A SESTERCE FOR HER THOUGHTS is a completely different genre for me. Time-travel to Ancient Rome? Two thousand years into the past? Omigosh! What am I thinking??
The truth is, the idea intrigued me. So here’s how this seed of a storyline grew. I was in the middle of my Sedona West murder mystery series when I received as a gift the DVD set for the BBC production,” I, Claudius.” I’d watched some of the programs over the years, but not the entire series. Honestly, it was a real treat to sit down and “binge watch” them. I already had in my library some of the historical sources dealing with this time period: Suetonius and Tacitus so I was familiar with this fascinating retelling of Roman events. And Claudius, dear unusual Claudius... what actually happened in Rome all those years ago?
What if... what if I could go back in time and interview him? Yep, my writer’s mind was working furiously. I’d already planned a time travel Regency as my next book, but I think it was when Claudius’ invasion of Britannia was mentioned on the DVD that the light bulb went off. The emperor’s military campaign came to a head in Colchester, known as Camulodunum back then. And this meant I could still do a time travel to England... but back to the year 43 AD instead of Regency times!
The more I thought about it, the more convinced I was to try to write this novel. But what did I know about Ancient Rome? About Roman legions? About everyday life for the nobility, freedmen, and slaves? Not too much, I can tell you. So I read non-fiction and fiction books on all topics imaginable. I watched many DVDs to get a feel for the flavor of life back then. As for Latin... yikes. That was super hard.
After a few months of massive research, I was ready to weave together my story: a forensic anthropologist, Olivia, who inadvertently time-travels back to 43 AD; a weary Roman legate, Quintus, who yearns for retirement; and the Emperor Claudius, who was a bit mysterious, even back then.
A SESTERCE FOR HER THOUGHTS:
Olivia
Kent knows a brass sesterce is an ancient Roman coin with a value
roughly calculated to be one fourth of a day’s pay. What she doesn’t know is
that one particular sesterce is going to transport her two thousand
years back in time to 43 AD and Rome’s invasion of Britannia. With the help of
a Druid priestess, Olivia dresses as a Roman soldier, and meets Emperor
Claudius, along with a handsome legion commander. She changes both of their
lives for the better... and her own as well. But here’s her dilemma: should she
remain back in the first century where she can make a difference? Or should she
take a chance and try to return to her own time?
A QUARTER FOR HIS THOUGHTS:
Quintus
Antonius Avitus, commander of Legio XX Valeria Victrix, has served Rome
faithfully but is weary of war. On this invasion, he comes across a puny,
injured soldier, Livius. The soldier states that he is an American from a land
to the west of Britannia--which is impossible since there are no lands past
Britannia. But Livius is full of surprises, and also turns out to be a comely
female named Olivia. Perhaps she is telling the truth? She is unlike any woman
he has known. However, she insists that she cannot stay and must return to her
home, despite the fact that Emperor Claudius wants her to accompany him to
Rome. Quintus is torn: omnia vincit amor facit--does love conquer all?
Or should he continue to auxilio imperatoris--help his Emperor?
An ancient coin transports Olivia two thousand years
back in time to the Roman invasion of Britannia and into the arms of a hunky
legion commander!
Available on Amazon.com and Smashwords.com.
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/ml6AWY
This book is part of the Exciting Time-Travels line.
* 5 Sesterces... and 5 Stars! I confess I’m new to the genre of Ancient Roman romance and all that, and I have to say now, after reading A SESTERCE FOR HER THOUGHTS, I’m hooked!! Olivia, our fish-out-of-water from the twenty-first century, has to quickly adjust to the brutal world of Imperial Rome. Fortunately she has help, otherwise it’s for certain she would’ve been in more danger than just the initial beating at the beginning of her adventure. Her concern for the Emperor Claudius is touching, and as for Quintus, well, he is a warrior with macho integrity. As a couple, they have a huge divide in cultures and expectations to overcome. Thankfully, they concentrate on the things they have in common, instead of the differences. And then, of course, comes Olivia’s dilemma... For a peek into a creative imagining of what may have happened two thousand years ago--an alternate reality, do yourself a favor and read A SESTERCE FOR HER THOUGHTS.--Just Imagine Fanzine
* 5 Stars! Quite a different read: part creative and part historical. Ms. Knight shows just how very different life was two thousand years ago, and yet people still had the same needs driving them. I enjoyed how she sprinkled Latin into the conversations to show how Olivia had to slowly translate and interpret Roman conversations. Frankly, I enjoyed everything: we discover each piece of the puzzle, to then put it all together to learn the surprise twist... or twists at the end. Excellent!--Norwood Reviews
* 5 Stars! An Outstanding Time Travel Adventure! The charming and delightful novel allows the reader to time travel back to the Roman Empire... You will be captivated by [Olivia’s] adventures--if you are like me, you will also probably learn a lot about ancient Rome that you didn’t know before!--Amazon Review
I am devouring this book!! Very, very few novels set in ancient times, even fewer romances, and as for time-travel... basically zip. Wonderful story!--Reader Comment
* 5 Stars! Delighting travel to Ancient Rome! Forensic anthropologist Olivia Kent is invited to participate in an archeological discovery of the remains of a settlement from the early Roman Imperial period in Colchester, England, once known as Camulodunum. She's insecure and suspicious about the invitation as she had recently graduated and the fact that her bossy older brother, Mathias, is also part of the team. Gathering her few belongings and her courage, she goes to England and meets the team at the old Kingston Castle. Once there, while digging, she found an ancient roman coin and is thrown two thousand years back. It's amazing how Ms. Knight builds this riveting story and shows us glimpses of Ancient Rome history. It's a page-turning romance with an unexpected and surprising end (no spoilers!) I highly recommend it!--Amazon Review
Onto my tidbits from real life. A pair of dice plays an important role in A SESTERCE FOR HER THOUGHTS. As it turns out, dice-playing was a favorite activity of the emperor’s. It’s documented that Claudius even wrote a book on it. So I had Olivia bring her lucky pair of dice with her on her trip to Colchester. Here’s a picture of the blue dice, below. They are mine and really were a souvenir from Las Vegas. As for winning $500 there, well, no, that didn’t happen, unfortunately!
In front of the large blue dice is a pair of gold dice I purchased online based on an Ancient Roman pair that the emperor might have actually owned.
Here’s the scene where
Quintus, given the dice by Olivia, hands them over to Claudius.
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With a frown, the Emperor took the small bag. He opened the drawstring and looked inside. “B-By the sacred she-wolf of Rome!” Two dice tumbled out into his hand; two colossal-sized dice the color of a moonlit sea. And just as transparent.
Claudius fingered each one. “These are very finely made, Quintus. And what are they made from? My own set of gold dice seems paltry next to these Am-American wonders.”
“Look at the side with the number ‘Two’, sir. A strange phrase: ‘Las Vegas.’ What can that mean?”
Claudius pulled out his gold dice and handed them to Quintus. As tiny as the dice were, they felt heftier than the overly large set of dice.
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For a highly unusual time-travel romance with a heavy dose of history, give A SESTERCE FOR HER THOUGHTS a try. I hope you enjoy Olivia and Quintus’ extraordinary story!
Susanne Marie Knight
Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing with a Twist!
