This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour will receive a $50 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Welcome to It's Raining Books. If you could apologize to someone in your past, who would it be?
My little sister. I was quite a bossy big sister who liked to have her way. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for her to grow up with little miss bossy-pants.
If you could keep a mythical/paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have?
I’d like to have a raven who can fly around and come back to tell me what’s going on elsewhere.
How do you keep your writing different from all the others that write in this particular genre?
There aren’t a lot of novels set in the ancient world. That keeps it fresh for me and my readers.
What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
The best is write every day. The other is to hire someone to edit your novel before you pitch to agents and publishers. Not sure anyone has given me any bad advice.
Are the experiences in this book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
No, this is a story based on a historical figure named Ankhmakis, believed to be the last native pharaoh, though he only ruled the Upper Kingdom, not Egypt in her entirety.
Driven apart by hatred, greed, and tragedy, the golden pair Prince Ankhmakis and the Priestess Natasa are now forced to face the darkness of their fates alone.
After a brutal betrayal from within Ankhmakis’s own family, the distraught prince seizes the throne and is crowned Pharaoh Ankhwehenfer, while Natasa is forced to flee across the sea to a new land, with a new magic. Broken and truly alone for the first time since their bonding, their grief threatens to swallow them whole.
A stalemate is proposed, and as Egypt becomes two nations as in the days of old, a prosperous peace falls over the south. The prophecy has been shattered by the Golden Child's death, yet the royals and their subjects find a way to survive and create an Upper Egypt greater than Ptolemy's northern rule. Alliances with Nubia and Kush bring the promise of hope on the horizon. The next generation comes of age, and the old one passes on their knowledge so that the sins of the past won’t be repeated in their future.
But evil lurks still. There are those both within the Pharaoh’s court and without that would do anything to see the king fall. Ankhwenefer must confront the pain of the past in order to preserve the future for his sons, or his civilization will end.
Read an Excerpt
The crowd cheered. Their screams were like the howls of furious wildcats. Their nationalism was at its peak, and all he needed to do was stoke it to earn their fealty. He turned to the high priest, who held the crown over his head. The white columns of the temple soared above them, and Ankhwenefer gazed at the hieroglyph-covered walls. In spite of the war, the temple was in pristine condition. All around him were golden statues of gods and goddesses. Animals and other brightly painted forms graced the walls. His flag bearing the phoenix flew high in the wind. Everyone in the room dropped to their knees as their king approached Setep.
“By the power invested in me,” the priest called out, “on this day, the fourth month of Perit, the eleventh day, in the third year of your holy reign, I re-crown you Lord and Pharaoh Ankhwenefer, the Good Being of Isis, Golden Eagle King, protector of our lands and Horus himself. May Amon-Re protect you and our people as we rebuild our nation. Egypt shall reign in glory until the end of time.”
Setep placed the heavy crown on Ankhwenefer’s head. A second priest handed him the hook and flail. He gripped them tightly as he crossed his chest with his arms and, turning to the crowd once more, gazed down upon them.
“My people,” he called, “I pledge myself to you.”
The sun poured in from the windows and shone upon Pharaoh’s face, and the people rose from the floor and clapped. To those in the room, their new king looked like the statues of Horus himself. Ankhwenefer was master of his domain—young, strong, intelligent, and wise. He’d fought hard for many years and won. The priestesses sang as he walked past and out to the courtyard where the commoners flooded the area, crying and tossing palm branches and lotus flowers at his feet. His entourage followed behind him, leading a procession of dancing, music, and singing, toward the palace where a feast awaited them. Tomorrow, the next phase of his reign would begin—creating peace with the Lower Kingdom, rebuilding the cities destroyed by the war, and most importantly, establishing a court in Thebes, with his sons, and Natasa, at his side.
About the Author:
Her latest project, The Song of the King’s Heart Trilogy, is a series about the last native Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt and his quest to take back his ancestral kingdom from the Ptolemaic Empire. The first two installments, Origins and Blood and Chaos, are available on Amazon. The last novel in the series, Civilization’s End, was released this month. Website: http://www.nicolesallakanderson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NSallakAnderson/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NSallakAnderson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nsallakanderson
Medium: https://nsallakanderson.medium.com
Amazon Author Page for series: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Nicole+Sallak+Anderson&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
Buy this book: https://www.amazon.com/Civilizations-End-Nicole-Sallak-Anderson/dp/1942856903/ref=sr_1_2
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteWhat are some of your must-haves for writing?
ReplyDeleteHi Kim! For me, a must have is a quiet space to write. That's not always easy when everyone is working from home in one small house! But it's important to find a place of my own.
DeleteWhen do you do most of your writing? Are you one of those writers who actually makes writing like a 9-5 job? I know that sounds a little strange, but there's an author who actually does that.
DeleteI liked the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting my novels.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an excellent read.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the excerpt!
ReplyDeleteEgypt always fascinates. Loving the cover too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun interview! And this sounds like a good read!
ReplyDelete