Book Review: DAUGHTERS OF THE NILE by Stephanie Dray

Cleopatra Selene, Queen of Mauretania co-ruled with her husband Juba II over their exotic lands. Named the resurrection by her mother Cleopatra magic had always been a part of their lives. Her mother had magical abilities and so did her little brother and her twin Helios. Cleopatra’s children had met death and destruction at the hands of their Roman captor Augustus Caesar.  Augustus’ obsession with Selene was deranged and she had fought him off in the previous two novels in this series but she could never truly be free of him because she now had a daughter forced upon her by him. Isidora was wholly accepted by Juba as his daughter but it was an unspoken truth behind her conception and paternity that was all done by the hand of the Emperor of Rome.

In this third installment of the “Cleopatra’s Daughter” series we pick up where the last novel left off. Selene is once more free of the emperor for a period of time. Juba and her are still at odds but we find them growing closer together through their past shred struggles. Selene opens her heart to Juba and they welcome a new prince to Mauretania. Name Ptolemy for his Egyptian heritage he is the light of his parents lives until the fateful day when Augustus called them back to Rome to ruin their family bliss back in Mauretania.

Never able to leave Selene alone for too long the Emperor does not just summon her to Rome he commands it and one does not just ignore the emperor of Rome before the common era. Forced to return to the land she stolen away to as a child Selene realizes his obsession with her will never end. Reaching a new height of disillusionment the emperor now has the audacity to think that her sweet little Ptolemy is his son. This is too far for Selene but she is already fighting off her mother enemy King Herod on one front and the disillusioned Caesar with his vile wife working against her in a dangerous struggle for power. Liva has already proved that she is capable of murder and if she were given the chance she would murder Selene in a heartbeat.

Selene had an edge against them all she had magic, the power of Isis and also a gifted daughter to help her navigate the treachery that now surrounded her whole family. Years of fighting had taken a toll on Selene and her son’s birth had its price she was getting older and she found herself more distant from Juba.  Juba was not just any man he was a scholar, a long time favorite of Caesar, and deep down inside he knew he had made mistakes with Selene yet he still loved her. Drawn together the couple could be unstoppable against Rome and anything else that came their way yet they found the hardest obstacle to conquer was the ocean between them.  Selene found she was still not ready to admit how much she truly loved this man she married and instead she chose to fight her battles alone like she always has. Fighting his way into her heart and her battles Selene cannot deny Juba forever.

4/5  I HATE HATE HATE HATE the Emperor; he is the vilest man ever to grace historical fiction. He is like the enemy that cannot die. It sure makes for good reads though. I fell in love with Selene’s daughter Isidora; she was like a combination of her mother and famous grandmother Cleopatra. I would recommend this to historical fiction lovers that do not mind a bit of fantasy in their history. I however would not recommend reading this as a stand-alone novel because you will miss too much of the history behind it all.

• FTC ~ this novel was sent to me by the publisher for review. I received no compensation for this review.
• PG-13 Rating for mild violence and sexual references.
• Amazon: Daughters of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

~Lizzie~

Celebrate DAUGHTERS OF THE NILE with authour Stephanie Dray

Daughters of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

"Based on the true story of Cleopatra’s daughter…

After years of abuse as the emperor’s captive in Rome, Cleopatra Selene has found a safe harbor. No longer the pitiful orphaned daughter of the despised Egyptian Whore, the twenty year old is now the most powerful queen in the empire, ruling over the kingdom of Mauretania—an exotic land of enchanting possibility where she intends to revive her dynasty.

With her husband, King Juba II and the magic of Isis that is her birthright, Selene brings prosperity and peace to a kingdom thirsty for both. But when Augustus Caesar jealously demands that Selene’s children be given over to him to be fostered in Rome, she’s drawn back into the web of imperial plots and intrigues that she vowed to leave behind.

Determined and resourceful, Selene must shield her loved ones from the emperor’s wrath, all while vying with ruthless rivals like King Herod. Can she find a way to overcome the threat to her marriage, her kingdom, her family, and her faith? Or will she be the last of her line"?


"In commemoration of the opening of the Ara Pacis on January 30, 9 BC and in celebration of Daughters of the Nile, I'm hosting a mega-event for history and book lovers to talk about ancient Rome, Augustus, and win goodies just for showing up from some of the genre's hottest authors.

Stephanie Dray 12pm-10pm

Jeannie Lin at 12pm

M.m. Bennetts at 12:30pm

Kate Quinn at 1pm

Erika Shephard Robuck at 1:15pm

Heather Webb at 1:30pm

Vicky Alvear Shecter at 1:45pm

J.F. Ridgley at 2pm

Kristina McMorris at 2:15pm

Donna Russo Morin at 3pm

Amy Phillips Bruno at 3:30pm

Eliza Knight at 4pm

Gillian Bagwell at 4:15pm

Sophie Perinot at 4:30pm

Kathryn Kimball Johnson (aka Mary Hart Perry) at 5pm

Audra Friend at 6pm

Helen Hollick at 6:15pm

Alma Katsu at 7pm

Roberta Oliver Trahan at 8pm

Marci McGuire Jefferson at 8:15pm

Stephanie Thornton at 8:30pm

Stephanie Cowell at 9pm

Sabrina Darby at 9:45pm

To participate, just join the event now, and pop intomorrow at your convenience.

Also Stephanie will be signing books at Turn the Page bookstore in Boonsboro, Maryland this February 15th, 12-2pm. People come out from all over the country for this particular signing, so if you're in the area, you've got no excuse not to come on out and join the fun!

~LIZZIE~

Book Review: SONG OF THE NILE by Stephanie Dray

Time for round two in the Cleopatra’s Daughters series, “Song of the Nile” follows Cleopatra’s daughter Selene through her struggle to wrest Egypt away from the greedy Imperator of Rome Augustus. Selene survived being a royal captive in Rome only to be married off to the newly named King Juba of Mauretania. He once was her teacher yet he was not her choice for husband but when you live under the Imperator’s roof you automatically loose all your rights especially if you are a woman. Selene’s feelings became no longer of import. Augustus did whatever he pleased because he literally ruled the entire known world at the time. He knew he had Selene trapped, holding her little brother as a royal hostage in Rome. He had power over her and he planned on keeping it that way. With one brother a hostage and her twin Helios’s circumstances unknown, Selene constantly fretted that she would never see Helios’s again.

After Selene was married it was time to go to her new kingdom Mauretania to take her place as Queen. She would never be the same after that horrible voyage to Mauretania. The creepy Imperator Augustus would take full advantage of Selene’s venerability on this trip. The Imperator’s vicious wife Livia set up Selene. She waited for her chance to strike at Selene and the time was now before Selene made it to her new kingdom. Liva set Selene up to be attacked by Augustus and he always got what he wanted. I cried for Selene, it was awful and rape is never ever a pretty thing. I truly was heartbroken for Selene because he had taken from her the only thing that was truly hers. Eventually my heartbroken feelings were replace with anger and then it evolved into this feeling that she deserved revenge against the man who took everything she ever had and more.

Upon her arrival in Mauretania Selene was traumatized by the previous events. I think she went into a state of shock. She also took a vow to never let another man touch her again and that included her new husband Juba. Heartbroken and once again sick of the cruelties of life she gets word that her rebellious brother Helios was dead. Her heart would never let her believe it and she would have to endure the trials the Imperator would put her through. The only thing that held Selene together at this point was her ambitious need to get Egypt back. Everything was in her way on the road to get Egypt. Friends, family and even her own husband she might have to sacrifice everything she ever had for Egypt. Her heart always belonged in Egypt but making a new home in Mauretania had begun to change everything for her. She had to find her own way in this life and Caesar be damned nothing was going to stop her.

5/5 I found this novel way more dark and mysterious compared to “Lilly of the Nile”. I really enjoyed it but I wish I had read them closer together. I seemed to have forgotten a lot of the important details from the first one. This novel goes deeper with Selene’s mystical side and I found like “Lilly of the Nile” that Dray perfectly blended the right amount of historical fiction with fantasy. There really was just enough magic where it was not overwhelming. I feel I must note a couple points about this novel that might be a turn off to some readers. First Selene is rapped and it is brutally graphic and the other issue is incest. As many of you know in Egypt’s history it was common for royal siblings to marry each other. Some readers might find Selene’s relationship with Helios a little much in this novel. It did not bother me but it might bother others just like the rape. I just wanted to bring that to light so readers do not expect something else out of this novel. I would highly recommended this novel for mature historical fiction readers who are looking for a unique novel that is off the beaten historical fiction path.

FTC-this book was sent to me by the publisher.
R-Rating for sexual violence.

Amazon

• Stephanie Dray
• Lily of the Nile 
• Song of the Nile
• Daughters of the Nile set to be released 12.3.13

~Lizzie~

LILY OF THE NILE and SORCERESS OF THE NILE by Stephanie Dray Releasing 2011

This has really peeked my interest, since I did enjoy Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran I just have a good feeling about this one. Here is what the publisher had to say:

"Now your next thought might be but Michelle Moran wrote about Cleopatra's Daughter already. And this is when I'd say with much amusement, that Stephanie submitted her story with no knowledge about Moran's book. How's /that/ for an intriguing segway for a blog post? Not only that, the two books split off into two entirely different directions".

Hum very interesting same person but completely different story lines.

Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray  Releasing 

January 4th 2011

"With her parents dead, the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony is left at the mercy of her Roman captors. Heir to one empire and prisoner of another, it falls to Princess Selene to save her brothers and reclaim what’s rightfully hers…In the aftermath of Alexandria’s tragic fall, Princess Selene is taken from Egypt, the only home she’s ever known. Along with her two surviving brothers, she’s put on display as a war trophy in Rome. Selene’s captors mock her royalty and drag her through the streets in chains, but on the brink of death, the children are spared as a favor to the emperor’s sister, who takes them to live as hostages in the so-called lamentable embassy of royal orphans…

Now trapped in a Roman court of intrigue that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, Selene can’t hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her flesh. Nor can she stop the emperor from using her for his own political ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined honor her mother’s lost legacy. The magic of Egypt and Isis remain within her. But can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win or die"?

After "Lily of the Nile" releases there will be a sequel coming out sometime in 2011. Here is more on it below.

Sorceress of the Nile

Update: the title has now been changed to Song  

"Pledged to an emperor who abuses her burgeoning sexuality, and wed to a man who means to rule in her name, a courageous fifteen-year-old queen learns to harness the magic that will protect her kingdom and bring her enemies to their knees…

Cleopatra’s daughter struck a dangerous bargain to win a throne. Now the young queen must face the perverse consequences of her promise to become Octavian’s own Cleopatra. To protect her faith, her brothers, and her people, the teenager upends a world ruled exclusively by men. But while Selene uses her powers to bring forth bountiful harvests that make her indispensable to Rome as a capable leader and religious icon, her rebellious twin brother Helios thwarts the Romans across the African continent, reviving the legend of Horus the Avenger".

Here is some more interesting information about author Stephanie Dray.

"Author Stephanie Dray beat the odds this year, signing contracts with two major New York publishing houses. In a two-book contract, she sold her debut novel, a historical fantasy about the life of Cleopatra’s daughter, to Berkley Books. Under the pen name Stephanie Draven, she also sold a paranormal romance series to Harlequin’s Nocturne line, for a total of six works sold in one year.

The author’s Mythica series, which has been described as “Percy Jackson for grown-up girls,” is based on the premise that Greek mythology is real and that ancient gods still walk among us. In October 2010, Harlequin publishes the first full-length novel of the series: Poisoned Kisses, a sassy but emotional tale for anyone who wonders what kind of daddy issues a girl has when her father is Ares, Greek God of War.

In January 2011, the author releases her first book for Berkley Books, an imprint of Penguin Group.  Titled Lily of the Nile, this historical drama takes readers to ancient Rome and into the life of Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, who was captured by the Romans and forced to struggle for survival in the home of her parents’ worst enemy.

The author kicked off her paranormal romance series with two novellas--Midnight Medusa and Wild Tethered Bound--both of which received glowing reviews. Both works have already been issued in electronic form in anticipation of their appearance in paperback later this year".

I can not wait for this one to be featured on Historically Obsessed. I am hoping to have a guest post and a giveaway for all the readers around the release day which is quite a way off. One more to look forward to in 2011.

Amazon
 

Book Review: EVE by Elissa Elliott

A Historical fiction novel of Biblical proportions that weighs heavily on the heart. This was not my normal reading style. Normally I tent to stay away from anything that even lightly touches on the sensitive subject of religion. I am intrigued by biblical periods but do not gravitate towards them. Eve however pulled me towards her, first with the upcoming release of the paperback copy. Since it has a to die for cover that could possibly be a Pre Raphaelite piece of artwork. I went to the library and happened to browse the new releases one day and "bam" there it was the hard cover copy. Which was just as alluring with it’s sorrowfully posed woman. In the first page I was hooked in with the very poetic prologue.

The story of Adam and Eve harks back to the very beginning of time. "Elohim" created Adam and Eve in his image. They were his children since he had given them the spark of life. Being adult children: the two lovers spent their days free from care and harmonious in the Garden of Eden. Sheltered from the outside world and protected by Elohim himself. Their days in the garden were numbered but they did have a choice. Elohim asked of them one thing, not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve was lured by Lucifer to question why she was not allowed to eat from the tree. She had decided she was going to eat it with Adam. The consequences were to be enormous, banishment from the only home they ever knew and the only parent love they ever had.

Life was bitter outside of the garden. Adam and Eve were forced into becoming nomads after banishment. Banishment from a place that I imagined to be an unfathomably beautiful place. The garden would over shadow the rest of their lives, nothing would ever compare to its beauty. Eve and Adams existence after the garden was excruciating, always looking to the past and not to the future. With the eating of the fruit it was impossible to get back what they had lost, their "lightness" was gone. Elohim who had spent time with them from the beginning became a question of a dream world that might not have existed. Were they really in the garden with Elohim or was it just a fading dream?

Eve and Adam’s children were all born outside of the garden. First Cain, then Able, Naava, Aya, Jacan, and Dara. All of the children were very unique individuals. Cain was an explosive, abusive, schizophrenic personality type brimming with anger. His personality was a constant thorn in the novel. Naava the oldest girl was narcissistic, and evil as Cain was, just not in a physical sense. I was drawn to Aya second to Eve because she was "cripple" as they saw it but she was the smartest and hardest working of the family. Aya the "bird" who would fly with Elohim in her dreams and hear his whispers in the wind. She was my favorite all though she was very vengeful at times. This novel was distinctly about a family in crisis, a dysfunctional home that might not be repairable. Sibling rivalry reached murderous proportions. From poisoning to incest there was no emotional plot left untouched.

This review has been hard for me because I still am undecided on how I feel about the book. It did have brutal moments but then again in my mind it compensates for the times. Biblical times were not the prettiest of times. I became really attached to Eve but she was living in the past until something so horrific happened it shook her out of the dream world and into her reality that she was with with out the garden. Through out the book I felt that there was a much deeper meaning behind what I was reading. I found myself constantly questioning what was really going on. I did like the book but I did not love it. How can you love something that is so brutal? I would recommend this book to anyone who is open minded about religion. It is a tender subject and some might view this book as heretical. I decided that I cannot rate this book. Why? I am still very undecided about my true feelings on it. I feel I need time to process it all before I can give it a fair rating.

Book Review: CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER by Michelle Moran

I have come to notice that many people do not know that Cleopatra had children. Queen Cleopatra's dramatic exit from this life is more well remembered than her children. Cleopatra has always been a favorite historical figure of mine. The mother that committed suicide rather than bend to Romes rule a true Queen of Egypt. Forgetting that she left behind children that lost everything including their country by the hands of the Romans. What uncertain path lay before them? Would they survive being taken to Rome or really would they survive the game of being involved in the roman elite circle?

Selene and her brothers were taken to Rome after her mother death. As part of the Roman take over of Egypt. She went physically willing but not mentally. She was a gifted artist who shared a passion with her father Marc Anthony of architecture. She was educated in Egypt and would continue her education in Rome. Her education gave her an advantage in Rome. She knew that things were not right in Rome politically speaking and it made her uneasy. The part I think she was most uncomfortable with was the slavery and corruption with in the city. Living in a world that was not her own feeling heartbreak after heartbreak. I felt complete sympathy for her. Losing not just her mother but her father then her little brother on the way to Rome. She deserved happiness but there was none to be had in Rome.

A glimmer of hope arrived in the form of a "rebel" know only as the Red Eagle. He was like the Robin Hood of Rome, freeing slaves, and standing up for to the injustices the government had pulled off. He called to the people to stand up for what is right. He even saved Selene herself at one point from a mad bull who would have stomped her to death. Selene's curiosity would lead her to suspect everyone including the man she loved that did not love her in return. In a world that was dramatically ever changing would Selene ever find her place or would she be lost in the corruption like so many others had? Or would the red eagle change everything for better or worse?

5/5 Muse rating. Michelle wove a tragic story of a child's loss into a story of finding ones own self. I loved this book with it's vivid story of what it meant to be a Roman and live a Roman life. The best part for me was the detailed descriptions of the buildings in Rome and Egypt.

A Rewind To Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

I know what you are thinking this was Michelle's break out novel but Nefertiti is constantly in my thoughts and I can not wait to read this novel.

"The sweeping story of a powerful Egyptian family, Nefertiti: A Novel tells the tale of two sisters, the first of whom is destined to rule as one of history’s most fascinating queens.

Beautiful Nefertiti and her sister, Mutnodjmet, have been raised far from the court of their aunt, the Queen of Egypt. But when the Pharaoh of Egypt dies, their father’s power play makes Nefertiti wife to the new and impetuous king. It is hoped she will temper King Amunhotep’s desire to overturn Egypt’s religion, but the ambitious Nefertiti encourages Amunhotep’s outrageous plans instead, winning the adoration of the people while making powerful enemies at court. Younger yet more prudent, Mutnodjmet is her sister’s sole confidant, and only she knows to what lengths Nefertiti will go for a child to replace the son of Amunhotep’s first wife.

As King Amunhotep’s commands become more extravagant, he and Nefertiti ostracize the army, clergy, and Egypt’s most powerful allies. Then, when Mutnodjmet begins a dangerous affair with a general, she sees how tenuous her situation is at her own sister’s court. An epic story that resurrects ancient Egypt in vivid detail, Nefertiti: A Novel:

“Brings ancient Egypt to life as two royal sisters struggle to find fulfillment and happiness—one craving ultimate political power, the other desiring only to follow her heart.” India Edghill, author of Wisdom’s Daughter

“There haven’t been two more fascinating or outrageous siblings since the Boleyn sisters burst onto the pages of historical fiction. Nefertiti is totally obsessive reading.” Robin Maxwell, author of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn"

Cleopatra's Daughter Excerpt by Michelle Moran

C H A P T E R O N E, ALEXANDRIA, August 12, 30 BC

WHILE WE waited for the news to arrive, we played dice. I
felt the small ivory cubes stick in my palms as I rolled a pair of ones.
“Snake eyes,” I said, fanning myself with my hand. Even the stir of a
sea breeze through the marble halls of our palace did little to relieve
the searing heat that had settled across the city.

“It’s your turn,” Alexander said. When our mother didn’t respond,
he repeated, “Mother, it’s your turn.”

But she wasn’t listening. Her face was turned in the direction of
the sea, where the lighthouse of our ancestors had been built on the
island of Pharos to the east. We were the greatest family in the
world, and could trace our lineage all the way back to Alexander of
Macedon. If our father’s battle against Octavian went well, the
Ptolemies might rule for another three hundred years. But if his
losses continued. . . .

“Selene,” my brother complained to me, as if I could get our
mother to pay attention.

“Ptolemy, take the dice,” I said sharply.

Ptolemy, who was only six, grinned. “It’s my turn?”

“Yes,” I lied, and when he laughed, his voice echoed in the silent
halls. I glanced at Alexander, and perhaps because we were twins, I
knew what he was thinking. “I’m sure they haven’t abandoned us,” I
whispered.

“What would you do if you were a servant and knew that Octavian’s
army was coming?”

“We don’t know that it is!,” I snapped, but when the sound of sandals
slapped through the halls, my mother finally looked in our direction.

“Selene, Alexander, Ptolemy, get back!”

We abandoned our game and huddled on the bed, but it was only
her servants, Iras and Charmion.

“What? What is it?” my mother demanded.

“A group of soldiers!”

“Whose men?”

“Your husband’s,” Charmion cried. She had been with our family
for twenty years, and I had never seen her weep. But as she shut the
door, I saw that her cheeks were wet. “They are coming with news,
Your Highness, and I’m afraid—”

“Don’t say it!” My mother closed her eyes briefly. “Just tell me. Has
the mausoleum been prepared?”

Iras blinked away her tears and nodded. “The last of the palace’s
treasures are being moved inside. And . . . and the pyre has been
built exactly as you wanted.”

I reached for Alexander’s hand. “There’s no reason our father won’t
beat them back. He has everything to fight for.”

Alexander studied the dice in his palms. “So does Octavian.”

Guest Post with Michelle Moran, Cleopatra's Daughter

Thank you Michelle Moran for being gracious enough to give a guest post featuring her upcoming new release Cleopatra's Daughter. Which is due to hit book stores September 15Th 2009. This Q and A struck me so close to my heart because her experience is one of my biggest secret dreams I have ever harbored.

Q: Why Cleopatra’s daughter?

A:"It began with a dive. Not the kind of dive that people take into swimming pools, 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 exactly 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 and do a dive to see the remains of Cleopatra’s underwater city. Let it be known that I had never done an underwater dive before, so 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 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. You can see the rocks which once formed Marc Antony’s summer palace, come face to face with Cleopatra’s towering sphinx, and take your time floating above ten thousand ancient artifacts, including obelisks, statues, and countless amphorae. By the time we had 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? What about her four children?

It was this last question which surprised me the most. I had always believed that all of Cleopatra’s children had been murdered. But the Roman conqueror Octavian had 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 for his Triumph in Rome, I knew at once I had my next book. This is how all of my novels seem to begin – with a journey, then an adventure, and finally, enormous amounts of research for what I hope is an exciting story"

Sundays Art: Cleopatra by Hans Makart

Cleopatra by Hans Makart May 28Th 1840 - October 3rd 1884, was a 19Th century Austrian academic history painter, designer, and decorator; most well known for his influence on Gustav Klimt and other Austrian artists, but in his own era considered an important artist himself and was a celebrity figure in the high culture of Vienna, attended with almost cult-liked adulation.

Tutankhamun Exhibit in San Francisco

The Tutankhamun and The Golden Age of The Pharaohs Exhibit is on display now in at the Fine Arts De Young Museum in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. It will be available from June 27Th 2009 through to March 28Th 2010. You can purchase tickets here be sure to click on San Francisco. Also if you are a Borders Book rewards member you can use the Promo Code TUTBB to get 20% off of Tickets. Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibition:
Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. daily; last ticket at 7:30 p.m. (through September 30)
You can visit their website here.

"More than 3,000 years after his reign, and 30 years after the original exhibition opened in San Francisco, Tutankhamun, ancient Egypt’s celebrated “boy king,” returns to the de Young Museum. In the summer of 2009 the de Young presents Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, a glorious exhibition of over 130 outstanding works from the tomb of Tutankhamun, as well as those of his royal predecessors, his family, and court officials.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs includes many new and exciting elements not seen in previous versions of the exhibition, including a revised version of the catalogue, a new audio tour, and additional artifacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb."

I was lucky enough to be able to see this exhibit when it came to Portland Oregon many, many moons ago. I have always been obsessed with Egypt to the point that now I even have Egyptian tattoo's . Which I find that other people are very curious about. I still vividly can picture that day in the museum because it had such a profound effect on me. It is one thing to read books and look at pictures of Egyptology. To see it in person is moving and I would highly recommend anyone who can go to do so. You would not believe how moving it is to stand before Tutankhamun.

My Dreams of Egypt: Nefertiti

My dreams of Egypt, they seem to never go away. Nefertiti one of my favorite historical leading ladies. I had her stuck in my head and she would not leave me alone. I finished her last night and I think my piece does her justice. I made her with color pencils, scanned her into my computer, and thought it would be fun this time to add a digital background. I hope you all love her as much as I do. All of my art is a labor of love. Lately everyone has been giving me such wonderful support that I am beginning to amaze myself. To think I am capable of making such beautiful pieces, I am still in shock, to the point where I sometimes can not believe it. Maybe just like wine it gets better with age but who knows. Mary of Scots is next on my list.

Book Review: THE TRIUMPH OF DEBORAH by Eva Etzioni-Halevy

Nothing but praise for The Triumph of Deborah. It had me utterly engrossed in its story of biblical Deborah. Considering I stopped what I was reading because the first page grabbed me like no other. I finished it entirely in a few days. Since I have a sister who is Deborah's name sake it made it all the better for me and sometimes down right amusing.
They both share a strong leadership trait that does not diminish their own feminine qualities. Strong women in their own right. Having grown up a in a religious household I find myself now being more of a spiritual person instead of religious person. Having said that I think that is important to know that this book opened a new door for me to a new unexplored time period.
Deborah's introduction "Some way in the south, on the top of Mount Tabor in the heart of the land of Israel, another woman stood: the Israelite prophetess and judge Deborah" it gave me chills. A seamlessly intertwined story of the fallen kings daughters, the warrior who took him down, and the prophetess who sent the warrior who is also searching to find the right way not just for her but for all the people. A man can lead them to war but who will lead them to peace?
Typically being weary of anything religious I was skeptical of how the book would play out religious beliefs of two waring fractions. My skepticism was vanquished by Deborah meeting the kings warrior Sisra "my god told me to come here as did your god". A aspect of the book I really enjoyed was that it had excerpts from the Torah given at a time of reference for each character's insight. That in itself gave a different aspect of each characters beliefs and a deeper understanding of the times.
This book was so powerful in the end it made the hair on my arms stand up, which no other book has never done. There cannot be enough praise for Eva's work considering that the book had some enormously great qualities in the fact that it was riveting, it never dragged or slowed down, informative on the times, and I was very sad to have it end. Thank you Eva for reaching out to me and opening the door for me. I am so glad you found me. Now I can add you to my list of favorite authors. For more info on Eva's books and herself visit her site here
"In ancient Israel, war is looming. Deborah has coerced warrior Barak into launching a strike against the neighboring Canaanites, who threaten their people with destruction. Against all odds he succeeds, returning triumphantly with two daughters of the Canaanite King as his captives. But military victory is only the beginning of the turmoil, as a complex love triangle develops between Barak and the two princesses.

Deborah, recently cast off by her husband, develops a surprising affinity for Barak. Yet she struggles to rebuild her existence on her own terms, while also groping her way toward the greatest triumph of her life: the attainment of peace.

Based on the book of Judges , and filled with brilliantly vivid historical detail, the novel shows that in her own life Deborah was very much a woman, and that her femininity did not detract from her stature as national leader. Thereby it pays tribute to Deborah's feminine strength and independence from which present day women, seeking to build lives of their own and assert themselves in whatever way they choose to do so, may derive inspiration.

The Triumph of Deborah describes a prominent woman leader who led her people to war but also to peace. Hence it should be of special relevance in an American presidential election year in which a female candidate is a front runner. It should also be of relevance on the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of Israel, where women's leadership is becoming increasingly prominent, a year in which the topic of female leadership in time of war and peace will be most prominent on both countries' agenda. "

Top News, hidden face in famous Nefertiti bust

The associated press released today that a CT scan was performed on the famous Nefertiti bust in Germany. The scan which is the type used to find cancer masses came up with some very interesting results. It had been speculated that that the bust had a stone in the middle for support of the layers of stucco. A hidden more realistic stone head bust revealed itself. The stone bust revealed lines around the mouth and a bump on the nose in detail. These features were erased with the stucco. Maybe ordered changed no one will ever know for sure. Check out the photo's http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/