Money Matters: No Use for Money in Ancient Egypt

By Jean Adams

For the most part, the ancient Egyptians had no conception of the use of money, which can make things challenging for writers of that period.

During most of ancient Egypt's pharaonic history, there was no money as such, at least in the form of coins. Not until the middle of the first millennium BC were any coins used in Egypt. At first, they were of foreign extraction.

The ancient Egyptian economy was based on redistribution and reciprocity, set prices in units of value that referred directly to commodities. For the purposes of trade and exchange, at first the Egyptians calculated the value of goods and services in units that were related to the necessities of life. Later, the calculation was made in terms of the weights of metals, such as copper or silver, their weight being used as a reference for value.

During the New Kingdom, information comes from Dier el Medina and from documents relating to shipping. All these sources are evidence that payments were made in the form of bread, beer, grain, meat and cloth, the necessities of life. These rations were expressed in units of bread and beer, the most basic Egyptian diet. It is likely that the lowest wages, close to subsistence levels, were paid in bread and beer.

We know that the standard basic wage consisted of ten loaves and one-third to two full jugs of beer per day. The Egyptian beer was much less alcoholic than modern beer, and higher in calorie content. This was usually the rations of the lowest paid staff members, and consisted of little more then enough to keep one alive. Others were paid in multiples of the standard wage, varying from twice to fifty times that of the standard wage. The highest paid official would receive thirty-eight and one-third loaves while the lowest paid worker received one and one-third loaves.

During the New Kingdom, the craftsmen at Dier el Medina received all the necessities of life from their employer. They were not only provided with food, but also cooking fuel, clothing, the houses where they lived, and the tools of their trade. Yet, the robust trade that amongst themselves indicates that those workers required additional goods and services that the state did not provide.

The deben is a measure of weight that was used for gold, silver, and copper. One deben of copper weighs between 90 and 91 grams. It was divided into ten kite.

We are able to give some approximate values of various commodities, particularly during the New Kingdom.

sack of wheat (c.58 kg): 1 to 2 deben
1 litre of oil: 1 deben
1 loaf of bread: 0.1 deben
1 litre of beer: ½ deben
1 cake: 0.2 deben
1 litre of wine: 1 deben
1 bundle of vegetables: ½ deben
50 fish: 2 deben
1 bronze cup: 5 deben
1 leather bucket: 3 deben
1 basket: 4 deben
1 shirt: 2½ deben
1 pair of sandals: 2 deben
1 razor: 1 deben
1 mirror: 6 deben
1 fly-swat: 1 deben
1 bed: 12-20 deben
1 chair: 20 deben
1 table: 15 deben
1 sleeping mat: 2 deben
1 goat: 2½ deben
1 donkey: 25 deben
1 cow: up to 140 deben
1 bull: 120 deben
1 ox: 60 deben
1 slave girl: 4 deben of silver
1 ordinary male slave: 3 deben of silver

Prices were set by the strength of each trader's desire to conclude an exchange and each individual's skill at arriving at a good price. For example, if there were a shortage of baskets, and one really needed a basket, the price could go up. And of course, if there was a shortage of grain, it could become more valuable. Hence, use was probably more important than abstract value and the value of goods grew according to the need for them. Furthermore, ancient customs and not monetary advantage dictated many prices.

There is evidence for inflation and price fluctuation. During the reign of Ramses II, one deben of silver was valued as one-hundred deben of copper. By the reign of Ramses IX, one deben of silver was valued at sixty deben of copper. It is unlikely that the government would have intervened in setting prices. The Egyptian state regulated the standard measures of length and volume so the basic ratio of one sack of grain to one deben of copper seems not to have varied.

The Egyptians were able to create a relatively complex economy and conduct business in a way that met their needs without ever fully coming up with the concept of money. And we must remember that it worked for almost three thousand years.

Jean Adams' latest contemporary romance, YESTERDAY'S DREAMS, is due out soon from The Wild Rose Press. It is the first in a two-book series set in the New Zealand seaside town of Patiki Bay. Her trilogy set in ancient Egypt is a work in progress, but her time travel Egyptian romance, ETERNAL HEARTS, is available now in print from Highland Press.

Dynasties: The Egyptian Renaissance

By Jean Adams

There were 31 dynasties in ancient Egypt but the 18th Dynasty (1550-1292BC) is probably the most written about when it comes to fiction. It was the dynasty that gave us some of the most colourful pharaohs including Hatshepsut, Akhenaten and Tutankhamun.

I like to call it the Egyptian renaissance.

The founder of this dynasty was Ahmose I who is less well known than some but unquestionably of major importance to Egyptian history. During his reign Egypt was finally and completely liberated from the Hyksos. Various scholars attribute different dates to his reign, but he probably became ruler of Egypt around 1550 BC at 10 years old, and ruled for a period of about 25 years.

During his early reign, little was accomplished and perhaps the Hyksos may have even gained some ground, recapturing Heliopolis. By the end of his first decade in power, we know from a naval officer that he laid siege on Avaris. This was a long battle interrupted by the need to put down insurrections in already liberated territories. He later attacked the southwest Palestinian fortress of Sharuhen in a six year siege that would finally put an end to Hyksos control of Egypt.

Amunhotep I (Amenophis) was the son of Ahmose I and his queen Ahmose-Nefertari, and ruled from 1546 to 1526. He undertook military campaigns in Libya and Nubia using boats on the Nile to transport his army. He extended his empire by establishing a vice-royalty in Nubia.

Once on the throne, Amunhotep I had to defend Egypt's borders because the Libyans had taken the opportunity of Ahmose I's death to launch an invasion in Egypt's delta. He led an army to the Western border and defeated the Libyans and their allies. Next came a rebellion by Nubia. This time, he led an army to the southern border and quickly restored order. Amunhotep I had an interest in art and architecture and initiated elaborate building projects such as the Karnak temple complex at Karnak.

Amunhotep II was the seventh king of the 18th dynasty. He continued the military exploits of his father, particularly in Syria, where he crushed an uprising and demanded oaths of loyalty from local rulers.

A great sportsman, his greatest feat was shooting copper targets with arrows, while driving a chariot with the reins tied round his waist. Amunhotep II inherited a vast empire, which he did not intend to lose easily. Any rebellions were severely dealt with and a series of campaigns were made into Syria. Inscriptions detail how Amunhotep II sought to fight in hand-to-hand combat and led the Egyptian troops into battle with howls of rage. He is regarded as the most bloodthirsty pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty.

Not so Akhetaten, formerly Amunhotep IV, who together with queen Nefertiti and their six daughters fostered new styles in art and literature. The confiscation of the wealth of the Amun temples wreaked havoc on its priesthood. Akhenaten used these riches to strengthen royal control over the army and his officialdom. His concentration on internal affairs brought about the loss of some of the Egyptian possessions in Canaan and Syria and of the Egyptian naval dominance, when Aziru defected to the Hittites with his fleet.

Akhenaten's religious reforms didn't survive his reign and monotheism in its pure form was forgotten in Egypt, even though it found a new expression in the trinity of Re, Ptah and Amun. The Aten temples were demolished, and Akhenaten came to be called "the Enemy."

Tutankhamun (1361-1352 BC),the son-in-law of Akhenaten, succeeded his brother Smenkhkare when he was only nine years old. His vizier Ay restored the traditional polytheistic religion, abandoning the monotheistic cult of Akhenaten. He left el Amarna (Akhetaten) and returned to the capital Thebes. By reviving the state god Amun he strengthened the position of Amun's priesthood. The pharaoh changed his name Tutankhaten, (living image of Aten to Tutankhamun, (living image of Amun).

Jean Adams' latest novel, ETERNAL HEARTS, available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, is set in the 18th Dynasty, during the reign of Akhenaten. You can watch the book video here.

ETERNAL HEARTS Winner!

We have a winner for Jean Adams' ETERNAL HEARTS guest blog. A free copy goes to:

TERRI W.!

Contact Jean to give her your address. The book must be claimed by next Sunday or another winner will be drawn. Please stop back later to let us know what you thought! Congratulations!

Weekly Announcements - 19 Sept 09

Blythe Gifford's IN THE MASTER'S BED is up for Best Romance Release for the Month at the Quarterly Historical Romance Report Site, against stellar competition. Votes would be greatly appreciated, if you feel so moved!

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Michelle Styles has been featured in a local glossy lifestyles magazine called Tynedale Life. You can read it here on page 18!

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Join us tomorrow when author Leanna Renee Hieber will be here to talk about THE STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL TALE OF MISS PERCY PARKER, her paranormal Victorian debut!

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We'll also draw the winner of Jean Adams' lush time travel Egyptian romance, ETERNAL HEARTS. You still have time to throw your name in the hat, if you haven't done so.

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And stay with us through the coming weeks when we'll be featuring the best unusual historical authors! Michelle Beattie, Michelle Willingham, Kimberley Killion, and JoAnn Smith Ainsworth will be our guests. We hope you'll join us!

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Have a good weekend! If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...

Guest Author: Jean Adams

This week we're helping contributor Jean Adams talk about her latest historical romance from Highland Press, ETERNAL HEARTS, which is a time-travel set in ancient Egypt. Here's the blurb:

She found the love of her life, 3000 years too late.

When Alexandra Kelly returns a broadcollar to Egypt she is swept through a time portal on a breathtaking, yet terrifying journey to a land of majesty and splendour, the land of the pharaohs.

Death is Lord Khafra's fate if he embarks upon his dangerous quest. Can Alex's arrival save him from his date with a lonely, fiery death? Together they find love and face terrible danger and hardship but the sexy charioteer could make any woman believe the gods were smiling on her.

But at the next full moon Alex must return to the 21st century and Khafra will have been dead for 3000 years.

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Why did you write this story?

I've been besotted with ancient Egypt ever since I first saw The Ten Commandments. That wasn't what I supposed to see, I know, but since that time I've read anything an everything I could lay my hands on about the ancient Egyptians. I've discovered they are not the villains of the peace they have long been made out to be. Quite the opposite in fact. They were very tolerant and advanced, as far as ancient civilisations could be, and I wanted to help set the record straight.

Did you come up with the title or did the publisher think of it?

The title is mine. The Egyptians believed in eternity long before vampires staked their claim on it (no pun intended). That's why they built those magnificent tombs and pyramids. They were supposed to last to the end of time--into eternity.

What is the story about?

Alexis Kelly, falls through a time portal and goes back to ancient Thebes. Lord Khafra, the hero, finds her and takes her home. She must stay three-and-a-half years in the past for month, until the moon shifts round to full again. During that time she encounters a near-death experience, and takes part in the greatest house move in history--when Akheneten moved the then capital, Thebes, to Ahketaten. Alex journeys down the Nile on his luxurious barge to the desert wasteland that will be her new home. Matters get worse when Khafra is arrested for treason against the king. But time is running short and Lord Khafra must escape to get her back to the 21st century so he can clear his name.

Why made you choose the time of Akhenaten and Nefertiti?

I had two choices. That dynasty or another, about a thousand years into Egypt's future. I procrastinated for about two years trying to decide which time period to go for. I finally realised that this was a very exciting and colorful time in Egypt's history, and was a story that people would probably recognise, so I opted for 1300 BC. Once I made my decision thankfully, it worked. I started writing and the story it fairly flew off my fingers. It didn't take long to get the first draft done.

How much research did you have to do?

Thankfully, not too much because I'd read many books and websites already but I kept checking my facts. We will never know some of the small, personal details, so I used romance writer's licence there. One of the things I had to cut out of the book includes the original Egyptian version of the Cinderella story. And I'm sure that Nofret and Rahotep would be happy to know they are still married three-and-a-half thousand years later. True eternal hearts.

What's next for Jean Adams?

I'm developing a trilogy set in ancient Egypt, not time travel this time, but I've just had to take a full time job after my business went belly up, so it will probably take longer than I'd hoped!

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Thanks for stopping by, Jean! Leave a comment or question for Jean to be entered in a drawing for a copy of ETERNAL HEARTS, which will be available from Highland Press very soon. Void where prohibited. Best of luck!

Excerpt Thursday: Jean Adams

This week on Unusual Historicals we're featuring our own Queen of Egypt, Jean Adams! She's getting ready to celebrate the release of ETERNAL HEARTS and will be with us on Sunday to discuss it and give away a copy. Hope you join us! Here's the blurb:

She found the love of her life, 3000 years too late.

When Alexandra Kelly returns a broadcollar to Egypt she is swept through a time portal on a breathtaking, yet terrifying journey to a land of majesty and splendour, the land of the pharaohs.

Death is Lord Khafra's fate if he embarks upon his dangerous quest. Can Alex's arrival save him from his date with a lonely, fiery death?

Together they find love and face terrible danger and hardship but the sexy charioteer could make any woman believe the gods were smiling on her.

But at the next full moon Alex must return to the 21st century and Khafra will have been dead for 3000 years.

***

Khafra's face looked grim and ashen. "Abana. I am under arrest. For treason."

Alex threw herself to her feet "Treason? Dear God, no!" That's the death penalty.

As soon as she'd heard hoof beats galloping through the streets in the middle of the night Alex had sensed that something was very wrong. The pounding on their door confirmed her fears. Now her roiling stomach turned inside out and back again as fear loomed large and terrifying.

"They say that I have conspired to kill the king." His voice was grave.

"But you're not involved in ..." Her voice rose shrilly as hysteria grew in her stomach. "Tell them."

She could see by his drawn face and tight lips that this didn't look good. When he spoke, his voice sounded hoarse. "I must prove to the king himself that I am innocent of this crime, and I must do it without implicating my father."

"Can you?" She held her breath.

He shook his head. "I know not."

Hearing Khafra choke on the words didn't help. She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. "I won't let them take you. You've done nothing."

It was a futile gesture. One of the king's charioteers unhooked her arms roughly and pushed her away from Khafra.

He straightened his spine, squared his shoulders and tried to smile but the attempt was futile. "I must go with them now, sweet love. Try not to worry."

She could see that his bravado was for her benefit but he couldn't disguise the fear in his eyes. "What if you're found guilty?"

"Pray to Ma'at, Goddess of Justice, that I can prove my innocence," he said solemnly.

Dear God, What if they found him guilty? Put him to death? How did a man prove he had no part in plots to kill the king? Her panic grew. "But—what if you can't? What if ...?"

Khafra merely lowered his gaze. Alex couldn't finish. Lifting her chin she fixed him with a look of determination. "I'm going with you."

He took a step toward her but the king's guard stopped him. "No, Abana. You cannot help me."

"But I can't just wait around here while they accuse you of heaven knows what. I'll beg for you life if I have to."

"Abana. They will not understand you." He lifted his hand to cup her cheek. "I promise I will return."

"You'd better." She gave a frightened little laugh and watched helplessly as the guard bound Khafra's hands behind his back.

They led him away. Proud head high, bearing erect, Khafra walked out between two guards, yet he looked so vulnerable dressed only in his kilt.

Grief-stricken, she followed them out into the courtyard. Three chariots waited—one for the prisoner and his guard, the other two each bore two men as escort.

Khafra was shoved like a common criminal into the leading chariot.

He managed to turn and face her, a grim smile on his lips. "Abana, my heart-mate, always know that I will love you into eternity."

Tears spilled down her cheeks. "As I will you, Khafra, my love" she called back. But her voice was lost in the sound of clanking bridles and chariot wheels, as they drove through the gateway in single file. Then he was gone, swallowed up by darkness.

"Come back to me, Khafra," she whispered into the night. "Don't die. Please come back."

How long she stood in the courtyard, staring into the night through tear-filled eyes, Alex had no idea. Maybe her nightmare would end soon and she would wake up to find him sleeping peacefully beside her. But she was awake—and alone in Egypt.

She shivered and wrapped her arms around her waist. Khafra had been her only protection and now he could be put to death for a crime of which he was innocent.

Put to death!

Alex couldn't breathe. Her heart pounded in her chest. He'd done nothing wrong so why had he been arrested? Could he prove his innocence? What evidence did Akhenaten have against him? Surely it was a mistake, a misunderstanding.

If that little creep, Ikui, had overheard him praying the night she was taken away, he would have listened to everything and it would he his word against Khafra's.

Was Khafra afraid? He should be terrified. Knowing him, he'd be more afraid of what would become of her than for himself.

If he were found guilty, he wouldn't be coming back. She would be alone. The truth hit her squarely in the solar plexus as frightening thoughts nudged at her brain.

If Khafra didn't come back how would she survive? Maybe she could try to return home. But how? Even if she could get back to the Temple of Thoth it wouldn't do any good. Khafra alone knew how to open the portal.

She would never get back to the 21st century.

Families & Children: Egyptian Marriage

By Jean Adams

The ancient Egyptians held marriage sacred. The family was broken down into roles that each would play in order for things to run smoothly. The father would work all day while, in smaller households, the mother was in charge of all things pertaining to the house. Cooking, cleaning and watching the children were all her responsibilities. Egyptians took mates in what most often appears to be lifelong, monogamous relationships.

Marriage and a close family played an integral role Egyptian life. A bride would be young, about 14 or 15, and her husband could be anywhere from 17 to 20--older if he was divorced or a widower. The ancient Egyptians were encouraged to marry young, considering that the life span was relatively short.

Many marriages were arranged with parental consent, as they have been in all societies, especially among the upper classes. But the abundance of love poetry between young people signifies that many couples did fall in love and choose each other as mates. Women played a large role in arranging a marriage. A suitor sometimes used a female go-between to approach the girl's mother--not her father.

It's interesting that one of the most affectionate titles you could call your love was "brother" or "sister". This had nothing to do with sibling relations, but led many archaeologists and scholars to assume, wrongly, that most ancient Egyptians married their siblings. This usually occurred only among royalty--and was not common.

Nofret (left) and Rahotep, together again in my upcoming book, ETERNAL HEARTS.
The day of the marriage was simple. The bride merely moved her belongings into the home of her husband. He might be living alone or with his parents. The bride wore a long dress or tunic made of linen, which was probably covered with bead-net. If she owned any gold, silver or lapis lazuli, she would adorn herself with those. There was no official ceremony, but knowing how much the ancient Egyptians loved music, dance and food, there were usually family celebrations in honor of the couple.

Museums are full of statues and paintings showing husbands and wives with their arms around each other, holding hands or offering each other flowers or food. Love and affection was indeed a part of the Egyptian marriage, and the Egyptian bride could expect to be loved and respected by her husband.

Most marriages had a contract drawn up between the two parties. Marriage settlements were drawn up between a woman's father and her prospective husband, although many times the woman herself was part of the contract. The sole purpose of the contract was to establish the rights of both parties to maintenance and possessions during the marriage and after divorce, if it should occur.

A standard marriage contract that has been found among the numerous records left by the ancient Egyptians. It contained:

-- date (the year of the reign of the ruling monarch)
-- contractors (future husband and wife)
-- names of both sets of parents.
-- husband's profession
-- scribe who drew up the contract
-- names of witnesses

The finished document was given to a third party for safekeeping or kept among the records of the local temple.

A man could marry as soon as he was physically mature and had reached a point in his chosen career that ensured his ability to provide for his wife and for the children they could expect. Most Egyptians were content to have only one wife. Marriage was an expensive matter for the man, and the whole contract provided such far-reaching safeguards for the material rights of wives and children that most men could only afford one wife at a time.

Marriages were mostly between people of the same social class, but there seems to have been little regard given to race or even nationality. It was not unusual for a northern Egyptian to marry a Nubian, or someone even from another country.

If the marriage ended in divorce, the rights of the wife were equally protected. Generally, she was entitled to support from her husband, especially if she was rejected by him through no fault of her own. The amount might equal one third of the settlement or even more. If the bride ended up committing adultery (which was extremely frowned upon for both men and women), she still had certain rights to maintenance from her former husband. Monogamy, except for some of the higher classes and royalty, seemed to be the rule for most ancient Egyptian couples.

Marriages between kin were familiar among the common folk. Step-brothers and sisters married, as did uncles and nieces quite frequently, and cousins still more so. Between very close blood-relations, however, it was rare among ordinary people.

The tradition of brother/sister or father/daughter marriages was mostly confined to royalty. In tales from Egyptian mythology, gods marriage between brothers and sisters and fathers and daughters were common from the earliest periods, so Egyptian kings may have felt that it was a royal thing to do. However, there are also theories that brother/sister marriages may also have strengthened the king's claim to rule.

Divorce was as easily initiated as marriage. Divorce could be brought about by either party; it was a private matter and the government took no interest in it.
The most common reasons for a husband to divorce his wife included the inability to bear children, especially a son; the desire to marry someone else or that she simply stopped pleasing him. A woman could divorce her husband for mental or physical cruelty or adultery. In some cases, if the woman chose to divorce, she forfeited her right to communal property.

But there are many indications that husbands and wives in ancient Egypt were often happy and in love. There are many touching portraits and statues of families including spouses and their children that reveal marital delight and warmth within the family.

Social Movements: Religious Upheaval in Ancient Egypt

By Jean Adams

Ancient Egyptian's lives were ruled by the gods. They infused every part of Egyptian life. So imagine the upheaval when the heretic pharaoh, Akhenaten, forbade the worship of all the gods who had nurtured Egyptians for about 2,000 years, in favor of his favorite god, Aten.

He had the temples of Amun and the pantheon of gods closed, and the estates of the priests of Amun confiscated. Temples were toppled and their names chiselled out in favor of his god.

The people of Egypt were left high and dry with no gods to worship other than a new god they barely knew. Egyptian religion and culture was thrown into chaos for seventeen years. He also moved the capital of Egypt from Thebes to a barren desert wasteland two hundred miles to the north, called Ahketaten (Horizon of the Aten).

This is the background of my upcoming romance ETERNAL HEARTS, due out this year from Highland Press.

Akhenaten reigned more than 3,500 years ago, in the eighteenth dynasty, and apart from making major, but rather short-lived, changes to various aspects of Egyptian culture, the most notable was his religious revolution. Akhenaten also made major changes in the ancient Egyptian art style, and presented himself in a very different manner from any of his predecessors. Some say he had a sense of humor, others that he had one of several diseases.

Akhenaten's strange appearance and mysterious behavior, as well as his connection with Nefertiti and with the "boy king" Tutankhamun, have made him the subject of much passion and controversy in the last century or so.

Akhenaten is all things to all people. To some he was a fanatical lunatic, to some he comes across as a strange, eccentric young man whose behavior was strongly influenced by his mother. To others he was a Christ-like visionary and a mentor of Moses. You must admit it poses interesting questions, especially since Moses was 500 years or so later.

Akhenaten's great royal wife was the very beautiful Nefertiti. Her name means "A Beautiful Woman Has Come". Akhenaten and Nefertiti had six daughters who died very young, probably victims of a plague that was running rampant in Ahketaten at the time.

The nature of Akhenaten's religious revolution is well established--he overthrew Egyptian polytheism in favor of the worship of a single god, Aten--but the reason behind it is still unknown.

When historians first began to study Akhenaten in the late 1800s, the first thing that naturally came to everyone's mind was that Akhenaten was divinely inspired. Many disagree. Although Akhenaten's religion centered on one god, the physical sun disk, his major emphasis was on the Aten's visibility, tangibility, and undeniable "realness". Akhenaten placed no emphasis on faith.

Many believe Akhenaten's reasons for his religious reform were political. By the time of his reign, the god Amun had risen to such a high status that the priests of Amun had become even more wealthy and powerful than the pharaohs.

The reasons for Akhenaten's revolution still remain a mystery and probably always will. Until further evidence can be uncovered, it will be impossible to know just what motivated his unusual behavior.

In my book I've opted for the most popular belief. That Akhenaten was a madman, but not too mad. I wanted him to at least have some humanity with touch of madness around the edges. We'll never really know, but he was a great family man who loved his little daughters.

I hope he would approve of my depiction.

Weekly Announcements

Bonnie Vanak's new website is up. Also, Bonnie and her long-time buddy Jennifer Ashley are running a special blog contest to celebrate their fifth year of publishing and to help out debut Dorchester authors. One lucky winner will receive a book from the backlists of Bonnie, Jennifer and Colleen Thompson. Details can be found at either Bonnie's blog or Jennifer's.

Also, Bonnie's December Silhouette Nocturne release, THE EMPATH, received four stars from Romantic Times BookClub magazine and a 5/5 rating from Night Owl Romance. Little Sunshine of Night Owl Romance wrote:

Ms. Vanak's THE EMPATH is a force to be reckoned with as this author has concocted a smooth and sensual story guaranteed to please readers longing for strong characters intertwined with magical and mystical beings. This story is a recommended read and I will definitely be looking for other releases by Ms. Vanak!

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Anna C. Bowling's QUEEN OF THE OCEAN received a B review from Jayne at Dear Author.

Honestly I wasn't quite sure how you'd end it but I enjoyed the heroine's quick witted response and the joy between the two of them. And you even manage to include enough about the villains so that they're not totally two dimensional.

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Carrie Lofty's short story SUNDIAL, the winner of The Wild Rose Press's "Through the Garden Gate" contest, Vintage (1950s-60s) Category, will be published in December.

Amber Schulman stepped into a lush English garden in 2007, only to arrive in breathtaking Sorrento, Italy--in 1958. The only person who understands her confusion is fellow time traveler Mark Lacey, a New Yorker who comes from the land of cassette tapes and Reaganomics. His dark, world-weary eyes beckon her with secrets and sensuality. But why does he seem so familiar?

Trapped in the past since he was a teen, Mark wants nothing to do with another whining newcomer. But the blue-eyed Aussie might be able to answer the one question that haunts him: Do I ever get back to 1987? From soccer to samba to sex, Amber tempts him with a zeal for life and love, pulling him free of his lonely isolation.

But getting home proves easier than they imagined. How will their love endure when Amber returns to her time--and Mark to his?

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Jean Adams' Egyptian time travel, ETERNAL HEARTS, now has a web trailer. ETERNAL HEARTS is coming soon from Highland Press.

Also, Jean's manuscript PRINCE OF SECRETS finaled in the Wallflower Contest sponsored by the From the Heart Romance Writers. The category was "Best Opening Hook," and her MS will be one of three judged by editor Brenda Chin of Harlequin.

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Michelle Styles' latest release, A CHRISTMAS WEDDING WAGER, has received a great review from Loretta over at Barbara Vey's Publisher's Weekly blog:

An intriguing and unusual romantic tale and I enjoyed every page of it. The lovely heroine and the handsome, rich hero involved themselves in a "thrust and parry" fashion towards each other throughout the book. ... The villain fit his role exceedingly well and I wanted to hiss him aloud. My only wish was that the story was longer or that there may eventually be a sequel.

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Join us Sunday when our guest blogger will be Susan Flanders, royal historian.

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Happy Friday, and have a good weekend! Remember, if you don't get your announcements to me, I can give you your dues! If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie! See you next week...

Glad to be here

Hi everyone,

I'm Jean and I live in New Zealand. I'm so glad to have found this group. I feel as though I've found a whole lot of new friends, although some of you are already known to me.

I write contemporaries and books set in ancient Egypt, my passion after writing, and have just had my time travel, ETERNAL HEARTS, accepted by Highland Press. Although I still write contemporaries and have a few on submission, I'm developing a trilogy set in Egypt, no time travel this time though.

Happy writing,
Jean