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.
The history of writing reveals some of the most profound ideas and values we humans ponder. The Hittite world that inspires my fiction used the cuneiform writing system–as did every other Near Eastern empire in the Bronze Age. Until a great shift into a variety of scripts came about. The question is why.
Join me in celebrating the cover reveal for Stephanie Dray’s upcoming novel, Becoming Madame Secretary. Whether she’s bringing to life Cleopatra’s daughter or Jefferson’s, she’s an outstanding writer of historical fiction. Take a peek at what she’s done with Frances Perkins.
Thirteen may be an unlucky number, but not with the thirteenth book in the Bess Crawford series. I’ve consistently enjoyed this mystery series. Set in 1919 postwar England, The Cliff’s Edge skillfully interweaves several intriguing elements: the long shadow of WWI, English village life just after the war, old hatreds, and a twisty plot. I hope you enjoy my review.
Myths about ancient gods often bring us tales of sexual adventures, but this one about the Egyptian god Min involves lettuce. Go figure, and enjoy.
In her guest post my good friend Nancy Bilyeau tells you why 30,000 people slept on the beach one night. I’ll add the words Coney Island into the mix to entice you to read her post about “America’s Playground” during a heatwave.
Is that a Pompeian pizza frescoed on that wall? A pizza historian is calling it an archeo-pizza. I’m calling it yummy sounding and fun. Read all about it.
Writing fiction based in the ancient world requires creative use of somewhat obscure evidence to bring it to life, along with a dose of imagination. That’s especially true with fictional food from the past. A new exhibit at the Penn Museum explores how archaeology brings ancient foods back to life. It’s a fun topic to delve into.
Here’s my review of The Queen of Swords, an excellent dark fantasy with both cynical and positive streaks and kick-ass heroines. Lots of fun.
I’m immersed in the Historical Novel Society Conference this week, presenting, learning from others, and hanging out with my tribe. It’s fun to tell you about it.
I’m talking about Deep Point of View to the California Writers’ Club in Sacramento Friday June 2, 9-11 am. Anyone can attend–whether in person or on Zoom. There should be a recording on their website afterwards. Teaching workshops like this is a fun part of settling in to my writer life in California. I tell you all about it in this week’s post.
