Cleopatra's daughter, Selene, and her famous Mom, Cleopatra VII

Friday Funnies--Ancient Style!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:18:00 +0000

When Your Agent Yells, "No!"

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:02:00 +0000

Just to be clear, I have a GREAT agent. And part of what makes her great is that she knows when to turn into a "No" machine.

I started thinking about this after I read about how all Hades broke loose when some YA authors responded with passion to what they saw as unfair reviews. (Link to the bru-ha-ha here.)

My agent, thankfully, saved me from myself multiple times when I felt tempted to defend my choices. Here's a sample of some of our conversations:

Me: This reviewer thinks it's wrong that I didn't have my main character fight against slavery. But NOBODY fought against slavery in the ancient world (except slaves themselves, like Spartacus). I have the research to prove it.

Agent: Doesn't matter. Don't respond.

Me: But I verified this with an expert! He's written several books on ancient slavery and is a professor at...

Agent: Doesn't matter. You. Can't. Respond.

Me: But...

Agent: NO!

Me: (Crosses arms and pouts)

Later

Me: This one said she was only giving it two stars because she wanted to read a novel about Cleopatra instead of Cleopatra Selene. Shouldn't someone respectfully suggest that she read the description of the book before purchasing?

Agent: No. Let. It. Go.

Me: But it's so unfair!

Agent: Yup. Doesn't matter. The answer is still, "No."

Me: But...

Agent: No, okay? N. O.

Me: (Crosses arms, pouts and taps foot)

Still Later

Me: This reviewer said my book was well-written but only gave it one star because she's angry that I, as author, did not "judge" the "immorality" of the ancient world but only presented it as it was. In particular, she's outraged that my MC has no problem with her brother possibly having a same-sex affair. That's outrageous!

Agent: Agreed.

Me: I absolutely should respond, shouldn't I?

Agent: No, you shouldn't. The review was a reflection of the reviewer and not of the book, which she complimented.

Me: Still, I should...

Agent: No! Do you hear me? No!

Me: But...

Agent: NO!

Me: (Starts to cross arms but is overcome and curls into fetal position instead)

So, you see why I appreciate my agent so much. Thank goodness she is such a "No-it-All!"

Friday Funnies--Ancient Style

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:44:00 +0000

This Week's Theme: Ridiculous Ads

using Ancient References

(Though it helps if you're an arrogant jerk!)

(I've heard of white-washing history, but that's ridiculous!)

("Will you be super-sizing that?")

(Because pimple creams and ancient mysteries go so well together!)

The German Cover and the Perils of Being Obsessive

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:35:00 +0000

Last week, I learned that the German publisher of Cleopatra's Moon released the cover of my novel with a new title, Moon Girl.

First of all, can I just say, swoooon? I mean, I LOVE the U.S. cover and I wouldn't change a thing but it was still very exciting to see a different interpretation. I responded accordingly:

1. OMG, isn't it gorgeous?
2. This is so beautiful I want to hug it!
3. Awww, look there's a moon! Because Selene means moon!
4. I want a poster of this. Do you think I could get a poster of this?
5. Begin at #1 and repeat cycle three times

Then, just to make my day complete, someone who shall not be named asked, "Wow, is that how you spell your name in German?"

Ha!

It took a while, but my obsessive brain eventually reclaimed its dominance over happy brain, with one evil little whisper: That's not a Ptolemaic crown.

Oh, right. Still, isn't it gorgeous?

But that crown is from the Amarna period, specific to Nefertiti in the 18th Dynasty. No Greek Ptolemaic queen was ever depicted with that kind of crown.

True, but that doesn't mean a Ptolemaic queen never wore a crown like that. I mean, she could've right? Maybe she was playing dress-up! Also there is a scene in the book where Selene puts on a blue crown of war.

That's an entirely different crown.

Still.

The crown on the cover is not a Ptolemaic crown.

True. But how many people are even going to know that?

Egyptologists will know. And they will judge you for it!

Seriously, can you leave my head now? Because here's the thing--there's nothing I can do about it.

That's not a Ptolemaic crown.

Sigh.

So, yeah. Welcome to my brain. The only way to manage it is to go back to step 1:

1. OMG, isn't it gorgeous?
2. This is so beautiful I want to hug it!
3. Awww, look there's a moon! Because Selene means moon!
4. I want a poster of this. Do you think I could get a poster of this?
5. Repeat!

Friday Funnies--Ancient Style

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:44:00 +0000

Medea Mash-up

In the "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Department...

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:51:00 +0000

In ancient Egypt, one of the tests for determining a woman's fertility was this:

An onion or garlic was placed in her "lady parts."* If, the next day, her breath smelled of either the onion or garlic, she was good to go.

And...let the jokes begin:

"I've heard of garlic breath, but that's ridiculous!"

"Okay, I've got the onion rings--where's the beef?"

"Wait, why are you crying?"

Got one? Add it to the comments!

*I've learned that using anatomically correct terms means that my site gets blocked from some locations for inappropriate content (Really? It's history!), so I changed the terminology. Use your imagination!

Friday Funnies--Ancient Style!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Today's Theme--American TV

Jersey Shore

So You Think You Can Dance

Toddlers and Tiaras

Happy First Friday in January!

Skype Attack!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:39:00 +0000

Yesterday I had an awesome Skype visit with St. Thomas Episcopal School in Texas. I spoke to 8th-12th grade Latin students about the ancient world and about writing Cleopatra's Moon.

I LOVED the experience and hope to have more with other schools!

The awesome Ginger Emshoff, Latin teacher and school JCL sponsor, sent me this photo of the event, which is pretty cool.

However, every time I look at it, I half-expect an athletic, short-haired blond woman to race toward the screen and heroically hurl a giant hammer at my face on the screen, a la the iconic "1984" Apple ad. If you're too young to know what I'm talking about, check it out:

(But I was on a Mac, I swear!)

Anyway, if you'd like for me to chat with your students via Skype, email me!

Friday Funnies--Ancient Style!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:15:00 +0000

Today's Theme: CATS!

(Source: LOLcats--which explains the spelling)

Poseidon's Cat Protecting His Treasure.

Archaeologists finally uncover the real reason for the pyramids.


(Just because...)

Happy Friday!

Ancient Fact of the Day: Romans Partied Hard in December

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:09:00 +0000

The ancient Romans celebrated so many holidays it's a wonder the empire didn't fold in on itself from over-partying. December in particular was fairly bursting with celebrations:

December 11--the holiday glut began with the Agonalia, a festival so old, even the Romans weren't exactly sure what it was about. Except for the sacrifice of a ram. Everyone agreed the ram must die.

December 15--next was the Consualia, a festival to honor the god Consus, protector of grains and underground storage. The first part of the Consualia took place in August, but it came around again in December. The holiday also honored horses and mules by giving them the day off. Except for those that were forced to race each other at the circus in honor of their day off.

December 17--the Saturnalia was the midwinter celebration that involved conical hats, gift-giving, decking the halls with boughs, gambling and lots of drinking. It started out as a single day of celebration but over the centuries turned into a week-long party. Io Saturnalia!

December 19--in the midst of Saturnalia partying, one had to take a break to celebrate the mother goddess, Ops with the Opalia festival. Because she said so.

December 21--the Divalia came after that, because the goddess Angerona wanted a piece of the action. The pontifices (priests) sacrificed at her temple, sometimes also called the temple of Voluptas, the goddess of sensual pleasures. No word on what else they did in the temple of the goddess of bliss.

December 23--the Larentalia honored the household god, Lares, who protected the house and family. It also honored the woman who fostered Romulus and Remus though some say it was actually a celebration of Larenta, a prostitute called "Lupa" (she-wolf) who donated the fortune she amassed from her "career" to the Roman state.

December 25--celebrated the Persian god Mithras's birthday. Mithras was also known as Sol Invictus (the unconquered sun). The emperor Aurelius turned the 25th into a public festival of the new sun.

Clearly, December's craziness has a long and storied history. So, do like the Romans and party on!

Friday Funnies--Ancient Style!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:26:00 +0000

Today's special--comics


Source: Robert Leighton/The New Yorker/Conde Naste

Source: http://twistedcartoonist.blogspot.com/2010/10/weekend-in-ancient-rome.html

Bunce’s STARCROSSED Now $2.99 on e-book

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:26:00 +0000


Elizabeth's first book in the trilogy can be had for $2.99. Also, how cool is it that we both had the word "Moon" in our titles released in 2011?

Even though I've never met Elizabeth Bunce, I love her work. Plus, we share an editor--the wonderful Cheryl Klein. And now Cheryl is hosting a giveaway of Bunce's book, Liar's Moon. Go here, to Cheryl's blog, to learn how you can win signed copies of both Starcrossed and Liar's Moon.

Also, Cheryl provides excellent tips on finding the core of your story:

If your story’s climax involves a big fight and someone wins and someone loses, that’s a Conflict.
If it involves a piece of information being revealed, that’s a Mystery.
And if two characters get together, or the character can achieve something they haven’t been able to before—that’s probably a Lack plot.

To read the rest and enter the contest for the signed books, go to Cheryl's blog.

Ancient "Fun" Fact of the Day: Ancient Romans Performed Human Sacrifice

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:52:00 +0000

Don't believe me? Read Polybius. He claims that on two different occasions during the Punic Wars, Romans buried alive humans as offerings to the gods. However, they didn't kill Romans (first it was two Greeks, then two Gauls--a man and woman each time). Each time, they buried the victims alive in a desperate plea to the gods to save Rome from destruction at the hands of Hannibal, their Carthaginian enemy.

The Romans also sacrificed young women during times of crisis (though they didn't think of them as "sacrifices."). These were the Vestal Virgins--young women whose states of virginity somehow protected Rome from all manner of evil and mayhem. Several Vestal Virgins were accused of being unchaste during the wars with Hannibal as well as during other crises and periods of unrest. Many were put to death for these "crimes" (buried alive in a special chamber just for that purpose). The aim was to appease the gods and restore balance and protection to Rome.

The Greeks also sacrificed people (think of poor Iphigenia). Plutarch tells us that Themistocles had three Persian young men sacrificed before battle against Xerxes because a prophet told him he should. And besides, "a man sneezed on the right, which was an intimation of a fortunate event."

I guess the lesson is, don't sneeze on someone's right!

On "Damnatio Memoriae" and Making Evil Disappear

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:49:00 +0000


Source: Sean Simmers, THE PATRIOT-NEWS

The Huffington Post recently published my post on why denial is the real issue when confronting evil. The post was prompted after my editor mentioned that a friend of hers had used the phrase "damnatio memoriae" in reference to an artist who painted over the image of accused molester Jerry Sandusky after the sex-abuse scandal broke.

That led me to think a lot of about the painter's reaction as well and our own very human impulse to deny the ugliness that is sometimes right in front of us. Go here to read the full article.

(Photo: The image of Sandusky on a mural celebrating Penn State was painted over after the scandal broke. All that is left now is an empty chair.)

Friday Funnies--Ancient Style!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:20:00 +0000

Little known inventions of the Greeks:

Texting on the toilet.

The Victoria's Secret Catwalk.

(Started out as "Victor's Secret."

Bejeweling family jewels came later.)

Pilates.

Book Review: The Ionia Sanction

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:47:00 +0000

Nico's back! And he's even funnier and more interesting than ever. We met our intrepid, bumbling, loveable young hero from ancient Greece in Gary Corby's The Pericles Commission, the first in a series about Nicoloas, the young man determined to live a life of intrigue as an investigator rather than follow in his father's footsteps as a sculptor.

In the Ionia Sanction, Nico initially bungles a murder investigation, angering his patron Pericles, and travels to Ephesus in a last-ditch effort to get to the bottom of the case. This set up allows us to spend some time with him (and his brilliant little brother, Socrates) in Greece, which he evokes with fascinating detail (including a slave auction).

In Ephesus, Nico tracks down his love, the brilliant Diotima, who is serving Artemis as a priestess in the famous gigantic temple there. I won't say more mostly because, honestly, I don't like reviews that detail the plot for me (those are the bits I skip when I'm reading reviews), so I'll just focus on my review: I loved it!

So. Much. Fun.

That's a huge feat in and of itself, don't you think? I mean, how many writers could actually make ancient Greece at the dawn of democracy "fun?" Yet Corby succeeds masterfully by balancing intrigue with both physical and intellectual humor. I found The Ionia Sanction even funnier than The Pericles Commission, which says a lot. But the humor wasn't at the expense of characterization--rather, it enriched it and made Nico and Diotima even more likeable.

The politics with Persia was fascinating and I really like the way that Corby ramped up the intensity with Diotima with some very interesting...er, scenes. And, of course, the twist at the end is both surprising and satisfying. It feels like Corby is hitting his stride with his second book, which bodes well for the series. I am already looking forward to the next one.

Friday Funnies--Ancient Style!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:20:00 +0000

Because sometimes you gotta laugh instead of cry:

Shedding Light on Dark of the Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:24:00 +0000

I like to keep it simple, so here's my review of Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett: I loved it. This re-imagining of the Theseus myth is fresh, fascinating and--most importantly--plausible!

I love books that force me to rethink stories and myths and Dark of the Moon does exactly that. Plus, it looks at this ancient myth from Ariadne's point of view, tying her story to the slow dissolution of goddess worship in favor of patriarchal gods. We also get the story from Theseus's point of view to counter-balance Ariadne's.

Tracy was kind enough to talk with me about her writing process:

1. The Theseus myth is a classic "hero's journey" and, in that way, very male-centric. What inspired you to look at the story from Ariadne's point of view?

It's pretty clear that the moon goddess played an important role in the religion of Minoan Crete, and perhaps this goddess was at the head of their pantheon. We don't know for sure, but when I'm writing historical fiction (as opposed to nonfiction, when I'm scrupulous about documenting sources and clearly labeling speculation as such), I figure that as long as something is plausible, I can use it.

So I wanted to try to reconstruct a possible society based on moon-goddess worship. That, combined with the facts that I'm intrigued by familiar stories told by a narrator other than the one we're used to and that I'm drawn to a teen voice, made Ariadne a logical choice.

2. How much do we really know about the culture of ancient Crete?

Not much, unfortunately, and most of what we do know was filtered by the mainland Greeks, who had a much different culture. For example, the Minotaur myth is probably a garbled retelling by Greek (perhaps Athenian) travelers of a set of rituals where the sun-god, imagined by the Cretans as a bull, might have been represented by a priest wearing a bull's head mask. Perhaps this priest engaged in a ritual marriage with the priestess of the moon-goddess. It's possible that the Cretans practiced human sacrifice. The Athenians and Cretans were bitter rivals for supremacy in the Aegean Sea, and it's no wonder that they saw the whole thing as something perverted, or wanted to present the Minoans as bloodthirsty savages who kept man-eating monsters in their basements. All of these elements could have combined to make the wonderful story of the Minotaur.

3. I love how you worked in scenarios that "could have happened" as a way to explain some of the "Tall Story" aspects of the original myth. How did you come up with these moments/scenes?

That's one of those mysterious processes! I love puzzles; I'm always working on a crossword or a sudoku or something else. When I hit an issue like, "Why would someone need a ball of yarn to get out of the labyrinth?" (I've seen the maze of storerooms that were probably the inspiration for the labyrinth, and it wouldn't take much to get out of it), I treat it like a puzzle. I investigated yarn, what its meaning was in ancient Greece (since the Greeks, and not the Cretans, tell the story of the ball of yarn), etc. Then when I find new use for the ball of yarn that fits both the mythological source and my story, it feels like magic, even though it's the result of a lot of researching and thinking.

4. What was your favorite part of the book?

I really enjoyed writing the part where Ariadne is drugged into thinking she has become the moon goddess (or did she really become the moon goddess?) and surveys the crowd, looking for the incarnation of the sun god.

5. Why do you think these ancient tales still have the power to enthrall us so much?

I actually have a theory about that! The myths were told and re-told by different people long before they were written down. Each teller had a different life history, a different set of personal beliefs, and a different way of looking at the world, and each left her or his own subtle imprint on the story. This multiplicity of narrators makes the myths and legends so layered and rich that everyone can find something meaningful in them, and they can be read and interpreted in many ways and on many levels.

6. What's your next book going to be about?

It's so new and fragile that I'm afraid of talking about it for fear of breathing too hard on the bubble and breaking it. Let's just leave it at a slave girl in the ancient Roman world who faces a personal crisis at the same time that her world faces cataclysm.

Wow, that sounds awesome! Thanks Tracy!

Cleo Selene and Todd Hewitt, Sittin' in a Tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G...

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:18:00 +0000

Education.com, a leading web site for parents and teachers, selected Cleopatra's Moon for its 2011 Gift Guide for high school aged kids. YAY!

The reviewer called it a "slam dunk for historical fiction lovers" and was selected from thousands of products, including, as you can imagine, nifty gadgets like iphones and speakers.

But you know what makes me happiest of all? Patrick Ness's The Knife of Never Letting Go was also on this list! (*Swoons*) Cleopatra Selene on the same list with Todd Hewitt? (*Swoons again*).

Honestly, I need to stop swooning because these black-and-blue marks on my backside are getting difficult to explain. Except...EXCEPT! To have my book uttered in the same breath as KNIFE? (*Swoons* Ouch! Dangit)

Check it out: Education.com.

Friday Funnies--Ancient Style!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:50:00 +0000

With permission from http://prometheuscomic.wordpress.com/ and Dumb Bum comics.

"Mamas Don't Let You Babies grow up to be Twit-less!"

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:23:00 +0000

Yesterday, I had a twitter chat with my editor, Cheryl Klein of Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic and stumbled upon some unexpected drama.

The hashtag we used--#CMchat (for Cleopatra's Moon chat)--was being used by country music aficianados. #CMchat was a fairly busy twitter convo before we came along and crashed their party for an hour.

It took us a while to understand what was happening. We ended up keeping the hashtag because well, what else could we do? This was the hashtag we'd told folks to use for more than a week. Plus, we were only going to be using it for an hour. We apologized as best we could.

But it turns out some country music fans aren't too "in-ner-es-ted" in the process of writing and publishing a novel.

Who knew?

Which, actually, I find surprising because I think that country songs are the last bastion of story-telling in the modern music industry. I don't always like the "sturm und twang" of some the songs but I can't deny that the storytelling is often compelling and full of emotional resonance.

And who knows, some country music fan may yet take pity on our hapless-hashtag-wrangling and check out my book.

If you missed the chat, Cheryl put the transcripts of the 140-character-at-a-time exchanges on her blog. In one section, she identifies the four essential elements she looks for when considering whether to purchase a manuscript.

Another interesting tidbit--Cheryl says she can "shut off" the editor in her if the pleasure-book she is reading contains those elements she seeks for her own manuscripts. If they don't, she puts the book down, which she says happens about once every three or four books.

Also, you can find out what her Roman name would have been.

So check it out. And thank you, pard'ner!

Friday Funnies--Ancient Style!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:37:00 +0000

Nothing against vegetarians (love ya, Judi)

--just thought this was funny.

Plus it had the word ancient in it!

via stumblepod.com

(Thankfully never heard a kid say anything like that at the Carlos Museum! But we've come close!)

This comic made me think of Justin Beiber's current "scandal."

(Why I even know about such things is, admittedly, very scary.)

Ancient Fun Fact: Egyptians Hated Body Hair

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:26:00 +0000

Or, at least, it sure seemed that way--especially since they had so many tools to help them get rid of it. The most popular: razors and tweezers, which look very much like our own.

Priests were said to shave their entire bodies--including eyebrows. Men and women shaved their heads--some say in order to keep lice away. Egyptians wouldn't dare enter a temple with stubble of any kind.

They also hated fabric made from wool (preferring linen)--perhaps because they thought wool was too much like hair!

Friday Funnies--Ancient Style!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:34:00 +0000

"Run men, RUN! Kim Kardashian's divorce is

about to go through."

Perseus's Middle Name was Chuck Norris.

"Run, ladies, RUN! It's Herman Cain!"

(And just because I miss GAME OF THRONES:)

Scar totally looks like Drogo
(from totallylookslike.com)

It's a Twitter Chat!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:43:00 +0000

Ever want to ask me or my editor about the process of writing and publishing Cleopatra's Moon? Now's your chance!

AAL Books/Scholastic Senior Editor Cheryl Klein and I will be on a Twitter chat Monday, 11/14 at 12:30 EST to discuss writing, editing, and all manner of writerly things.

Cheryl has the details at the bottom of this Q&A post about the novel on her blog. The twitter hash tag will be: #CMchat and our twitter handles are @valvearshecter and @chavelaque.

So please join us during your lunch hour on Monday, November 14!

Also, please note that Drag-Queen Cleo (DQC) promises to be there and add her opinion on occasion. Oh, and she told me to tell you that she will know whether you are there or not. And she's not kidding--just look into her eyes, okay?

For those that don't know, DQC is an action-figure Cleopatra whom I adore, especially once I realized her makers stuck a GI-JOE head on her queenly body. You go, DQC!