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." Fortunately, he came across the self-portrait of … [Read more...] about The Face Behind the Cover of Cleopatra Rules!
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The BCCB Weighs in on Cleopatra Rules!
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 … [Read more...] about The BCCB Weighs in on Cleopatra Rules!
Did She Or Didn’t She?
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 began to gloat. Until Cleopatra took off an oversized … [Read more...] about Did She Or Didn’t She?
My Book Has Arrived!
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 far more capable and powerful ruler than she has been depicted in … [Read more...] about My Book Has Arrived!
Oh, Baby!
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 the proud mother of four—yes, FOUR—children. Most people don’t … [Read more...] about Oh, Baby!
