HEROICA has a strange origin. Revolution?, the first part, started as a little story I wanted to write for myself – an indulgence. Then it grew and grew. The heroine, Carina, goes off piste as usual (see the first four Roma Nova thrillers!) and her investigation became ever more complicated and the ‘short story’ became a much longer one, almost a novella. Then I thought up a twist in the tail. There’s always a price to pay and/or a secret to uncover in Roma Nova stories!
Throughout the series, the two heroines, Carina and Aurelia, are or become, courageous, determined and completely loyal to Roma Nova. But occasionally, we hear references back to past history and to previous generations of the Mitela family. What was the influence of that family on Roma Nova’s affairs throughout the centuries or on wider European events?
I began to think about some of the major turning points in European history. Could the Mitelae have played an important part? I thoroughly enjoyed writing a short story for the 1066 Turned UpsideDown anthology when an 11th century Mitela was instrumental in preventing the Norman Conquest. Although I had to firmly put my research hat on my head, that was fun!
Suppose they had been involved in other key historical events? Suppose a Mitela had been key to the success of a battle or a political revolution? Or its failure? There are so many turning points to choose from! Erik Durschmied’s The Hinge Factor (since retitled How Chance and Stupidity Have Changed History) is a fascinating read about the tiny and not so tiny interventions in events that push the history of the world down an entirely different path than it would or should or could have gone.
In Honoria’s Battle, set in 1683, Christian Europe saw the Moslem Ottomans as an existential threat. The latter had conquered much of South East Europe including next door Hungary and were besieging the great bastion of Vienna, the seat of the Holy Roman emperors. It was vital that Vienna did not fall as it would open the gateway to the rest of Europe. People have argued about this since the 17th century, but at the time, this was as they saw it. So Honoria Mitela goes to Vienna to help.
The dual time line story, The Idealist, is set in the present and the mid 19th century, a period that fascinates me – the time of revolutions in various European countries. 1848 is the year that stands out, but the years before and after were equally busy! Change is always interesting, however it turns out.These are points in history when we see what humans are capable of, whether it’s cruelty or courage. Giuseppe Mazzini was a revolutionary politician, but he was also a philosopher active at the time Italy was going through the Risorgimento – the resurgence of the idea of a united Italy.
Italy 1843 User:Gigillo83; derivative work: User:Enok CC BY-SA 3.0
But it took several decades for that reunification to be complete. In 1870, forces of the Kingdom of Italy (founded 1861) took control of the city of Rome itself and of the Papal States. After a plebiscite held on 2 October 1870, Rome was officially made capital of Italy on 3 February 1871, completing the unification of Italy. History on the Italian peninsula is always about the capture of Rome, it seems…
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You can pre-order the ebook of HEROICA now:
Amazon (universal): https://mybook.to/HEROICA_RomaNova
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/en/ebook/heroica-5
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6761337368
B&N Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heroica-alison-morton/1149795262?ean=2940185019030
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/HEROICA
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Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers – INCEPTIO, CARINA (novella), PERFIDITAS, SUCCESSIO, AURELIA, NEXUS (novella), INSURRECTIO and RETALIO, and ROMA NOVA EXTRA, a collection of short stories. JULIA PRIMA and EXSILIUM, set in the late 4th century, tell the story of Roma Nova’s foundation. Audiobooks are available for four of the series. Double Identity and Double Pursuit start a new contemporary thriller series. The third, Double Stakes is now out.
Download ‘Welcome to Alison Morton’s Thriller Worlds’, a FREE eBook, as a thank you gift when you sign up to Alison’s monthly email update. As a result, you’ll be among the first to know about news and book progress before everybody else, and take part in giveaways.
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