Author Michelle Moran visits Chick with Books Today with a Guest Post!

Best selling author, Michelle Moran, whose three previous books Nefertiti, The Heretic Queen & Cleopatra's Daughter have made her a favorite of historical fiction fans, is up to her old tricks again! She's coming out with another great book about another important lady from the history books - this time Madame Tussaud! Yes, we all know about the famous wax museums in her name, but there is so much more rich history behind Madame Tussaud that you may not know...

Today, Michelle is going to share a little behind the scenes history with us with her guest post about Madame Tussaud: The Woman. Join me in a warm welcome for Michelle!

MADAME TUSSAUD: The Woman

When most people hear the name Madame Tussaud, the first thing that comes to mind are the eerily lifelike waxworks which crowd her museums throughout the world. But who was the woman behind the name, and what was she like in the flesh?

Madame Tussaud’s story actually began in 18th century Paris. While most people know her from her famous museum in London, it was in France, on the humble Boulevard du Temple, where Marie first got her start as an apprentice in her uncle’s wax museum, the Salon de Cire. At the time, the Boulevard du Temple was crowded with exhibits of every kind. For just a few sous a passerby might attend the opera, watch a puppet show, or visit Henri Charles’ mystifying exhibition The Invisible Girl. The Boulevard was a difficult place to distinguish yourself as an artist, but as Marie’s talent grew for both sculpting and public relations, the Salon de Cire became one of the most popular attractions around. Suddenly, no one could compete with Marie or her uncle for ingenious publicity stunts, and when the royal family supposedly visited their museum, this only solidified what most showmen in Paris already knew — the Salon was an exhibition to watch out for.

But as the Salon’s popularity grew, so did the unusual requests. Noblemen came asking for wax sculptures of their mistresses, women wanted models of their newborn infants, and – most importantly – the king’s sister herself wanted Marie to come to Versailles to be her wax tutor. While this was, in many ways, a dream come true for Marie, it was also a dangerous time to be associated with the royal family. Men like Robespierre, Marat, and Desmoulins were meeting at Marie’s house to discuss the future of the monarchy, and when the Revolution began, Marie found herself in a precarious position. Ultimately, she was given a choice by France’s new leaders: to preserve the famous victims of Madame Guillotine in wax, or be guillotined herself.

Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution is the story of Marie’s life during one of the most tumultuous times in human history. Her survival was nothing less than astonishing, and how she survived makes for what I hope is a compelling read.

*Thanks Michelle for stopping by Chick with Books and giving us a glimpse into the life of Madame Tussaud! Michelle Moran's book, Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution will be released Feb. 15th! AND to celebrate, on the release date (Feb.15th), Chick with Books is going to host a GIVEAWAY for a signed copy of Madame Tussaud by Michelle! (plus a little something extra from Michelle). Stop by Feb. 15th for all the details!

Guest post with Sam Moffie... God Bless You Mr. Vonnegut!

This week I introduced author Sam Moffie and his book, The Book of Eli, to Chick with Books readers. Today I'd like to welcome Sam Moffie himself to Chick with Books, where he'll share with us a little bit about himself and share some of his acerbic wit. Join me in a warm welcome to Peter!

GOD BLESS YOU MR. VONNEGUT!

When I was a boy, 5000 bottles of Merlot ago, I thought by age 47 it would be a lot easier to break into the limelight. Now I know how Kilgore Trout felt. The man had hundreds of books written, and the only magazines he could find his name in print, were rags that were very poor by pornographic standards. Wait a minute; at least he was getting published regularly.

Based upon my recent experiences in trying to find a reputable agent and/or a publishing house, it appears that American icon Kurt Vonnegut, like his creation Kilgore Trout, would only be published in tasteless porno magazines in today’s totally absurd literary world.

What do I mean?

I have spent the better part of three months sending out 90% intact Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions to various agents and publishing places disguised as The Perfect Martini, only to be rejected time in and time out by all BUT ONE agent, who recognized my sample 20 pages as the first 20 pages of Breakfast of Champions.

Think of that dear reader! If Kurt Vonnegut would be, say my age of 47, we wouldn’t know of him and his characters, because the publishing world would have ignored him. Or as two publishing houses said to me in their little ratty form rejection notes in envelopes THAT I PAID the postage for: “Unfortunately, we have to take a pass,” or “We made our selection, and sorry your story didn’t fit our needs.” I wonder how these two press houses being university affiliated will feel when they get the notice from me about whose writing THEY actually did turn down? For you see, Kurt Vonnegut’s books have always done so well with the university crowd.

Not only am I a huge fan of Vonnegut as a reader; his writing has also served as a sort of teacher for me to try my new trade as a writer of fiction. Although, it is very hard for me to picture Kurt Vonnegut receiving rejection after rejection from notable agents and agencies who after turning you down, do not even send you a personal rejection slip, but scribble a few lines on the original query and mail back to me in my pre-paid stamped addressed envelope how “the work doesn’t fit their need.” “Thanks, I’ll take a pass.” My favorite is: “Not taking on new writers.” How does that one strike you? Imagine how these uber-agents will feel when I inform them how they have rejected the work of Kurt Vonnegut?

This leads me to question a few things. One, obviously, did the agents I query even read the submission? Two, if they did, did they ever read Vonnegut? Three, if they didn’t ever read Vonnegut, what are they doing selling themselves to authors as literary agents who know fiction? And most importantly, four; has an agency or publishing house ever bought a stamp?

I think Mr. Vonnegut would appreciate this story. At least he would admire my imagination in attempting to shine a very small light on today’s publishing world. For sure, Kilgore Trout would be pretty happy with my attempt to kick the publishing world right in the tush, and hopefully shake it out of the slumber it is in when it comes to non-linear fiction, unknown authors, non-celebrity books, diet books, fantasy books, how-to-books, legal books, horror books, and did I mention non-linear as well as unknown authors?

I have been warned by many, that my attempt might embarrass a few people. Agents and publishing houses might boycott me. That this ”hoax” of mine will backfire, because Kurt Vonnegut has only been dead for a short time and the book I picked only 34 years old. My response is two-fold. What, they won’t publish me? They are ignoring me already! Furthermore, I turn to Kurt Vonnegut himself for help.

In 1954 he was hired by “Sports Illustrated.” Knowing very little about sports he was given a picture of a horse which was jumping a fence. Vonnegut spent some time pondering what to write as the caption. His one line was: “The horse jumped over the f---ing fence.” He walked out after leaving that masterpiece.

I guess you could say like Vonnegut, I’m taking a chance.

And, so it goes.

Thank you Sam for guest posting today on Chick with Books! And sharing a bit of yourself and your perseverance in getting published!

Guest Post with Roxanne St. Claire... The Delicate Balance of Love and Danger

Roxanne St. Claire is a bestselling author whose most recent novel, Edge of Night, I loved & just reviewed, and nearly thirty novels of romance and suspense. A four-time nominee and one time winner of the prestigious RITA Award for outstanding romantic fiction, her books have also won the National Reader’s Choice Award for best romantic suspense for two consecutive years, as well as the Daphne du Maurier Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Maggie, Booksellers Best, Book Buyers Best, five Awards of Excellence, the Aspen Gold and many others.

Chick with Books is thrilled to have Roxanne St. Claire stop by today to share a bit of herself and insight into her writing those great Romantic Suspense novels (and a bit of insight into Samantha & Zach of Edge of Night)! Join me in a warm welcome to Roxanne!

The Delicate Balance of Love and Danger

Thanks for the invitation to visit this glorious blog that celebrates books of all kinds. I’m delighted to be here, to answer questions and comments, to giveaway some books, and to talk about the impossible tightrope between passion and peril that a romantic suspense author has to walk every day. By nature of my genre’s name – romantic suspense – the books I write are a delicate balance of love and danger, and for the stories to work, they must include dual “arcs” that put the characters in jeopardy physically and emotionally from page one to the end.

That’s no easy feat, I assure you. In fact, I pretty much tear my hair out and scream at the computer on a daily basis while I walk that line. I’ve heard romantic suspense writers talk about “the percentage” of romance versus suspense, and whether or not a book is a ROMANTIC romantic suspense or a SUSPENSEFUL romantic suspense, and I admit to being confused. To be perfectly honest, I can’t separate the two.

For me, the story threads are completely entwined, usually joined by a subplot or two. And all of those elements have an effect on one another. If you pull out any one of these threads, you wouldn’t have a complete novel. I don’t really “balance” love and danger in my books as much as I braid them. With every scene, the danger escalates and the sexual tension tightens. The suspense element -- whether it is a woman on the run, someone searching for a missing person or treasure, a killer on the loose, or a crime that has to be solved -- has to have an impact on the character’s emotions, and that profoundly affects the relationship at the heart of the story.

The good news is I mostly do that organically…and with a little hair tearing. For example, in my novel released this week, EDGE OF SIGHT, Samantha Fairchild has witnessed a professional assassination and the killer has her face on tape. She needs protection and can’t get it from the police because ten years earlier she’d witnessed another killing, that time in a convenience store, and her testimony put the wrong man in jail. When she worked to correct that mistake, she shed some extremely unfavorable light on the Boston PD, so now they won’t help her. So she seeks protection and gets it in the form of Zach Angelino, a former Army Ranger…and her former lover. Not only does Samantha suffer from self-doubts after putting the wrong man in jail, now she’s faced with the same task. This time, her “partner” in the process is a man who dumped her three years earlier when he went to war and never contacted her after a torrid, three-week affair. But Zach’s come back completely changed by war. No longer the confident, cocky, flirtatious young Ranger she’d met at her friend’s party, he’s wounded inside and out, and his experiences in Iraq stripped him of the belief that he could protect anyone, let alone the only woman he ever loved.

So, just by nature of the plot and backstory, the suspense elements add to the romantic tension and vice versa. If you took one thread away (Sam and Zach’s romance), the whole story of the professional killer on the run wouldn’t have nearly the emotional impact. And if it were just the story of Sam and Zach reuniting after three years, there’d be no way to highlight their character flaws and weaknesses and show how their love helps them conquer those issues to become whole again.

Yes, this is hard work, and I have the bald spots to prove it! But the most difficult part (writing the story!) is over and now I get to enjoy talking to readers. That’s what I’m here to do! Leave a comment or a question and I’ll pop in and out today to reply.

And if you’d like a taste of EDGE, I’ve got a “freequel” (free read prequel) up on my web site. In the short story Taken To The Edge, readers can experience Sam and Zach’s first meeting, their passionate affair, and their painful breakup and meet some of the characters who will make up the stories of the Guardian Angelino series. Enjoy!

Thank you Roxanne for sharing a bit of yourself & your writing process on Chick with Books today! And writing such a great post!

To all my Chick with Books readers, you can find Roxanne's "freequel" at Roxanne's Website, and while you're there check out Roxanne's "informal bio", where you'll learn things like, how she fell in love with words reading Gone with The Wind, and did a guest appearance on Bosum Buddies. Don't forget to Read my Review and ENTER THE GIVEAWAY of Roxanne's latest book, Edge of Night right here on Chick with Books!

Banned Book Week and Guest Post by Author Carrie Ryan

As readers our freedom to read is without question important to us. But how do authors view banning and censorship?! YA author Carrie Ryan shares her thoughts with this important piece that really hits home the reason why we need to fight against the banning and removal of books from our schools and libraries for ourselves and most importantly for our children...

Won't someone please think of the children?

I'm so proud and pleased to live in a world where young girls are never sexually abused. Where women in high school or middle school aren't raped. Where teen boys never contemplate suicide (or, heaven forfend, actually attempt and accomplish it). I'm blessed to live in a world where there's no bullying, no cyberbullying, no eating disorders or emotional abuse. Where girls don't stick fingers down their throats and slide knives or blades over their skin intentionally. Where teachers don't sleep with students, where fathers don't sleep with daughters, where no one under consenting age has sex, thinks about sex, comes close to having sex, gets pregnant, gets a disease, has an abortion or has a child when they're still in their tweens. How lovely that all girls and boys are virgins throughout middle and high school. That nary a drop of alcohol or a whiff of drugs passes their lips, their noses, their veins.

Surely each child at every school is well loved, well nourished, well cared for. Well clothed and well mannered with bright futures ahead that don't involve peer pressure and binge drinking and drugs and gangs.

Clearly none of those terrible things ever happens in the lives of REAL teens. So why would we ever need books about such horrid and odious happenings? Why would we allow such texts to enter the hallowed halls of our children's schools? Or, worse, to actually be offered on a list of recommended reading? Or even more awful to contemplate, used in a classroom? Forget that such books may have won awards or received starred reviews or been included list after list. Forget that teens have written to authors in tears, in gratitude, in awe that some of those books have changed their lives. That some of those books have saved them.

We don't need those books anymore! Therefore, we don't need them in our classes, in our schools or in our libraries. Hasn't anyone ever wondered what would happen if we let our perfect, pure, untouched and untarnished teen minds read such smut? They might contemplate drugs or sex or suicide. Clearly, all it would take is one page - one paragraph - of Laurie Halse Anderson's book Wintergirls to change even the healthiest girl anorexic! No girl today would ever have such thoughts otherwise!

Won't someone please think of the children? What are we teaching them with these books?

Unless... unless we've somehow failed. Unless we missed something. Unless there are teens out there that are in trouble. That have faced obstacles that their parents don't know about. Unless there are teens out there with secrets -- secret pains and secret fears -- that they can't take to their mother or father or sister or priest or teacher. Maybe they're ashamed. Maybe they're afraid.

Maybe they need to be shown that they're not alone. That you can survive abuse. That you can overcome bullying and peer pressure. That your friends could be facing these issues. That you can find help. Or even, what happens when you don't.

Maybe we need to have more faith in teens that reading a book won't brainwash them. That maybe instead it will expand their horizons. And maybe as the adults of the world that's our job - to show them the world and be there to answer questions and support them.

I get it. I understand that its easier to keep teens in the dark. It's easier to believe that teens aren't dealing with these difficult issues. What parents want to introduce their precious child to all the bad things in this world? What father wants to explain what rape is?

But I need to make this clear, and this comes from my experience and from my friends experiences and from the teens I've talked to: this stuff happens. And it happens to teens and tweens far younger than any of us would ever want to contemplate. They deal with these issues whether we want them to or not. This is life and life can really suck and it can be messy and dangerous and sad. And hiding from it doesn't make it go away.

So whenever someone screams "Won't someone please think of the children" and then they propose banning books or removing them from the classroom or the library, I want to ask them what they think it accomplishes. Because not talking about the difficult issues in this world doesn't make them not exist. Not letting teens read about them doesn't mean teens are somehow not going to face them.

We're not protecting anyone by keeping them ignorant. And banning books or pretending this stuff doesn't happen is the height of ignorance.

Thank you to the authors who write about these difficult topics and to those who fight to keep them in schools.

Carrie Ryan is the author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Dead-Tossed Waves and the soon to be released The Dark and Hollow Places. You can learn more about Carrie and her books at www.Carrieryan.com. And you can read Carrie's original post on her blog, Carries Procrastinatory Outlet.

I want to thank Carrie Ryan for permission to share her wonderfully written article! This post really resonated with me and I can only hope that it reaches out to many other readers in the same way.

Guest Post with M.J. Rose author of The Reincarnationist Series

Today Chick with Books welcomes author M.J. Rose, international best selling author of 11 novels, and a founding member of the International Thrill Writers. I know author M.J. Rose for her Reincarnationist Series which includes The Reincarnationist, The Memorist, and her newest novel in the series, The Hypnotist! Today M.J. Rose shares a glimpse into what inspires her writing. Join me in a warm welcome to M.J.!

A Writers Inspiration...

Inspiration is a crazy thing. I don't know where it comes from but I'm thankful it does come.

My characters are very elusive. They arrive like wisps of smoke. My first inkling about a new character comes as a question. A "what if".

"What if" a man was in an accident and woke up with memories that don't belong to him.

Then I start thinking of what kind of man would that be a conflict for. Who would hate that and fight it.

Slowly a person starts to emerge.

Then I work on their names - for a main character it can take me a month to come up with the right name. And all too often I think I have the right name - then start working on the book and realize I have the wrong name. In The Memorist I wrote the whole book with Meer's name being something else and she was wooden on the page. Then I changed her name and she came alive.

My real work with the characters is an evolution. For three months I don't write a word. Rather I do research and work on my main character's scrapbook. The very process of collecting her preferred poems, swatches of her favorite colors, and petals from the flowers she grows gives me time to find her.

I collect the ticket stubs for a performance of the Metropolitan Opera that she went to, a postcard from her mother's first trip to Europe, a piece of the red and white string on the pastry box from her grandmother's apartment: it's all in the scrapbook.

And only when I've found all the knickknacks of her life and I've done a fair amount of procrastinating do I even think about sitting down to write. And by then, I can't wait!

You can find out more about M.J.Rose and all her books, at M.J.Rose.com. You can also read an excerpt of her latest novel, TheHypnotist, her most mesmerizing novel yet. "It's an adventure, a love story, a clash of cultures, a spiritual quest, it is above all a thrilling capstone to her unique Reincarnation novels, The Reincarnationist and The Memorist."

Thank you M.J. for guest posting on Chick with Books today and sharing a little bit of yourself with us!

Guest Post with Shobhan Bantwal, author of The Unexpected Son!

Shobhan Bantwal, author of The Unexpected Son (her newest novel), The Sari Shop Widow, and Mainstream and Romantic Women's Fiction set in India and America stops by Chick with Books today to share a bit of herself and her writing process!

Shobhan Bantwal is the author of 4 books, a collection of tales, articles and more. Shobhan's writing is "romantic, colorful, action-packed tales, rich with elements of Indian culture -- stories that entertain and educate." Her writing career is a "menopausal epiphany," because she took up creative writing at the age of 50. At Chick with Books we are pleased to have Shobhan Bantwal as a guest today! Today Shobhan Bantwal will talk about her writing style. Join me in a warm welcome to Shobhan!

Going Commercial or Literary?

By Shobhan Bantwal - author of THE UNEXPECTED SON

I was always the rebel in my family, even as a child growing up in a small town in India. The fourth of five girls and no boys in a strict Hindu household, I was the sole tomboy who climbed trees, played field hockey, and the only sister to learn how to ride a bicycle and drive the family car. While this may not seem like a big deal to most women born and raised in western cultures, in the India of the 1960s and '70s, a rebel girl could ruin her reputation and her family's, and destroy her chances of finding a husband in the future.

Luckily for me, my parents managed to find me a good husband and gave me a traditional arranged marriage. My husband is a very loving and supportive man, and we have been happily married for nearly 37 years. Needless to say, when I took up creative writing rather late in life, at the age of 50, my renegade instincts naturally steered me towards writing something different than the literary novels that most Asian authors write. I think of it as my "menopausal epiphany." My tastes tend to lean more toward commercial romantic fiction, therefore when I took up writing, I decided to write what I enjoyed reading.

What emerged from my attempts at writing was a unique sub-genre of women's fiction, something I call "Bollywood in a Book"—multicultural women's fiction with a romantic touch and filled with the vivid colors, textures, tastes, and cultural elements of India. When I started out, I was not sure if there would be a market for my type of writing, but I was amazed to find that there are many readers eager for this variety of ethnic commercial fiction.

THE UNEXPECTED SON is my fourth book and tells the story of an Indian-American woman whose innocent mistake as a teenager in college comes back to haunt her three decades later. An anonymous letter from India tells her an impossible story: she has a grown son in India, a child she was told was stillborn 30 years ago. Now, discovering that he is alive but gravely ill, is she willing to reveal her secret past to her husband and grown daughter and ruin the happy life she has managed to create for herself? Or will she risk it all to meet her unexpected son and pray for the faith of her family?

Go to my website to learn about my books, excerpts, video trailers, contests, recipes, photos, book club and contact information at www.shobhanbantwal.com

Thank you Shobhan for guest posting today on Chick with Books! And sharing a little of yourself with us!

And to all my Chick with Books readers, I'll be reviewing The Unexpected Son by Shobhan Bantwal tomorrow!

Guest Post with Helen Brown, author of Cleo: The Cat Who Mended a Family

Helen Brown, author of Cleo: The Cat Who Mended a Family, stops by Chick with Books today to share a rare insight into how she dealt with the devastating sudden loss of her nine-year-old son Sam. In her memoir, Cleo, we learn of how a day can start out more or less like every other day you've already lived through, but can end so differently. When a little black kitten arrives at her doorstep, it was like a small miracle and the beginning of the healing of Helen's family. Cleo is already an international bestseller, and "is a tribute to the healing power of animals, friendship and families." Written from Helen Brown's heart, Cleo, will warm your heart. Helen believes anyone who has suffered loss can relate to her story and her answers here. Without further ado, let me welcome Helen Brown to Chick with Books...

Q: Did your close friends respond to your tragedy in the way you hoped or were they too intimidated to know how to approach you?

A: We were in such a state of shock I had no expectations of anyone at the time. The only previous experience of death I’d had was of elderly relatives. Losing Sam was out of my realms of understanding.

Friends responded in different ways. Some stayed away, not knowing what to say. Others came and wept at our house, almost asking comfort from us, which was draining. A few used the opportunity to relate their own experiences of losing an old aunt or uncle. Some quoted passages from the Bible. None of these responses was particularly helpful.

I understand all these reactions now and forgive them completely. I would have been equally useless back then. Everyone meant well and it was almost impossible for them to know how to help – particularly back in 1983 when grief counselling barely existed.

The wisest people knew instinctively that our needs were simple. We needed them to be there, to visit the house, but not for too long. To hold us and let us weep; quietly put the kettle on; or offer to take our surviving son Rob on an outing. I know plates of food seem a cliché, but the casseroles and cakes were genuinely helpful. The house was always full of people during the days after Sam’s death. They all wanted to eat.

Q : Was it difficult for you to ask for help?

A: Yes, it was because I had no idea what sort of help I needed. I thought the pain would last forever and my life was over. Over and over again people said “Let me know if there’s anything I can do”. I know they were sincere but I was too bewildered to have any idea what needed “doing”.

Q. Were you at any time angry with the world or envious of the lives of friends that appeared so much easier than yours?

A: Absolutely. The anger was irrational for several months. It rose like molten lava in me if I saw one of Sam’s friends at the supermarket. Every other family I saw seemed smug and untouched by pain. It took a while to come to terms with my own rage and understand nobody escapes loss and pain in their lives. If I was looking for proof all I had to do was open a newspaper.

About Cleo from the Publisher... Helen Brown had no intention of adopting a pet when she brought her sons, Sam and Rob, to visit a friend's new kittens. But the runt of the litter was irresistible, with her overlarge ears and dainty chin... When Cleo was delivered weeks later, she had no way of knowing that her new family had just been hit by a tragedy. Helen was sure she couldn't keep her-until she saw something she thought had vanished from the earth forever: her son's smile. The reckless, rambunctious kitten stayed... Through happiness and heartbreak, changes and new beginnings, Cleo turned out to be the unlikely glue the affectionately held Helen's family together. Rich in wisdom, wit, heart, and healing, here is the story of a cat with an extraordinary gift for knowing just where she was needed the

most.

Helen Brown is from New Zealand, where she worked as a journalist, TV presenter, and scriptwriter. Now living in Melbourne, Australia, with her family, Helen has been voted Columnist of the Year several times. Cleo rose to the top of the bestseller lists in its first few weeks in the UK, New Zealand, and Australia and has been translated into more than eight languages. Cleo's US debut was August 31st, and is now available from your local book seller!

I want to thank Helen Brown for stopping by Chick with Books and sharing such an intimate part of her life with us. The honesty of her feelings can only help others who have suffered similar loss. Stop back Sept. 13th for my full review of Cleo by Helen Brown.

Author Michelle Moran visits Chick with Books Today with a Guest Post!

The very talented and beautiful author of Nefertiti, The Heretic Queen & Cleopatra's Daughter, Michelle Moran stops by Chick with Books today to share a little of herself & her inspirations when it comes to her writing. Join me in welcoming Michelle here today!

Michelle's Guest Post...

For every novel I have written, I can look back and say that there has been a very specific moment of inspiration - usually in some exotic locale or inside a museum - where I’ve said, “Aha! That’s going to be the subject of my next novel.” I never began my writing career with the intention to write books about three different princesses in Egypt. In fact, I had no intention of writing about ancient Egypt at all until I participated in my first archaeological dig.

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.

Each novel I’ve written has had a similar moment of inspiration for me. In many ways, my second book, The Heretic Queen is a natural progression from Nefertiti. 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 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.

But perhaps I would never have chosen to write on Nefertari at all if I hadn't 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.

While breathing in some of the most expensive air in the world, 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.

It’s the moments like this that an historical fiction author lives for. And it probably wouldn’t surprise you to learn that my decision to write Cleopatra’s Daughter came on an underwater dive to see the submerged city of ancient Alexandria. Traveling has been enormously important in my career. My adventures end up inspiring not only what I’m currently writing, but what I’m going to write about in the future.

Thanks Michelle for the wonderful guest post! And thanks also for your generosity! When I reviewed Michelle's book, Cleopatra's Daughter, a few weeks ago, Michelle nicely offered a signed copy of Cleopatra's Daughter and a signed copy of The Heretic Queen to the readers of Chick with Books! But there are only a few days left for this giveaway (ends Sept. 26th)! Here's the link to the giveaway details and the review!

Happy reading... Suzanne