Thank
you very much for welcoming me to your Tuesday Talk, Helen.
My
debut novel, INCEPTIO, was published in early March, the end of three years of
slog – researching, writing, and polishing. It’s a thriller, so it’s doubly
exciting. Now, I’d like to tell you about it! But too much telling’s frowned on
by Those Who Know, so let me show you…
An eleven
year old fascinated by the mosaics in Ampurias (huge Roman site in Spain), I asked
my father, “What would it be like if Roman women were in charge, instead of the
men?”
Maybe it was the fierce sun boiling my brain, maybe it was just a precocious kid asking a smartarse question. But clever man and senior ‘Roman nut’, my father replied, “What do you think it would be like?” Real life intervened (school, uni, career, military, marriage, motherhood, business ownership), but the idea bubbled away in my mind and INCEPTIO slowly took shape.
Maybe it was the fierce sun boiling my brain, maybe it was just a precocious kid asking a smartarse question. But clever man and senior ‘Roman nut’, my father replied, “What do you think it would be like?” Real life intervened (school, uni, career, military, marriage, motherhood, business ownership), but the idea bubbled away in my mind and INCEPTIO slowly took shape.
Of course, I made the classic mistake of submitting too soon, but had
some encouraging replies. Several rewrites later and I’d made some full
submissions, even to a US agent! I had replies like ‘If it was a straight
thriller, I’d take it on’ and ‘Your writing is excellent, but it wouldn’t fit
our list.’ I was (am!) passionate about
my stories so I decided to self publish with bought-in publishing services
provided by SilverWood Books. I found your advice about this particularly
useful – thank you! Using high quality professional backing (editing, advice,
registrations, typesetting, design, book jacket, proofing, etc.), I’ve found it
a fantastic way for a new writer to enter the market.
Alternate
history is based on the idea of “what if”? What if King Harold had won
the Battle of Hastings in 1066? Or if Julius Caesar had taken notice of the
warning that assassins wanted to murder him on the Ides of March? Sometimes, it
could be little things such as in the film Sliding
Doors, when the train door shuts and Gwyneth Paltrow’s character splits
into two; one rides away on the train, the other is left standing on the
platform.
The rest of the story or history of a country, from that
point on develops differently from the one we know. In my book, Roma Nova
battled its way from a small colony in the late fourth century somewhere north
of Italy into a high tech, financial mini-state which kept and developed Roman
Republican values, but with a twist. It’s really fun working this out! The
thriller story then takes place against this background. The nearest comparison
would be J D Robb’s Eve Dallas Death
series.
Stories
with Romans are usually about famous emperors, epic battles, depravity,
intrigue, wicked empresses and a lot of sandals, tunics and swords. But imagine
the Roman theme projected sixteen hundred years further forward into the 21st
century. How different would that world be?
So what’s INCEPTIO about?
New York
– present day, alternate reality. Karen Brown, angry and frightened after surviving
a kidnap attempt, has a harsh choice – being eliminated by government enforcer
Jeffery Renschman or fleeing to the mysterious Roma Nova, her dead mother’s
homeland in Europe. Founded sixteen centuries ago by Roman exiles and ruled by
women, Roma Nova gives Karen safety, a ready-made family and a new career. But
a shocking discovery about her new lover, the fascinating but arrogant special forces
officer Conrad Tellus who rescued her in America, isolates her.
Renschman reaches
into her new home and nearly kills her. Recovering, she is desperate to find
out why he is hunting her so viciously. Unable to rely on anybody else, she
undergoes intensive training, develops fighting skills and becomes an
undercover cop. But crazy with bitterness at his past failures, Renschman sets
a trap for her, knowing she has no choice but to spring it...
And next? I’m working on PERFIDITAS, the second book in the
Roma Nova series.
You can
find INCEPTIO on
You can read more about Alison, Romans, alternate history and writing on her
and follow her on Twitter
@alison_morton
Follow Alison's complete Blog Tour:
April 1 Review by Because
this Girl Loves Books booksandbeverages.wordpress.com
April 2 Guest Post on Of
History and Kings ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.co.uk
April 3 Guest Post/ Sneak
Peek on Alive on the Shelves aliveontheshelves.com
April 4 Interview by Because
this Girl Loves Books booksandbeverages.wordpress.com
April 5 Author Spotlight by
Brook Cottage Books brookcottagebooks.blogspot.co.uk
April 6 Guest Post on Layered
Pages http://www.layeredpages.blogspot.co.uk
April 7 Interview by Layered
Pages http://www.layeredpages.blogspot.co.uk
April 8 Review/ Giveaway on
Pedacinho Literario pedacinho-literario.blogspot.pt
April 9 Review by Crime
Thriller Girl crimethrillergirl.com
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Helen