Authorpreneur Dashboard – Elisabeth Storrs
Call to Juno
Literature & Fiction
Four unforgettable characters are tested during a war between Rome and Etruscan Veii. Caecilia has long been torn between her birthplace of Rome and her adopted city of Veii. Yet faced with mounting danger to her husband, children, and Etruscan freedoms, will her call to destroy Rome succeed? Pinna has clawed her way from prostitute to the concubine of the Roman general Camillus. Deeply in love, can she exert her own power to survive the threat of exposure by those who know her sordid past? Semni, a servant, seeks forgiveness for a past betrayal. Will she redeem herself so she can marry the man she loves? Marcus, a Roman tribune, is tormented by unrequited love for another soldier. Can he find strength to choose between his cousin Caecilia and his fidelity to Rome? Who will overcome the treachery of mortals and gods? "An elegant, impeccably researched exploration of early Rome and their lesser known enemies, the Etruscans...Elisabeth Storrs weaves a wonderful tale!" Kate Quinn
Book Bubbles from Call to Juno
The flight of an eagle - messenger of the gods
Belief in prophecy is a key element in my novel, Call to Juno. Both enemies seek the favor of the goddess Juno (known as Uni). This early scene establishes the complexity of the divine world and the skill of the Etruscan augur to read the will of the gods. The flight of the eagle holds particular meaning for the Roman treaty bride, Caecilia, who has chosen her husband's city over her birthplace. For if Veii falls to Rome, she will be executed as a traitoress.
The Golden Dice
Literature & Fiction
During a bitter siege between Rome and the Etruscan city of Veii, three women follow different paths to survive. Caecilia, Roman born but Etruscan wed, forsakes Rome to return to her husband, Vel Mastarna, exposing herself to the enmity of his people while knowing the Romans will give her a traitor’s death if Veii falls. Semni, a reckless Etruscan servant in the House of Mastarna, embroils herself in schemes that threaten Caecilia’s son and Semni’s own chance for love. Pinna, a destitute Roman prostitute, uses coercion to gain the attention of Rome’s greatest general at the risk of betraying Caecilia’s cousin. Each woman struggles to protect herself and those whom she loves in the dark cycle of war. What must they do to challenge Fate? And will they ever live in peace again?
Book Bubbles from The Golden Dice
The Wedding Shroud
Literature & Fiction
"All the drama and sensuality expected of an historical romance, plus a sensitivity to the realities of life in a very different time and world." —Ursula Le Guin In 406 BC, to seal a tenuous truce, the young Roman Caecilia is wedded to Vel Mastarna, an Etruscan nobleman from Veii. Leaving her militaristic homeland, Caecilia is determined to remain true to Roman virtues while living among the sinful Etruscans. But, despite her best intentions, she is seduced by a culture that offers women education, independence, sexual freedom, and an empowering religion. Enchanted by Veii but terrified of losing ties to Rome, Caecilia performs rites to delay becoming a mother, thereby postponing true entanglement. Yet as she develops an unexpected love for Mastarna, she’s torn between her birthplace and the city in which she now lives. As war looms, Caecilia discovers Fate is not so easy to control, and she must choose where her allegiance lies.
Book Bubbles from The Wedding Shroud
A glimpse into a treaty bride's world
I wrote this prologue with the hope of catching the reader's attention through the senses of the bride as she peers through the rough weave of her orange veil to see her groom for the first time. The readers smells the dye in the fabric, the blurred vision of girl, the touch of the fabric against her face, the sound of the rustling material - and the anxious fear of my protaganist, Caecilia, as she is married against her will to an enemy.
