Blog Tour: Song of the Nile - Stephanie Dray - Author Interview, and a chance to win a Nook!

Stephanie Dray is here today with an author interview for her new book, Song of the Nile. Thank you for being here today, Stephanie! You also can enter her contest to win a Nook! Details will be provided below the interview. Enjoy!

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Thanks so much for having me here today!

Can you give us a description of Song of the Nile in haiku?

Uh. Professor, I didn’t know there was going to be a quiz! This is tricky. I have a new appreciation for the haiku review that the first book received over at Dear Author! Ok, lemme see what I can do here.

Cleopatra’s daughter

born down into suffering

triumphs over emperor

If you could read only one book for the rest of your life, which would it be and why?

I’ve re-read Margaret George’s Memoirs of Cleopatra a bunch of times, so it seems like that would be the one, but I’m not much of a re-reader and it would make me so sad to only read one book for the rest of my life.

What one song would describe your view on life?

Aerosmith’s Dream On. I’m not a musician and as we’ve already discovered, I’m not good at poetry either, but I like that the lyrics talk about paying your dues, losing, and going on. (I know there’s a darker interpretation to the song too, but I prefer to ignore that!)

If you could witness one event from history. What would it be and why?

I’d love to be present at the coronation of Cleopatra Selene because I’ve spent so much time trying to chronicle her life that I’d love to see it, smell it, experience it along with her! Failing that, I think I’d like to be present the moment the 19th Amendment was passed, granting women the right to vote.

Do you employ any quirks while writing?

I like to make a playlist of songs that will help me get into the right emotions while writing--I often loop through the songs over and over again, which drives my husband insane.

If you were transported into Song of the Nile, what would you do first? What wouldn't you want to do?

I’d like to attend an ancient bath, soak in milk and honey, be rubbed in perfumed oils, and then massaged. (Note, I would like to do this in the modern world too.) I wouldn’t want to offend the Romans, for certain; life would go very badly for me if I did. I’m certain I don’t have the charm and wits that Cleopatra Selene had.

Thank you for being here today and answering my questions, Stephanie! 

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Bio: Stephanie graduated from Smith, a small women’s college in Massachusetts where–to the consternation of her devoted professors–she was unable to master Latin. However, her focus on Middle Eastern Studies gave her a deeper understanding of the consequences of Egypt’s ancient clash with Rome, both in terms of the still-extant tensions between East and West as well as the worldwide decline of female-oriented religion.

Before she wrote novels, Stephanie was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the transformative power of magic realism to illuminate the stories of women in history and inspire the young women of today. She remains fascinated by all things Roman or Egyptian and has–to the consternation of her devoted husband–collected a house full of cats and ancient artifacts.

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Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra’s daughter has become the emperor’s most unlikely apprentice and the one woman who can destroy his empire…

Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land.

Forced to marry a man of the emperor’s choosing, Selene will not allow her new husband to rule in her name. She quickly establishes herself as a capable leader in her own right and as a religious icon. Beginning the hard work of building a new nation, she wins the love of her new subjects and makes herself vital to Rome by bringing forth bountiful harvests.

But it’s the magic of Isis flowing through her veins that makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra’s daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother’s throne be more than she’s willing to pay?

Berkley Trade October 2011 (Trade Paperback)

# ISBN-10: 0425243044

# ISBN-13: 9780425243046

Purchase Info

Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | Borders | Constellation Books | Powell's

Review the Book, Win a Nook Giveaway

Details: 

Write and post an honest review of any of my books on either Amazon.com, B&N, or Goodreads between now and December 1st 2011, and you will be eligible to win your choice of either a 1st generation Nook e-reader or a $75 gift certificate to B&N or Amazon.com, just in time for the holiday season. To win:

1. Write a text review of one of my books for either Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or Goodreads.com

2. Post the link to your review(s) at: http://www.stephaniedray.com/2011/09/06/want-an-e-reader-win-one-from-me/

3. That’s it.

A winner will be chosen at random, not based on the content of the review, so please be honest and thoughtful.

The Disclaimers:

Only reviews posted between September 15 and December 1 2011 are eligible. You can review more than one book and on more than one site for extra entries in the contest–just be sure to post the link to your review(s) at http://www.stephaniedray.com/2011/09/06/want-an-e-reader-win-one-from-me/.

On December 2, 2011, one winner will be chosen.

This contest will be held in tandem on my other website, StephanieDraven.com. You can enter the contest on either website. No purchase necessary. (Libraries are wonderful!)

Any review that violates the policies of the sites listed above will be disqualified. Do not spam these sites with inappropriate comments only meant to win this contest or you will be reported for abuse.

Contest is void where prohibited.