Centurion Marius is a tough leader to his men, despite the shame that drove him from Rome. Delia is sister to an uncaring Corieltauvi tribal king, warrior queen to her people. The last thing she expects is to find herself craving the touch of an enemy.
Thrown into the clash between 80,000 angry Bretons and 10,000 Roman soldiers, they find themselves on opposing sides, in love, and unable to stop the future. The revolution that sparked their desire...could now destroy them.
Somewhere between thirty and dust...red hair, blue eyes...six kids, one slightly used husband, and any number of pets from time to time... wanttabe hippy... wanttheirmoney yuppie... pro musician and actress for 20 years...native Oregonian... lover of music, beauty and all things green. Willing slave to the venerable muse.
When she is not writing, Minnette helps teach remedial reading, writing, and math at a local elementary school. Minnette currently resides in Beaverton, Oregon with her husband, having replaced the children with five cats and one dog (there shall always be six!).
Her first novel, Starsight, Volume I, (published by StoneGarden) will be released in March of 2008 and the sequel Starsight, Volume II in November. The Centurion & The Queen, and its sequel a historical romance set in 60AD Roman Britannia, will be released with Resplendence Publishing in 2008. In addition to her novels, Ms. Meador has a feature in the Cup of Comfort for Single Moms coming out in March of 2008.
A note from Minnette:
Upcoming sequel to Centurion is called The Breton & The General and it will be out later this year.
Blurb: The Boudicca revolt has been squelched, the tribes of the Iceni and the Trinovantes exterminated by the Roman Governor of Britannia, Suetonius. He has sworn his revenge on the remaining tribes for the Celtic insolence. Marius and Delia are now King and Queen of a broken Celtic tribe. Using his twenty-five years as a Roman Centurion, Marius has to use all his skill and cunning to help his hunted people as they flee before General Suetonius' sword. Reluctantly donning the mask of the liberatio mysticus, the “phantom” that hides the scattered tribes, the couple recruits Marius' ex-Roman century and what few Celtic warriors that remain to face the deadly Roman machine. They struggle to keep their people together and the rest of a nation from fading into history. Marius and Delia are threatened by secret plots, jealousy, and a new enemy that hammers a wedge between them, which even an unborn child may not be able to dislodge when Marius falls under the charms of Delia's sworn enemy. Sacrifices will have to be made to save their people, to keep the nation together, to survive the Roman rage. In the end, it may be more than their love or their lives they lose.
An Interview with Minnette Meador
By Holly Hewson, Marketing Director for The Romance Studio
HH: Minnette, welcome to TRS. Please tell us about your featured work, The Centurion and the Queen.
MM: Thank you so much for inviting me, Holly. I love TRS and I’m honored to be here. The Centurion & The Queen is currently out with Resplendence Publishing www.resplendencepublishing.com and available in e-book and print publication. Here is the story: Centurion Marius has been stationed on 60 AD Britannia for sixteen years. Once a celebrated hero and a famous Praetorian Guard, he still clings to the old traditions as a fair but tough leader to his men, despite the shame that drove him from Rome. Delia is sister to an uncaring Corieltauvi tribal king. Powerless, she watches as hundreds of Breton warriors succumb to their suicidal pride and throw themselves against the unstoppable Roman machine. She fights to lead her people in a world dominated by savage men. Under orders to extract information from the Bretons, Marius forces a secret from Delia that will change his future forever; he vows to protect her despite what it may cost. The last thing Delia expects is to find her body craving the touch of an enemy, or joy in the embrace of a stranger. Delia is ripped from Marius’ arms and they are thrown into a clash between 80,000 angry Breton warriors and a clever Roman general with only 10,000 soldiers. Marius and Delia find themselves on opposing sides, in love, and unable to stop the future. The revolution that sparked their desire, could destroy them both.
HH: Where did you get the idea for this richly depicted, highly emotional tale?
MM: I had been studying the Boudicca revolts and the main idea came to me all at once (an unusual occurrence)...what would happen if a Roman officer and a Breton queen fell in love. The story developed very quickly from there.
HH: Did you have the story idea first and then choose a setting? Or was the story born from the setting?
MM: Definitely developed from the setting, the back story, and the very rich history of those times.
HH: What sort of reasearch did you do for this work?
MM: Most of my research on the Romans has been done over the years starting in college (I was a western civilization major), through books, on-line, or through specials about this period. When I started to develop the story, I worked with a scholar referred by the Frazier Museum who specializes in ancient Roman combat and weaponry. The Breton history was a little more difficult since there isn’t a great deal written about this time period. I had to rely mostly on Greek histories to piece this part together which is largely biased (what a surprise) to the Roman POV. I had several book references, but I found that in most of the research I did, scholars don’t always agree about how these early Bretons lived. Of course, there is a great deal more available now that they are excavating the Iceni tribal digs. Most of the story takes place in a Roman camp which I researched extensively. Having said all that, this is a work of fiction and I did take some literary license. The story of the Boudicca revolt, however, is factual. The speeches by both Boudicca (called Boudiga in the book) and General Suetonius are translations from Greek transcripts. The little Latin and Gaelic I use are best guesses on my part...I am not a linguist. Apologies to those who are... ~LOL~
HH: History offers writers opportunities to place characters in situations where there is high emotional impact and you used this to great advantage. How do you infuse such emotion in your stories?
MM: I tried to imagine what it must have been like to live in those times, especially for a woman. Breton women could be queen or chieftain of their tribes, but Romans did not even give women citizenship, so the conflict was there to begin with. Rape, slavery, floggings were all common fears for Rome’s “protectorates” and Roman dominance was legendary even then. The Breton men were essentially committing suicide by throwing themselves against the Roman military superiority. The balance in Britannia was very delicate and it took the act of a single greedy bureaucrat to ignite a revolution. I’m certain this was a very emotional time on both sides. I’ve tried very hard to show both faces of this conflict...from the soldier’s point of view and from the woman whose country is being occupied. There are many similarities recurring throughout human history. This story could be told in Roman Britannia, the early American west, or ever Iraq today. Finding yourself in love with an enemy is already charged with emotional conflict...that Marius and Delia have the bravery to allow that love, despite the personal guilt and betrayal they feel, shows the strength of that bond. I am absolutely a believer in love at first sight...my husband and I have been victims of it for fifteen years and still hold hands. ~LOL~
HH: Tell us about the sequel, The Breton and the General.
MM: I don’t want to say too much to spoil C&Q, but this is about the aftermath of the Boudicca revolt and how Delia and Marius fight to save the Breton people from the fury of the new governor, General Suetonius. It has betrayal, lust, greed, a sadistic villain...and an act that threatens the survival of their love and their lives. It is almost ready and will be out later this year from Resplendence.
HH: Tell us about your work with teaching children in your local area.
MM: I was a project manager (trade show booths) for many years and was laid off last year...best thing that ever happened to me. I began substituting for my local elementary school and fell in love. I work with kids with learning disabilities in the Resource Room teaching reading, writing, and math. I would never have thought I’d love a job so much. The really amazing thing is I am healthier, happier, and would rather chase 200 six year olds than make all the money in the world in marketing. It’s much less stressful ~LOL~
HH: When and where do you do your best writing?
MM: I do my best creating when I need an idea and go for a walk or a good long pace through the house. People look at me funny, but you get used to that. ~LOL~ I do need to have it quiet (except for orchestral music sometimes) so evenings are usually better for me, although I often get up early in the morning to work as well. I’m getting myself trained to write when I have to since time can be at a real premium. It is getting easier to “write on demand”.
HH: What's a good writing session for you?
MM: A good solid 10,000 words would be a good session for me, although it is not consistent. I’m a spurter and a marathoner. When I can get a few days off together, I like to marathon. I have a VERY understanding husband.
HH: What would you like to tell the readers out there?
MM: I guess to let them know that I hope they will like the books and not to be afraid to let me know what they think. I live to write, I write to live. If someone gets a little enjoyment out of something I have written, I am overjoyed. It is, after all, why I write…for the readers. It would be a pretty lonely journey without them. =)
