Category: Pompeii
A Day of Fire Might Be Coming to A Screen Near You
Hello all!
It’s been a while since I’ve blogged, but I have something really special to share!
The TV rights to A DAY OF FIRE, the brilliant collaborative novel that I co-wrote with a super-star author team (Kate Quinn, Eliza Knight, Ben Kane, Stephanie Dray and Vicky Alvear) has been acquired by Amazon / MGM Studios UK!!!
That means—fingers crossed—we are hoping to see it as a TV series! Is it wrong that I am daydreaming of seeing my heiress, Aemilia, sweep across a screen? Of watching Sabinus, a man I love for his honorable character, risk himself for others in keeping with his strong sense of right and wrong?
I will certainly keep you updated as the situation progresses. Meanwhile, if you haven’t read AND BY FIRE, or haven’t read it lately. Pick up a copy and get started! Between the covers you will find the tale of the last days of Pompeii—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 A DAY OF FIRE tells 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 prostitute seek redemption and resurrection as the town is buried.
The six of us brought to life overlapping stories of patricians and slaves, warriors and politicians, villains and heroes who cross each other’s paths during Pompeii’s fiery end. But who will escape, and who will be buried for eternity?
You’ll have to finish the book to find out 😉
Award Winning “A Day of Fire” Re-releases with a Stunning New Cover
In 2014, six top historical novelists made history with the first collaborative novel in the genre. Today A Day of Fire reissues with a stunning new cover. Come with us to Pompeii in its last days, minutes, and hours . . .
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 redemption and resurrection 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?
Three Fantastic Novels, BUNDLED, for a Limited Time! (Can you Say “Deal”)
As many of my readers already know, I was a founding member of the “The H-Team” a collaborative group of award-winning and bestselling historical writers who produce novels jointly.
If you haven’t sampled the H-Team’s high-concept novels of the ancient world, NOW is the perfect moment. We are happy to present, for a limited time, a special BUNDLE of all our existing work at a VERY SPECIAL price…
SONGS OF BLOOD AND GOLD brings to life to the glory of the ancient world in three novels spanning golden Greece to blood-soaked Rome:
A DAY OF FIRE
(Authored by: Stephanie Dray, Ben Kane, E. Knight, Sophie Perinot, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter)
Pompeii: a lively resort flourishing in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius at the height of Rome’s glory. When Vesuvius erupts in an explosion of flame and ash, the entire town struggles to flee the mountain’s wrath: soldiers and politicians, villains and heroes, young and old. But who will escape, and who will be buried for eternity?
A YEAR OF RAVENS
(Authored by: Ruth Downie, Stephanie Dray, E. Knight, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter, SJA Turney, Russell Whitfield)
Britannia: land of mist and magic clinging to the western edge of the Roman Empire. A red-haired queen named Boudica leads her people in a desperate rebellion against the might of Rome, an epic struggle destined to consume warriors and peacemakers, slaves and queens, Roman and Celt. But who will survive to see the dawn of a new Britannia, and who will fall to feed the ravens?
A SONG OF WAR
(Authored by: Christian Cameron, Libbie Hawker, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter, Stephanie Thornton, SJA Turney, Russell Whitfield)
Troy: city of gold, gatekeeper of the east, a haven destined to last a thousand years. But the Fates have other planes–the Fates, and a woman named Helen. In the shadow of Troy’s gates, all must be reborn in the greatest war of the ancient world: heroes and cowards, seers and kings, innocent and guilty. But who will lie forgotten in the embers, and who will rise to shape the dawn of a new age?
I know, I know, after reading the above you’ve GOT to have this bundle. Never fear! The buy links are right here:
A Handy Holiday Catalog of My Books for Giving [2016 Edition]
I am downsizing our gift-giving around here this year but that does NOT mean I am not buying books! SEVEN arrived this weekend alone. Some for stocking-stuffers, some to give friends who I think will enjoy them as much as I did.
In honor of CYBER MONDAY Barnes & Noble is running a 15% off your entire order promo (today only). The code is BNCYBER16 
If you’d like to give a little Perinot this season, here are the brief descriptions and links for my titles at both B&N (use that coupon code!) and Amazon. Of course the novels are also available at your neighborhood bookstore!
MÉDICIS DAUGHTER (B&N) (AMAZON)
Winter, 1564. Beautiful young Princess Margot is summoned to the court of France, where nothing is what it seems and a wrong word can lead to ruin. Known across Europe as Madame la Serpente, Margot’s intimidating mother, Queen Catherine de Médicis, is a powerful force in a country devastated by religious war. Among the crafty nobility of the royal court, Margot learns the intriguing and unspoken rules she must live by to please her poisonous family.
Eager to be an obedient daughter, Margot accepts her role as a marriage pawn, even as she is charmed by the powerful, charismatic Duc de Guise. Though Margot’s heart belongs to Guise, her hand will be offered to Henri of Navarre, a Huguenot leader and a notorious heretic looking to seal a tenuous truce. But the promised peace is a mirage: her mother’s schemes are endless, and her brothers plot vengeance in the streets of Paris. When Margot’s wedding devolves into the bloodshed of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, she will be forced to choose between her family and her soul.
THE SISTER QUEENS (B&N) (AMAZON)
Like most sisters, Marguerite and Eleanor were rivals. They were also queens.
Raised together at the 13th Century court of their father, Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence, Marguerite and Eleanor are separated by royal marriages—but never truly parted.
Patient, perfect, reticent, and used to being first, Marguerite becomes Queen of France. Her husband, Louis IX, is considered the greatest monarch of his age. But he is also a religious zealot who denies himself all pleasure—including the love and companionship his wife so desperately craves. Can Marguerite find enough of her sister’s boldness to grasp her chance for happiness in the guise of forbidden love?
Passionate, strong-willed, and stubborn, Eleanor becomes Queen of England. Her husband, Henry III, is neither as young nor as dashing as Marguerite’s. But she quickly discovers he is a very good man…and a very bad king. His failures are bitter disappointments for Eleanor, who has worked to best her elder sister since childhood. Can Eleanor stop competing with her sister and value what she has, or will she let it slip away?
A DAY OF FIRE (AMAZON)
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 redemption and resurrection 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?
I am in the Hot Seat
As part of the celebration marking the release of “A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii” blogger Erin Sweet-Al Mehairi is running a 6 part interview series asking each of the authors who contributed to the novel the same two questions. Today is my day in the hot seat. Stop over at Oh for the Hook of a Book and find out what I believe I brought to the table (or the volcano gods as it were) in working on this ground-breaking collaborative novel.
New Release– “A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii”
At long last, this riveting story about the final days of Pompeii is available in e-book and print!
“This truly is the finest book I have read this year, an emotional roller-coaster that educates while it entertains. Its impact will stay with me for quite some time.” ~Parmenion Books
“Despite knowing what happens in Pompeii and to the majority of its citizens, A Day of Fire is a book full of suspense, fear, and unexpected bravery.” ~Ageless Pages
“I can’t praise this book highly enough. It’s a rattling good tale of disaster, death, resolution and rebirth.” ~Dodging Arrows
“I LOVED this! The writing style, the choice of stories told, the evolution of characters, the drama. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.” ~The Maiden’s Court
“…the premise of A DAY OF FIRE drew me in — the last days and hours of Pompeii, seen through the eyes of citizens throughout the social strata. And gods, am I happy I read this book! I couldn’t put it down.”~ LeAnne.Me
“Each one of these authors deserves a huge amount of praise for putting this impressive piece of art together.” ~Steven McKay
And of my story, THE HEIRESS, Steven McKay says:
This is very powerful writing – in my notes I’ve put “10/10 – Excellent!” at the top of the page for this section….this is historical fiction at its very best.
DESCRIPTION:
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 redemption and resurrection 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?
Buy Now:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
And add “A Day of Fire” to you Goodreads list!
Illustrated Table of Contents
Last week I offered a peek between the covers of the upcoming “A Day of Fire” and challenged readers to match the stories therein with the authors contributing to the volume. Today, I offer another set of illustrated quotes along with full disclosure of who wrote what. Come along for a guided tour of the novel-in-six parts which releases three weeks from today:
It all begins with a son–Vicky Alvear Shecter’s story “The Son” to be exact, about a young man who is looking for love in the proverbial wrong places while also trying to hang on to the good opinion of his famous uncle, Admiral Pliny. In bustling Pompeii he meets a whore named Prima–a woman readers will come to know better in Stephanie Dray’s tale.
While Caecilius is sneaking around the city on pleasure bent, Aemilia the heroine of my story–THE HEIRESS–is counting down the days to her wedding. Betrothed to her father’s best friend she knows her duty, but also her heart which lies elsewhere in the keeping of a handsome young artist.
While Faustus prowls the Villa of the Mysteries looking for his Aemilia, author Ben Kane’s Lucius Satrius Rufus–title character in THE SOLDIER–has a hangover and massive load of debt to manage. Can a win by the gladiator he owns straighten things out?
Senator Marcus Norbanus in Kate Quinn’s THE SENATOR has his own problems–among them an aging body and a waning will to live. He is in Pompeii on official business when he has a run in with Caecilius’ whore Prima.
While he is recovering from his encounter with the jug, young mother-to-be Julilla, heroine of E. Knight’s THE MOTHER, is on her way by litter to her friend Aemilia’s house to help her dress for her wedding. A journey she does not complete.
Who will survive and who perish? Readers will have to wait for Stephanie Dray’s THE WHORE to know for certain. There they will reconnect with Prima and spend time with her rosy, blonde and good-natured sister Capella a woman called to serve the Goddess Isis.
Intrigued? Mark your calendars for November 4th. A DAY OF FIRE: A NOVEL OF POMPEII will be available in e-book and paperback. Currently it can be pre-ordered in the e-book format.
A Day in Pompeii
Today we are precisely FOUR WEEKS away from the Launch of “A Day of Fire,” the high-concept novel-in-six-parts that I’ve written with Ben Kane, Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, Eliza Knight and Vicky Alvear Shecter. The novel is already available for pre-order at Amazon, but in honor of the countdown to release, I’d like to share some lovely illustrated quotes to give you a taste of the tales the volume contains.
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 redemption and resurrection as the town is buried.
Visit “A Day of Fire’s” Facebook page to learn how you could win the book by correctly identifying which author wrote which quote.