Of all the settings portrayed in my novel about 1st Century Rome, Rubies of the Viper, none was more painful—and paradoxically more exciting and challenging—to envision than the Carcer Tullianus, Rome’s notorious underground death chamber. I can’t be specific about the scenes set there, because that would reveal key elements… Read More »The Dreadful Carcer by Martha Marks
War and the Human Spirit My love for history dates back to high school. I’ve always thought you could learn a lot from the people of the past. Most lived far more precarious lives than we do. They suffered and died and frequently triumphed. Our own lives are better because of their struggles. No wonder… Read More »War and the Human Spirit by I. J. Parker
…or not. While I read a lot of non-fiction books about the Victorian era, I spend as much time, if not more, in fiction contemporary to the era, Dickens, Meredith, Hardy, Eliot (etc., etc., etc.) Here I get a real feel for what it was like to live then. I… Read More »AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER by V. R. Christensen
Finishing Jerusalem Falls and seeing it in print has been particularly exhilarating for me. I worked with that story for four long years through some pretty difficult things. Even though it’s my second, I learned a thing or two about how much work it takes, and how excruciating it can… Read More »Jerusalem Falls by Jack Dixon