The Next Big Thing Blog Tour – The Curse of Troy

I would like to thank A.M. Day for inviting me to participate in this blog tour. Aletha is the author of The Throne of Olympus Book One: Blood Bond and now available on Amazon in print and as an eBook. She lives in Wisconsin with her children and their dog Simi. She has dreamed of being a writer since a small child once seeing the stage production of A Christmas Carol at the Chicago Goodman Theatre. Throne of Olympus is her debut novel and is about how two mortals become a modern-day Zeus and Hera, reviving Mt. Olympus, protecting it and the throne from the impending enemy takeover by the “Unworthy” descendants of the Greek gods.

1. What is the working title of your book?
The Curse of Troy

2. Where did the idea come from for your book?
I was writing Aphrodite’s Curse when I had light bulb moment. A series of short stories with a female protagonist, from Greek mythology and, the dilemmas they’ve had to endure. My character is Helen, who’s been written, filmed and drawn about more times than I can count since her inception in Homer’s Iliad. I wanted to hear a different story about the legend surrounding the Trojan War, so I wrote one.

3. What genre does your book fall under?
Historical Fantasy but can be considered as Epic Fiction.

4. Which actors would you choose to play in your movie rendition?
It would be interesting to see in a movie, with plenty of flashbacks. There are two main characters in this story: Helen and the travelling historian.

For the role of Helen I would cast Kate Beckingsale because of her ability to play strong leading females and yet be feminine; and for the young historian I would choose Jake Gyllenhaal mainly for his bookish appearance yet nice physique.

5. What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
The Curse of Troy is the untold story of a woman’s fall from favour, the quest for supremacy and immortality.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Self-published on Amazon, Smashwords and Kobo.

Book launch: date 10 January 2013. Write it down so you don’t forget!

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took about four weeks.

8. What other books would you compare this story to?
Books by Mary Renault, David Gemmell, Margaret George’s Helen of Troy

9. Who or what inspired you to write the book?
Bettany Hughes book Helen of Troy, and Homer’s Iliad. Also I love Greek mythology and ancient history. The honour I have is re-telling ancient myths, to have people read them and grow to love them as much as I do.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
It is an alternative tale on the legend of The Iliad and subsequent stories that have been written since. We will never know the real truth behind the story and of those who featured prominently in the Homeric tales. I wanted to tell Helen’s story and give her voice. It was her turn to let us know what really happened.

Check out the answers these wonderful storytellers share on their blogs next week, 26th December.