Thursday Excerpt: Penny Ash

CAESAR'S MERCY OF LOVE is a joint project between Penny Ash and Jade Morrison featuring drama, excitement, time travel and true love. It's due out in print in early March from Phaze Publishing. Here's an excerpt!

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Laurentius stared at the gladiators slashing away at each other in the arena below him, bored. All the usual entertainments, the banquets with their dancing girls and acrobats paled. His exotic animals and people from the far reaches of the Empire did nothing to please him. The beautiful spring day was not enjoyable. And even watching the Senators grovel and plot no longer gave him any amusement.

He turned his gaze on those Senators seated nearby. They nervously watched him for any sign of his displeasure being turned on them. Several were probably wondering if their plotting had been discovered. He smiled, a faintly knowing smile, and took note of those who paled and those who didn't. Laurentius missed nothing, not even the slightest hint of subterfuge, those who appeared to have something to hide would be questioned. One never knew when one would turn up an assassination plot or a plan to steal from one.

He stood and the crowd's screaming grew louder. He gave the arena his attention once more. The last gladiator stood expectantly and waited for the signal from Laurentius Caesar. Would the vanquished opponent live or die? Laurentius followed the gladiator's victory turn around the Colosseum, gazing at the crowds of Romans calling for blood. It all bored him beyond imagining. For the first time since his ascending to the throne the Emperor left without giving the signal.

His sister, Silvia, looked startled at his departure. He waved toward her, ignoring his pale, unhappy concubine seated beside her. "I give the vanquished gladiator's fate to you dear sister. See to it," he said in a terse voice and stalked from the box. From the corner of his eye he saw as she stood and turned, giving the signal. Thumbs down as the crowd demanded. For a moment there he's thought Silvia might spare the man. It was certain Tacita would have spared her crude lover. He almost laughed sometimes it was good to be Caesar.

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Quintus Caesar was in an ill temper. He was sick of the Colosseum games, bored with the politics of Rome and tired of his latest female companion. Like the others before her, she seemed incapable of giving him the one gift he wanted most and now he was faced with a decision. What to do with the lady? He couldn't banish her to the country, for she had not been unfaithful to him. He couldn't accuse her of stifling him because she was not overly demanding of his attention. Indeed, she was so pliant to his wishes as to be nonexistent. Quintus thought a future empress, and mother of heirs to the empire, must have at least a minimum of spirit about her. Now, he was faced with issuing her dismissal from the royal bed, and he wondered if at last, she would show emotion. Sighing heavily, he decided that it didn't really matter. She was not empress material.

Quintus's sexual appetite and excess with women was legendary in Rome. The emperor had bedded enough courtesans to satisfy a hundred men. Yet he was not fulfilled. Worse, he had learned that keeping a past lover at the palace was dangerous. Perhaps he could find Sophia a wealthy husband and all would be well. If she had a husband to occupy her, Quintus wouldn't have to banish her as he had so many of his previous mistresses.

With such thoughts weighing on his mind, he sat sprawled on his throne, chin in hand, steadfastly ignoring the long-winded speeches being served by an endless parade of Roman senators. His fixed scowl challenged anyone to disturb his dark thoughts. No one dare ask Caesar for his endorsement of legislative policies while he was in such a foul mood. Therefore, the senators conducted their business around him, holding their collective tongues on matters that required his approval. Even Caesar's most loyal companions didn't want to risk making him angry.

When the last articles of business had been conducted, and the voice of the people had fell quiet, the emperor broke his silence with an impossible question. "What is next for Rome?"

As one, the senators exchanged worried glances, not at all sure of what Caesar expected of them. In his current mood a wrong answer could prompt a trip to the Colosseum.

"Whatever you wish, your Highness," one quick thinker blurted out nervously.

That brought a brief smile to Quintus's handsome face. "Whatever I wish," he repeated to himself in a whisper, as if savoring the thought. After a moment of deliberation, he lifted his head to impale the politician closest to him with a direct gaze of his hazel eyes.

"I want a war," he said aloud.

Excerpt Thursday: Penny Ash

Thursdays on Unusual Historicals mean excerpts! Here's one from Penny Ash. She writes:

It occurred to me that I hadn't posted an excerpt of my historical novella, CAESAR'S LOVE. It won't be available in this form much longer, as it is being revised and made longer. I hope you enjoy ancient Rome as much as I do.

Laurentius Caesar has everything a man could want: power, prestige, and the admiration of all. He lacks only love, and his hopes for such are amended on meeting one of his house slaves, Auriel. Having known only the life of a servant, Auriel is surprised with her new role as Caesar's lover. Is Laurentius' love strong enough to erase their differences?

***

Auriel worked as quickly and silently as possible, scrubbing the floor of the great hall. She truly hated to be given chores anywhere near the royal apartments. Usually she managed to avoid them by doing the less pleasant tasks no one else wanted to do. But Rufa was ill and Pulvillus was hiding somewhere so it fell to her.

Born a slave in a Roman garrison deep in the wilds of Britannia, she had long ago resigned herself to her fate. When she was a child she was sold into the household of the governor of Gaul, caring for his small children. And when the children had been carried off one by one a victim of illness the governor had returned to Rome and sold her to a Senator.

She had learned to avoid attention quickly when she saw how the other young female slaves were treated. Survival lay in hiding her pale hair and budding body under a few layers of filth and loose rags. The Senator had finally married and seeing through the dirt and grime the jealous new wife promptly gave her to Caesar.

Given her own choice she would have been content to go unnoticed in a minor land owner's house somewhere far from Rome. But a slave's life was subject to the whims of her master, or her master's wife, and so here she was in the palace of the ruler of the civilized world.

Auriel sighed. She had seen Laurentius Caesar a handful of times as she went about her work, and while she did think he was beautiful with his thick dark hair and green eyes, she would rather go unnoticed by him. He was dangerous, like all men of power and wealth. And she very much liked being alive.

Intent on her work, she heard the sound of footsteps and quickly raised her arm to stop whoever it was from marring her newly cleaned and polished floor. The hall floor was large and she did not want to have to repeat the chore of washing it. Looking up, she expected to see another slave or one of the guards. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw the richness of the sandals ornamented in gold and precious gems. She sighed resignedly and looked up into the angry deep green eyes of Caesar himself.

"My Lord, the floor is slippery and wet, dangerous to walk upon," she said, her voice shaky. If she was lucky he would merely have her beaten. If not he would strike her down where she knelt. Silently she apologized to Rufa. Blood was so hard to clean from a marble floor.

Social Taboos: Cousins

By Penny Ash

In my own family's past there was at least one cousin marriage, and probably more, in the late 1700's to mid 1800's. When I was researching this for a book idea, I stopped for a moment and thought about my male cousins. Would I want to marry any of them? Would I want to marry into a family that I already knew, in some cases better than I wanted too? No. But apparently many people did in the past and still do now.

Today, if you ask most people, the thought of marrying a cousin gives them the shivers. And not the good kind. Most people look on it with horror and equate it with incest. But it was once very common in the past and is a lot more common today than most people think. Right now the US is split 50/50 on the legality of cousin marriage. It is legal in Canada and throughout Europe to marry your cousin. Other countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East prefer cousin marriage. South America I couldn't find statistics for.

There are lots of websites out there on both sides of the issue and I'm not going to list them here. The primary argument against the practice seems to be the genetic one but when you look at the studies most could be used for both pro and con. The chance of birth defect or illness does not appear to be any higher than for the general population.

From my own research into it cousin marriage, particularly in the past when people were much more stationary, was one way to assure a person found someone to marry. In other words people married who was available. They married to keep property in the family or consolidate power. And they married because they loved each other.

Some famous people who were romantically involved with their cousins:

Queen Victoria
Charles Darwin
Albert Einstein (they were first cousins on his mother's side and second cousins on his father's side)
Jerry Lee Lewis
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Sir John A. MacDonald (first Prime Minister of Canada)
Jesse James
Christopher Robin (yes, that Christopher Robin)
Rudi Giuliani
Edgar Allen Poe
Mary and Joseph (first cousins)
H.P. Lovecraft
Edvard Grieg
Karen Blixen (Isak Dineson)
Sergie Rachmaninov
Prophet Mohammad
Amelia Lanyer
Johann Sebastian Bach
H.G. Wells
Werner Von Braun
Thomas Jefferson
Igor Stravinsky
Carlo Gambino
Queen Elizabeth II
Marie Antoinette
Catherine the Great
Isaac and Rebekah
Jacob and Rachel and Leah
John Adams
Voltaire
Josiah Bartlett
Charles Bulfinch
John C. Calhoun
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Samuel F. B. Morse
Nicholas and Alexandra

And the list goes on to include several signers of the Declaration of Independence, all sorts of royalty, and many other lesser well known people. Maybe it's not so taboo after all!

Weapons and Armies: Research Links

By Penny Ash

I thought I'd do something just a mite different for this Thursday. Instead of a list of different weapons or fighting styles, I present a short list of links to various sites with information on weapons and warfare.

1. Gallica.Co.Uk
2. Ancient History.Com
3. Bible History.Com
4. Probert Encyclopaedia.Com
5. BBC.Co.UK
6. Basicint.Org
7. Regia.Org
8. Leonardo.Net
9. Find Article.Com
10. Direct Essays.Com
11. Strategy Page.Com
12. Space.Com
13. Janes.Com

And for even more, just Google weapons and warfare.

Famous People: Hollywood Fame

By Penny Ash

Hollywoodland. A name that conjures up images of glamor and fame, glitter and excitement, and even seediness and the shabby. Place of the fantastic, where a lowly waiter or maid could suddenly be "discovered" and rocket to stardom, like Lana Turner did. In Hollywood, you could stop in at a restaurant and maybe see your favorite star. Along with Las Vegas, it's a place you can mention practically anywhere in the world and find it recognized.

It started out as a planned community built where the old Spanish ranchos had been and flourished until a lack of water made it necessary to annex it to Los Angeles. Then in 1911 the first film studio arrived, The Nestor Company. Cecil B. DeMille and D. W. Griffith arrived soon after and the boom began. The area was perfect for making movies, with it's open spaces and good climate. The sign arrived in 1923 to advertise a real estate development. The arrival of the thousands of people it takes to make movies meant everyone needed a place to live.

By 1949, the sign had badly deteriorated. The Chamber of Commerce took over, fixed it up, and removed the last four letters. It wasn't long before Hollywood became the trademark for an entire lifestyle. But it didn't last. As the world changed and movie making began to compete with TV, the condition of the sign deteriorated again.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, another push was launched to "Save the Sign." People like Hugh Hefner campaigned to repair the icon, and people like Alice Cooper bought letters. It was vandalized several times and used to make political statements through the 1980s.

The sign and its condition has always been a metaphor and a mirror for the condition of the town, a beacon for those wanting fortune and fame, glamor and glitz, and fantasy. It will continue to draw people as long as people are dazzled by fame.

Weekly Announcements - 19 July 08

Penny Ash has been offered a contract to expand CAESAR'S LOVE, to be paired in a two-story anthology with Jade Morrison for print in early 2009.

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For a faery fun interview, take a look at ParaNormal Romance's Paraphernalia feature. This month Jacquie Rogers is one of the featured guest authors for Fae Month. She reveals how she built the Faery World for Faery Special Romances, and her plans for the star of the book, Keely. She also discusses her work with the Children's Tumor Foundation and why she is dedicated to raising neurofibromatosis awareness.

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Join us tomorrow when Erastes will be discussing and giving away a free copy of SPEAK ITS NAME, an anthology of homosexual historical stories set between the Regency Era and the 1920s.

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We'll also draw the winners of Kimberly Killion's HER ONE DESIRE. Leave a comment for your shot at winning.

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

Religious Beliefs: Fall of the Knights Templar

By Penny Ash

For some two hundred years, the Knights Templar protected the faithful on their pilgrimages to Jerusalem, fought the Muslims, and gained wealth and power. They were respected and it was a prestigious thing to be accepted into the order. Many of the nobility joined once they had secured their estates and had an heir, leaving family and friends to focus on their souls. They flourished throughout the era of the Crusades. Then in 1307, it all fell apart.

So what happened? The fall was a combination of things, a series of poor military decisions, greed and jealousy from an outside source, and a weak Pope. The Knights suffered several major losses to the Muslims that pushed them out of Jerusalem, but they probably could have made a comeback from that. After all, fighting was what they were about for two centuries. What in my opinion brought them down was plain old garden variety greed and jealousy embodied by Philip the Fair, King of France. And he used the Church to do it.

In one source, I read that part of the problem was Philip had applied to join the order and was turned down. And it made him angry. But nearly everyone else agrees that it was Philip's greed, his lust for money that was behind it. He had already gone after the Jews and the Lombards, confiscating their wealth and land. Most likely he had planned his attack for a long time and he’d been a wee bit upset with the Church for years.

Philip, like most greedy men, spent more than he had. He was heavily in debt, so when Pope Boniface forbade the clergy to pay taxes, it made life unpleasant for Philip. His battle of wills with the Church began, and when Pope Boniface called on him for support against Aragon, Philip refused. Naturally this didn't sit well with the Pope and he retaliated, eventually offering the throne of France to the Austrian Emperor in 1302. Philip then managed to do in Pope Boniface and his successor, and by 1305, he made Bertrand de Got, his boyhood friend, into Pope Clement V. Everything was in place for his attack on the Knights Templar. And apparently they never saw it coming.

Philip IV practiced this sort of attack twice before and succeeded. Remember the Jews and Lombards? He had his own puppet Pope, and his greed knew no bounds. He made a dry run, or maybe a feint before the real attack, by attempting to unite the Templars with the Hospitallers. It didn't succeed and he put his plan into motion.

People of the day were heavily superstitious and Philip used this to his advantage. He ordered the Templars arrested on the charges of heresy--some 87 charges, including everything from denying Christ to the mode of confession they practiced and other heretical depravity. As twisted and greedy as his actions were, Philip deserves some credit for pulling off a perfectly timed arrest throughout France of the Knights Templar, in an era without our instantaneous communication. It took a month for orders to be sent out and received, and he managed to keep it secret until the time came to strike--so secret that Jacques de Molay, the Templar Grand Master, had no clue what was about to happen. He probably thought of Philip as something of a friend, since he was godfather to Philip's son, and de Molay had only the day before acted as pallbearer at the funeral of Philip's sister-in-law.

The arrests took place on October 13, 1307. It was a Friday. Was the day picked on purpose? I like to think so. In any case, the torture began immediately, and many Knights who confessed early were sent to join the Hospitallers or some other order. Unfortunately for Philip, he didn't get quite the treasure he was after. The puppet Pope showed a little initiative and transferred the lands and property of the Templars to the Hospitallers, and although they did arrest a huge number of Knights, many got away and went underground with what they could carry with them.

The Knights Templar were officially dissolved in 1312.

In the end, after suffering seven years of torture, de Molay confessed to some of the heresy charges, although never to the charge of homosexual practices. When he was taken to be burned at the stake in 1314, he recanted his confession and said the only crime he was guilty of was lying about his fellow Knights to get the torture to stop. Both Philip IV and Clement V died within one year of de Molay.

And the real mystery begins. What happened to the Templars who got away? Where did they go? Did they really form the Freemasons?

There are tons of websites covering the history of the Templars. I found these two to be the best for this post: Templar History and Alan D. Peters.

Thursday Thirteen: Families in the Old West

By Penny Ash

Here's a Thursday Thirteen about children and families in the Old West, which were not so much different from today.

1. Women, and men, married early, sometimes as early as 12 or 13.
2. Children were born in cabins or out on the trail with little or no medical help unless the family lived in a city.
3. Children spent their time doing chores or playing.
4. There was school for the kids who lived in a town that had one, or had a mother who could teach them.
5. Women cooked and cleaned, did the mending and raised the kids while their husbands worked in the fields or the store or their chosen profession.
6. Families staved off attacks from natives in the area, diseases, and attacks from outlaws and other criminals.
7. Some women were abused and sought a divorce as a remedy, something that in most places took an act of the state or territorial government. If they could be convinced.
8. Some women became entrepreneurs, traveling to the gold fields and setting up restaurants, wash houses, and rooming houses.
9. Children sometimes had to raise themselves and take care of invalid parents or siblings.
10. Some families moved into Indian Territory and did things like my great great-grandfather who traveled through the territory as a medicine man.
11. Some women turned to crime and became outlaws themselves, they set up brothels, robbed banks, and rustled cattle.
12. Boys, and some of their sisters, learned to hunt and fish as well as work in the fields. Girls, and their brothers, learned to cook and clean, make soap and grow a garden.
13. And of course girls and boys grew up to be women and men who met and fell in love and got married and started all over with their own children.

Weekly Announcements - 15 Feb 08

Carrie Lofty sold an article about Unusual Historicals (on spec) to Romance Writers Report, the monthly trade mag for members of Romance Writers of America. To correspond with the release of her debut novel, What a Scoundrel Wants, the article will feature in the November or December issue. If you're interested in answering questions for the article and you haven't talked with Carrie about participating, please email her.

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Faery Special Romances by Jacquie Rogers finaled in the Fantasm Awards in two categories: Best Faerie Tale Romance and Best Overall Fantasy Romance. Voting is now open! In addition, "The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fairy," a paranormal western story in Faery Special Romances has finaled in the prestigious P.E.A.R.L. Awards for Best Short Story/Novella.

Jacquie is also hosting a Valentine's Day Contest! Contestants sent in their own Faery Special Romance stories, and now they'd love you to vote for them. Read the stories and pick your own favorite!

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Michelle Styles' books are going international again. A Noble Captive has been translated into Czech as ŘÍMAN A KNĚŽKA (and so has Michelle--she's credited as Michelle Stylesová). Taken by the Viking also has a new, warmer cover for its upcoming US release.

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Penny Ash has signed a contract with Mojocastle Press to coauthor an alternate history western she'll be co-writing with a friend. More details to come!

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Anne Whitfield's The Gentle Wind's Caress has been released in large print in the UK with a beautiful new hardback cover, available through Amazon. In addition, her WWII-set romance Broken Hero will be released as an ebook through The Wild Rose Press on 29 February, then as a paperback on 25 April.

Audrey Pearson's life changed dramatically when WWII broke out and her large home, Twelve Pines on the East Yorkshire coast, became a convalescence home for wounded soldiers. Her life is no longer lavish with entertainment, beautiful clothes and surrounded by a loving family. Soldiers, physically and mentally wounded now fill her home. The smell of disinfectant replaces her mother’s perfume and gone are the friends and acquaintances--instead nurses roam the hallways.

Captain Jake Harding, a doctor training in psychiatry arrives at Twelve Pines. Audrey immediately finds herself attracted to the Captain, but he is remote towards her. Puzzled by his cold behaviour, Audrey tries to learn more about the handsome Captain. He reveals that he's lost a wife and baby in childbirth and refuses to ever remarry. However, despite this, Audrey believes she can change his mind and make him aware he doesn’t have to spend his life alone. The ice around Jake's heart begins to melt. For years he has rejected the possibility of finding love again because of the pain it caused him before, but the beautiful Audrey shows him her love and she needs someone to love her in return.

Could he honestly walk away from her, from the love that could be his?

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As a special Valentine gift for her readers, Sandra Schwab is currently posting the last few episodes of her free novella BETRAYAL on her podcast, Sandy's Podchatter. On a golden day in early summer two young boys meet by chance in the crowded streets of Florence--and change the lives of a man and a woman forevermore. For more information please visit Sandra's website.

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Join us Sunday when our guest author will be Jennifer Mueller. She'll be discussing her release Havana Holiday, set in 1930s Cuba. We'll also draw the winner of a copy of Jeannine Van Eperen's book Daughter of Spain. Leave a comment for your chance to win.

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

Holidays & Celebrations:Bethlehem

By Penny Ash

She knew it would be soon, the whisper soft sound of voices offered encouragement. In her heart she knew that everything would be alright, still she couldn't help feeling just a little fearful. After all this was something she had never done before. She watched the throngs of people crowding the streets and filling up the small square around her while she waited for her husband.

When he came out she knew right away he'd had no success. He lifted his eyes to hers and there was an apology in his smile. A cold breeze ruffled the hem of her dress and she pulled the blanket closer. The stars blazed brighter for a brief moment and she grimaced at the discomfort. She would be glad to get off the donkey and feel solid ground beneath her feet.

Her husband tugged on the rope and the donkey obediently plodded forward. They entered the small stable. "I'm sorry, it was all they had," he said.

"It is shelter. It will be alright," she said as he lifted her down.

The donkey promptly shuffled over to the hay filled manger and snatched a mouthful.

"Wake up," Simon gave his brother a sharp nudge. "Something strange is happening."

"Wolves? What?" Benjamin struggled up and looked around himself for any danger to their sheep.

"No, look at the sky," Simon shivered and clutched his staff tighter.

The two shepherds watched the stars slowly growing brighter and then dimming. A sound began to grow with the pulsing of the heavens. It was a multitude of voices, a joyful sound like the rushing of the wind.

Suddenly an angel stood before them and a brilliant light surrounded them. They held onto each other in their fear.

And the angel said, "Fear not: for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born today in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." He was joined by a great number of angels singing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men," and as quickly as they had appeared they were gone.

The shepherds looked at each other for a moment. "Let's go into Bethlehem and see this miracle that the Lord has made known to us," they said and hurried into the town.

When they had found the child and seen him they told all they encountered of the words the angel had told them concerning the child. They returned to their flock at last, glorifying God for all they had seen.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 (King James Version)

Lest we forget that the real meaning of the Christmas season is not the tinsel and tree.

Standards of Beauty:Male Beauty

By Penny Ash

According to current research, the typical romance hero is about as far from desirable as it's possible to get. The big and brawny alpha hero with the manly physique and chiseled jaw is out and the softer and more feminine face is the one to look for.

According to Webster's dictionary beauty, is the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.

The guy who has the smoother symmetrical face with large eyes and no beard stands a better chance of getting the girl, and if he can cook and clean he'll have the ladies running after him in droves. But there's a fine line between beautiful and girly. Brad Pitt or Jude Law, well they make the grade. Leonardo DiCapprio? Nope, too girly. And someone like Hugh Jackman, whoa, no, much to aggressive looking.


Let me know what you think. What really is male beauty? And why are all those romances with the in your face alpha hero still selling so well?

Crime & Punishment:The Salem Witch Trials

By Penny Ash

Between February 1692 and May 1693, one of the most notorious events in American history occurred. A small group of girls began accusing their neighbors of being witches and sparked a level of hysteria that soon had 19 people hanged, 1 crushed to death, and 5 dying in jail. Over 150 people were accused and the court allowed what was then called Spectral evidence to be used. What we would call hearsay and perjury today. The targeted victims were the different, the people who did not always conform to Puritan social ideals, and people who spoke out against the accusers.

The girls may have started the hysteria but some of the adults were quick to see the possibilities and fanned the flames. Motivations were greed and hatred, ego and fear and superstition, a lot of the same factors that motivate people today. There are several scientists who have advanced the theory that Ergot poisoning was the cause of the symptoms the girls complained of but I personally don't think this explains the events which took place.

We get the term witch hunt from this era. And I find it interesting that a similar event took place some 258 years later America would be engaged in yet another witch hunt, the McCarthy Hearings, with much the same result. And on Halloween 2001 all those accused, tried and convicted of witchcraft were finally officially exonerated and proclaimed innocent 300 years after the events of 1692.