All Things Roman

The Tales of Kelnore Series is set in the Kelnorian Empire, which is a fantasy world based on Ancient Roman. For those who have already read the books in my Tales of Pern Coen Series, you know that while the Kelnorian Empire is a part of that series, it isn’t the main event, but for the Tales of Kelnore, it is all about the Roman vibes.

Writing a fantasy series inspired by Ancient Rome meant that research was going to be necessary, and today I wanted to pop on a share a few of the resources I’ve been using in my research that I’ve enjoyed. There is so much out there on the world of Ancient Rome and the Romans who lived in it, which allowed me to find all kinds of inspiration for the Tales of Kelnore, from Alekos’ Death Banquet, to the wax tablets that many of the characters in the series use. The Romans were very much into court intrigue, theatrics, and political maneuverings, and I have had a ton of fun bringing that into my story telling. While I focused largely on the Imperial period in Rome for my inspiration for the books, I still delved into other aspects of Rome’s vast history as well. So, if you’re looking to learn more about the Romans yourself, check out these resources!

Books

  • Emperor Of Rome by Mary Beard: This book is full of so much information about the many emperors who ruled the world of Ancient Rome. In this book, Mary Beard doesn’t focus as much on individual emperors, as much as bringing the reader into the world of Rome’s famous rulers. She covers all aspects of an emperor’s life, from his correspondence to his lavish banquets. A very engaging read full of all kinds of fascinating history that I highly recommend.
  • Women & Power by Mary Beard: Women & Power isn’t specifically about the world of Ancient Rome, but it does pull from much of Roman civilization as it discusses the history of misogny, which Mary Beard takes all the way back to its ancient origins. With the heavy thread of feminism in the Tales of Kelnore and with the women in the Empire of Kelnore living under an extremely patriarchal rule, this felt like an important read for me as I have been tackling those difficult subjects. As always, Mary Beard presents an engaging narrative that educates and gets readers thinking.

Podcasts

  • The History Of Rome by Mike Duncan: This podcast covers the entire expanse of Roman history from the beginnings of the ancient civilization with Romulus and Remus all the way to Rome’s eventual fall. While this is an older podcast, it is full of information and is perfect for anyone who is wanting to discover all facets of Roman history.
  • Being Roman by Mary Beard (BBC Podcast): One of the things I love about Mary Beard’s work is that she’s such an engaging storyteller and can share history in such relatable ways. Being Roman focuses more on the people who called Rome home, and has stories from Romans from all walks of life, from an 11 year old Roman poet to an aspiring physician who took care of Rome’s famous gladiators. Highly recommend if you want to learn more about Roman life and the people who called the empire home.

The Princess: Tales of Kelnore features a chronically ill heroine, ambitious princes, and an outcast soldier, and is perfect for readers who enjoy Roman inspired fantasy worlds, court intrigue, forbidden love, mythical creatures, forbidden magic, and low spice romance. Get your copy using the link below!

New Year, New Look!

Some of y’all may have noticed a little bit of a new look for the covers of the Hooves & Hearts Series. Last year, I learned more about the women’s fiction/contemporary fiction market after spending the last almost 4 years writing pretty much solely fantasy, and wanted to give these covers a little tweak to better fit their genre to help them find the right readers. I’m super happy with the result and I’m excited about adding a little splash of color to this series and these covers!

If you’re looking for a series that centers around horses, equestrian life, small town living, a little bit of romance (closed door), a touch of suspense, and the healing power of horses, Hooves & Hearts might be just the series for you. Available at my online bookstore, all major retailers, libraries, and in Kobo Plus.

And, without further ado, here’s the covers!

What he needs is someone to fix his broken horse. What he doesn’t bargain for is losing his heart.

In the wake of having his perfectly planned future ripped out from under him, Carter O’Sheen finds himself the unexpected, and somewhat reluctant, owner of D’Artagnan: a dressage horse with an expensive price tag. Not only does Carter know practically nothing about horses, the horse’s surly behavior is making Carter’s job of taking care of him more than a little difficult. Carter knows he needs help, but he doesn’t know where to turn.

The last training client Meg Beckett wants to take on is Carter O’Sheen, the heir to the famous O’Sheen Distillery. She’s already got her hands full trying to keep Heart and Soul Ranch running and the bills paid. But when Carter reveals how desperate his situation is, Meg finds that she can’t bring herself to turn him and his horse away. She agrees to take on D’Artagnan, promising herself that she won’t fall for the horse’s handsome owner in the process.

But Carter and Meg soon discover that the situation surrounding D’Artagnan is more complicated, and more dangerous, than they first thought. Someone has it out for the horse, and they’ll stop at nothing to get what they want. If they want to keep D’Artganan, and the ranch, safe, Meg and Carter will have to work together. But doing so might put something else they don’t expect at risk: their hearts.


If she isn’t the top rider at River Green farm, who is she? And can the man who healed her horse also heal her shattered heart?

Horses have been Isabel Martin’s whole life. As the daughter of top show jumping trainer Rodger Martin, she’s been expected to be a champion for as long as she can remember. But lately, she can barely get around a course without feeling sick to her stomach and she’s earning more last places than blue ribbons.

With an abysmal summer show season, Isabel has more questions than answers about her future, and on top of that, her beloved mare, Cadence, is dealing with more lameness issues than Isabel can count. Rodger wants her to get rid of the mare and focus her attention on her career, but Isabel does something even worse. Not only does she keep Cadence, she takes on another down-on-his-luck jumper, Kaspar. She’s hopeful that with a little time and patience, she can get Kaspar performing again, but the young horse has other ideas.

But the training program at River Green leaves Isabel with nothing but dead ends when it comes to helping Kaspar and Cadence, she finds herself more and more desperate. Selling the horses isn’t an option, so she turns to outside help instead, despite Rodger’s disapproval. And that outside help includes bringing in local equine veterinarian, Derrick Thompson. Isabel is desperate for him to help her horses, but she might get more than she bargain for. Derrick might be just as good at healing broken hearts as he is at healing horses. And when Isabel finds herself the target of a personal vendetta, she discovers she needs Derrick more than she ever imagined.

The How & Why Behind Buying Books With BookFunnel

As an author, one thing I’m excited about is the ability to offer my books direct to my readers through my online bookstore! I sell print books at my bookstore, but I also sell, eBooks with my eBook partner, BookFunnel.

How does it work?

  • After purchasing the eBook from my online bookstore, you will get an email in your inbox from BookFunnel. (Be sure to check your spam folder, as some email providers will incorrectly send emails there)
  • When you open that email, you’ll find a link to download your book(s). Click on that link and follow the instructions for your eReading device of choice. The files you receive from BookFunnel can be used with any eReading device, including Kobo, Kindle, Nook, Apple Books, and more.
  • If you have any issues downloading your books, click on the Need Help? link in your email and BookFunnel support will be happy to assist you.

Buying direct supports authors directly, allows authors to offer reader better deals (as authors are able to keep more of the profits), and the nooks you purchase are 100% yours to own. Unlike with major retailers who sell the license for digital products such as eBooks, the eBooks you purchase are 100% yours to keep.

Ready to start shopping at my online bookstore?