Thursday, September 3, 2009

Guest Post: Michelle Moran


I am so excited to share my corner of the world today with Michelle Moran!!! She is the author of The Heretic Queen and Cleopatra's Daughter! Enjoy spending a few minutes with Michelle and be sure to read to the end!!

Why Cleopatra’s daughter?

It all began with a dive. Not the kind of dive you take into a swimming pool, but the kind where you squeeze yourself into a wetsuit and wonder just how tasty your rump must appear to passing sharks now that it looks like an elephant seal. My husband and I had taken a trip to Egypt, and at the suggestion of a friend, we decided to go to Alexandria to see the remains of Cleopatra’s underwater city. Let it be known that I had never gone scuba diving before, but after four days with an instructor (and countless questions like, “Will there be sharks? How about jellyfish? If there is an earthquake, what happens underwater?”) we were ready for the real thing.

We drove one morning to the Eastern Harbor in Alexandria. Dozens of other divers were already there, waiting to see what sort of magic lay beneath the waves. I wondered if the real thing could possibly live up to all of the guides and brochures selling this underwater city, lost for thousands of years until now. Then we did the dive, and it was every bit as magical as everyone had promised. We saw the blocks that once formed Marc Antony’s summer palace, came face to face with Cleopatra’s enigmatic sphinx, and floated above ten thousand ancient artifacts, including obelisks, statues, and countless amphorae. By the time we surfaced, I was Cleopatra-obsessed. I wanted to know what had happened to her city once she and Marc Antony had committed suicide. Where did all of its people go? Were they allowed to remain or were they killed by the Romans? And what about her four children?

It was this last question that surprised me the most. I had always assumed that Cleopatra’s children had all been murdered. But the Roman conqueror, Octavian, actually spared the three she bore to Marc Antony: her six-year-old son, Ptolemy, and her ten-year-old twins, Alexander and Selene. As soon as I learned that Octavian had taken the three of them to Rome for his Triumph, I knew at once I had my next book. And when I discovered what Cleopatra’s daughter lived through while in exile – rebellion, loss, triumph, love - I absolutely couldn’t wait to start writing. I can only hope that the novel is as exciting and intriguing as the research proved to be. It may be two thousand years in the past, but a great love story, as they say, is timeless.



CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER: a novel
The death of Cleopatra was only the beginning...

Visit CleopatrasDaughter.com
Check out Michelle's blog at michellemoran.blogspot.com

Click here to view the book trailer.

Thank you for your time in visiting with me today Michelle. It's such a treasure to have guest posters share a little more insight into the life of an author!

Michelle has graciously agreed to giving away a signed paperback copy of the Heretic Queen and a hardcover copy of Cleopatra's Daughter. I just received a copy of Cleopatra's Daughter to review and I can hardly wait to start it!

To enter the contest (open to anyone worldwide), choose one or more of the following (please note: you MUST provide an email in the body of your response so I know how to get ahold of you!):

Rules:
1. Please include your email address with your answer, so that I can contact you if you win. You will have 3 days to respond to the email. You must put your email address in the comments or your entry is invalid. Format like faithfulgirl4[at]gmail[dot]com
2. For an extra entry, sign up to be a follower. If you're already a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry as well.
3. For another extra entry, subscribe via googlereader, blogger or by email and let me know that you do.
4. For another entry, blog about this giveaway and send me the link.
5. For another entry, Tweet about this contest and include @faithfulgirl along with website link.
6. For another entry, enter to win another of my giveaways and tell me that you have entered by leaving a comment here as to which one.
7. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is open world-wide. The contest ends at 11:59 pm EST on September 15, 2009. The winner will receive both books.

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69 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for having me!

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  2. every time i read an interview or review of this book i become more interested especially as i have read so many stories about the mother. for some reason, i was always left with the impression that all the kids were killed so now i want to read the rest of the story.
    spvaughan[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  3. i am a follower
    spvaughan[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  4. i get your emails
    spvaughan[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  5. http://twitter.com/spvaughan/status/3751876630
    spvaughan[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  6. I so badly want to read her books! I keep reading fabulous reviews, guest posts, interviews. Her own life sounds fascinating as well!

    melacan at hotmail dot com

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  7. follower

    melacan at hotmail dot com

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  8. Please enter my name in your draw. Thanks.
    wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

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  9. I just became a follower of your blog.
    wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I subscribe via Google Reader.
    wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

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  11. MJ @ Creative MadnessSeptember 4, 2009 at 2:13 PM

    I'm reading it now too! Hi Michelle, glad you found my friend Julie!!

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  12. I've been dying to read this book! Please enter me
    andie.v107(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  13. I'm also a follower of your blog
    andie.v107(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  14. I've also entered to win How it Ends
    andie.v107(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  15. I love the story behind this book. I already wanted to read it, but now I want to read it even more! And the Heretic's Queen too? Too good to pass up!
    My e-mail is mycreativeimagination (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  16. I am a follower of your blog.

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  17. I have also tweeted about this giveaway- http://twitter.com/imlostinbooks

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  18. I'd love to read both of these books!
    e_bogardus AT hotmail DOT com

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  19. I'm also a Follower!
    e_bogardus AT hotmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Tweeted!
    http://twitter.com/ebogie/status/3912189257

    e_bogardus AT hotmail DOT com

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  21. Great giveaway. I would like to enter too.

    jen4777[at]hotmail[dot]com

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  22. I love reading about ancient Egypt. I look forward in reading these books.

    booklover0226 AT gmail DOT com

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  23. I am a follower.

    booklover0226 AT gmail DOT com

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  24. I subscribed via googlereader

    booklover0226 AT gmail DOT com

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  25. I love hearing the stories behind the idea for a book and Michelle's is one of the better ones I've read.

    amber at amberstults dot com

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  26. Great interview. I am excited to read this series.
    zenfoxflowerATyahooDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  27. I became a follower!
    zenfoxflowerATyahooDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  28. I posted your contest at my blog.
    http://ellzreadz.blogspot.com/

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  29. I also entered the How It Ends giveaway.
    zenfoxflowerATyahooDOTcom

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  30. Please include me in this giveaway!

    Thanks,
    Amanda
    fitz12383(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  31. I am also a follower.

    Amanda
    fitz12383(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  32. I tweeted:

    http://twitter.com/fitz12383/status/3959309715

    Amanda
    fitz12383(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  33. I've heard about this book...it sounds very intriguing!

    mountainsofbooks (at) gmail (dot) com

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  34. I've been wanting to read this! Thanks for the giveaway
    hensnest {at} windstream {dot} net

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  35. I'm a follower! (A Hen's Nest)
    hensnest {at} windstream {dot} net

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  36. I would love to read this, I've heard wonderful things about it!

    marielay@gmail.com

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  37. I am a follower.

    marielay@gmail.com

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  38. I'd love to win this one. I've read so many great reviews about the book.

    florida982002[at]yahoo.com

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  39. The author's life sounds so interesting. She also has a unique train of thought, and I think that would give her writing an interesting touch. The books sound amazing! blackbeltqt06@yahoo.com

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  40. I am already following your blog.

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  41. I entered the How It Ends giveaway.

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  42. I am subscribed to your posts via yahoo email.

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  43. I'm in love with that cover! *sigh* It's so pretty... and I'm sure the story inside it is really good, too. Please enter me in the contest!
    lynzajw[at]gmail[dot]com

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  44. I'd love to win this!

    tbranco(at)hughes(dot)net

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  45. I'm a new follower....terrific blog!

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  46. Your on my bloglines subscription so I don't miss anything

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  47. Please enter me. Thanks for the chance.

    lizzi0915 at aol dot com

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  48. I've wanted to read The Heretic Queen for months, and now Cleopatra's Daughter, too! Please enter me. My email is missporkchop[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  49. I've signed up as a follower.

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  50. I also subscribe to you through Bloglines.

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  51. I posted about this contest here.

    Tammy, missporkchop AT yahoo DOT com

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  52. Enter me please!
    lovinfitch(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  53. I'm a follower.

    lovinfitch(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  54. Thanks for hosting this contest! Would love to be entered!

    ~bookbutterfly
    lady.dashti(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  55. I now subscribe to your blog via Google Reader. :)

    ~bookbutterfly
    lady.dashti(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  56. I tweeted about your contest: twitter.com/bookbutterfly

    ~bookbutterfly
    lady.dashti(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  57. Also, I made a link for this contest on my sidebar: http://bookbutterflyangel.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  58. My blog! http://bookbutterflyangel.wordpress.com/

    ~bookbutterfly
    lady.dashti(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  59. My other blog! http://perfectgoodluck.wordpress.com/

    ~bookbutterfly
    lady.dashti(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  60. I would LOVE to win this!!
    Thankyou!! :D:D:D

    -Lindsay

    lindsay15photo@gmail.com

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  61. I think Michelle's website is wonderful and it's such a nice addition to the book. I really want to read it.

    Thank you for hosting such a great giveaway!

    Aimala127@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  62. I am and have been a followere for a little while!

    Aimala127@gmail.com

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  63. I subscribe via blogger dashboard and google reader

    Aimala127@gmail.com

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  64. I subscribe through my email.

    Aimala127@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  65. I entered your giveaway for Cleopatra's Daughter!

    Aimala127@gmail.com

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  66. Cleopatra's Daughter sounds amazing! This is a great giveaway.
    melanies--musings@live.com

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  67. Sounds like a great book. Will have to add it to my reading list.
    susan[dot]byerly[at]comcast[dot]net

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  68. I would love a chance to win this! What an awesome story!

    journey through books @ gmail dot com

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  69. I follow you on google and on twitter :)

    journey through books @ gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete