Judith Starkston has spent too much time exploring the remains of the ancient worlds of the Greeks and Hittites. Their myths and clashes inspire her fiction and open gates to magical realms. She has degrees in Classics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and Cornell. She loves myths and telling stories, and her novels imbue fantasy with the richness of ancient worlds. The first book in her Trojan Threads Series, Hand of Fire was a semi-finalist for the M.M. Bennett’s Award for Historical Fiction. Priestess of Ishana, the first in her historical fantasy Tesha series, won the San Diego State University Conference Choice Award. Judith is represented by Richard Curtis.
For all of us readers: Fantasy & SciFi Book Giveaway, Book Fair, Hand of Fire Countdown deal. In archaeology, Deer Stones of Mongolian nomads, ancient inscription from Odyssey
Writing dialogue that hides the characters’ intent. In archaeology: mysterious bodies in Madrid & Roman puzzle rings. In Embark, the opening of a historical novel by Marylee MacDonald
Writing tension & surprise in fantasy. In archaeology: sleuthing return of stolen Iraqi antiquities & Marvel meets Mesopotamia w/ Gilgamesh
Preparing an editing workshop for the San Diego Writers’ Conference. In Archaeology, a home for the Parthenon Marbles & new season report from Bronze Age Cyprus
Writing Hittite magic. In archaeology: new finds at Pompeii, frescoes, horses and homes
Cooking up Bronze Age foods. In Archaeology: Saturnalia the Roman precursor to Christmas and 536, the worst year ever to be alive
I’m a guest on Sarah Johnson’s excellent Reading the Past with an essay explaining my world-building for my historical fantasy. I use the “stranger than you could make up” rites and practices found on the clay tablets excavated from Hittite archives.
Click through to post for the Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day Link. This Monday I’m Writer of the Day on Reddit Fantasy. In archaeology: perfect pita among the hunter-gatherers and Roman punny potty humor in mosaics
Balancing magic & psychology in my fantasy writing and in Archaeology: gold coins hidden from Crusaders & a meteoric explanation of Sodom’s demise
LIBCON West at the Glendale Library, this Sat Dec 8, 11-5. Calling all Phoenix area friends, esp. teens & fantasy fans for author panels, cosplay, swords & sabers, gaming, pirates and more
