I'm so pleased today to welcome author Eleanor Herman to the blog as part of the promotional tour for her newest release, Legacy of Kings. Eleanor was nice enough to answer a few questions about her characters as well as the history behind the story for me, so I hope you all enjoy the interview. Be sure and check the bottom of the post for a full list of participating blogs and all the details for a fantastic giveaway!
If all 6 characters were told their names would appear in the history books of humanity in the future, what one word would they each most wish would appear next to their name?
Katerina: the Just
Hephaestion: the Loyal
Cynane: the Victorious
Jacob: the Achiever
Zofia: the Beloved
Alexander: the Great
What are 3 historical tidbits you came across in your research that would make good icebreakers (or not) at a social event?
Great question! Because, armed with these tidbits, I have been the glittering star of cocktail parties for many years. Three of my favorites:
- Did you know that of all those “warrior king” skeletons archeologists found a hundred years ago in Ukraine—bones with arrowheads and axes in them, and surrounded by weapons—modern research proves that 25% of them were women?
- Did you know how ancient people bleached their tunics gleaming white before the advent of Clorox? They soaked them in urine!
- Did you know that at ancient Greek funerals you were supposed to cut off your hair and tie it to the funeral wreath?
Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. How did that relationship go from so a love so passionate it set the world on fire to a mangled body on a scaffold? And, because I can never stop at just one, I would love to watch Cleopatra seduce Julius Caesar and Marc Antony.
Let’s say that tomorrow you wake up in the world of Legacy of Kings. What’s the first thing you would do in order to blend in?
Pin up my hair and try to get clothes that fit in. Then I would get some kohl eye liner, green malachite eye shadow, and crushed eggshell face powder. I would really go to town on the ancient make-up. The one advantage to their blurry bronze mirrors was that they must have always thought they looked better than they did.
If you could choose any one author to temporarily borrow Alexander, Katerina, Hephaestion, Jacob and Zofia and write a short story or novella, whose take on them would you be most interested to read?
Sabaa Tahir! I love her protagonists in An Ember in the Ashes. She, too, built a very real, three-dimensional world. I would love to see what she could do with a Legacy novella.
Thanks so much for stopping by Eleanor!
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LEGACY OF KINGS
Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.
Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to newcomer Katerina, who must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But Kat’s first love, Jacob, will go to unthinkable lengths to win her, even if it means competing for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet fiancée, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.
Weaving fantasy with the salacious and fascinating details of real history, New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known: Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.
Goodreads • Amazon • Book Depository • IndieBound • B&N
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ELEANOR HERMAN
Before the Game of Thrones craze swept the nation, Eleanor Herman was hard at work entertaining readers with her extensive research on courtly intrigue and romance. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings, as well as three other works of nonfiction: Sex with the Queen, Mistress of the Vatican, and King Peggy.
Obsessed by all things royal and historical, she lives in McLean, Virginia with her husband and four extremely dignified cats. Legacy of Kings is her first novel.
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GIVEAWAY
Thanks to the amazing team at Harlequin Teen, each stop on the tour will be offering up a copy of THE LEGACY OF KINGS, so be sure and follow along for more guest posts, interviews and chances to win! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open to US/CA only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget to check out all the stops on the Legacy of Kings tour!
Monday, August 3rd - Swoony Boys Podcast - Guest Post
Wednesday, August 5th - Bewitched Bookworms - Guest Post
Friday, August 7th - Once Upon a Twilight - Guest Post
Monday, August 10th - Book Swoon - Author Interview
Wednesday, August 12th - Pageturnersblog - Guest Post
Friday, August 14th - Reading Lark - Author Interview
Monday, August 17th - Two Chicks on Books - Author Interview
Wednesday, August 19th - Supernatural Snark - Author Interview
Friday, August 21st - Mundie Moms - Guest Post
Thanks for the great giveaway, Jenny! I am so excited to check out this book, because as you know, I LOVE historical fiction. My favorite historical fiction characters would have to be: Elizabeth Woodville from The White Queen and Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind. Oh, and I also adore Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird.
ReplyDeleteI am seeing this book everywhere. So interested to try it.
ReplyDeleteYou ask the best questions, Jenny. :) Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThe next time I'm put in an awkward social situation where I don't know half the people, I'm totally telling that urine fact! Haha! :D Those are some really fun facts though.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this fun interview, Jenny! :)
Ooooh, what a cool interview as always, Jenny! You always ask the coolest questions!
ReplyDeleteAnd those three tidbits! I knew about the urine one but not the other two so I'm happy to add them to my arsenal!
Oh my gosh, I love this fact!:
ReplyDeleteDid you know that of all those “warrior king” skeletons archeologists found a hundred years ago in Ukraine—bones with arrowheads and axes in them, and surrounded by weapons—modern research proves that 25% of them were women?
I had no idea!
Wonderful review Jenny!
Jenny, your questions always leave me in awe. How on earth does your brain work? Anyway, I would love trying ancient make up and dressing up to fit in at some point! It's like becoming someone completely different. And I always had a soft spot for Anne Boleyn too. :)
ReplyDeleteI love historical fiction!!!
ReplyDeleteI know Alexander well :). I also know all three tidbits :). I have several favorites but Ann Boleyn is a fascinating character.
ReplyDeleteI knew the urine one, the rest, not :) Cool
ReplyDeleteI've been hearing so much about this!
ReplyDeleteLove the interview. I have heard of Alexander the Great and I didn't know that about the warriors. Doesn't surprise me at all. I did know the urine one. Why did I know the urine one? LOL This book looks good.
ReplyDeleteI'm superior curious about this one, Jenny. I love the historical fantasy combo and I've got it on my library order list.
ReplyDeletep.s. The second tidbit? Ewww!
sometimes; no fav
ReplyDeleteI love your interview questions, Jenny! Always so original! Those odd facts are great icebreakers/tidbits! Urine can bleach?!! Yuck. I like that women have also been the warriors of history! Wonderful post, ladies! :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds good and I love the tidbits. So cool about the female warriors
ReplyDeleteI have a history degree, of course I love historical fiction. I cannot wait to read this book.
ReplyDeleteI have been seeing this book around quite a bit and I am into the kind of fantasy/war books lately after A Game of Thrones so I might like this one too. I never knew about those facts as well! A lot more of them were women *whoop* than I would have expected!
ReplyDeleteI love historical fiction. I'd love to read this. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteMy fav is def Nicholas Flemmel! Has was so mysterious even to this day! I do not know much about Alexander the Great but I hope to learn something about him!
ReplyDeleteMary G Loki
OOOOOooo!!! If Sabaa Tahir could write a novella in the Legacy world I'd buy it in a heartbeat!!!
ReplyDeleteLove historical fiction! This books sounds so exciting and I can't wait to read it! I hope I can remember some of my studies from school about Alexander the Great.
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