Book Title: INCEPTIO (10th Anniversary hardback)
Series: Roma Nova
Author: Alison Morton
Publication Date: 28 March 2023 (original ebook and paperback 1 March 2013)
Publisher: Pulcheria Press
Page Length: 390
Genre: Thriller
Twitter Handle: @alison_morton @cathiedunn
Instagram Handle: @AlisonMortonAuthor @thecoffeepotbookclub
INCEPTIO
Alison Morton
“It's about Roman blood, survival and money. Mostly yours."
In an alternative New York, Karen Brown is running for her life. She makes a snap decision to flee to Roma Nova - her dead mother's homeland, the last remnant of the Roman Empire in the 21st century. But can Karen tough it out in such an alien culture? And with a crazy killer determined to terminate her for a very personal reason?
Stifled by the protective cocoon of her Roma Novan family, deceived by her new lover, she propels herself into a dangerous mission. But then the killer sets a trap - she must sacrifice herself for another - and she sees no escape.
A thriller laced with romance and coming of age, this first in series is Roman fiction brought into the 21st century through the lens of alternative history and driven by a female protagonist with heart and courage.
This 10thAnniversary hardback edition includes bonus content: Three character ‘conversations’, two short stories and the story behind INCEPTIO.
Buy links:
INCEPTIO 10th Anniversary special edition hardback:
International Buy Link: Barnes & Noble: Book Depository:
Your local bookshop or library All other formats (ebook, paperback, audio)
When I saw this at the top of your website, Judith, I couldn’t help nodding strongly in agreement:
“History was recorded by monks, men to whom women were largely irrelevant, and as a result women were not given sufficient space on the record. This has robbed them of a historical voice, they are left on the side lines, playing a supporting role to the men who dominated their world.”
I would substitute ‘elite men’ for ‘monks’, but yes, all the way.
In my thriller novels, Roma Nova is governed by women. The Ancient (‘real’) Romans had a very interesting way of viewing women: they were granted the status and respect, but had no public rights or (officially) a say in their world. In law, women were viewed more or less as disposable property belonging to the family. How then do I reconcile the view of the ‘real’ Romans (the ancient ones) with the 21st century Romans in my Roma Nova alternative timeline?
If they were free-born, women in most of Ancient Rome’s recorded periods were citizens – an important status in a world where a hefty proportion of the population was slave. Towards the later Imperial period in particular, women gained much more freedom to act, trade, own property and run businesses of all types. But they still held no direct political power. Producing the next generation, running complex households and contributing to social, religious and cultural life, while important, were not activities valued at the same level as men’s roles, status and actions.
Nevertheless, women from wealthy or powerful Roman families could and did exert influence throughout Rome’s history: Cornelia Africana, mother of the Gracchi; Livia Drusilla, wife and councillor of Augustus; the later, the Severan Julias; and Galla Placidia, daughter, wife and mother of emperors towards the end of the Roman Empire.
In my Roma Nova novels, the first of which – INCEPTIO – I’m celebrating today as a 10th Anniversary hardback, women rule, but men are not disadvantaged. Life there is much more nuanced than that! Roma Nova survived through the centuries by changing its social structure. As men constantly fought to defend the new colony, women took over the social, political and economic roles on the home front, weaving new power and influence networks based on family structures.
So far, only a few, if significant, steps away from the traditional Roman cultural pattern…
But given the unstable, dangerous times in Roma Nova’s first few hundred years, especially during the Great Migrations in Europe, Roma Nova ran out of young and older men to put in the front line. Fit and tough as pioneers tend to be, daughters and sisters put on armour and hefted weapons to defend their homeland and their way of life. Fighting danger side by side with brothers and fathers reinforced women’s roles. And they never allowed the incursion of monotheistic paternalistic religions. So I don’t think that it’s too far a stretch for women to have developed leadership roles in all parts of Roma Novan life over the next sixteen centuries.
My female protagonist Karen’s story starts in INCEPTIO in a 21st century Western style society, although with some differences from ours. When she’s compelled to flee to her dead mother’s homeland in Europe, she finds the Roman-infused culture unnerving; Roma Novans live to a tough ethic of self-sufficiency, and an ingrained sense of duty to their state – core Roman values which have been crucial to their survival down the centuries. The strong female characters surrounding Karen – her grandmother, cousin, female colleagues and friends – are the result of this and form the pattern for her. Of course, we see political intrigues and conspiracies to overthrow governments – Roma Nova is a Roman society in every way. Enter the heroines…
And the biggest challenge when writing about strong women in a historical context? Plausibility.
You can’t jump from a passive, protected fragile flower to super-heroine, even if she passes through one or several formative traumatic events. Writers need to give early hints about resilience, integrity and an ability to develop confidence as well as physical abilities. Undoubtedly, a strong female character must have an equally strong will and a passion to drive through what she believes in.
An avid reader of spy, thriller and crime stories from childhood and a life-long devotee of all things Roman, I yearned to write a Roman thriller with a true-hearted heroine imbued with Roman virtue but a tendency to go off-piste. Lindsey Davis does this beautifully with Flavia Albia, Falco’s daughter, in the first century AD and to a certain extent with Helena Justina, Falco’s wife. But although sparky and often going beyond the expectations and constraints of their time, both (mostly) accept the prevailing values and social mores.
However, I wanted women in my New Rome to run things at every level. Yes, I had also read a lot of science fiction including wonderful stories by Anne McCaffery where women were equal and often leading their society. But I didn’t want to write space opera. I wanted to stay in the Roman mindset so brought my Roman stories with its women at the fore up to the 21st century.
***
She blends her fascination for Ancient Rome with six years’ military service and a life of reading historical, crime and thriller fiction. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history.
Six full-length Roma Nova novels, including INCEPTIO, have won the BRAG Medallion, the prestigious award for indie fiction. SUCCESSIO, AURELIA and INSURRECTIO were selected as Historical Novel Society’s Indie Editor’s Choices. AURELIA was a finalist in the 2016 HNS Indie Award. The Bookseller selected SUCCESSIO as Editor’s Choice in its inaugural indie review. The Historical Novel Society recently selected JULIA PRIMA, the first Foundation story set in the 4th century, the accolade of Editors’ Choice.
Alison lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her two contemporary thrillers, Double Identity and Double Pursuit. Oh, and she’s writing the next Roma Nova story.
Social media links:
Connect with Alison on her Roma Nova site: https://alison-morton.com
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alison_morton
Alison’s writing blog: https://alisonmortonauthor.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisonmortonauthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5783095.Alison_Morton
Alison’s Amazon page: https://Author.to/AlisonMortonAmazon
Newsletter sign-up: https://www.alison-morton.com/newsletter/
Thank you for hosting Alison Morton today, Judith.
ReplyDeleteCathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club
Thank you so much for hosting the INCEPTIO 10th Anniversary edition on your website today, Judith. We women of history have to stick together!
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