That’s an easy one – the readers!
No, really! I wrote The Girl from the Market after a suggestion in the Roma Nova Enthusiasts’ Group. Legend had it (in the earlier Roma Nova novels) that in AD 370 Julia Bacausa was a tough and fiery woman and Apulius a strong Roman of the traditional sort. It was always going to be an encounter full of conflict, but also passion. I loaded in his arrogance and her pigheadedness and independence and The Girl was written.
But he was smarting from arbitrary dismissal from a glittering career path and she was suffering from her uncertain status as a ‘half-divorced’ woman.
It isn’t a 21st century politically correct story; it’s set in the late Roman Empire full of culture clash and religious conflict, but writing the full story gives the opportunity to expand and enhance the pared down account in the original short story.
And readers want to know what happened in the succeeding decades… 😉
Oh, but the research! The Roman Empire in the late fourth century is a very different one from the one Augustus created in the first.
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Writing challenges so far:
Day 4: The setting for the new Roma Nova book
Day 3: Introducing the main characters Julia and Apulius
Day 2: Introduce your work in progress
Day 1: Starting with revealing information
Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers – INCEPTIO, PERFIDITAS, SUCCESSIO, AURELIA, INSURRECTIO and RETALIO. CARINA, a novella, and ROMA NOVA EXTRA, a collection of short stories, are now available. Audiobooks are available for four of the series. NEXUS, an Aurelia Mitela novella, is now out.
Find out more about Roma Nova, its origins, stories and heroines… Download ‘Welcome to Roma Nova’, a FREE eBook, as a thank you gift when you sign up to Alison’s monthly email newsletter. You’ll also be first to know about Roma Nova news and book progress before everybody else, and take part in giveaways.
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