by Stephanie Dray | Jan 2, 2012 | Fun Stuff, Song of the Nile
SONG OF THE NILE, begins with the wedding of my heroine, Cleopatra Selene, to the man the emperor has chosen for her. Like any bride, she is nervous and excited about her future. Her groom is the newly made King of Mauretania, and she is about to become a queen...
by Stephanie Dray | Dec 1, 2011 | Articles, Daughters of the Nile, Lily of the Nile, Research, Song of the Nile
Ancient Rome was going to get a new theatre; this was never in any doubt. Julius Caesar acquired and cleared the land on the shore of the Tiber River. However, his grand designs for the place were frustrated by his untimely assassination. Still, what are a few fatal...
by Stephanie Dray | Nov 19, 2011 | Miscellany, My Works, Song of the Nile
To the ancient Romans, just about everyone was a barbarian. (Except the Greeks, who gave them the word in the first place, not to mention an inferiority complex to go with it.) Whether it was Blue Picts of Scotland or Gallic and Germanic hordes, the Romans generally...
by Stephanie Dray | Nov 15, 2011 | Cleopatra Selene, Daughters of the Nile, Lily of the Nile, Research, Song of the Nile
The ancient kingdom of Mauretania, once ruled by Juba II and Cleopatra Selene, is lost to the sands of time. But there are the ruins. I’ve posted photos of the area near Selene’s capital city, Iol-Caesaria, modern-day Cherchell Algeria. Now, thanks to...
by Stephanie Dray | Nov 2, 2011 | Articles, Cleopatra Selene, Daughters of the Nile, For Readers, Heroines, Lily of the Nile, Miscellany, Research, Song of the Nile
For much of its history, Rome depended upon Egypt for grain. While the Romans considered themselves an agricultural nation, and paid great homage to farming in literature, poetry, and art, the simple truth was that they couldn’t feed themselves. By the time Cleopatra...
by Stephanie Dray | Oct 17, 2011 | For Writers, Miscellany, My Works, Other Writers, Song of the Nile
Most authors are nervous about their debut novels. It’s your first offering to the world and you have no idea if the world will embrace it or spit on it. But what most people don’t know is that it’s the second book that can make or break your career....
