CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER by Michelle Moran

I think most people have watched the classic movie, CLEOPATRA, starring Elizabeth Taylor and her legendary lover, Richard Burton, starring as Cleo's legendary lover, Mark Anthony.  If not, click on this link to learn more-
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056937/
It's not necessary and the movie's not entirely accurate, but I think it'd be fun to watch before reading this novel.  The costumes are drop-dead gorgeous.  Anyway, on with the review.
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Queen Cleopatra of Egypt took over the throne, whether rightfully or not, who knows, but I think most agree she was a better ruler than her brat-kid brother.  Two things are important to know here.  One, Egypt was not ruled by Egyptians at this time.  It was ruled by the descendents of Ptolemy, one of Alexander the Great's generals, after Alexander conquered Egypt.  The other thing to know is that Ancient Egyptian women had more rights and freedom than other women at that time.  An Egyptian woman could marry for love and divorce the dude if he turned into a big, fat idiot.  She could own property and do lots of other things Roman women could not. 
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CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER begins with the deaths of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, which I really liked because I'm one of those readers who always wants to know what happens next.  'The End' is never enough.  The conqueror, Octavian, new ruler of Rome carries off Selene and her twin brother, Alexander, and their little brother, Ptolemy.  Sadly, Ptolemy dies of an illness on the way to Rome, but maybe he had it easy in the long run.
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Selene knows Octavian is keeping her alive after having her older brothers murdered because she's a girl and cannot inherit under Roman law and because she will be a useful pawn in the marriage game.  'Cause in Rome, girls are bought and sold like cattle, and often are not treated as well.  Alexander, on the other hand, is a growing threat, growing because once he's fifteen he'll be considered an adult, capable of leading rebellion against Octavian. 
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For the time being, though, they've got it pretty good for captives.  They live well and are educated.  Selene even gets to study archaelogy, despite being a girl.  Octavian's sister, Octavia, is surprisingly gracious, despite Mark Anthony having dumped her for Selena's mother.  The Empress Livia is a cruel chick though, marrying girls she doesn't like off to fat, dirty old creeps.  There's a scene in which one of these girls gives birth and the old creep wants the baby tossed in a dump because it's a girl.  Instead, the girl pays a slave to take her to a place where she might be found and cared for.  Selene is very disturbed by this.
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In Egypt, the women have learned to use certain herbs to induce miscarriage and adoptions are commonly arranged.  Not in Rome.  Unwanted babies are garbage, even if their parents are wealthy and/or well-connected.  Some people try to help the babies, but most die.  Even though she's not quite a woman herself, Selene is determined to change this.  She begins plans on building a foundlings' home where these babies can be cared for and placed for adoption.
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The odds against Selene ever achieving anything in Rome are massively against her though, because she's female and also because her mother was the hated Queen Cleopatra who seduced Julius Caeser and Mark Anthony too.  But, Mama instilled a strong sense of confidence and determination in Selene. 
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Just settled in, Selene and Alexander realize the major problem in Rome.  Slavery.  The Romans are wealthy and powerful and used to being catered too.  Most politicians and merchents are horribly corrupt.  Women don't want to have babies for fear of stretch marks.  New slaves are brought in whenever new countries are conquered.  You may know about Sparticus, a slave who read a revolt.  I think there's a movie about it too.  That happened before this story.  But, there's a new hero for the slaves, Red Eagle, and the Romans live in fear of him.
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Slaves are everywhere and from everywhere.  Octavia's maid is from Gaul, a former warrior herself.  Juba is a former prince who's parents were also done away with and he was brought to Rome in a similar way to Selene.  One would think these two would become fast friends, but Juba seems determined to make Selene dislike him.  Whatever his origins, by all appearances he's loyal to Octavian, his eyes and ears, the guy who finds out who's plotting what, when, and where.
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But, even Juba can't figure out the Red Eagle.  Or can he?
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Although Selene knows of Romans who hate slavery or at least despise how slaves are treated, there seems to be little she can do about it.  But, that doesn't stop her, of course.  She is, after all...

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Cleopatra's Daughter.

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Great story, vivid description, and a heroine you can cheer for.

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I still like NEFERTITI best though.  I'm silly that way.  I always like the first novel I read by an author the best.  It's okay to play favorites with books, you know.

;)

Sunday Showcase: CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER by Michelle Moran

Michelle Moran's newest Historical novel, CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER, hit the shelves September 15th. I received a gorgeous hardback copy from the publisher and was giddy with book-junky delight. My review will be up next month. Meanwhile, pop on over to http://www.cleopatrasdaughter.com/ for the book trailer and such. Also, check out Michelle's blog, History Buff, for cool articles on historical and archaeology things.

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Here's more about the book-

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The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s vengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome, but only two—the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander—survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

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The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters:

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Octavia: the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra

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Livia: Octavian’s bitter and jealous wife

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Marcellus: Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir-apparent

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Tiberius: Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power

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Juba: Octavian’s ever-watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals

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Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place —the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the time. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.

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Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of Imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of history, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart.

What Kimber An is Reading Now

Being on semi-bedrest, my posting of reviews is in spurts right now. However, I assure you, I am reading. The following should give you an idea of my wide range of reading interests. THE BRIDEGROOM by Linda Lael Miller. Although I adore Historicals, I rarely go for Westerns. However, Ms. Miller has a style impossible to resist and my writerly self is so insanely jealous.

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GIFTS by Ursula K. Le Guin

I bought this one new, full price, with my very own money because I just had to have it when I read the blurb. Remember, I can get just about any book free and sent direct to me, so buying new means I wanted it really bad NOW.
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WHAT KIMBER AN WISHES SHE WAS ALSO READING RIGHT NOW

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THE KING'S DAUGHTERS by Nathalie Mallet.

Ms. Mallet's first book, PRINCES OF THE GOLDEN CAGE, was my favorite book last year.

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WARLORD'S DAUGHTER by Susan Grant
Been trying to get this one done since it released! Drumming my fingers waiting for her next book, a lady space pirate mama one.

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CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER by Michelle Moran.
Ms. Moran's first book, NEFERTITI, was my favorite book of the previous year. Geez, lots of daughters this year. Not that I'm complaining.

;)

WHAT KIMBER AN WILL BE READING SOON

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I have a few more coming, but they're new-to-me authors. The ones coming from favorite authors include SIZZLING SEDUCTION by Gwyneth Bolton and
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FROM FRIENDS TO FOREVER by Karen Templeton. Sadly, no cover art yet. Sigh.

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Saw this one on Gwyneth's blog, ROAD TO SEDUCTION by Ann Christopher.

Haven't requested it yet, but I am so tempted. I swear, Kimani has the best cover art at Harlequin. Isn't this gorgeous?

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So, there you are. Remember, I can never find enough YA Science Fiction and I'll gobble up any book with a baby on the cover right now. If the baby's being held by a really gorgeous guy, all the better.

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***ePublished books happily accepted!*** Been meaning to ask for KEEPER OF THE LOCH by Candace Sams for a while now. http://www.jasminejade.com/p-4565-keeper-of-the-loch.aspx

THE HERETIC QUEEN by Michelle Moran

Ever wonder about the appeal of Ancient Egypt? I mean, were these guys the Kings of Cool in their day or what? They lived in style. They died in style. Forget Paris Hilton! NEFERTITI http://enduringromance.blogspot.com/2007/05/nefertiti-novel-by-michelle-moran.html was all that and more. But, the HERETIC QUEEN is not about Nefertiti, although she was the original. And you don't have to read NEFERTITI to understand and enjoy THE HERETIC QUEEN. I strongly encourage you to though.

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Princess Nefertari is the neice of Queen Nefertiti and, as such, is regarded with extreme suspician. It was Queen Nefertiti and Pharoah Akhenatan who banished the true gods of Egypt in favor of worshipping one god, Aten. Plague and other horrible things were visited upon Egypt as a result and, you know, the priests of the old gods weren't exactly happy with losing their money and power. Akhenatan and Nefertiti died. The people hated their memory, fueled by those politicians for whom it was advantageous. The Throne passed through several hands, including the famous Tutenkamen. Nefertiti's sister, Mutny, survived long enough to give birth to Princess Nefertari who was then raised with the other royal children in Pharoah Seti's harem.

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Nefertari starts the story a 13 year old girl with a giddy crush on Prince Ramses. This would all be your average schoolgirl crush, except for two things. Ramses is about to become Pharoah of Upper Egypt and he's in love with her as well. Naturally, they're a little shy about it, but having grown up together means the crush is something much deeper than you'll find in the average 7th grade classroom.

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There are those at court who favor Nefertari marrying Ramses and those who are vehemently opposed. Meanwhile, Nefertari is so giddy in love she'll do whatever she's told to achieve marriage with Ramses. And an achievement, it is. While she's mooning and swooning over him, her nanny, Merit, and others know she'll hold power as a wife of Ramses. More than that, they know she'll have a shot at becoming Chief Wife - Queen of Egypt.

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The Pharoah has a lot of wives, most of whom he never sees and has no interest in. Pharoah Seti is still alive and Ramses is just getting started. Those opposed to Nefertari manipulate him into marrying Iset. Although he doesn't love her, she's gorgeous and, well, he's a horny teenage boy and, besides, Nefertari is too young still. So, he marries her first and those who oppose Nefertari have their pawn.
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But, Nefertari studies hard in the temple, becoming fluent in many languages. As the neice of the Heretic Queen and a possible second wife, beauty and babymaking are not enough. One of the other things which sets Ancient Egypt apart from the rest of the world of its time is women's rights and power. The wives of pharaoh are not whimpering fools kept around only for frolicking naked in the royal chambers. Some are like that, but they can become advisers and judges. The Chief Wife, the Queen, can rule while Pharoah is at war, or even take over if he dies.
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Ramses is smart enough to know he needs a smart queen because he's UNselfish enough to realize the sun does not rise and set on his backside, as Akhenaten seemed to think. He loves Nefertari and knows she's the one. Still, he also knows the people oppose the marriage because she's the neice of the hated Heretic Queen. Once Pharoah Seti is won over, however, those who oppose cannot stop the marriage.

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Okay, time to live happily ever after! Right? Wrong. This is not a Romance novel. Like real life, the wedding is only the beginning and 'happily ever after' is earned the hard way. Nefertari does not automatically become queen upon marriage. Ramses must choose his queen from two wives. Those who support Iset becoming Queen of Egypt do so for their own power and glory, and they'll do anything to destroy her competition. As in NEFERTITI, the competing wives are like high school cheerleaders vying for the top spot and the captain of the football team. And well Michelle Moran should know this dynamic. She's a former high school English teacher. Of course, Iset is a snotty little slut. Aren't they always? There are no cliches here though. You'll sense from the start that Iset is a victum who may not even need to have her nose rubbed in the doggy do-do before it's over.
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Ramses goes to war and a Habiru named Ahmoses shows up asking that his people be set free so they can worship their one God in their own way in Canaan. Sound familiar? If you've ever been to Sunday School or watched the cartoon movie Prince of Egypt, you know what I'm talking about - Moses and the Hebrews leaving Egypt for the Promised Land. Having grown up in Sunday School, I was thrilled to see it all from the Egyptian point of view. While this is Historical *fiction,* Michelle Moran did her homework. There's scant evidence of the Hebrews ever being Egypt, but that doesn't mean they weren't. Ancient Egyptians tended to erase embarressing bits from their history. This is why so little is known about the female pharoah, Hatshepsut, for example. Her successor destroyed as much evidence of her existance as he could.

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Anyway, with Ahmoses showing up demanding pharoah let his people go, Nefertari has the opportunity to prove herself. The Habiru worship one God, just as the Heretic Queen did. (Or did she?) If Nefertari banishes the Habiru from Egypt, she could claim that she's cleansed the land of heretics once and for all. But, her husband, Pharoah Ramses, isn't fond of the idea. War threatens on all sides, due to the bad governing of the Heretic King who came before. The Habiru are one-sixth of his army. He needs them. He cannot let them go. They're well-paid, unlike in the movies. Yet, they are not free to go or worship God without persecution.
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Persecution is something Nefertari can relate to.
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Before you start thinking this is Nefertari's biggest challenge, try to remember one's chief worries are most often within one's own family. This is not the Old Testement.
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The worldbuilding and details for this novel were awesome. I could love it only for that, but the characters and their relationships are well-developed too. Once again, Michelle appeals to universal human truths to make her story gripping to contemporary readers. She doesn't resort to contemporary attitudes or the movies to color her story.
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THE HERETIC QUEEN was released in September in hardback and should still be on the shelves. Otherwise, you can order it on-line. http://www.amazon.com/Heretic-Queen-Novel-Michelle-Moran/dp/0307381757/ref=pd_sim_b_9 I got mine free, of course, and autographed. What can I say? It's one of the perks!

Showcase Sunday: Michelle Moran Interview

Good morning, Blog Buds! Michelle Moran's new Historical novel, HERETIC QUEEN, is in bookstores this month. I'll be reviewing it right here next month.
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I sent Michelle a few questions and she graciously answered them.
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Kimber- Did you have HERETIC QUEEN in your head while you were still working on NEFERTITI? When did it show itself in your imagination? What journey did you take to write it? And do you consider HERETIC QUEEN a sequel to NEFERTITI?
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Michelle- In many ways, The Heretic Queen is a natural progression from my debut novel Nefertiti. The sequel picks up the plot after the brief interceding reign of Tutankhamun. The narrator is orphaned Nefertari, who suffers terribly because of her relationship to the reviled “Heretic Queen”. Despite the Heretic Queen’s death a generation prior, Nefertari is still tainted by her relationship to her aunt, Queen Nefertiti, and when young Ramesses falls in love and wishes to marry her, it is a struggle not just against an angry court, but against the wishes of a rebellious people.
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But perhaps I would never have chosen to write on Nefertari at all if I hadn’t taken a trip to Egypt and seen her magnificent tomb. At one time, visiting her tomb was practically free, but today, a trip underground to see one of the most magnificent places on earth can cost upwards of five thousand dollars (yes, you read that right). If you want to share the cost and go with a group, the cost lowers to the bargain-basement price of about three thousand. As a guide told us of the phenomenal price, I looked at my husband, and he looked at me. We had flown more than seven thousand miles, suffered the indignities of having to wear the same clothes for three days because of lost luggage… and really, what were the possibilities of our ever returning to Egypt again? There was only one choice. We paid the outrageous price, and I have never forgotten the experience.
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While breathing in some of the most expensive air in the world (I figured it was about $20 a gulp), I saw a tomb that wasn’t just fit for a queen, but a goddess. In fact, Nefertari was only one of two (possibly three) queens ever deified in her lifetime, and as I gazed at the vibrant images on her tomb – jackals and bulls, cobras and gods - I knew that this wasn’t just any woman, but a woman who had been loved fiercely when she was alive. Because I am a sucker for romances, particularly if those romances actually happened, I immediately wanted to know more about Nefertari and Ramesses the Great. So my next stop was the Hall of Mummies at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. There, resting beneath a heavy arc of glass, was the great Pharaoh himself. For a ninety-something year old man, he didn’t look too bad. His short red hair was combed back neatly and his face seemed strangely peaceful in its three thousand year repose. I tried to imagine him as he’d been when he was young – strong, athletic, frighteningly rash and incredibly romantic. Buildings and poetry remain today as testaments to Ramesses’s softer side, and in one of Ramesses’s more famous poems he calls Nefertari “the one for whom the sun shines.” His poetry to her can be found from Luxor to Abu Simbel, and it was my visit to Abu Simbel (where Ramesses built a temple for Nefertari) where I finally decided that I had to tell their story.
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Kimber- With the experience of NEFERTITI behind you, was HERETIC QUEEN easier or more difficult to write? How so?
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Michelle- Actually, the experience of writing wasn’t any different, but the publication process certainly was. There really is nothing like publishing for the first time. The expectation, the excitement of the unknown, and the wild drive that pushes an author to do anything and everything they can for their very first book doesn’t compare with the experience of publishing successive novels. Since Nefertiti was my first novel, I had no idea what to expect. What would happen on the first day of publication? Or if I made a bestsellers list? Or if I didn’t make one? Should I do signings? What about drive-by signings? Do bookmarks really work? Of course, all of these questions were answered in due time. And now, for The Heretic Queen, I know that bookmarks are useful, that if I make the bestsellers list my editor will call at an ungodly hour on her – gasp – personal phone to congratulate me, and that drive-by signings can be just as effective as signing events. There is an inner peace – at least for me – in publishing the second novel that wasn’t there for the first book when everything was uncertain and new. The nervousness is still there – will people like it? will I let down my publishing house? – but this time I know what to expect.
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Kimber- Historically, when and where is HERETIC QUEEN set in relation to NEFERTITI?
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Michelle- After Nefertiti’s death, Egypt was ruled by the Pharaohs Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and Ramesses I. However, I skipped the short reigns of these Pharaohs in order to write about Ramesses the Great. When my publishing house purchased Nefertiti, they did so in a two-book deal. Not knowing how Nefertiti would be received, or whether I have ever get another chance at writing about ancient Egypt, I chose to tell the two most compelling stories I knew: that of Nefertiti and her sister Mutnodjmet, and that of Mutnodjmet’s child Nefertari and her life with Ramesses the Great. It may sound strange that I chose to skip over a pharaoh as well known as Tutankhamun, but the truth is that he had a very short reign. After marrying his half-sister Ankhesenamun, he ruled until he was nineteen years old and then died of a broken leg (probably infection, and possibly a chariot accident). After Tut’s death, his grandfather Ay took the throne for a few short years, followed by the general Horemheb.
I certainly could have written an entire book on Horemheb’s reign, beginning with his marriage to Mutnodjmet, but I like my stories to have some glimmer of hope, some element of romance (there were plenty of romances in history!), and Mutnodjmet’s forced marriage and death in childbirth (unlike many Amarna mummies, hers has been recovered) didn’t seem very cheerful to me. So I chose to focus on her daughter, Nefertari. Of course, it’s unknown if Nefertari really was her daughter, and if not, how exactly they were related. But the historian Manetho provided me with the possibility, and so I took it and wrote what I think is a much more hopeful story. Even though Nefertari would have been the niece of the Heretic Queen Nefertiti, and therefore tainted at court, Ramesses loved her fiercely. Buildings and poetry remain today as testaments to this, and in one of Ramesses’s more famous poems he calls Nefertari “the one for whom the sun shines.” His poetry to her can be found from Luxor to Abu Simbel.
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Kimber- Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about HERETIC QUEEN?
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Michelle- Truthfully, I just want readers to feel that if a time machine were to suddenly appear and whisk them away to ancient Egypt, they wouldn’t be totally lost. They would recognize the traditions, the gods and goddesses, and know what to expect in Pharaoh Ramesses’s court. I have tried my best to make the writing accessible to a modern audience. That means not dating the dialogue, or using too many long and unwieldy Egyptian names, or overdoing it with ancient Egyptian terms. Hopefully, by doing this, readers will come away with the sense of not only having been there for a little while, but of relating to the Egyptians. Because for all of the technological, medical and philosophical changes the world has undergone in the past three thousand years, people have remained the same. They had the same desires and fears in ancient Egypt that we have today, and I hope that readers can come away with an understanding of that.
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Kimber- Tell us about your next book, CLEOPATRA’S DAUGHTER.
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Michelle- Cleopatra's Daughter will follow the incredible life of Cleopatra's surviving children with Marc Antony -- twins, named Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene, and a younger son named Ptolemy. All three were taken to Rome and paraded through the streets, then sent off to be raised by Octavia (the wife whom Marc Antony left for Cleopatra). Raised in one of the most fascinating courts of all time, Cleopatra's children would have met Ovid, Seneca, Vitruvius (who inspired the Vitruvian man), Agrippa (who built the Pantheon), Herod, his sister Salome, the poets Virgil, Horace, Maecenas and so many others!
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Thanks so much, Michelle!
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http://michellemoran.com

BOOK OF THE YEAR 2007

Choosing my favorite book of 2007 was no easy task. It always comes down to personal preferences. I loved all the novels on my Top Ten List, each for different reasons. Choosing NEFERTITI by Michelle Moran from the Final Three was even more difficult, of course. Although all three were written most excellently with elements I love, NEFERTITI had absolutely everything I love in a story.

I've always been a history buff. I majored in it and I home educate my children with the Classical Method which has history as its backbone. I go through phases of fascination and right now I'm fascinated with Ancient History. NEFERTITI is set in Ancient Egypt. Quite simply, that's what put it over the edge from the rest of the list. The funny thing is I can't imagine writing a story set during ancient times myself! Well, okay, I do have a couple in the back of the head, but I am no where near ready to flesh them out.
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So, NEFERTITI is set in Ancient Egypt. What I also love about it is the variety of characters. Michelle once told me she has a hard time with characterization. You can't tell by reading her novel. Other authors probably know when we have a weakness we work twice as hard to overcome it, right? I know I certainly do. It really shows. Yes, there is Nefertiti, the ambitious, almost totally self-absorbed teenaged queen who grows into a paranoid, possessive pharoah wanna-be. The story is told by her level-headed sister, Mutny, who is two years younger. There's romance, but not for Nefertiti. As Mutny says, "Nefertiti doesn't fall in love. Men fall in love with Nefertiti." There's a domineering mother-in-law, Mutny's hardworking, altruistic parents, the Other Woman Kiya who's constantly threatening Nefertiti's position as Number One, lots of babies (gotta have babies!), and a sexy, self-absorbed Psycho Prince.


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No! Not him!


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Akhenaten The Heretic King. He starts out as a totally buff 17 year old, who flunked out of Megalomaniacs Anonymous I'm sure.


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Ooh, but there are a lot of nice kilts in this story (Kimber sighs and rests hand in chin to gaze at Yul Brynner's picture.)

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Oh, wait! Sorry. Back to NEFERTITI. One of the very nice kilts belongs to Mutny's true love, in fact. So, you see, the girl who deserves the romance, gets it.

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The plot twists around itself and esculates from Mutny's relationship with her sister and her sister's path to destruction. There is a Happily Ever After, but it comes at great cost. I think this makes it more believable.




NEFERTITI made the L.A. Times Bestsellers' List and went back for a second printing lickety-split.
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Michelle's next novel, THE HERETIC QUEEN is due out Autumn 2008.
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The deal for the next novel after that, CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER, has just been negotiated. It's about Cleopatra's three surviving children with Marc Antony. Naturally, I always wanted to know what happened to them myself!
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Michelle's had a stellar year! Way to go, Michelle.
;)
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Michelle's website: http://michellemoran.com/
Michelle's blog: http://michellemoran.blogspot.com/



I reviewed NEFERTITI on May 16th. You can click on May or on Michelle Moran's heading in the directory. The review is at the bottom of her list of columns.

NEFERTITI Hits LA Times' Bestsellers' List!

Way to go, Michelle Moran! She's clocking in at #11 right now.
;)

Michelle Moran interviewed on the Kimber An Nebula!

The author of NEFERTITI agreed to be my first guinea pig...uh, I mean, guest...on my brand new website, the Kimber An Nebula. Her interview can be found on the 'Compelling Profiles' page.

http://kimberan7.tripod.com/kimberannebula

I set up this website specifically for my younger Blog Buddies.

NEFERTITI book trailer

CYBER-LAUNCH BOOK PARTY!!!

The glorious day has arrived, Blog Buddies! This is the Cyber-Launch Book Party for Michelle Moran's debut novel, NEFERTITI, which I was lucky enough to get an ARC of. Remember my review of it? It was the May 16th entry on this blog, if you want to go check it out. NEFERTITI hits the bookshelves this coming Tuesday, July 10th. However, if you participate in the party by leaving a comment for this blog entry, you will have the chance to win a gold-wrapped and autographed copy! The drawing will be held at the end of the party tomorrow night. Here's the important thing: Your comment must have your username which will lead me to info about how to contact you, whether through your blog, an email, or whatever. Otherwise, I can't enter you in the drawing. The other prize is a gold Nefertiti charm!

Now, read the interview. When you're finished, click on 'comments' at the bottom and you will be taken to my party room where the natural laws of time and space do not apply. Watch your step though. The mummies don't get out much, so they're a little rowdy.

I emailed some questions to Michelle and she was kind enough to send these answers back:

1) Can you share the journey you took in creating NEFERTITI? What first
inspired you?
The inspiration to write Nefertiti inadvertently happened while I was on an archaeological dig in Israel. During my sophomore year in college, I found myself sitting in Anthropology 101, and when the professor mentioned that she was looking for volunteers who would like to join a dig in Israel, I was one of the first students to sign up. When I got to Israel, however, all of my archaeological dreams were dashed (probably because they centered around Indiana Jones). There were no fedora wearing men, no cities carved into rock, and certainly no Ark of the Covenant. I was very disappointed. Not only would a fedora have seemed out of place, but I couldn’t even use the tiny brushes I had packed. Apparently, archaeology is more about digging big ditches with pickaxes rather than dusting off artifacts. And it had never occurred to me until then that in order to get to those artifacts, one had to dig deep into the earth. Volunteering on an archaeological dig was hot, it was sweaty, it was incredibly dirty, and when I look back on the experience through the rose-tinged glasses of time, I think, Wow, was it fantastic! Especially when our team discovered an Egyptian scarab that proved the ancient Israelites had once traded with the Egyptians. Looking at that scarab in the dirt, I began to wonder who had owned it, and what had possessed them to undertake the long journey from their homeland to the fledgling country of Israel.

On my flight back to America I stopped in Berlin, and with a newfound appreciation for Egyptology, I visited the museum where Nefertiti’s limestone bust was being housed. The graceful curve of Nefertiti’s neck, her arched brows, and the faintest hint of a smile were captivating to me. Who was this woman with her self-possessed gaze and stunning features? I wanted to know more about Nefertiti’s story, but when I began the research into her life, it proved incredibly difficult. She’d been a woman who’d inspired powerful emotions when she lived over three thousand years ago, and those who had despised her had attempted to erase her name from history. Yet even in the face of such ancient vengeance, some clues remained.

As a young girl Nefertiti had married a Pharaoh who was determined to erase the gods of Egypt and replace them with a sun-god he called Aten. It seemed that Nefertiti’s family allowed her to marry this impetuous king in the hopes that she would tame his wild ambitions. What happened instead, however, was that Nefertiti joined him in building his own capital of Amarna where they ruled together as god and goddess. But the alluring Nefertiti had a sister who seemed to keep her grounded, and in an image of her found in Amarna, the sister is standing off to one side, her arms down while everyone else is enthusiastically praising the royal couple. From this image, and a wealth of other evidence, I tried to recreate the epic life of an Egyptian queen whose husband was to become known as the Heretic King.

Writing the novel took years of research. I wanted to be sure that when I wrote Nefertiti I was extremely accurate, down to the color of the palace tiles and shape of the women’s beads. At the same time, however, I wanted to be careful not to weigh the story down in too much detail. There needed to be the same sense of urgency, danger, and passion as filled Nefertiti’s world.

2) Some of our guests are writers. Can you share your process for
taking a story from rough draft to submission-ready manuscript? What's your
best advice on how they can improve the craft of writing to meet publication
standards?
Nefertiti isn’t my first novel. In fact, it’s not even my second. The process of submitting a manuscript, finding an agent, then reaching publication didn’t happen overnight for me. Actually, it took fifteen years. My first attempt at getting published was in seventh grade, when I was twelve. I had written a full length book that was certainly pathetic but everyone praised it and my father hailed it as the next Great American Novel. My father was very good at ego-boosting. But no one knew how to go about getting published, so I went to my local Barnes and Nobles and asked them how. And instead of laughing, the bookseller took me to the writing section and I purchased the current edition of Writer's Market. From then on, no agent or publishing house was safe. I learned how to write query letters and regaled them all. And some of them sent personal letters back too, probably because I had included my age in the query letter and they either thought a) this kid has potential or b) this is sad and deserves at least a kind note.

Then, after going on an archaeological dig in my second year of college, I changed my genre from literary to historical fiction and found my calling. That summer I wrote a novel called Jezebel, and signed on with a prominent agent. His foreign rights department sold it successfully to Bertelsmann in Germany, and I had my first publishing credit with the company that owns Random House. But my agent in NY had a difficult time selling the novel, and when it was clear that he had done what he could for Jezebel and that there would be no sale in the US, I saw the writing on the wall. I would have to write another book.

So I began my research, and over the next few years I came to a slow and eye-opening realization. No mater how many times or how nicely I wrote, my agent never answered my emails. Even after I had finished the book on the subject that he’d suggested, he never took my phone calls. Did this mean I didn’t have an agent? Had I been dumped because Jezebel hadn’t sold? Did agents do that without telling their clients? Apparently, he did, and apparently, some do. So I took the high road and wrote a letter thanking him for what he had done for me (he did get my foot in the door), and I asked to be released from our contract. I sent the letter by certified mail and promptly never heard from him again.

But publishing isn’t personal, and neither is rejection, so I began sending query letters out the next month, mentioning that my agent and I had recently parted ways and that I was searching for new representation. It was a matter of weeks before I had a new agent, the wonderful Anna Ghosh at Scovil Chichak Galen, and she took on the task of submitting the novel that my precious agent had suggested I write. But my heart hadn’t been in the book. It was set in the 20th century, and my specialty – what I studied in college and what I’ve since become an amateur historian on – is ancient Egypt and the Middle Ages. We had quite a few near misses with the novel, where editors wanted to purchase the book but were told no by the acquisitions committee, since all sales have to be approved by a committee. After Anna sent the novel to all the major houses, I began to panic that I’d be dropped as a client for a second time, and that is when I started Nefertiti, a project I was extremely passionate about. Anna waited for two years while I wrote the book, and eventually she sold the book and its stand-alone sequel for six-figures to Crown. After that, her foreign rights agent Danny Baror (who happened to be the same foreign rights agent who sold Jezebel) sold Nefertiti and The Heretic Queen to more than fifteen countries.

I do believe there is a moral to this story, which is to be persistent and not to be afraid of starting a new project. I have thirteen books that I’ve written, and just because they’re not published doesn’t mean I didn’t learn from them, or that I can’t publish them in the future (although I probably won’t). I think what aspiring writers need to understand is that if something isn’t right for the current market, that doesn’t mean they should simply give up. With each book you’ll get better as a writer, and eventually you will strike gold!

3) What experience do you hope readers will take away from reading
NEFERTITI?
I hope that readers will come away having felt as if they’d spent time in the ancient Egypt of 1350 BC. Nefertiti was the step-mother of Tut, the wife of the Heretic King Akhenaten, and a precursor to Ramesses the Great. She lived during a time of great wealth and power for Egyptian Pharaohs, and I believe that her story is one of the most fascinating ever to have come out of Egypt.

4) Can you tell us a little bit about your next novel? What's the
title? When is it due out?
Currently, I’m finishing the stand-alone sequel to Nefertiti. It will be in bookstores July 2008 and will probably be titled The Heretic Queen. It follows the destiny of Mutny’s daughter, Nefertari, and traces her transformation from a wild palace child to the strikingly beautiful and intelligent queen of Ramesses II.

Very cool, Michelle! Can't wait. (((Kimber hears the mummies chanting, 'Party! Party! Party!' again.))) Gotta go!

NEFERTITI A Novel by Michelle Moran

I first became aware of this debut novel a couple of months ago when I was Slashing & Burning one of my own into a comprehensible draft, COALESCENCE OF BENNU AND RA. Those of you familiar with Ancient Egypt may know that Ra is the name of the main god. Bennu is the Egyptian phoenix. I drew on Ancient Egypt and Ancient China for inspiration in creating the alien Menelaen culture, religion, and history. One of the things I searched for was a powerful queen and Nefertiti was all that.


I was totally floored when Michelle offered to have an advanced copy of NEFERTITI sent to me! Whoa, yes! This review is of that copy. The rest of you will have to wait until it comes out in hardcover on July 10th and, no, I will NOT be hawking mine on eBay!

NEFERTITI is told from the viewpoint of her younger sister, Mutnodjmet, also called 'Mutny' by her family. The story starts with the untimely death of Pharoah's eldest and beloved son, Tuthmosis. Along with a few others, Mutny fears the death was hastened by the ambitious younger son, Amunhotep. Nefertiti isn't too concerned with all this. Even at age 15, she has ambitions of her own. She's beautiful, dazzlingly clevor, and the daughter of a princess. She's in a good position to become queen. Two years younger and born of a different mother, Mutny is very close to her sister with just a few stabs of jealousy mixed in.

The marriage takes place and Nefertiti meets her first challenge head-on. Amunhotep has a first wife of whom he is fond. This threatens her elevation to queen. Ancient Egyptians afforded more rights and freedoms to women than other cultures of the time. Still, what Nefertiti does is rather audacious.

If you're wary of historicals, let me reassure you that Michelle does an excellent job conveying the fact that human nature is timeless. Nefertiti is like a high school cheerleader going after the captain of the football team to raise her social status. The huge difference is that 17 year old Amunhotep will be king of one of the most powerful nations of his time.

Nefertiti does have a conscious and that is her family. They're truly altruistic even when she gets carried away with the trappings of her position. From my point of view, it's this consciousness and loyalty that enables Nefertiti to be the power behind the Throne by the end.

Nefertiti's not an annoying witch. She is a beautifully flawed human being.

Amunhotep ascends the Throne a while after the wedding and his ambitions kick into full gear. To the shock of most, he does away with the traditional gods of Egypt and replaces them with the worship of one god, Aten, the image of the sun. He changes his name to Akhenaten and Nefertiti manages to keep him away from the other wife most of the time. Nevertheless, while Nefertiti proceeds to pop out one baby girl after the other, the other wife ends up with two sons. Meanwhile, Akhenaten's impatient and obsessive building of his own monuments, palaces, and a new capital city saps the national treasury and takes the army away from defending the borders. Rebellion brews.

I totally got into Mutny's heart. Power has a way of putting a person under threat, surrounded by people who can't be trusted. Nefertiti knows that people talk to Mutny because she's a good listener, and she's loyal. Nefertiti clings to Mutny to the point of becoming possessive. Mutny's no doormat though.

I wish I could tell you more, but then I'd ruin the suspense. The magic Michelle works with NEFERTITI is in the way she conveys the humanity we can all relate to. And she does it without falling back on the crutch of using a contemporary voice which ruins so many otherwise good historicals these days.

You don't need to know anything about Ancient Egypt to enjoy this novel. Michelle does a wonderful job of transporting the reader back in time so you can see and smell everything, and without being too wordy about it.

NEFERTITI is historical fiction first, but it does have romance. Again, Michelle makes that all feel real. The focus is on the emotions and everything is well-developed and well-balanced.

NEFERTITI A Novel by Michelle Moran is due out July 10th, but you can pre-order it from Amazon. com right now.

http://www.michellemoran.com
http://michellemoran.blogspot.com