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.
My weekly roundup of archaeology, history and historical fiction: the year’s calendar for AZ Historical Novel Society’s meetings, Iron Age multi-lingual stela in Spain proves mysterious, a post suggesting YHWH and Dionysius the same god, and writing advice about staying invisible with deep POV
My weekly roundup of archaeology, history and historical fiction: Neolithic monumental ritual space in Near East Gobekli Tepe in detail, Sarah Bond’s review of summer’s best archaeological finds, Egyptian Pharaoh was a literal giant? and huge Iron Age female stone statue gets some dubious interpretation (in my humble opinion)
My review of Betrayal at Iga. Immerse yourself in medieval Japan with Susan Spann’s latest Hiro Hattori mystery. It has a glued-to-the-page plot with the most intimate of betrayals.
My weekly roundup of posts about archaeology and history: digging up Norse kings or gods in Sweden, Roman barracks in the subway, a new tomb in Egypt, archaeology in Egypt and Nubia, the genetics of Mycenaeans and Minoans, the Chinese epic horse show to tell the Trojan War
My weekly roundup of archaeology and historical fiction: excavation at Carchemish dug by Lawrence of Arabia seeking tourists, new mosaic at Antalya Turkey depicting Iphigenia’s sacrifice, Netflix casts creatively for Troy: Fall of a City, can historical fiction be feminist without messing with history (yes, it can!).
My weekly roundup of archaeology and history: Mysterious night ceremonies at Neolithic Hendraburnick Quoit, evidence for sliding backdrops at ancient Greek theaters, ancient Near Eastern leaders wrote justifications for their deeds and misdeeds–sometimes with modern political echoes.
My weekly roundup of posts from around the web: Pompeii renovations open the house of mysteries and other buildings, the secrets of Roman cement’s longevity, virtual unrolling of burned Pompeii scrolls, Hippocrates text found in Egypt’s St. Catherine’s monastery and Aztec skull towers contained women and children–blowing standard theory.
My weekly roundup of posts I enjoyed this week: the inner secrets of castles, Clytemnestra & Agamemnon inspire Colm Toibin’s latest book & find out who the real Wonder Woman is–from Greek mythology.
Review of Lipstick on the Strawberry by Margaret Spence: A sophisticated romance with depth and emotional power.
My weekly roundup of posts (and doings): the Historical Novel Society conference, archaeology & video games for real, carved skulls at Göbekli Tepe Neolithic site in Turkey & Egypt’s last colonial stand at Jaffa in Canaan
