A new year and The Daughters of Minerva!

Wow! It's a brand new year and I cannot believe it's been MONTHS since I've written in my blog...where has the time gone?! It's been busy though...I haven't been sitting around eating bon bons (just Ghiradelli dark chocolate!)...I'm beginning work on my 5th book, The Daughters of Minerva. It's the unofficial sequel to my first venture, Mythology, only this book will deal exclusively with the women of ancient Rome! From the heroines to the femme fatales, this book will have it all! And of course I'm really excited to be creatively reunited with my brother in arms, Malcolm Deeley...and this will be our fourth book together. I wouldn't have dreamed it possible, but his writing is sharper and more exciting than ever...this man really knows his stuff! And I thought I was a stickler for detail...he makes me look like a piker! But that's what makes the work pop....attention to detail and revealing the inner essence of the human soul...the good AND the bad!
      I've added some of the preliminary sketches for you to peruse...this is my opportunity to read Mal's prose, study a bit of history,  and try to feel what the characters were really like...so far, I'm pretty happy with the sketches. Clodia and Catallus are star-crossed lovers who meet during the week of Saturnalia (when the common man and nobility change places) near the Temple of Vesta, for their moment of unrequited love. Octavia was the sister of Octavian, aka Augustus Caesar...a strong and complicated woman of noble blood. Cytheris is an actress and indeed to her, all the world's a stage...and she mesmerizes all who encounter her! Third is the finished illustration (the first one finished for the book, other than the cover!) for the lady Messalina, wife to the emperor Claudius, also know as Claudius the stutterer...she had the audacity to sleep with just about half of Rome, right under her husband's nose! She was eventually beheaded for her crimes.
       And last but never least, is the cover artwork and layout for The Daughters of Minerva...although these characters are not present in the book, it's important to stress the effect the gods and goddesses had on the ancient Romans...Minerva was the Greek equivalent of Athena, and she was not only protector of the people, she was the essence of each and every Roman woman. Strong and decisive, Minerva was one of the most important deities of the time!
       I hope you'll come along with us as we tread the stone streets of ancient Rome once more...lace up those sandals and pour another glass of wine as we delve into the world of ancient Roman mythology! And as the Roman soldiers used to say "strength and honor!"
Ciao bella!
davide!