Co-Writing Historical Fiction & The Dramatic Destruction of Pompeii

Had a marvelous discussion with fellow historical novelist Ryan Byrnes about the recent re-release of A DAY OF FIRE, the first continuity novel in the historical fiction genre. Take a watch and learn about the tricky and exciting process of 6 authors co-writing a novel together, as well as what I personally think tales set in the past allow modern readers to do.

 

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?

Order your copy today!

 

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.

Mark your Calendars for A Day of Fire

A number of you have been asking me “what’s next, Sophie?”  With great pride and pleasure I announce that THIS is next:

A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii 

Prepare to take a leap back in time with me to 79 AD, when 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 escaped the mountain’s wrath, some died as heroes . . . and A Day of Fire will tell their stories. The book is a high-concept piece—a  novel in six parts by Stephanie Dray, Ben Kane, Eliza Knight, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear-Shecter, and yours truly.  We will bring you overlapping stories of patricians and slaves, gladiators and heiresses, villains and heroes who cross and recross paths during Pompeii’s fiery end. But who will escape, and who will be buried for posterity?

My story—The Heiress’s Tale—will lead the collection.  So mark your calendars!  A Day of Fire releases on November 1, 2014. 



 



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