More than ten years ago, I joined Stephanie Dray, Kate Quinn, Sophie Perinot, and Eliza Knight for drinks at the Historical Novel Society conference when someone brought up and interesting idea: What if we collaborated on a novel? What if we each picked a character and then everyone’s else’s characters would weave in and out […]

Rob Cain of Ancient Rome Refocused challenged those of who love ancient Rome to write a short story about the arguably emotional pre-Raphaelite painting, “The Romans Leaving Britain,” by Sir John Everett Millais (mid19th-century). And what a scene it is! The Roman soldier’s body-language is one of despair and pain, and the woman’s appears shocked […]

If there is any group of people who understand the joy of learning and making new connections, it’s teachers. So it was a treat for me to speak at the Carlos Museum’s summer Educator’s Summit. We had a mix of art teachers and history teachers attend and I spent the morning yesterday “nerding out” with […]

Audiobooks.com has all three of these fun mid-grade mythology books on sale until April 18, 2024. Save 50% on each book. The actors who gave voice to Anubis, Thor, and Hades really captured their individual quirks. And because these were written for kids, the facts included in these stories--specifically about ancient beliefs and practices--were vetted [...]

Y’all, this was announced more than a month ago, but did I share this news? No, I did not. Why? Because I get attacks of shyness where it seems like drawing attention to myself or my work just feels, icky, ya know? Like bragging? But, I realized after a while, that not sharing this news […]

I rarely write short fiction, but I felt compelled to write a short story based on a book idea I’ve been considering. So I wrote the story–“The Untold Story of the Murder of Isis”–and submitted it to the Ink of Ages Fiction Contest, hosted by World History Encyclopedia and sponsored by the Oxford University Press. […]

The Carlos Museum of Antiquities at Emory University is not a typical venue for one of the greats of modern children's book illustrators, but for now until December 10th, you can gaze upon the remarkable work of Benny Andrews. Andrews illustrated some of Langston Hughes' books of poetry for children, some of which are featured [...]

The release of this novel snuck right past us during Thanksgiving Week, but A Song of War: A Novel of Troy is finally out! Like our other collaborative novel, A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii, we joined with authors who love ancient history and wrote the novel together, each of us taking a […]

Several years ago, six historical fiction authors played with a fun idea. What if we all wrote a novel together? What if we each picked a character whose story line threaded through everyone else’s story? And what if we weaved them all together to tell one powerful story? That’s how A Day of Fire: A [...]

I marched my way into the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University yesterday. I was pumped up to tour high school Latin students through our Greek and Roman galleries, only to learn that the tour was cancelled. And I'd even put on my new earrings from Plato's Fire for the occasion! My lil phone photo does not capture [...]

It’s fascinating to see the depth of consideration that comes into the art and science of conserving ancient artifacts and to resist adding things you don’t know.

Elvis shows up a lot in ancient art. An Elvis look-alive was dug up in ancient Iran as well in what was then called Commagene. But could he sing?

Powerful women are always fascinating, but there is something especially intriguing about women in the ancient world who led their kingdoms and also led armies into battle.

At first I was beguiled by the sweet intensity and realness of the girl in this image from The Met Collection . Then I saw the artist’s title for the photograph: CIRCE. I immediately went into mama-lionness mode: This is a CHILD! Why would the photographer name her after the wily, sexual witch who turned men […]

If you follow me on social media, then you know that I have a new pup named Ody (for Odysseus). He’s a lovable wild man. I just got him groomed and you can see the startling change in my intrepid adventurer: ODYSSEUS BEFORE: ODYSSEUS AFTER: Long live Odysseus! If you want to keep up with […]

Today is the official release day for Warrior Queens: True Stories of Six Ancient Rebels Who Slayed History. I am still amazed by the beautiful cover and illustrations by outstanding artist, Bill Mayer. Seriously, check out his site because his work is consistently stunning. The joy of working on a book like Warrior Queens was not just […]

The author of the dark and delicious, #1 New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns series was kind enough to blurb my upcoming nonfiction book, Warrior Queens. I still can’t get over the awesomeness! Here’s what she said: “Vicky Alvear Shecter’s Warrior Queens is a wonderful profile of irrepressible women, some of whom history has overlooked. The snappy narrative […]

Publisher’s Weekly listed my latest nonfiction–Warrior Queens–in its Fall 2019 Children’s Sneak Preview issue, so it seemed the right time to show you the cover. TA-DA! Warrior Queens, true stories of six ancient queens who took up arms against invaders and enemies, has been a labor of love long in the making. Thank you Boyds […]

I love this article about teaching ancient slavery in the South by professor Sam Flores at the College of Charleston. Living in Georgia, I always bring up slavery in my  tours at the Carlos Museum and when I make presentations at schools. Why? Because I think it’s important to discuss two points: 1) That most […]

They call it “Mark Antony’s Galea,” the legendary helmet created by Cleopatra’s Egyptian craftsmen and smiths for her Roman consort, Mark Antony. Featuring Egyptian iconography, this extraordinary helmet is beyond gorgeous. And, if you can believe it, was created completely by a 3D printer! That’s right. It’s a creation by Custom Prototypes in Toronto and (unsurprisingly) won […]

Not all of them, of course. But enough of them that it likely reinforced the ancient Egyptian belief that cats were conduits of the divine. It’s right there, smack in the middle of their foreheads: the symbol for Ra, or Khepri-in-the-Morning, the sun god in the form of a scarab beetle. Do you see it? […]

Thanks to Dr. Nicoletta Sella, I had the pleasure of speaking at the West Virginia Junior Classical League annual conference recently. Every time I attend a JCL event and hear teens talking about ancient Rome and parading about in togas I think, “*sob* These are my people!” The wild and crazy world of ancient Rome […]

How they Help Us Explore the Disconnect Between A Man’s Self-perceived Goodness and the Actual Consequences of His Actions.  When internet porn was new, I had a boss who pressed a button so that photos of naked women and/or porn would flash on his large computer screen–which he swiveled my way–every time I walked in to […]

The H-Team announces a new collaborative release–the story of the Odyssey told from the point of view of the witches, monsters, lovers, and enemies Odysseus left behind during his ten year journey back to Ithaca from the battlefields of Troy. I am so proud to have been a member of this team–A Sea of Sorrow: […]

A little scene from The Iliad recently came to my attention and it totally cracked me up.  Of course, I had to share it here. So in Book 14, the war between the Greeks and the Trojans is in full swing. Hera wants to create an advantage for the Greeks but she doesn’t want her hubby […]

Coming October 17, 2017 I am so excited to announce our latest H-Team collaboration: A SEA OF SORROW: A NOVEL OF ODYSSEUS. Six authors who love writing about the ancient world banded together once again to explore the hidden personalities and dynamics behind Homer’s endlessly fascinating second epic. I’ve been blown away by the creativity […]

If you’ve ever wondered what accomplished authors could create when they allowed themselves to PLAY without limits with the stories that always fascinated them, here’s your chance. It’s been such an honor to be a part of this team and I’m really proud of these collaborative novels. And now they are available together for an […]

Animal mummification was big business in ancient Egypt. Often temples bred animals for the purposes of later killing and mummifying them. They sold these mummies as religious relics worshippers could purchase and offer to their patron god or goddess for protection. It turns out, however, that mummy sellers often cheated their customers. Out of 800 animal […]

I am so proud to announce that A SONG OF WAR: A NOVEL OF TROY is out today. This is the third collaborative novel I’ve participated in and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it. What is a collaborative novel? I like to describe it as a creative exercise where professional authors join together to intertwine […]

I missed the ceremony last month for the announcement of the 2016  “Books All Young Georgians Should Read,” sponsored by the Georgia Center for the Book, but I finally picked up the award yesterday. Isn’t it beautiful? THOR SPEAKS! made the list and I couldn’t be prouder. The wonderful thing about this award (aside from the obvious), […]

The story that initially captured our imaginations about the ancient world gets a reboot in this collaboration novel, releasing October 18th. Helen, Paris, Achilles, Cassandra, Odysseus, Agamemnon, Aeneas and other famous names spring to life in fresh new ways. As always, I am so excited and honored to be a part of this collaboration novel […]

The REAL reason Michael Phelps Always Wins Women’s Volleyball–The Early Years   Simone Biles in a Prior Life (“Seriously, after this, vaulting in a gym is a breeze…no bull.”)

In honor of the National JCL Convention in Indiana.

Thanks to Angela Jordan and Michelle Hopf of Auburn University, I was invited to speak with teens participating in the university’s week-long writing camp. Each student received a copy of Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii. I met with them for “Dinner and Conversation with the Author” It. Was. Awesome. The kids were all so bright, […]

I’ve always said that reading historical fiction is like having your very own personal time machine. It’s the greatest of escapes. And summer is the best time to lose yourself in another world and time. A bunch of authors decided to make it easier for you to crank that time machine. You could win books and […]

I saw this video on FB and was really moved by it. Every person in it is extraordinarily beautiful, to remind us that even exceptional beauty and youth does not protect you from the pain and unfairness of color bias. In the video, USC’s Dr. Lanita Jacobs points out that colonization and slavery play a role in beauty […]

Ever notice how wanting something very badly turns you into a child? No? Just me? Well, after watching this video of Ben Kane, Russell Whitfield, and Anthony Riches walk from Capua to Rome, kitted out as Roman soldiers, I find myself obsessed with trying to figure out how I could join them in future marches. […]

So thrilled and excited to learn that Hades Speaks: A Guide to the Underworld by the Greek God of the Dead made the the Young Adult Library Association’s (YALSA) 2016 Quick Pick List for Reluctant Young Adult Readers in the nonfiction category. The list honors books the committee thinks teens “will pick up on their own and read for pleasure; […]

Quick answer: Own up to it. Here’s an email conversation I had with a reader who wanted an explanation for something she noticed: Hi Vicky, I started reading this novel and I am really starting to enjoy it.   I noticed that since this is a piece during the Roman period all the references to the […]

Boudica, the ancient British queen who led a rebellion that almost stopped Rome in its tracks, lives in the pages of A Year of Ravens as seen through the eyes of her daughters, her warriors, her enemies and her priests. I am so excited and honored to be a part of this fascinating project, along with authors […]

In celebration of the release of THOR SPEAKS! Also, don’t forget to sign up to win your free copy of the book. Q: Why won’t Spiderman and Batman ever party with Thor ? A: Because they hate getting HAMMERED! “I’m THOR!” the God of Thunder cried while riding his horse. “That’s because you forgot your thaddle, […]

A Year of Ravens: a Novel of Boudica’s Rebellion When I was invited to be a part of the team writing a novel about Boudica and her rebellion against Rome, I was all, YES PLEASE! Because who doesn’t love the tragic story of a warrior queen who’s had enough of Roman brutality and expresses it via […]

Goodreads Book Giveaway Thor Speaks! by Vicky Alvear Shecter Giveaway ends October 16, 2015. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway

Because Thor wordplay is fun! As is posting pics of Chris Hemsworth… Don’t forget to enter to win a free copy of THOR SPEAKS! Goodreads Book Giveaway Thor Speaks! by Vicky Alvear Shecter Giveaway ends October 16, 2015. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway

Goodreads Book Giveaway Thor Speaks! by Vicky Alvear Shecter Giveaway ends October 16, 2015. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway

From Thor’s Speaks! A Guide to to the Realms by the Norse God of Thunder“The story of how Odin obtained the gift of poetry to share with humans involves murder, beheadings, black-hearted dwarves, and bird poop. My favorite kind of story!” Come see me talk about Thor Speaks! on the children’s stage at the Decatur Book Festival […]

Thor on his super hammer, belt of power, and magic iron gloves: “You should know that I don’t actually need these power tools. I mean, I’m already super-strong. But I’m not going to lie–using them is a blast! And no, I won’t let you borrow them. Ever. So stop asking…” From Thor Speaks! A Guide to the Realms by […]

The official release date for THOR SPEAKS! is September 8th, though I will be signing it this weekend at the Decatur Book Festival! Come on out and see me on the Children’s Stage this Sunday, September 6, at 3:00. Meanwhile, did you know that Thor rides a chariot pulled by goats? Here’s his take on it: […]

It kind of snuck up on me but Thor Speaks! comes out in a week! It’s gotten a thumbs up from PW and Kirkus and I’ll be introducing it at the Decatur Book Festival on Sunday, September 6th, on the children’s stage. In the meantime, I thought I might revive Friday Funnies in honor of the big lug. Enjoy!  

Isn’t it amazing?! I’m proud to be part of the cover reveal for Stephanie Dray’s new novel, America’s First Daughter, the story of Jefferson’s eldest daughter, Patsy. It releases in March. I can’t wait to read this one! Also, get this. Just as the two authors–Stephanie and Laura Kamoie (aka Laura Kay)–were about to release the galleys for […]

After the success of A Day of Fire, a number of us ancient-history-lovers–Ruth Downie, Stephanie Dray, E. Knight, Kate Quinn, SJA Turney, Russell Whitfield and I–decided to work together on a new collaborative novel. We are proud to bring you: A Year of Ravens: A Novel of Boudicca Britannia: land of mist and magic clinging to the western edge […]

I love being a docent at the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University. Introducing kids to the world of ancient history is a great joy. Sometimes, being at the museum combines more than one awesome thing. Today was that kind of day. First I gave a tour to a bunch of wonderful sixth-grade boys. […]

Meet Sisyphish, named after that ancient Greek rock star, Sisyphus. Pretty boy lived two years (which is about standard, I’ve learned. Don’t judge.) Sadly, he recently went belly up. Which meant it was time for another Roman funeral. (You can see the first one, here.) Unlike our first ancient Roman fish funeral for Aeneas (may he rest in peace), this […]

The wonderful thing about researching history is that I’m always learning new things. The most aggravating thing about researching history is that I’m always learning new things too late. I hate it when I find something new I could’ve used in my past books. For example, I recently learned that the Romans had a god of farts […]

There’s a local chef celebrity in my neighborhood. Jim Stacy, owner of the Pallookaville restaurant, is known for his clever takes on traditional southern foods. His outsized personality (which matches his 6’6″ frame) has turned his latest creation into a huge hit. Gourmet corn dogs and liquored up milk-shakes? Yes, please. I didn’t think I could love the […]

Recently, I had the most wonderful school visit at Neptune Middle School in central Florida. Every year, students choose which author they would like to invite for their author visit and they chose me after reading Cleopatra Rules! The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen. Before I came, the kids created a trailer to […]

Researchers have learned that  dung beetles use the Milky Way to navigate in a straight line as they push their stolen balls of poop to safety. Let me repeat that–the smallest, smelliest, weirdest among us somehow orient themselves via the edges of our own galaxy  to get around. Dude, the best we can do is plug into […]

  Writing is definitely isolating, so when readers take the time to tell you that they enjoyed your work, it is PURE BLISS. Recently I got this amazing note from a parent: I am writing to let you know how much my daughter loved Anubis Speaks!  We are homeschoolers currently wrapping up our section on Ancient […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMmvvARV5i0&feature=youtu.be As part of a Scholastic Book Fair event, the media specialist of Deer Creek Middle School in Oklahoma invited students to make videos of their favorite books. A group of three eighth graders made this fun video of Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii. The whole school voted on the videos made for the […]

Many of us came to a love of the classics after reading historical fiction set in the ancient world. Unfortunately, most modern publishers are seeking the next big dystopia like Hunger Games or fantasy like Harry Potter. That why I’m asking those who have read my book–Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii-–and enjoyed it, to consider voting for it via […]

Try wrapping your head around this:  excavators in Egypt have found four million cat mummies, seven million dog mummies, four million ibis mummies and tens of thousands of other mummified animals, big and small–including bulls, mice, snakes, baboons, lions, and even bugs! Apparently, the ancient Egyptian philosophy of “Go Big or Go Home!” didn’t just apply […]

I’d been–accidentally, I swear–the last person to deplane in Baton Rouge because I’d stayed to help a sweet old lady on  crutches make it off the plane.  (Hahahaha, NO. Actually, I’d been reading a book, waiting for the crush to disperse when I looked up and found the plane entirely empty and the stewardesses glaring at me).  I […]

At long last, this riveting story about the final days of Pompeii is available in e-book and print! “This truly is the finest book I have read this year, an emotional roller-coaster that educates while it entertains. Its impact will stay with me for quite some time.” ~Parmenion Books “Despite knowing what happens in Pompeii […]

In celebration of the upcoming release of a novel in six parts–A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii—we are giving away a necklace and earring set inspired by ancient Roman jewelry (enter the giveaway here). The novel was the brainchild of Stephanie Dray and Kate Quinn ad I feel very fortunate to be among […]

Last week was pretty exciting–I was on a local TV show to talk about my latest book, held a storytelling event in honor of Hades, and started editing the next in the series, Thor Speaks!   Here’s the link to the interview: http://archive.11alive.com/atlanta_and_company_story.aspx?storyid=325308 I didn’t tell anyone about my appearance because I didn’t want to be nervous. […]

It was SUCH an honor to present a workshop at the Auburn Writer’s Conference this past weekend. The founder of the conference, Chantel Acevedo, and her team put on one powerful event! Thursday morning, thanks to conference organizers, I spoke to the entire 8th grade class at Beulah High School. They’d provided a copy of Curses and Smoke: A […]

At the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, I gave a presentation with fellow historical fiction author (and new friend!) Kim Teter. During my talk, a video of a real pyroclastic surge I wanted to play for the audience wouldn’t cooperate, so I told everyone that I would put it on my blog. So here it […]

This is in honor of Starz's "Outlander," Episode 7 (y'all know what I'm talking about). Just because "Hades Speaks!" is out and I love Grumpy. Can I put this in my will?

The Daily Show‘s bit on the meeting of die-hard Redskins fans with Native Americans who oppose the use of the epithet as a football team’s name was disappointingly tame. Where were the high emotions, the tears, and the outrage of those poor beleaguered fans who found themselves “ambushed” by those who find the name deeply hurtful […]

You know you’re a total geek when you actual tear-up in the face of ancient artifacts. This happened twice to me in the past week. The first time occurred while I was at SIBA, the trade show for the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance in Norfolk, VA. I was there to moderate a historical fiction panel with authors, […]

  It’s a poster! And on the back, is an educator’s guide for using these booksin the classroom (Core Curriculum standards too). Want one? Leave a comment!

Because of my travels to the Southeastern Independent Bookseller’s Association conference, I failed to announce the winner of Hades Speaks! A Guide to the Underworld by the Greek God of the Dead.  Congrats to Donna! Thank you all for participating and for spreading the word about “H-man.”

Imagine six different historical fiction writers getting together and deciding to “play” with story-telling. What if we all focused on a single famous event? What if characters from each others’ stories wove in and out of everyone’s tales? What if we each took a period before, during and after an explosive event, but kept them connected to the […]

My novel of Pompeii is set in a gladiatorial school, so I was excited to see this short documentary-like video about what life was really like for gladiators. I’ll admit I gave a little squee when the medicus showed up, given that Tag, one of the main characters in Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii, is […]

In honor of the release of Hades Speaks!   …A little underground humor!

“Ever notice how people get my name and realm confused? Yeah, it irritates me, too.”  -Hades Hades Speaks! A Guide to the Underworld by the Greek God of the Dead is officially out! The dark lord has a lot to say about his origins, his minions, and all the creepy nooks and crannies of his realm. “One Greek […]

“The day all archaeologists and academics agree on the interpretation of any one fact is the day you will hear in the news, ‘Today, on this day in history, hell froze over.'”

I absolutely love this short film of “mundane” Hera. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujqoQ6V_kl0#t=558

I wanted to be clear about the difference between stories and reality lest I get branded, “The Nightmare Bringer.”

There are so many opportunities to win a free copy of CURSES AND SMOKE: A NOVEL OF POMPEII, I thought I’d do a quick round-up. Enter one or enter them all—it’s up to you. Some are closing within hours or days, so get on it! May the odds be in your favor! 😉   FREE […]

In honor of the release of Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii, I’m going with a volcano/Pompeii theme. Enjoy!  

I promised everyone a smoking volcano cake at my launch party for Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii and I didn’t lie. It smoked. I swear! For about ten seconds. Then we discovered that the water we were pouring into the container with the dry ice was dripping inside the cake. Of course, the only proper response to that […]

Two-thousand years later we are still dealing with the vestiges of that kind of misogyny.

Author Judy Ridgley tagged me in a “Meet my Main Character” blog-hop chain. So come on along and I’ll tag others who might want to play. 1.  What is name of your character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person? There are two main characters in Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii, and their voices […]

About the book:  A kid-friendly, humorous, and fact-filled biography of the “original teen queen.”  VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) placed it on its “Honor List” for nonfiction. Booklist said of the book: “Shecter’s solid research is evident in her account of events as well as the back matter, which includes informative notes, a time line, a […]

About the Book: A young adult novel based on the real life of Cleopatra’s only surviving child, her daughter, Cleopatra Selene. From her palace in Egypt, to the dirty streets of Rome, Cleopatra Selene is forced to fight to protect the tatters of her family after her parents–Cleopatra and Mark Antony lose their kingdom and their […]

About the book:  Anubis, the god of mummification, takes the reader on a boat journey through the mythological ancient Egyptian dark lands—the twelve hours of darkness—where Ra battles against the forces of chaos to be reborn again at sunrise. Like a good tour guide, Anubis shares fascinating facts and stories about ancient Egypt throughout the […]

About the Book: Vetted by Roman experts and a Latin teacher, the novel tells the story of two teens in alternating voices: Lucia, the daughter of the owner of a struggling gladiatorial school, and Tages, a medical slave in her father’s school. Concerned by strange signs in the natural world around her, Lucia dreams about […]

L to R, student Day Day from Thailand, me, student Keriya Osman from Ethiopia, and Head of School Amy Pelissero with the donated books at the Global Village Project. On behalf of the Southern-Breeze region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), I had the pleasure of delivering three boxes of sparkling new books […]

Illustrator J.E. Larson has outdone himself, for real! I wish you could see the “foil” effect on the eyes. So. Delightfully. Creepy. This book, I think, really hits the sweet spot for kids ages 9-12 interested in mythology. Hades Speaks! A Guide to the Underworld by the Greek God of the Dead (Boyds Mills Press) […]

I was deep into writing my young adult novel set in Pompeii, Curses and Smoke (Scholastic, May 2014), when my editor sent me a message that would’ve made any writer’s blood turn to ice. “Turns out there’s a movie being made about Pompeii,” she wrote. “And it too features a male slave as the love interest.” After […]

  Several weeks ago, thanks to VaniaStoyanova, I caught a sneak preview of Pompeii, which opens in theaters, February 21. Interestingly, the experience of attending the early screening was almost more entertaining than the film itself. In the lobby, we were directed to a table manned by several tough-guys dressed in black suits. It looked […]

Source: http://tinyurl.com/njfkn35

Olympias, mom of Alexander and his sister, Cleo the unknown. One of the earliest Cleopatras that I learned about was Alexander the Great’s little sister.  What, I wondered, was Cleopatra of Macedon like? What if she was even smarter and more wily than Alex? What kind of life did she lead? How did she feel […]

Miracle worker and photographer Vania Stoyanova of VLC productions got me passes to the screening of POMPEII! That’s right, I’m getting a sneak preview. Tonight. Here’s the thing, though. There are no reviews anywhere (even on Rotten Tomatoes), which does not bode well. If movie marketers are worried that the movie is a dud, they often […]

When it came to time to discuss the cover for CLEOPATRA RULES! my wonderful editor, Larry Rosler, 1. What inspired you to photograph yourself in this way? A couple of weeks before I took the self portrait, I was having a discussion about photography with my cousin Matthew Langford, who also happens to be a […]

Everyone’s parents are embarrassing when you’re kid. And then, to add to the embarrassment, Daddy sold out to the Romans. He borrowed so much money from a Roman loan-shark–squeezing his people dry to pay off the interest–it was a wonder the entire economy didn’t collapse. Rome then took some of Egypt’s territories (because they could) […]

I have to see it, of course. I found out the movie was being made when I was deep into writing Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii. I’m very curious about the creative decisions they’ve made.  I cannot wait. Anybody with me? It opens February 21st. Until then, there’s this:  And, of course, this:

Release date: May 27 At a Facebook party in celebration of  Stephanie Dray’s latest novel, Daughters of the Nile, I posted the new cover for my upcoming novel, Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii. Only later did I realize that I had yet to formally announce the change here.Oops.So, ta-da!  It’s striking and beautiful, isn’t it? Plus, […]

Attic horse pyxiz getting restored in the lab. Last weekend, Dr. Renee Stein, conservator at the Carlos Museum gave a talk on the process of conserving and restoring ancient artifacts. The objective of the work, she pointed out, is to suggest the way a piece looked and was used thousands of years ago, without overwhelming it […]

On why the Romans always won: The first umpire:

(Thanks, Justin Mansfield for this one!)

Circe I want every single person everywhere to come to the Michael C. Carlos Museum and check out the show, Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey. Why?Because It. Is. Breathtaking. Seriously, you guys. The colors. The juxtapositions. The energy. The vibrant reimaginings–it’s all there. Odysseus and the Sirens. There is something extraordinary and magical about the fusion […]

Today’s Theme: Saturnalia! (Double click image to make it bigger.) (Okay, this one doesn’t have anything to do with Saturnalia…I just LOVE Grumpy Cat. Oh wait, in ancient Rome people did wear festive, red, pointy hats during Saturnalia! That’s the connection….yeah….)

Cleopatra Selene was the only daughter of Queen Cleopatra VII and the Roman general, Mark Antony. I’ve tried to answer the most common questions I get asked about her: 1. Is she a “real” figure in history? When I first started kicking around the idea of writing a historical fiction novel about Queen Cleopatra VII’s […]

This one is for all the teachers out there during “Finals” Season: We all know it: Zeus was a D*ck Peanuts explains why the ancients made so many sacrifices:

It’s always a thrill when something I’ve submitted to the Huffington Post actually gets posted because there’s never a guarantee, even if they’ve approved your stuff before. My piece on ancient connections to modern workouts–“No Really, Crossfit Helped Me Understand Achilles“–was initially delayed because HuffPo insisted I supply citation for my claims about ancient funeral games.Which, […]

      When my novel about Cleopatra Selene’s early/teen life came out, readers often asked me if I was writing a sequel.  My answer was always an unequivocal, “Nope.” But they wanted to know what happened to Selene after she set off to marry the King of Mauretania! Why wouldn’t I continue her story?     My […]

     The advanced reading copies (ARCs) of Curses and Smoke are here. It doesn’t release until May 27th, but STILL. It’s a pre-book! I’m a little freaked out that the latest round of changes aren’t included in this version, but then again it does say “Uncorrected Proof,” right?     On this gray, cold December day, […]

     Yesterday, we had a sold-out workshop for children at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Antiquities at Emory University. During the first part of the program, I gave an “Anubis Speaks” tour through the galleries, focusing on some of the not so well-known depictions of the god of embalming.     The one up […]

     In celebration of the (“BICEPS!”–sorry, it’s become a bit of a tic) ridiculously wonderful cover of my upcoming Pompeii novel, Curses and Smoke (thanks AAL Books/Scholastic!), I decided devote this week’s Friday Funnies to volcanoes. And, because at the heart of my novel is a love story, I played with movie titles.Got any suggestions […]

So Scholastic included my upcoming young adult novel, CURSES AND SMOKE: A NOVEL OF POMPEII, in their online preview video. Which means I can share the glory that is the cover!  Tadddaaaaa! Honestly, I am SO BLESSED to have such beautiful covers for my books.  Thank you Scholastic, Cheryl Klein, and the Arthur A. Levine Books team!Curses […]

    A reporter once asked an industry insider how an author gets on the New York Times bestseller list.     “Oh that’s easy,” the guy said. “Already BE on the NYT Bestseller list.”     His answer was a nod toward the reality that once an author makes it to the big leagues, it’s usually hard […]

Anubis Wishes he Could Speak (Reason 4,786 why Anubis hates cats) (Mah boy’s response…) (Anubis’s good deed)

     It’s the Educator’s Guide for Anubis Speaks! A Guide to the Afterworld by the Egyptian God of the Dead. It’s six pages of how the book correlates with Common Core Standards for language arts (speaking, listening, writing, and informational text) and social studies (geography and history)     To order the Educator’s Guide, simply call Boyds […]

Congratulations to the winners of the Anubis Speaks! giveaway contest–Matthew Layne, Amalia Dillin, and Cathy C. Hall. Thanks for participating, y’all. If you did not win Anubis Speaks! A Guide to the Afterlife by the Egyptian God of the Dead, it is available for purchase (hint, hint) in bookstores and online. Anubis is dying to […]

In honor of the any-minute-now release of Anubis Speaks!, this week’s Friday Funnies focus is on the dawg-man himself.  And finally, we have just the thing for those days Anubis needs  a little break from the combination of eu de dog and eu de death… Don’t forget to enter the drawing to win a free, signed […]

    In celebration of its upcoming release, I’m giving away three signed copies of Anubis Speaks! A Guide to the Afterworld by the Egyptian God of the Dead.     The School Library Journal calls Anubis’s narration “wickedly funny” and says it is stuffed with an “incredible wealth of interesting detail.” It also predicts that it’s “sure […]

          While at docent training yesterday with Dr. Peter Lacovara on all the new pieces in the Egyptian, Nubian and Near Eastern galleries at the Carlos Museum, I took the opportunity to start taking notes for my “Anubis Tour.”          After all, Anubis Speaks! releases in just a matter of weeks.           Of course, […]

Here’s Looking at Eu-clid.   Zeus Could Not Chair Less  

Elizabeth Hornor models the prototype for the 3-D Anubis masks we’ll be making…      This, my friends, is why I love my job (well, it’s not really my job, it’s more of my passion, but you know what I mean, right?). Today, I met at the Carlos Museum with local artist Pam Beagle as well […]

  Figurine from www.aurorahistoryboutique.com     “Why do I have a jackal’s head on my exquisitely muscled human body, you ask? The better to eat you with, my dear.     No, I am depicted with a jackal’s head for the same reason all the other Egyptian gods were shown as part beast. The ancient Egyptians understood that […]

     Blogger tells me I haven’t posted here since late June. Ooops. In my defense, I’ve been very busy, which will soon be explained.      Meanwhile, I’m back to blogging because my friend, Tracy Barrett–author of the wonderful Dark of the Moon and King of Ithaka, among many other great reads–invited me to participate in a […]

Me with Kate Quinn and Stephanie Dray. These gals rock!      I attended my first Historical Novel Society conference last weekend and, y’all, I have found mah people! Seriously, it was so awesome to be around folks who don’t roll their eyes when you start talking history but actually share your obsession. Plus, I got […]

  Isn’t if fab? Isn’t it fun? I just love the cover–illustrated by Antoine Revoy–for my upcoming book, Anubis Speaks!, which releases this October from Boyds Mills Press. The crafty canine-headed dog takes the middle-grade reader through the twelve hours of darkness (or, has he puts it, the twelve “Caverns of Misery”) that Ra must […]

A pic of my screen as we said goodbye… The students at Star Prep Academy in California asked so many great questions about my books on Cleopatra (both the biography and novel), I found myself occasionally taken aback. I mean, how do you respond to a young reader who asks what in MY life informed […]

Aeneas the brave betta lived a heroic life  drifting aimlessly in circles. But alas, as all mortals must, he went belly up. So we set him ablaze to release his shade unto Hades’s domain. To honor him, we held gladiatorial games (see the crossed knife swords?).  The victor pulled an Odysseus and took out his […]

Last week, the author of Forged by Fate shared how she came to the characterization of biblical Eve in the first novel of her historical fantasy. And I forgot to include that she is graciously offering a signed copy for a giveaway to those who leave a comment. So. Better late than never. Leave a […]

Take biblical characters like Eve. And Adam. And Lilith. Throw in all of the gods of the ancient world. Mix well and what have you got?      A fascinating re-imagining of biblical Eve in a world where ALL the ancient gods exist and where they are constantly negotiating ways of maintaining their territorial holds and, basically, […]

     My awesome brother, Michael Alvear, just released a book called Not Tonight Dear, I Feel Fat (Source Books). How he ended up writing a book like this is a story in itself–it all started with a sex advice column that led to a British TV Show, to HBO airplay of said show, to appearances […]

Me, Laura and Heather at the Alabama Library Association. Last week, I had the honor of speaking on a young adult panel at the annual convention of the Alabama Library Association. Seriously, you guys–a whole room full of book-loving librarians? Died and went to heaven. Authors Heather Montgomery and Laura Golden joined me on the […]

Today’s Theme: Puns

I really can’t believe that I forgot to post about this but my wonderful editor at Boyds Mill Press, Larry Rosler, got Dr. Janice Kamrin, associate curator of the Egyptian Galleries at THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART to vett my upcoming Anubis book.  (And yes, I know putting things in all caps is the equivalent […]

Note: I learned about the Boston Marathon bombing while in a Houston airport gift shop after attending the Texas Junior Classical League state convention and a local school visit. My heart sunk so low, it’s been hard to think about much of anything else since. At the same time, it seemed wrong to ignore all […]

A couple of weeks ago, the uber-talented Vania and I headed to Emory University and to the Carlos Museum to shoot an updated author photo. However, I’ve been so slammed with rewrites, revisions and research, I haven’t had a chance to select the one I want to use. Plus, I can’t decide. The photo won’t […]

In honor of seeing the cover of Anubis Speaks! (due out this October)–which is really, really awesome but I can’t show you because it’s not final yet–I decided to focus on Anubis and Egyptian funnies. Check out more at:  http://serverustare.deviantart.com/#.  And, in honor of Passover…  

Workers using smoke to remove honeycombs. King Menes, founder Egypt’s First Dynasty, called himself “The Bee Keeper.”  All pharaohs after him used that phrase to describe their role as leaders of the people of Egypt.Bees were often portrayed on tomb walls (below) and there are even tomb paintings of bee keepers using smoke to take […]

Because Caesar was such a “cut-up,” on the Ides of March, I decided to go punning… 1.  It’s a little known fact that Julius Caesar did NOT die from stab wounds but, rather, from envy. Caesar and Brutus were master harpists and were often seen in fierce competition. However, Brutus was more skilled as a […]

My mid-grade nonfiction book, Cleopatra Rules! has come out in paperback! Check out the bold new look. The publisher wanted it to be more kid-friendly and I think they’ve accomplished that. This nonfiction, by the way, is the biography that inspired me to write the novel based on Cleopatra’s daughter.  This must be the month […]

Today’s Theme:  Totally Looks Like  

Came across this gem today: in ancient Rome, they treated inflammation of the tonsils with a tonsillectomy.  So far so good, right?  Until you read how this was managed: ‘….removal should be attempted by scratching round with a finger and drawing them out….” Did ya catch that? The medicus removed the offending tissue by scraping […]

Available now. Go. Read it! My teenage daughter happened to walk by as I opened the package containing this book. One look and she ripped it out of my hands, exclaiming, “OMG, this is awesome!” “I know,” I said. “The publisher sent it to me so that I can review it.”  But she wasn’t paying […]

“Mom, we had to write an elegy poem for class today,” says the girl. “Wanna read it?” “Sure!” I say. “I’d love to.” [After reading] “OMG, this is awesome! You made my day!” Girl grins. “I thought you’d like it.” ElegyHath the queen in her glory maintained the waking day?Hath her children in their pity […]

Five Latin teachers won free signed copies of Cleopatra’s Moon in a recent teacher-drawing. The winning teachers came from Woodburry Heights and Princeton, New Jersey; Tallahassee, FL;  Portland, OR; and Brookfield, WI. Congratulations and happy reading! (If you are a Latin teacher and did not receive notice about the drawing and would like to be […]

From the “Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii. In researching ancient Greek death practices for my next middle-grade book (Hades Speaks!), I came across a fascinating inscription. It adorned the body of what is believed to be an initiate of the Cult of Dionysus: You have become a god instead of a mortal. A kid, […]

(Thanks to Tammy Simmons for this one!)       (With apologies for any songs/earworms stuck in your head from this one…)

The Joy of Sexus—Lust, Love and Longing in the Ancient World delivers delicious morsels of ancient history with humor, intelligence, and a “wow, get a load of this” attitude (pun not intended. No seriously.).  Author Vicki León packs a whole lot of information into this little book and she does it in a breezy, conversational […]

Congratulations to Elizabeth Tetley who has won the grand prize of the Egyptian-inspired jewelry set plus a copy of my signed novel. Can’t wait to see a picture of you wearing the jewelry, Elizabeth! And although I originally posted that three others would win signed copies of Cleopatra’s Moon,  I increased that number to five, […]

          Even though it doesn’t have a cover yet, my next book–Anubis Speaks! A Guide to the Afterlife by the Egyptian God of the Dead–is already available for pre-order on Amazon! It releases in October.            To celebrate, I’ve devoted this week’s Friday Funnies (okay, okay, more like Friday Smiles) to that irrepressible, onyx-furred, gleaming-toothed […]

One of Mark’s 40+ paintings for Warner Brothers. You’d think illustrator Mark Braught–who has his hands full creating award-winning illustrations for clients across the globe–would be too busy to reach out to young artists trying to break into the business of children’s publishing.  You’d be wrong. As part of Illustrator’s Day at the upcoming Springmingle […]

(It took a while for Mother Nature to get centaurs right…) (Be careful where you shoot…)   (Pipe blues)

To celebrate the release of Cleopatra’s Moon in paperback, I’m giving away multiple autographed hardback copies as well this awesome earring and necklace set inspired by ancient Egypt. Just so you know, Cleopatra Selene would totally wear this! And, I imagine, she would rock it out on the night she wears her mother’s golden Isis […]

(Achilles at the dance)

From the Nasca province (ancient Peru). Strange question, isn’t it? I mean, someone is either dead or alive. Right? Not for the folks who lived in the ancient Americas. They believed there was an “in between” state–a spirit world where shamans traveled to obtain information that would help or heal their people in the living […]

Today’s Theme: The Muses

Ancient Egyptians feared Apophis–the snake demon of destruction–with a depth we can hardly even imagine. The dreadful snake-beast represented the utter obliteration of everything everywhere–all light, all life, all hope.  They expressed this fear of the snake monster with stories: Every night, Apophis tried to devour the sun during it’s journey through the dark lands. […]

Funny or Die.com                                          

From Antoine Revoy’s book, Haunted Houses. I’ve got two projects in the works right now. One is a YA novel (edited by the fabulous Cheryl Klein and set to release in 2014) and the other is a midgrade creative nonfiction book called, Anubis Speaks! A Personal Tour of the Egyptian Dark Lands (edited by the […]

(Because sometimes you have to laugh instead of cry–see here for the “inspiration” for today’s  “funny.”) According to a judge in California, Caesar’s death has been ruled a suicide because if it had been a legitimate assassination, his body “would not have permitted it to happen.” *  *Credit for this one goes to my son, […]

Here’s the truth:  I am in love with Grumpy Cat. Seriously. In. Love. So, because I’m back in the writing cave (life? what life?), I haven’t spent much time on finding/coming up with ancient themed funnies. So, say hello to Grumpy Cat and my feeble attempt to connect him to the ancient world. (To my […]

So, my next kid’s book is called Anubis Speaks, wherein the snarky god of mummification takes the reader through the Land of the Dead. In honor of turning in revisions, I thought I’d feature my favorite dog-man:

Today’s Theme:  Medusa! Midas and Medusa: Not meant to be…

It’s been a while since I’ve included “Totally Looks Like” posts, so here ya go:

(Thanks to Tracy Barrett for this one!) And for our soggy friends in the N.E.:

Monks on Mead Odysseus‘s Environmental Awakening Cupid’s Bummer Boss

Last Friday, I attended the writing intensive at the Southern-Breeze SCBWI conference with Donna Jo Napoli. In addition to publishing dozens of books, she is also a linguist from Harvard and a mathematician from MIT. Serious chops. Anyway, I mentioned to her that I particularly love her YA novel, BEAST, which is a retelling of […]

(Not historical, I know, but I couldn’t resist….)

Cupid hovers over Psyche like a perfume hawker at a department store. I love this fresco of Psyche sniffing her wrist as she tests a new perfume cupid has brought her (from Pompeii at the Getty Villa). How charming is it?  And how still true. After all, what woman hasn’t dabbed a pretty scent on […]

    “Venus was a little broken up about the pixelation on her tessellation.”

Seriously, why couldn’t I capture that golden light? Beautiful Rome–even more beautiful in person. As I’ve mentioned before, my trip to Italia was a gift from my mother, a mother-daughter getaway. It was sweet and wonderful and I’m beyond grateful to her for the experience. I don’t want to bore you with details, but I […]

The ancient Egyptians often represented gods as human with animal heads. Usually, we can tell exactly what kind of animal they meant. But there’s one god–Set or Seth, the god of chaos and darkness–whose animal representation remains unclear.  Dude, what are you–a camel? Anteater? And what’s with those ears? When he’s depicted as a full […]

“Mom, make Iulius stop calling me melon-head!” Ancient Emo Girl. “Umm….dude, you know that ‘Up to your neck in  alligators’ is just a saying, right?”

VCL Photography. Kendare Blake      When I told the fam that I was going to be out most of the weekend with DBF, hubs quirked his head and said, “But you’re not speaking this year.”      Yup. I don’t have a new book out, so I wasn’t on stage (except to introduce an awesome author–more on […]

Hipster Classicists Humor often comes from pairing the unexpected. In this case, Parisian artist Alexis Persani combines Photoshop with classical sculptures for hilarious effect. Check it out: Check out Persani’s other works here:  http://www.behance.net/alexis-persani. Photos by permission of Alexis Persani.   

This afternoon, I spoke to Mr. Wucker’s Latin III and Latin IV students via Skype about Cleopatra’s Moon. I thought it was so cool, I had to take a picture. The students attend the University School and saw the Cleopatra exhibit when it was in Milwaukee last spring. Mr. Wuckler assigned Cleopatra’s Moon for summer […]

I love this: “The tasteless dedication to pretentious excess shown by Lollia Paulina, Caligula’s third wife, was hard to parallel. She would bedeck herself with emeralds and pearls whenever she attended even the most modest gathering, taking the receipts with her to show to anyone who doubted [what] her jewelry had cost….” (Pliny, Natural History, […]

Today’s Theme: TV and Classic Rock  

Two of my books are coming out in paperback next spring. Cleopatra’s Moon (AAL/Scholastic), I knew about. But I only just learned that my mid-grade biography, Cleopatra Rules! The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen (Boyds Mill Press) is also being reissued as a paperback next spring. Yay! Drag Queen Cleo is quite happy […]

Thanks Gail Godwin and Julie Green for introducing me to this comic from Italy, Lamberto Tomas. He’s given me permission to post his work. Check out his awesome work at: www.vignettista.blogspot.com. Meanwhile, enjoy. Thank you, Senore Tomas: Antiquities under Sharia Law  The Greek Economy “Equilibrium”

The teens at camp. They read my book! The teens who participated in Auburn’s creative writing camp this summer gave me an amazing gift. They wrote poems based on the opening of Cleopatra’s Moon. Some wrote from the perspective of the dead brother, others from the ship or even the ocean. I have to share […]

Psssst….Pegasus was on steroids. Pass it on.   (Yes, I know they didn’t use slaves to build the pyramids…it’s just that I’m a slave to a kitty that looks just like this one, so I couldn’t resist.)

Download Cleopatra’s Moon— for FREE–this week (until Wednesday, 7/25, I believe) at http://www.audiobooksync.com/sync-young-adult-titles/cleopatras-moon/. My novel was included in a wonderful program sponsored by audiobook publishers to highlight their great variety of books. This program pairs a YA book with a classic work–in my case with Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.   This just makes me squee because…dang, […]

      While doing research for an upcoming book, I came across a photo of one of the world’s first cosmetic surgeries featuring cheek implants. If you’re not familiar with the procedure, it’s where doctors implant a high-density porous polyethylene (commonly known as Gore-Tex) or pockets of firm silicone on top of a person’s cheekbones. The […]

This story may give a clue as to why we cover our mouths when yawning: “Once, a man was standing outside his inn, ‘when a black dog came up and stood in front of me and yawned, which made me yawn too, quite against my will, and immediately the dog disappeared from sight and I […]

I’ve been doing a lot of research on ancient Egyptian practices lately so it only seemed appropriate to include “mummy” humor: http://www.v5.bearskinrug.co.uk/_articles/2009/10/23/mummy_curse/ http://www.bizarrocomics.com/  

“Uhmmmm, that’s not what I had in mind when I asked for your best flute player…”     “Wow, it’s true–some stories really are timeless!” Plato as a Pothead http://www.ashersarlin.com/archives/2005/01/oh_come_on_plat.php

Well, knock me over with a feather.  My brother, Michael Alvear, recently informed me that Cleopatra’s Moon was mentioned in a piece on the “The Best of the Girl-Power Books” in YA. In The Atlantic Wire. The Atlantic. The online version of the famous magazine. After I picked myself up off the floor, I fell […]

DQC spoke 7 languages so she doesn’t understand my prob. Drag-Queen Cleo (DQC) proudly presents what just came in the mail–my novel in Italian! Every time I read the title, I sigh:  LA LUNA di CLEOPATRA Doesn’t it just sound so much better! Everything in Italian sounds great, I think. More robust. Sexier. Stronger. I’m […]

Before anesthetics, Roman doctors perfected  the art of distraction for pain management. Caesar in the Senate, reimagined with guns.

Originally, this Roman statue was believed to be of a female athlete holding a strigil (an instrument used to scrape off sweat and gunk before entering the baths). But now, scholars think she may actually be a gladiator. Why? Her posture is one of victory, as if she is holding up her sica, curved sword […]

Little Known Ancient Egyptian Inventions The Porn ‘Stache The Beer Bong Super Mario Bros

I’m fascinated by the fact so many Egyptian male gods have female counterparts–all except Ra (or Re). Ra, supposedly, created the world by, um….making himself happy. No woman involved. Still, many of the other lesser gods have both male and female representatives (Osiris, Isis; Set, Nepthys; Geb, Nut; etc.). I’m always delighted to discover less […]

Today’s Theme–Comics http://www.rubescartoons.com/  Rube’s; registered trademark/copyright Leigh Rubin Alternate caption: “Seriously, I’m going to need more superglue…”

Getting fan mail is a writer’s dream. Getting fan mail where young readers question your choices are even better. Why? Because it shows how engaged they were in the story. Strong girls: not intimidated. One thirteen-year-old reader contacted me through Facebook to tell me that although she loved my book, one thing bugged her and […]

Today’s Theme: Ancient Blunders “No, no!” said the patron to the sculptor. “I said I wanted to see lots of leg, not EGGS!” Achilles: “Dude, the target is over here.” Paris: “I’m much better with my own arrow. Just ask Helen.”   http://www.threadless.com/submission/268007/Blunders_of_the_Ancient_World/showmore,designs

Walking through the Decatur Public Library, I stopped cold when I came across this:  At the Decatur Public Library…Mother and daughter. There. In a case, behind a lovely Cleopatra figurine was…my book! Now, Joe Davich at the Georgia Center for the Book, had mentioned that they’d included my book in the library’s princess displays, but […]

Big thanks to Irene for arranging the schmooze. This past Friday, I drove to Birmingham for a Southern-Breeze schmooze hosted by the lovely and talented Irene Latham. I really enjoyed talking to the group of children’s authors who stopped by. We ended the book talk and signing with a manuscript swap. Green eggs…not dyed! At […]

Usually, I try to find humor related to the classics of the ancient world. But today, in celebration of my fall trip to Rome, Ostia and Pompeii, I decided to go for an Italian theme: (Where the question, “Would you like to ‘Supersize that?” originated.) http://shaaark.com

One day several weeks ago, at a brunch with family, I indulged my fantasies about actually going to the places where I set my stories. But, with a son about to start college, that dream seemed just that–a sweet imagining. Then, just a couple of days ago, my mother handed me an envelope–and inside it […]

Today’s Theme: Love and Relationships “I don’t care how sweet and innocent you look. I’m not signing that pre-nup!” “Seriously, stop with that joke already!” “Oh, honey. When he says, ‘Let me see your crown,’ that’s not what he means…”

“You DARE forget me???” See, it seems I have been forgetting to bring ‘her manliness’ with me on various jaunts. Even telling her that Cleopatra’s Moon, the story of her daughter, Selene, won a Crystal Kite award from our awesome Southern-Breeze SCBWI region did nothing to lift the cold steel of her rage. I mean, […]

Liver, again? Seriously?  

Amateurs at scandal, really… “Brangelina? Antopatra came first!”      The handsome, boyish man’s man and the powerful, dangerous vixen who steals his heart — it’s a trope that started waaaaay before Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie highjacked the tabloids.      The original outrageous, illicit power couple was none other than the pair who refuse to […]

 I can’t remember why my editor deleted this scene from my novel about Cleopatra’s (true life) daughter. Perhaps she cut it from Cleopatra’s Moon because Octavian/Augustus was already established as Selene’s nemesis. Or maybe it was just too creepy for YA.  After all, the scene implies that Rome’s first emperor may have been a pedophile. […]

My favorite egomaniac, Alexander the Great, has some funnies of his own about his horse, Bucephalus. Check it out here. And now back to our regular Friday Funnies:  Totally Looks Like… Uh, Oh… Dear Teenage Boys: Please stop wearing body sprays altogether….Thanks, Our Collective Noses

Grrrrrrrrrrrr… I love making school visits and I’ve been fortunate to have several recently. At St. John Neumans Regional Catholic School, I met with students K-8 (not at all at once, thank goodness!). Obviously, I told different stories to different age groups: for the K-2, I focused on the story of how Alexander tamed the […]

 Original spell-check.     Satyr speaks…

When I tour school children through our museum‘s classical galleries, I tread carefully around some of the uglier aspects of Greek mythology. I might say something like, “Zeus fell in love with Europa and took her to Crete.” Or, “Zeus loved Leda and came to her as a swan, etc., etc.” In other words, I […]

Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games has so many references to the classical world (see my 2010 post here), I don’t feel like I’m cheating when I focus this week’s Friday Funnies on the amazing blockbuster book/movie. Or, at least, that’s what I tell myself. Enjoy! Artemis:  “Um….Katniss who?“

People often ask me what it was like working with the great Cheryl Klein (delightful!) and how I responded when she suggested I cut or rewrite scenes (jump? How high?).  Yet Cheryl encouraged me to stand my ground if I felt strongly about something. But claiming that you want to keep a scene just because […]

According to Plutarch, ancient Greeks sometimes purified themselves by “rub[bing] around with puppies.” There was even a name for it:  periskylakismos or “puppifrication.” Puppifrication, people! Ritual purification by puppies! See, this is why I love history so much. You COULD NOT make this stuff up if you tried! How awesome is that? I want to […]

You know what’s great when you draw a blank about what to post on your blog? Photos. Yay for easy, slacker solutions! So here’s a roundup of recent events via visual shortcuts: Photo by Elizabeth O. Dulemba That’s moi with the inimitable Adele Geras, and the wonderful Tracy Barrett at The Carlos Museum this past […]

(This one’s for David L. Reinke)

National Public Radio (NPR) calls what they have in common the “other” four-letter “s” word. Not that they embody it, but that they have been labeled as such for political purposes. I have written before about this topic, particularly as it relates to the propaganda war against my favorite queen, Cleopatra. So when the owners […]

Athena’s reaction to  legislators’ proposed limits on birth control accessibility. “Seriously guys? Seriously?” Archaeologists discover new Roman Goddess: Crack o’Dawn Next on the History Channel: Man Discovers Bacon

Mitneias Romneus “^%$*#@!” cursed Achilles. “They gave me  Dolly Parton’s chestplate again!”   The charioteer instantly regretted that his last wish was to be a “better horseman.” 

I was honored to be invited back to be the keynote speaker at the West Virginia Junior Classical League (JCL) convention last week.  My talk?  “Why We are All Ancient Romans in Drag.” Despite the above headline, my talk was totally PG, and it seemed to go over really well. I talked about some of […]

Been traveling all day and almost missed Friday Funnies.  But it’s not yet midnight, so here goes: Original campfire stories   Ancient X Factor Rockin’ it Old School

Today’s diabetic-shock inducing Valentine sweetness is a looooong way from its roots in an ancient Roman love festival. In mid-February, the Romans practiced a ritual so old and strange, even they couldn’t tell you what it meant and how it started. Actor Charlie Hunnam @ http://www.worldoffemale.com It went like this: During the Lupercalia (usually February […]

(“Or I swear, I’ll never stop wine-ing.”)

I loved Madonna’s Superbowl Half-Time show. Completely and utterly. I mean, when the camera panned the gladiator-like “Romans” pulling her barge (that was NOT a euphemism, people!), I was a goner. Madonna as Cleo? Brilliant! Thankfully hubs and the boy were in the kitchen rummaging for more food when the show started, so they did […]

“The Annual Meeting of Newt Gingrich’s Wives and Mistresses Begins in Five, People!”

The ancient Romans thought dormice made fine little appetizers. On page 301 of my novel, Cleopatra Selene watches Maecenas pop “a tiny roasted dormouse whole into his mouth and crunch the tiny bones with relish…He gave me a sly look as he licked the honey off his fingers.” Dormice were farmed in large pits or […]

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. […]

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!)

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. […]

Medea Mash-up

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, […]

Today’s Theme–American TV Jersey Shore So You Think You Can Dance Toddlers and Tiaras Happy First Friday in January!

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 […]

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!

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 […]

Today’s special–comics Source: Robert Leighton/The New Yorker/Conde Naste Source: http://twistedcartoonist.blogspot.com/2010/10/weekend-in-ancient-rome.html

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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 […]

Because sometimes you gotta laugh instead of cry:

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 […]

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 […]

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

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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)

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 […]

Today’s Friday Funny is courtesy of Brent Tozzer. After my tour of high school students at the Michael C. Carlos Museum this morning, I stopped by the book shop to say hello to Brent, bookseller extraordinaire. With fellow docent, Pat Stone, we chatted about the wonderful mummy upstairs in the Old Kingdom exhibit. “He’s so […]

That’s my full name up there in ancient Egypian hieroglyphics! Thanks to World History Teacher’s Blog for the heads-up and link. The site allows you to type in your name so that you can see what your name looks like in the Egyptian “picture-writing.” Just remember, you read hieroglyphics INTO the faces of the animals […]

Last night, I attended a book club as the author-guest. I was a bit nervous at first–I mean, it’s weird! All those people gathered to talk about your book–what if they hated it? Or disagreed with certain editorial decisions? But the folks at the book club I attended in Atlanta were extraordinarily gracious. They had […]

My friend and fellow docent, Conway Bracket, inspired me to do a “Totally Looks Like” Funny Friday. Check out her latest.  Meanwhile, I scoured the LOL site, “Totally Looks Like,” for classical references so you wouldn’t have to!  😉  Enjoy! Angry Ashley Judd totally looks like Medusa. Caesar totally looks like Putin. Socrates totally looks […]

Today, I toured a group of second and third-grade students through the Carlos Museum’s Egyptian galleries. We started with our new exhibit, “Life and Death in the Pyramid Age” and my favorite mummy of all time, our sleeping beauty: Isn’t he just magnificent? He really looks like he’s about to sit up, swing his legs […]

via cafepress.com–wherein you can get the t-shirt! And finally, the one only my history-nerd friends will get!

I’ve been sick, so when my brain is a bit soggy and foggy, I turn to a great source for ancient funnies–Historic Lols. But be warned. The risk with this site is that you might get distracted from the funny historicals and get lost on the endless train of adorable kitties. Remember, I warned you. […]

“Dude, really? When the doctor said he needed a sample, I’m pretty sure he meant urine.”   Invisible thought bubbles: Chiron: “What a brat!” Achilles: “What a horse’s a**!”     Theseus on his latest nude photo scandal:“Um…It’s not what it looks like. Seriously. I swear!”

 Kara and her turtle; me and DQC; and Sally and her knit-doll after the panel. A big thank you to Cathy C. Hall and Debra Tiefel Mayhew for hosting me at the SCBWI Southern Breeze schmooze. I explained my somewhat convoluted path to publication and shared what I learned working with editors at AAL/Scholastic and […]

My very own copies of the Cleopatra’s Moon audiobook! I will probably hold a drawing for one of them, but not yet. I will be hugging them close to me for a while. Drag-Queen Cleo approves!

Award-winning young adult author Julie Chibbaro has a knack for creating vidid, fascinating and intense worlds from eras long gone. Her first book, Redemption, took us to the harrowing wildness of the New World in the 1500s, while her latest–Deadly–takes us to New York in the early 1900’s during a typhoid epidemic. Deadly has received […]

“What am I watching? Oh, the  Perry-Romney-Bachman debates. Why do you ask?” “Next up on the Nature Channel:  Game of Thrones!”

The ancient Egyptians weren’t afraid to be, uhm, long-winded when it came to casting spells. Check this out–a real love spell found on a papyrus, from a man wanting a woman to fall in love with him. It’s a spell from the Greek period, around or before the time my novel’s main character, Cleopatra Selene, […]

So I found out yesterday that Cleopatra’s Moon made Entertainment Weekly e-zine’s “Must Read” list for the week of August 22nd. What a surprise! Beyond exciting! Here’s the link: http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20310286_20521465,00.html#21043406  There Selene is, sandwiched between the Coen brothers’ Blue Ray collection and actor Paul Giamatti! Amazing. Jackson Pearce, me, Laurel Snyder and Drag-Queen Cleo (DQC) […]

  Ancient Precursors to Today’s TV Shows    Rome’s Next Top Model Tonight’s theme–“Rocking the Palla!”  (“Don’t miss our show next week when we interview Praxiteles on expressing superiority with a blank expression!”) Hoarders “When Even the Gods Can’t Let Go” Sex and the City Tonight–“The Girls Confront Miranda about her Appletini Addiction.” (Thanks to […]

Michelle Bachmann claims that Hurricane Irene was God’s way of telling American politicians to cut spending—her way, of course. Bachmann is not alone in her Delphic ability to read divine will through natural phenomena. She follows in the footsteps of another former presidential candidate, Pat Robertson, who claimed that the earthquake in Haiti was the […]

Photo by Lucy Fowler Drag-Queen Cleo (aka DQC) attended her first high school football game Friday night at Decatur High School’s season opener. She accompanied me as I did my duty as a football mom and worked the concession stand. (Under the threat of death by mortification, I’ve been forbidden to talk about my son […]

How techies responded to the news of Steve Jobs retirement. Hurricanes: When the Gods of Olympus all Flush at Once. Heracles’ little known 13th Labor (a present from Hyppolyta).

I would love it if everyone bought a copy of Cleopatra’s Moon–after all, good sales help us writers convince publishers to consider publishing our next book.  But you can also try to win a copy of my novel at the following places: Write from the Soul & VisualEyes:  Gail’s contest ends August 28th.  Passages to […]

“Dude, put your pants back on. When I asked you to play  your instrument, that’s not what I meant!” Overheard in a Roman bar: “Darts are for sissies. Watch this!” Lucius deeply regretted the extra helping of beans at lunch.

My friend and fellow docent Conway Bracket teaches Latin and ancient Greek in Atlanta. This pastsummer, she joined us at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur for our week-long Camp Half-Blood, based on the best-selling Percy Jackson series. She taught the kids ancient Greek because that’s what they do at Camp Half-Blood.  For the first […]

What we think they’re saying:   “O brother, together we speak forth the words of Ra.” What they’re really saying: “Dude, l swear. I can recite the prayers in armpit farts!” (One of many.) What Caesar’s murder would’ve been life if youtube existed. “Brutus, stop blocking my shot. Oh man, that’ll be awesome in slow-mo!”

A trusted colleague pointed out a small error in the author’s note section of my novel Cleopatra’s Moon. Fortunately, the error didn’t affect the novel itself (the error was in a factoid about something that happened nearly 15 years after my story ended).  But still. Ack. Here’s the error: on the last page of bullets, […]

The Goddesses: Janie Hardy, Robyn Hood Black and Donna Bowman.  I’m still recovering from the launch party for Cleopatra’s Moon this past Friday. And no, not because I partied too hard, but because it was so wonderful. Apparently, you can have a happy hangover. Who knew? The excitement came from seeing so many friends–many of […]

What an incredible week this has been! Cleopatra’s Moon was officially released. The LA Times and The Wall Street Journal gave it excellent reviews. I returned from the national convention of the Junior Classical League where my book sold out. And I’ve been featured in a number of wonderful blogs. My cup runneth over! (Granted, […]

Drag-Queen Cleo announces the winner of my free book contest. She wants you to know that I used the random number generator to pick the winner and it is (drum roll please….): Joyce Lansky of Tennessee! Thank you all for participating and helping me share my excitement about the publication of CLEOPATRA’S MOON.  I will […]

General assembly antics. Note to self: next time, bring earplugs! Rubbing elbows with more than a thousand teens and young adults–all of whom came together to test their Latin and ancient history/mythology knowledge and socialize? Be still my hammering heart! Honestly, I don’t know how I grew up without knowing anything about the Junior Classical […]

I will not look down, I will not look down, I will not… Anti-Perspirant Fail:  “See? I told you she passes out every time she takes a sniff.” Alternate caption: “Dude, when I said that  would be the last time I caught you  checking out other women, I MEANT it.”

With only 12 days to its official release date, I decided to panic, er…I mean, celebrate. And what better way to celebrate than by giving away a copy of Cleopatra’s Moon, right?  So, here goes: To enter to win a shiny new copy of the novel, you must: (What, you thought you wouldn’t have to […]

Today’s Theme: Outside versus inside: US national debt ceiling talks–on the outside:  What they feel like on the inside: Arnold on the outside: “I’m sorry! Really!” What’s waiting for him on the inside: Your sweet waitress: On the inside:

Three weeks. 21 days. 504 hours. And 30K+ minutes before my first novel, Cleopatra’s Moon releases. Publisher’s Weekly just reviewed it and calls it a “fascinating historical novel.” It says my main character, Cleopatra Selene (the daughter of Cleopatra, the only one of her four children to survive—for real) “proves a stalwart heroine.” Plus, PW […]

Drag-queen Cleo asks, “William and Kate WHO, darling?” Source: Jeff Bacon @ broadside.net Why classics majors rarely advance in the military. Inventors Through History:Sarah B. Trojan, the condom.

It’s 30 days to my launch party for Cleopatra’s Moon. Twenty-six days before the official release date. Almost 800 from the day editor extraordinaire Cheryl Klein (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic) purchased it. And nearly 1,500 days since I began writing it (thanks to good friends Elizabeth O. Dulemba, Diane Capriola and Liz Conrad who encouraged […]

I’m back from a family vacation involving regular dunkings into freezing rapids and screaming myself hoarse on a zipline. Which basically means I didn’t have the time to scour the web and/or wrack my brain for anything funny (seriously, fainting takes a lot out of you). I did, however, remember to bring Drag-Queen Cleo to […]

I know I’ve posted pics of the cover of my upcoming novel before but this is the real thing, folks! I actually have a book in my hands. After squeeing, swooning and pinching myself, I noticed subtle changes to the cover compared to the advanced reading copy (ARC).  I did not think the cover on […]

In honor of the last day of Camp Kane (based on Rick Riordan’s Kane Chronicles), I’ve assembled a few Egyptian Friday Funnies. (Thanks to Freakingnews.com for the last two photoshopped pictures.) The dumb pharaoh as a boy: “Umm….son? If you want to ride on my shoulders, this isn’t the way…” The dumb pharaoh, all grown […]

Today at 1:16 pm is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Perfect timing too because I’m helping to run Camp Kane at the most awesome bookstore, Little Shop of Stories in Decatur. Camp Kane is based on Rick Riordan’s Kane Chronicles, his series based on Egyptian mythology. First, can I just say […]

I’ve been working like a maniac to get my current work-in-progress out the door, so no original Friday Funnies this week. But thank goodness for lolcats. Enjoy these combinations of two of my favorite subjects:  cats and the ancient world.

I’ve been busy writing so I haven’t posted much. Fortunately, I have the lazy–er, I mean “busy”–writer’s solution to ez-blogging: photos!  Check out Drag-Queen Cleo posing with tiny Harry Potter books in (my editor) Cheryl Klein’s office. Someone gave her those adorable booklets because, um…she worked on the real ones!  See how stately Cleo looks? […]

(I apologize in advance for today’s theme. However, I want to thank Congressman Weiner for his contribution(s)–his unfortunate name, his recent behavior, and the unexpected conflagration of the two.) The nation’s collective expression over Weiner’s antics. After Wiener’s interesting “angle,” we can thank the gods Olympus didn’t have Facebook or Twitter (And finally, in the […]

Today’s theme: Ancient Prequels The Hangover The Matrix Brokeback Mountain And during the commercial break: Ancient Chia Pets!  

Welcome to another Nonfiction Monday. I am excited to host this weekly event where readers and writers gather to talk about their favorite nonfiction works. As part of Nonfiction Monday, I will link to other nonfiction reviews from blogs around the Kidlitsphere. If you want to your review included, simply leave a comment or email […]

The original hipster stoner. In ancient times, getting some “tail” had an entirely different meaning. Minotaur’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day: With permission from: http://minos-the-minotaur-comic.dumbbum.net/

So yeah. I did that. I walked like an Egyptian with editors that still make me tremble a little when I’m in their presence.  Even better, I have proof! I went to New York to present my first YA novel, Cleopatra’s Moon, at the Jewish Book Council.  Why? Because they have an unbelievable program supporting […]

Maria Shriver’s expression upon learning the full extent of Arnold’s infedilities… Proof that ancient Egyptians put too many  hormones in their milk too. Alternate line: The inspiration for Fergie’s immortal words, “My milkshakes bring all the boys to the yard…” Source: lolcats (Because sometimes cute is even better than funny….)

Expecting some drivel about how writing is an amazing internal process akin to the transformation of tadpole to frog? Look at those little guys! Well, forget it. You’re not getting that here. Tadpoles are on the brain because I recently got some! I went to a mini-writing retreat with Doraine Bennett, Irene Latham, and Ashley […]

“Careful. Don’t grab the wrong sword!” The morning after the Sigma Pi kegger… Source: historicLOLs.com How Harpies got their start.

Gary Corby recently made mention of Greek pottery depicting drunk men vomiting. I had to check them out for myself in detail. And, oh, the Greeks did not disappoint. The Getty Villa features my favorite piece, one of the most…um…”vivid” examples.  Photo courtesy of Mary Harsch. Hahahahaha! I don’t know why this cracks me up […]

  “I am NOT prancing, you guys!” yelled Hermes to the  other Olympians. “For the last time, it’s the WINGS!” Ever wonder what a mash-up of L. Frank Baum and Homer would look like? The dumb pharaoh never did figure out why his  horses kept dying on him.

Griffins, bulls and monsters, oh my! Hundreds of adults and children lined up last Friday evening–and even paid a small fee–to cover themselves in dust and watch men in fire-proof uniforms melt metal in a glowing cauldron of unimaginable heat. It was a “Bronze Pour” at the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University in […]

“Wait, Drag-Queen Cleo! That’s NOT Arsinoe, I promise!” Some rap stars like to horse around… What the dogs thought about Diogenes and his “fine” Greek wine: “Dude, leave some for us–that stuff’ll kill all our fleas for sure!” “That’s the last @#%&* time this stupid cat tears up my silk cape,”  Cleopatra said. And it […]

Drag queen Cleo sez: “Take the class. But first you must kneel and bow to me!” Isn’t technology grand? Now you can study with a renown Cleopatra expert, online. Dr. Prudence Jones of Montclair State University is offering a summer online class on the great queen. Dr. Jones holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from Harvard […]

Happy Easter!

  “Invisible Jump Rope!” via www.historicLOLS.com GOP politics as explained by ancient Egyptians: “Here’s how it works,” said the lion to the little guy. “If I win, I eat you. If I lose, I give you a head start before I eat you.”

The Southern Kentucky Book (SOKY) Festival rocked for so many reasons: I got to hang with Kristin Tubb, met Cynthea Liu in person, and made new connections with the awesome Philana Marie Boles and Jen Bradbury. But I will always remember it as the festival where fellow author Tracy Barrett brought me a special surprise. […]

Y’all convinced me: I’ll keep Friday Funnies going. Meanwhile, if you find a piece of art or reference to antiquity that you can desecrate…er, I mean, make funny, please feel free to submit it and I’ll post it.   Unknown detail of the Exodus story:  right before Moses turned his staff into a snake, he […]

After storytelling at the Decatur Library on Saturday, I stopped by one of my favorite places, Mingei World Arts (www.mingeiworldarts.com), where I came across these charms: Owner Ann VanSlyke confirmed that they were beetle wings, collected in Thailand. Women attach the wings to their mourning shawls, and the gentle clickety-clack music they make as the […]

While traveling in Americus, Georgia, Queen Cleopatra VII took a liking to a magazine called, Garden & Gun. The last queen of Egypt explains the wisdom of combining gardens with guns. “I am quite impressed,” she explained, “by this unique and delicious combination of the feminine and masculine, of the sweet and the violent. “The […]

A while ago, I started blogging “Friday Funnies–Ancient Style” just because I love ancient history as much as I love to laugh and play with words. It also helped that my blog’s emphasis on humor showcased the style of my mid-grade biography, Cleopatra Rules!, since the book featured a voice-with-an-attitude as well as lots of […]

After our “gummy”-asp photo shoot, I’ve been inspired to bring my wonderful Cleopatra action figure with me wherever I go. Yesterday, it was to the ballet where she showed off her “man-hands” in a lovely fifth-position arm position.  Then, because our feisty queen needed to prove that she was way cooler than any other action […]

We interrupt our regularly scheduled caption funnies for something a little different (and to be honest, more awesome). Check out this amazing short piece, “I am Europa,” by Amalia Dillin (http://blog.amaliadillin.com/). Her flash fiction reminds of what an ad guy I used to write for once told me: “If clients need a 2,500 word write-up, […]

One of life’s little pleasures is receiving an unexpected gift (an expected one is pretty cool too, of course).   Imagine, then, my delight when I opened an envelope from my editor, Cheryl Klein, at Arthur A. Levine Books (http://www.arthuralevinebooks.com), and discovered this: Cleopatra Gummy Worms. Score! I immediately pulled out another gift she sent me […]

Some captions write themselves (like last Friday’s Charlie Sheen line), but sometimes the funny lines just don’t come. That’s when I turn to my favorite site, historiclols (http://history.icanhascheezburger.com/) and it’s sister site, somuchpun (http://puns.icanhascheezburger.com/.) My inner slacker is extremely grateful for these “in-a-pinch” history and/or art funnies: copyright: deviantART.com Happy Friday!

“The Ides of March? Yeah, not a good day for me.” The Ides of March is all about murder, mayhem and misery–for Julius Caesar anyway. But today, the Ides could mean a bloody good deal for you. “Tweet me to win!” http://bit.ly/akmkg2 My publisher, Arthur A. Levine, is giving away three advanced reading copies (ARCs) […]

Last Friday, I posted the following Greek painting and asked for submissions of funny captions. The winner would get a free copy of my book, CLEOPATRA RULES.  Only one problem, though.  I couldn’t decide! So I recruited the family to help. The unanimous decision was: When Greg Luganis dreams. Congratulations Cathy C. Hall!  The close […]

My friend, author/illustrator Elizabeth Dulemba, recently asked me if I could remember the book or story that made me fall in love with reading. A book on ancient sculpture started it all for me.    I had to tell her the truth. No, I did not.  I do remember, however, the moment I fell in […]

Let’s have a contest! The person who comes up with the funniest line/caption for the following photo wins a free copy of my book, CLEOPATRA RULES!  This is, by the way, a fresco painting from an ancient Roman villa. Post your line in the comment section or email me.  Here goes: Meanwhile, here are my […]

A student in a lovely blue tunica. Recently, I gave the keynote presentation at the West Virginia Junior Classical League (JCL) conference. It was an awesome experience for many reasons, including these: 1.  The high school students dressed up. Seriously, they had a toga fashion show. 2.  They didn’t take themselves too seriously. The kid […]

Send me your funny lines for art relating to the ancient world! Meanwhile, here are mine, along with one from my favorite time-waster, historiclols.com. “Please, PLEASE, don’t make me get a Brazilian!” “Wait, what? I can’t hear you. You’re breaking up. It’s ‘Hair of the Dog,’ and NOT hemlock? Oh, okay. Excellent. Cheers!” “Girl, we’ve […]

Friday, I gave a speech at the West Virginia Junior Classical League conference. It was awesome and I loved being there. Thanks to Dr. Nicoletta Stella for inviting me! Because I was traveling, I missed posting “Friday Funnies–Ancient Style.” It didn’t help that my computer tanked the day before I left (thank goodness I’d already […]

Today, February 15, is the Festival of the Lupercalia or, at least, it would have been if we lived in ancient Rome. In fact, the Lupercalia is often cited as the true origin of Valentine’s Day. But forget about roses and romance. The Lupercalia was all about hot young men pursuing nubile young women with […]

Welcome to Friday Funnies where we have fun with all things ancient (be sure to check out our earlier installments of Friday Funnies!). Thanks to Paul Darnell of Hadrian’s Wall Live (http://hadrianswalllive.blogspot.com/) for this contribution, a line from the romp, Carry on Cleo, by the great Caesar himself: “Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it in for […]

“Dad, seriously. The flute? Really?” Everyone’s parents are embarrassing when you’re kid. But Cleopatra’s dad? Totally cringeworthy. See, her dad played the flute. All the time. In place of ruling. So people called him Ptolemy the Piper, and not in a good way, either. Turns out choosing to play a wind-instrument over taking charge of […]

It’s Friday! Time to get laughing. Want to give ancient funnies a try? Just let me know. You’ll get full credit in next Friday’s Funnies. I swear! Little known fact: Zeus’s jealous wife Hera inventedthe phrase, “Oh, no you DIDN’T.” How farming was actually invented: “Dagnabit this pooper-scooper is just too big!  Hey, wait a […]

Mithradates, the subject of Adrienne Mayor’s excellent book, THE POISON KING,  became legendary for not only taking Rome down a peg or two, but for surviving countless assassination-via-poisoning attempts throughout his lifetime. How’d he do it? By imbibing just a little bit of poison every day until his body got used to it. In modern […]

I had so much fun coming up with captions to pictures of ancient art last week, I decided to do a weekly funny page. Feel free to join in and add your own funny captions or artwork.  Enjoy! “I told you if you made that face enough times it was going toget stuck that way!” […]

The sweat soaked gladiator looks up to the editor who will make the call–cut the throat of his downed opponent or let him live. The crowd yells and makes dramatic hand gestures, trying to sway the stony-faced editor. “Mitte!” (Let him go!) scream some.“Iugula” (Kill him!) roar others. The editor extends his hand and dramatically lifts his […]

“Ooops,” Poseidon said as his mantle billowed behind him.“Maybe I shouldn’t have had bean burritos for lunch.” “Really, dear. Stop worrying. A little extratime in the tanning booth never hurt anyone!” Whoa. “What? Oh no, your butt doesn’t look big in those jeans. Not at all.” Photo: Flickr/AlaskaDude Source: HistoricLOLs.com Early water fountain prototype:“Oh, I […]

Ancient Egyptian gods sometimes transformed into butt-kicking demons. It all depended on their mood. Consider sweet, loving, cow-faced Hathor who went wild-eyed crazy on you if you got her mad enough. That’s when she turned into lion-headed Sekhmet, who feasted on human flesh.  It wasn’t easy to call her off once she got started gorging […]

The Romans would have wonderedwhy the gods were angry at them.  If thousands of birds had fallen from the sky in ancient Rome, everybody—from emperors, to warriors, to peasants and slaves—would have been in a state of complete and total panic. Cries of “Bad omens! The gods are angry! Terrible, terrible things are about to […]

What were in those small cases anyway? When the Tut exhibit came to Atlanta a couple of years ago, I lingered over the exquisite black and white photos of Howard Carter’s discoveries at the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory, where I am a docent. I always paused at the photo of the tomb’s antechamber, […]

Most of us celebrate the New Year by staying up late and having fun with friends. For the ancient Egyptians it was a time of fear and dread. Why? Because no one knew exactly when the New Year would arrive. It all depended on when the Nile River began its annual flooding.  To make matters […]

“Dude, everyone needs avacation. Come back later.” The Oracle at Delphi closed up shop and made no prophecies between November and February. Why? Who knows. Maybe the hallucinogenic vapors emanating from the crack of the center of the world weren’t as strong when the weather cooled. This was tough news for Alexander, who had marched […]

The ancient Greeks celebrated the winter solstice by partying in the name of Poseidon. Go Fish King! Why they honored the sea god when the sun was at its weakest—instead of Zeus the sky god or Helios the sun deity—is not clear.  Still, the Greeks bolstered winter light by creating their own mini suns with […]

“Darling, your fig cakes are divine. Now what did you get me?”        In ancient Rome, winter break meant schools closed, law courts adjourned and everybody celebrated by decorating trees, visiting friends, exchanging small gifts, and feasting. Sound familiar? They weren’t celebrating Christmas, though, which wasn’t officially acknowledged as a Christian holiday until […]

I’m a sucker for stories set in the ancient world—that’s obvious. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to jump up and down every time I read one.  (Steven Saylor’s work? Pretty much guaranteed to induce said jumping. But I digress.) Books that I find exciting have me relating to the main character’s emotional struggles while, […]

I’ve known for a while how gorgeous the cover for Cleopatra’s Moon is, but I didn’t make a big deal about it because, well, it doesn’t come out until August. I worried that people might get tired of it if I jumped up and down about it too much, too early. But, I’ve been seeing […]

I recently spoke to a high school Latin class of juniors (11th graders). I had a blast. But ya know what really made me happy? Not a single kid fell asleep during my talk (hey, it was an early class, okay?And we’re talking teens). Yesterday, I received a thank you note from the teacher along […]

Sometimes, I like to pretend the ancient world fascinates me because I’m intellectually curious. The truth? I like learning about things that make me laugh or that gross me out. Yes, I have the emotional maturity of an 11-year old boy. So, in the spirit of celebrating my true nature, let’s get to the fun […]

Any book that opens with a warning to not eat lunch while you’re reading it is my kind of book. And the fact that it also includes lore from ancient and medieval history? Awe. Some. Author-illustrator Carlyn Beccia’s book, I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat: History’s Strangest Cures, takes you on a fun […]

At the Savannah Children’s Book Festival this weekend, I told lots of stories about mummies and myths. At least once a storytelling session, a younger child would ask, “Do the mummies get up and walk around at night?” I always answered, “Nope, but do you want to know why people used to think they did?” […]

I’m SO there. And just to make it extra exciting for me, I’m mentioned in Savannah’s newspaper! http://savannahnow.com/column/2010-11-12/tom-barton-original-mama-grizzly Seriously, somebody pinch me.

Author and blogger Marc Aronson at http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/nonfictionmatters writes about presenting to eighth-graders and what a challenge that can be. Fourth, fifth, and sixth-graders. he points out, are still enthusiastic learners and, for the most part, eager to please. Not so for eight-graders. Eight-graders can be a tough audience.  They have, as Marc pointed out, a different, […]

Telemachus’ best bud is a centaur in the story. I loved Tracy Barrett’s new book, King of Ithaka. It’s perfect for those of us who love ancient history, as well as for young teens fascinated by the Greek myths. Tracy is a professor at Vanderbilt University and has published seventeen (17!) books for children and one […]

I really, really want to read Gary Corby’s debut novel, THE PERICLES COMMISSION. It’s been getting wonderful reviews for its combination of mystery, humor and ancient history. So I was very excited to read about a give-a-way contest for the book at:http://hatshepsutnovel.blogspot.com/2010/11/pericles-commission-giveaway.html I promptly entered to win. Now, here’s the thing. My impulse is to […]

To be fair, I was predisposed to like this book. A lot. After all, I love just about any and all retellings of the ancient myths and legends. So, when I heard the premise of Tracy Barrett’s, KING OF ITHAKA, I was already sold.             The story of Odysseus’ return told through his son, Telemachus? […]

 Last weekend, I gave a workshop on integrating humor into your writing at the Southern Breeze/SCBWI fall conference. I opened my talk by reading funny lines from bestselling books. “Can you identify where they came from?” I asked. The lines that stumped the most people included: “I have been dropped like a hot Pop-Tart on […]

A Fayum portrait of an unknown man. Let’s be honest. The enduring fascination with Cleopatra centers around her supposed beauty. After all, the thinking goes, she “snagged” two of the most powerful men of her era—Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. She HAD to be beautiful, right? Yet, as I’ve explained in previous posts, the busts […]

Thanks to all of you who participated in my Cleopatra Rules Giveaway contest! Sixty-five posters left comments which made me very happy. Of course, we all know that the contest was a shameless bit of self-promotion but I will continue to pretend that my dignity is intact and that I actually have readers (It turns out I […]

     So, I posted earlier in the week about receiving the typeset “First Pass Pages” of my 2011 YA novel Cleopatra’s Moon.      As you can see from the photo on the left, it looked, basically, like someone with a Post-It Note obsession forgot to take their meds that day.      In reality, […]

Got the ‘first-pass’ typeset pages of my novel decorated with all of my editor’s notes. On the one hand, seems like a lot, though thankfully, Cheryl Klein (aka Editor Goddess) tells me it’s not all that unusual for her. On the other, I’m so relieved that somebody is so ON it! It’s like having a […]

Check out the awesome snake neck-lace courtesy of my novel editorin New York.     The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University hosted a program for kids this past Sunday based on my book. We started off with a short reading and discussion.      Even though there was a great age range (3rd to 9th […]

     Here’s what you gotta do to win your own copy of Cleopatra Rules! The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen: Go to the bank and ask for ten thousand unmarked bills. Bring the cash to a locker at the midtown train station and then…     Oh wait. Wrong plan.     No, what I […]

The Roman poet Lucan is like the Perez Hilton* of the ancient world: snarky, gossipy and full of dirt on the glitterati.  Take, for example, his description of Cleopatra as a “fatal beauty,” “thick” with cosmetics.  Oh snap! The ability to complement and insult someone in the same breath was obviously a fine art way before […]

Plutarch, Cato, Octavia, Fulvia, Brutus, Castor & Pollux. You’d expect to see these names in history books, but as character names in the hottest young adult (YA) blockbuster? Not so much. And yet, Suzanne Collins, the author of the HUNGER GAMES trilogy, seems bent on making us think about the ancient world. The most obvious […]

[Addendum: A couple of friends have reminded me that concoctions with antibacterial and antibiotic properties existed in numerous ancient cultures (though I really could have done without that Roquefort reference, PhDiva! *shudders*).  What I found particularly exciting about this report was that it involved Nubian culture and we know relatively little about the Nubians…] An […]

     This past weekend, the Georgia Center for the Book had its celebration for its inaugural list of the “25 Books Every Young Reader in Georgia Should Read”–and my first book, Alexander the Great Rocks the World–was selected!     What an honor! It seemed to me as if I were at a great party […]

Cleopatra was Greek, so no surpriseher busts depicted her in theHellenistic fashion of the day.      According to busts carved during her lifetime, Cleopatra wore her hair in the Greek fashion—long hair wound up in a bun in the back. She was, of course, the last in her dynasty of Greek rulers, so it’s […]

Writing for kids is not for the faint-hearted. After all, kids have absolutely no qualms telling you when they find your work “boring” or “stupid.” Ouch.  Yet that’s also what makes it so much fun. We have to push beyond the obvious or ordinary to grab young readers–which is even more imperative for non-fiction writing […]

When it came to the cover for CLEOPATRA RULES! my wonderful editor, Larry Rosler, and I struggled. Should it be illustrated? A photo of an ancient statue? A painting? “The cover has to tell the reader that this isn’t an ordinary biography,” Larry had said over and over again. “It has to match the voice.”    […]

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (BCCB), one of the nation’s leading children’s book review journals for school and public librarians, reviewed CLEOPATRA RULES!  Here’s what they said: “Shecter debunks the common fund of shallow and misguided information with a humorous, teen-chatty biography that puts the young Egyptian pharaoh’s sexpot image into fresh perspective…. […]

One of the more fascinating legends about Cleopatra involves a very big pearl and a swig of wine. According to Pliny, Cleopatra bet Mark Antony that she could outspend him on a party.  Game on! Antony went all-out for his shin-ding. When it was her turn, the queen held an ordinary banquet. Thinking he’d won, Mark Antony […]

     Amazon says my book will not be released until October, but they LIE, I tell you, they lie! The official release date for CLEOPATRA RULES! is August 15.  I’ve even signed stock at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur. Kirkus recently reviewed it, saying, “Shecter effectively makes the case that Cleopatra was a […]

People often ask me what I found most surprising in researching Cleopatra for my upcoming book, CLEOPATRA RULES! They usually do so with a twinkle in their eye, hoping for some good juicy gossip on the supposed temptress queen. Their eyes widen in surprise when I give them my answer: That Queen Cleopatra VII was […]

Guys Lit Wire recently reviewed my first book, ALEXANDER THE GREAT ROCKS THE WORLD: http://tinyurl.com/255zxrp. Alex was pubbed in 2006, so I was pleasantly surprised to come across it. It’s easy to forget your first “baby” when you’re about to deliver the second and getting ready for the third! Still, Alexander is in the air. […]

She had me at “besotted.” In the introduction to her latest book—How to Mellify a Corpse and Other Human Stories of Ancient Science and Superstition—historian Vicki León describes herself as being “besotted” with ancient history. I totally relate. Being besotted means that not only are you blown away by the beauty, wisdom and even genius […]

The kids at Camp Half-Blood at Little Shop of Stories (based on Rick Riordan’s Lightning Thief) yesterday loved it when I told them that Hercules (Heracles) wasn’t the swiftest boat in the fleet. They cracked up when they heard about the time Heracles got so irritated at the sun that he tried to shoot it […]

When we Americans think of slavery, we think of the heinous history of abuse perpetrated onto the peoples of West Africa during the 16th through 19th centuries But in the ancient world, the majority of slaves were not African, but European.Few came from Africa at all. Why? Because slaves came from the regions Rome conquered […]

The earliest Egyptians cleaned their teeth with powdered ox hooves, myrrh, eggshells and pumice. How they applied such a yummy mix of flavors and textures to their teeth is unknown. Ancient Romans scrubbed their choppers with a toothpaste made of rock salt and nettle (a variety which the Romans used to polish glass). They probably […]

At Egypt camp last week, we quieted 33 loud and rambunctious kids—aged 9-13—everyday with a single phrase: “Let me tell you a story.” Even the older ones, those on the cusp of being “way too cool” for such things, stopped to listen. My friend Diane Capriola, awesome owner of LITTLE SHOP OF STORIES in Decatur, […]

Actress Angelina Jolie has been signed to play Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt, in a remake of the famous 1963 movie starring Elizabeth Taylor. I have two thoughts about this: 1. It’s wrong. 2. It’s brilliant. First, why it’s wrong: · Cleopatra, according to Plutarch, was not gorgeous. Coins minted during her reign and busts […]

Congratulations to Joyce Lansky of Tennessee who won the drawing for the signed Rick Riordan book, THE RED PYRAMID! I’m sure there is some cool way on the computer to mix up the names and pull one but I did it the old fashioned way–with little paper strips. I even had a disinterested party (trust […]

Cleopatra was spotted strolling the Egyptian collection at the Penn Museum (http://www.penn.museum/). The young queen–otherwise known as an intern at a local TV station–was there to publicize the Penn Museum’s Egyptian collection and bring attention to The Franklin Institute’s CLEOPATRA THE SEARCH FOR THE LAST QUEEN OF EGYPT show, opening June 5. My newest kids […]

Some ancient Romans cried into little glass bottles when in mourning. Once filled, they left the tear-shaped vials in the tombs of the newly departed as a sign of respect. But for others, it wasn’t enough to have family members cry into their cups. Professional mourners were available to wail, moan and tear out their […]

My fantastic editor, Cheryl Klein at Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic sent me a little present last week. (Let me just say that never in my life did I ever picture the words “my editor” and “Cheryl Klein” in the same sentence. STILL boggles…) Cheryl, The Goddess of Editing, is helping shape up my young adult […]

THE RED PYRAMID is filled with action, adventure and mythology, only this time, Riordan’s characters take on Egyptian gods and monsters. Like King Midas, Riordan has the magic touch. Kids have simply gone cuckoo for his Greek myth-based LIGHTNING THIEF series and everybody is expecting this book and series to do the same. Leave a […]

Imagine you are an ancient Egyptian or Nubian warrior, returning victorious from battle. People line the streets screaming with joy upon your return. You take a knee in front of your Pharaoh. You are choked up because finally—finally—you will receive the golden Amulet of Honor you have been dreaming about since you were a boy. […]

Riordan’s latest book had an initial press run of 1 million copies. Can you even imagine? One million in the first printing. The man who single-handedly inspired countless kids to discover the magic of Greek mythology with his Percy Jackson series is about to do it again with his new series on Egyptian gods and […]

Yesterday, Rick Riordan, author of the best selling Percy Jackson/Lightning Thief series, released THE RED PYRAMID, the first book in his new series about Egyptian gods. All my favorite bad-guy monsters show up in this fun, fast-paced adventure. I particularly enjoyed the monster Shezmu, He who Squeezes your Head in a Wine Press until it […]

The shot of young queen Cleopatra VII is actually a self-portrait by photographer Elizabeth Salib (c). CLEOPATRA RULES! (Boyds Mill Press) comes out August 15.

A while ago, I won a contest hosted by children’s writer and marketing consultant Shellie Johannes-Wells. The prize was web site design. She bravely called it the “Comment your Butt Off” challenge. I took to that contest like an OCD-er with a year’s supply of hand-sanitizer–I went through everything I had in a matter of […]