reserved and wary of Marcus to
put herself out there like that.
I got this one from a friend. If you could have dinner
with 7 fictional characters, who would they be?
Haha! An interesting
question—although I’d choose to have seven dinners that were one-on-one, to get
more quality time with each guest. I would invite Jamie and Claire Fraser
(separately), Achilles, Han Solo, Gandalf, John Galt (from Atlas Shrugged), and Clara Allen (from Lonesome Dove).
Can you share your next creative project? If yes, can you
give a few details?
In addition to working on Lost Eagles, the second in the Roma Amor
series, I’m collaborating with psychotherapist Olivia Mellan to edit a hundred
or so of our money psychology magazine articles into two books for financial
advisors.
Thank you again, Antoinette!
I would just add that Roma Amor is
only $2.99 in ebook, or your followers can enter below for a chance to win one
of two paperback copies that I’m giving away. Enjoy, Book Junkies!
Author Info
After earning a Phi Beta Kappa creative award in college for an
early draft about a nobly born charioteer, Sherry Christie spent many years of
research and revision developing ROMA AMOR into the story about fathers and
sons that it wanted to be. It's a joy to immerse myself in the lives of
first-century Romans--and a distinct change from my day job as a . In addition
to writing, Sherry is a professional copywriter. She lives on the coast of
Maine with a native-born Viking and two cats.
Author Links:
Giveaway
To win a paperback copy of Roma Amor: A Novel of Caligula's Rome
by Sherry Christie, please enter Roma Amor. 2 copies are up for grabs! Rules –
Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 11th. You must be 18 or older to
enter. – Giveaway is open to US residents only. – Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any
suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and
entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – Winner has 48 hours to claim
prize or new winner is chosen.
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