📖 Featured Book ~ Tenth Anniversary Edition INCEPTIO by Alison Morton

 

Ten years ago when Jaffareadstoo was in its infancy I was approached by Alison Morton to read the first book in her proposed series of historical thrillers set in the alternate world of Roma Nova. Six full length novels, four audio books and a set of short stories later, the first book in the series, INCEPTIO is now celebrating a special anniversary. 

To help celebrate INCEPTIO's 10th birthday today, the author, Alison Morton has published a special edition hardback.

“It's about Roman blood, survival and money. Mostly yours."

In an alternative New York, Karen Brown is running for her life. She makes a snap decision to flee to Roma Nova - her dead mother's homeland, the last remnant of the Roman Empire in the 21st century. But can Karen tough it out in such an alien culture? And with a crazy killer determined to terminate her for a very personal reason?

Stifled by the protective cocoon of her Roma Novan family, deceived by her new lover, she propels herself into a dangerous mission. But then the killer sets a trap - she must sacrifice herself for another - and she sees no escape.

A thriller laced with romance and coming of age, this first in series is Roman fiction brought into the 21st century through the lens of alternative history and driven by a female protagonist with heart and courage.

This 10th Anniversary hardback edition includes bonus content: Three character ‘conversations’, two short stories and the story behind INCEPTIO.

You can read Alison's thoughts about this special anniversary here 

Here's my review of INCEPTIO from back in 2013...

In present day New York, Karen Brown’s daily life is starting to unravel. When inexplicable events shake the very foundations of her world, she at first disbelieves what is happening around her. However, after a failed kidnap attempt, Karen is advised to flee to her dead mother’s homeland, but even as the mysterious Roma Nova offers a sanctuary, it also opens more questions than answers. The action is fast and furious, and soon Karen finds that she is drawn into a dangerous set of circumstances, which will test her endurance to limit and which will force her to question the structure of her belief.

What then follows is a well written and decidedly competent alternate history novel which draws you in from the very beginning and which offers an intriguing look at Roma Nova, a world which has been ruled by women for the past sixteen centuries, and whose secret anonymity comes alive on the page. Alternate history is a fascinating concept, and yet can so easily become a minefield of improbability, where the world within a world being created can become a mere parody of what is real. However, I had no such issues with Inceptio, which thanks to the author’s skill, Roma Nova and its role in the world, soon became a real and very authentic place.

I think that this is one of those books you could so easily miss, particularly if alternate history is not your genre, but you would be missing out on a real treat. It is ideal escapism, with the ingredients of history, mystery and romance expertly combined to form a well balanced and perfectly presented start to a promising series.

About the Author

Alison Morton writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her ten-book Roma Nova series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the ancient Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but with a sharp line in dialogue. INCEPTIO starts the adventure...

She blends her fascination for Ancient Rome with six years’ military service and a life of reading historical, crime and thriller fiction. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history.

Six full-length Roma Nova novels, including INCEPTIO, have won the BRAG Medallion, the prestigious award for indie fiction. SUCCESSIO, AURELIA and INSURRECTIO were selected as Historical Novel Society’s Indie Editor’s Choices. AURELIA was a finalist in the 2016 HNS Indie Award. The Bookseller selected SUCCESSIO as Editor’s Choice in its inaugural indie review. The Historical Novel Society recently selected JULIA PRIMA, the first Foundation story set in the 4th century, the accolade of Editors’ Choice.

Alison lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her two contemporary thrillers, Double Identity and Double Pursuit. Oh, and she’s writing the next Roma Nova story.

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Review ~ 1066 Turned Upside Down ...An alternate view..

Troubador/Matador
August 2016

A bit of blurb..

Ever wondered what might have happened if William the Conqueror had been beaten at Hastings? Or if Harald Hardrada had won at Stamford Bridge? Or if Edward the Confessor had died with an heir ready to take his place? Then here is the perfect set of stories for you. ‘1066 Turned Upside Down’ explores a variety of ways in which the momentous year of 1066 could have played out differently. 

Written by nine well-known authors to celebrate the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, the stories will take you on a journey through the wonderful ‘what ifs’ of England’s most famous year in history.

My thoughts about the book..


It's 1066 but not as you know it..

I'm fascinated by historical fiction written by authors who wade way through dusty history books and ponder long into the night about the minutiae of the lives, and times, of historical figures, always maintaining historical accuracy, so that no-on can ever accuse them of changing, or of rearranging history. It must be a temptation though, on occasion, to have the opportunity to rearrange events, to give a voice to that little mischievous murmur that whispers ever so softly… what would have happened, if only..

In 1066 Turned Upside Down, nine talented historical fiction authors, all at the top of their game in terms of historical fiction, have taken the facts, as we know them, about the tumultuous events of the year, 1066 and have given us their alternate versions of events. All of the eleven stories have an air of authenticity and each combine historical facts with a delightful, alternate twist. All of the stories are readable in short snippets, little bite sized stories, which you can comfortably read in one sitting, but which, ultimately, offer a fresh approach to a time in history that most of us feel we know really well.

Whilst I am familiar with some of the authors who have contributed, others are new to me, but what convinced me about the combined quality of this book was just how seriously these committed authors take their craft. They make history come alive, and with real conviction turn fact into fiction and fiction into fact, cleverly manipulating events so that everything you read becomes totally convincing and in some cases you wish it had happened just so..

I’m not going to single out any one story as my ‘favourite’ as each one brings something different to the feast and I think the stories should be looked at as a collective whole rather than singletons, however, it must also be said that each story is complete within itself and stands proudly alone.

It’s a great idea to take something as momentous as 1066 and turn it completely on its head but in this 950^th anniversary year of the battle of Hastings, it’s refreshing to look at events in a totally different way and I commend these fine authors for their inventiveness and obvious enthusiasm for their chosen genre.

Best read with ..Tankards of yeasty ale and a rich and pungent venison pasty…

And here are the authors :

A foreword by CC Humphries

An Introduction by Joanna Courtney 

January - Helen Hollick - To Crown A King

February -Annie Whitehead - A Matter of Trust

March - Joanna Courtney -Emperor of the North

April - Carol McGrath - The Dragon-Tailed Star

May - June - Richard Dee - If You Changed One Thing

July - Alison Morton - A Roman Intervenes

August - Helen Hollick - In the Wake if the Dolphin

September - Anna Belfrage - The Danish Crutch

October -  Joanna Courtney - Hold England Firm

November - G K Holloway - The Battle of London Bridge

December - Eliza Redgold - The Needle Can Mend

An Endword by Helen Hollick

You can discover more about the authors and their stories

on the 1066 Turned Upside Down website 

Available as an ebook click here 

Historical Novel Society Review click here

Huge thanks to the authors for sharing their stories with me 

and for allowing me a totally different look at 1066.

~***~

Review ~ Aurelia by Alison Morton

Silverwood Books
May 5 2015

If women were in control, the world would be a whole different place, and in the Roma Nova series of alternate history books, Alison Morton sets out to prove this theory.

In this latest instalment we go back in time to the Roma Nova of the 1960s and follow the story of Aurelia Mitela, a young woman who has suffered devastating loss. Thinking that her career in the Praetorian Guard is over, Aurelia is sent to Berlin, ostensibly to track down those responsible for syphoning away Roma Nova’s life blood; its silver reserves. What then follows is a tight and well controlled mystery which takes the reader on a roller coaster of a journey through the politics and procedures of an alternate reality which feels as completely realistic as the world we stand in today.

Aurelia is a feisty protagonist, full of the steel and determination we have come to expect from Roma Nova heroines. The scoundrels are villainous to the point of complete nastiness and, in this novel, Aurelia needs to keep all her remarkable wits about her as she negotiates both a political and personal minefield.

Drawn into this remarkable alternate world from the beginning, Aurelia is a worthy addition to the Roma Nova catalogue of work and I am sure that this latest story will continue to enthrall  fans who are as immersed in this series as I am.

My thanks to the author for sharing her work with me.

**Interview and international book giveaway with Alison Morton coming soon to the blog**

22 May 2015





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Author Blog Tour ~ Alison Morton

I am delighted to welcome Alison Morton

and to be part of her PERFIDITAS

Blog Tour 2013

 Author of PERFIDITAS

Silverwood Books

October 2013

www.alison-morton.com @alison_morton

Author of INCEPTIO, an alternate history thriller published by SilverWood Books in March 2013

Shortlisted for the 2013 International Rubery Book Award B.R.A.G. MedallionTM honoree

*~ Alison - welcome to Jaffareadstoo~*

Where did the idea for the Roma Nova series come from?

I was eleven and on holiday in north-east Spain. Fascinated by the Roman mosaics in Ampurias, I wanted to know who had made them, whose houses they were in, who had walked on them.

After my father explained about traders, senators, power and families, I tilted my head to one side and asked him, “What would it be like if Roman women were in charge, instead of the men?” Maybe it was the fierce sun boiling my brain, maybe early feminism surfacing or maybe it was just a precocious kid asking a smartass question. But clever man and senior ‘Roman nut’, my father replied, “What do you think it would be like?”

Real life intervened (school, university, career, military, marriage, parenthood, business ownership, move to France), but the idea bubbled away in my mind. My mind was morphing the setting of ancient Rome into a new type of Rome, a state that survived the dissolution of the Western Roman Empire into the 21st century, but retaining its Roman identity. And one where the social structure changed; women were going to be leading society.

What is it about PERFIDITAS that will pique the reader's interest?

Readers of the first book in the series, INCEPTIO, said they loved the mix of history, mystery, action adventure and romance of Roma Nova; all those elements are in PERFIDITAS, but in different ways.

PERFIDITAS, although the second in the series, can be read as a stand-alone story or as a sequel. As it’s set in an imaginary Roman country where women rule, there’s a feminist streak running through. The heroine, Carina, is an officer in the 21st century Praetorian Guard. Yes, she’s tough and sassy but vulnerable; she’s almost overwhelmed by the betrayals surrounding her. And apart from trying to stop conspirators determined to overthrow the government, she’s torn by personal dilemmas which I think will resonate with readers.

PERFIDITAS has as many plot twists and turns as INCEPTIO so I hope readers will be surprised and intrigued.

PERFIDITAS is the second book in the Roma Nova series – did you feel more of an obligation to make this book even better than the first?

I think all writers strive to make their following book better than the previous one! Keeping the story lively without losing the plot – literally – is crucial as is attention to detail. And in a series, it’s important to develop the characters in their personal stories as well as drive the action forward.

How much research did you do for the book, and did anything surprise you?

I built on the research I had accumulated for INCEPTIO. Authenticity and plausibility are crucial for an imagined setting; you can’t Google it or load the Wikipedia page! But inventing a country doesn’t mean you can throw any old facts into your book; they have to hang together in a logic way. I wanted to give readers connections between ancient Rome and the 21st century. For instance, I’ve used the 4th century Roman coinage name, solidus, for the Roma Nova currency, but today they have notes, debit cards and internet banking.

Can you tell us if there are more Roma Nova books planned?

Haha! Yes, indeed there are. I’m working on SUCCESSIO which is a slight play on words which in Latin can mean “what happens next” as well as “the next generation”.

After that, we go back a little in Roma Nova history for the following three books.

For a glimpse of what Roma Nova may look like, click here…

 

http://alison-morton.com/roma-nova/roma-nova-what-it-could-look-like/

And finally:

Who, or what are your main literary influences?

I read a lot and across different genres, so that’s a really hard question to answer. Rosemary Sutcliff’s Eagle of the Ninth must be the first Roman novel I ever read. It terrified and thrilled me at the same time - I wanted more! Then followed a steady diet of spy and adventure stories from the Simon Templar “Saint” series right up to William Boyd’s Restless and Ian Rankin’s Rebus, plus historical fiction from Jean Plaidy to Elizabeth Chadwick and Lindsey Davis via Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer.

I’ve just finished Simon Scarrow’s Blood Crows, the latest of his Macro and Cato Roman Army novels. Simon very kindly gave me a lovely endorsement for PERFIDITAS and I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Harrogate History Festival last month.

Read about Alison's meeting with Simon Scarrow here

Alison is very kindly offering a signed copy of PERFIDITAS to one lucky winner

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My review of Perfiditas

As good, if not better, than the first...

Perfiditas is the clever continuation of the story which began in Inceptio, and follows the story of Captain Carina Mitela of the Praetorian Guard Special Forces as she continues her life with her family in Roma Nova. As always, the momentum of the narrative never falters and the pace continues with a fast and furious story of conspiracy, treachery and betrayal at the highest level.

What I like best about this series is the author’s fine attention to detail and her uncanny ability of, not just creating an altogether alternate history, but also of maintaining the status quo in a story which abounds with excitement and enthusiasm. The characters become quite real in your mind, and even though deep down you know that Roma Nova doesn’t exist beyond the author’s imagination, there is a real temptation to hop on a plane and go find the place for yourself.

There is always the danger that the second book in a series will be a bit of a letdown, either the plot doesn’t feel as strong, or the development of the characters can seem a little insipid, however, there is no such fear with Perfiditas, if anything the plot this time is stronger and more succinct and you can sense that the author has a real emotional commitment to the characters and their lives.

I am sure that in the hands of this very capable author, the alternate world of Roma Nova will continue to go from strength to strength, and I look forward to being an enthusiastic traveller on the Roma Nova journey for quite some time.

*~ Thank you so much Alison for spending time with us ~*

Jaffa and I have really enjoyed hosting this interview and look forward to many more trips to Roma Nova.

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