Please enjoy the guest post and be sure to check out where Stephanie's tour is heading next and enter to win your own copy of Daughter of the Gods!
Hatshepsut + Senenmut
Mr. Darcy and Lizzie Bennett.
Scarlett and Rhett.
Cleopatra and Marc Antony.
Queen Elizabeth and Robert Dudley.
I’m a sucker for a good romance. It doesn’t matter what genre I’m reading, but I’m always on the lookout for the love story.
And yes, I’m fully aware that romances make some people gag like they just took a swig of spoiled milk.
For that very reason, I tried to downplay the love story between Hatshepsut and Senenmut when I started writing Daughter of the Gods. So I was delighted when my editor told me to turn up the heat, because the relationship between Egypt’s pampered princess and her brilliant commoner from the backwater of Iuny was the focal point of the story.
And yet, we’ll never know with absolute certainty whether Hatshepsut and Senenmut truly were lovers.
There’s plenty of evidence that Hatshepsut and Senenmut had a unique relationship. Hatshepsut ruled Egypt in her own right, but raised Senenmut up to become a man with over a hundred titles (including my favorite, the Superintendent of the Bedroom) and allowed him to build a tomb within the royal precincts of what would become Deir el-Bahri and the Valley of the Kings. His images are peppered all over her mortuary temple, a privilege simply not given to mere mortals, and he never married, an aberration for such a powerful man in ancient Egypt.
And the most damning evidence is a workman’s graffito from the time period, depicting an apparently female pharaoh and a man in a, shall we say, er… compromising position.
All this has led me to believe that Hatshepsut, the woman who dutifully married her half-brother to secure his claim to the throne, did indeed have a grand, sweeping romance with Senenmut, the kind to rival Antony and Cleopatra.
And at least Hatshepsut and Senenmut’s love story didn’t end with the downfall of Egypt, which is more than we can say for Antony and Cleo.
Publication Date: May 6, 2014NAL Trade
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Egypt, 1400s BC. The pharaoh’s pampered second daughter, lively, intelligent Hatshepsut, delights in racing her chariot through the marketplace and testing her archery skills in the Nile’s marshlands. But the death of her elder sister, Neferubity, in a gruesome accident arising from Hatshepsut’s games forces her to confront her guilt...and sets her on a profoundly changed course.
Hatshepsut enters a loveless marriage with her half brother, Thut, to secure his claim to the Isis Throne and produce a male heir. But it is another of Thut’s wives, the commoner Aset, who bears him a son, while Hatshepsut develops a searing attraction for his brilliant adviser Senenmut. And when Thut suddenly dies, Hatshepsut becomes de facto ruler, as regent to her two-year-old nephew.
Once, Hatshepsut anticipated being free to live and love as she chose. Now she must put Egypt first. Ever daring, she will lead a vast army and build great temples, but always she will be torn between the demands of leadership and the desires of her heart. And even as she makes her boldest move of all, her enemies will plot her downfall....
Once again, Stephanie Thornton brings to life a remarkable woman from the distant past whose willingness to defy tradition changed the course of history.
Praise for Daughter of the Gods
"Daughter of the Gods is a wonderfully intimate and dramatic evocation of Ancient Egypt, where one headstrong young woman dares to become pharaoh. Stephanie Thornton vividly portrays the heat and the danger, the passion and the heartbreak of Hatshepsut's struggle, as she defies even the gods to ensure success on the throne of Egypt. A touching love story combines with a thrilling tale of death, courage and political intrigue to produce a superbly researched and powerfully written novel. This is the kind of book that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. A remarkable story, remarkably told." -Kate Furnivall, author of Shadows on the Nile"Stephanie Thornton's heroines are bold, brave, and powerful--they make me want to stand up and cheer!" -Kate Quinn, author of Lady of the Eternal City
“Daughter of the Gods is a full-out, total immersion experience of ancient Egypt. From her moving love affair with a commoner to her fierce and unwavering commitment to Egypt as a female Pharaoh, Hatshepsut crackles with fascinating complexity. Her ka must be grinning with pleasure at this richly textured account of her life, one that is worthy of the great queen herself. “ -Vicky Alvear Shecter, author of Cleopatra’s Moon “An epic saga that brings ancient Egypt to life with vivid imagery and lovely prose. Stephanie Thornton is a rising star!” -Stephanie Dray, author of Lily of the Nile
Buy the Book
Amazon US (Kindle)Amazon US (Paperback)
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Books-a-Million
IndieBound
Kobo Books
About the Author
Stephanie Thornton is a writer and history teacher who has been obsessed with infamous women from ancient history since she was twelve. She lives with her husband and daughter in Alaska, where she is at work on her next novel."The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora" is available from NAL/Penguin, and "Daughter of the Gods: A Novel of Ancient Egypt" will hit the shelves May 2014 and "The Tiger Queens: A Novel of Genghis Khan" will follow in Fall 2014.
For more information, please visit Stephanie Thornton’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
Virtual Book Tour Schedule
Monday, April 28Review at Unabridged Chick
Guest Post & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, April 29
Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict
Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick
Wednesday, April 30
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages
Thursday, May 1
Review & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books
Friday, May 2
Review & Giveaway at HF Book Muse - News
Monday, May 5
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Guest Post & Giveaway at HF Connection
Tuesday, May 6
Interview & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary
Wednesday, May 7
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book
Review & Giveaway at Confessions of an Avid Reader
Thursday, May 8
Interview & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book
Friday, May 9
Review at Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews
Monday, May 12
Review at CelticLady's Reviews
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading
Tuesday, May 13
Review at The Mad Reviewer
Review & Giveaway at The Maiden's Court
Wednesday, May 14
Review at A Bookish Libraria
Thursday, May 15
Review at Book Lovers Paradise
Review & Giveaway at The Lit Bitch
Friday, May 16
Review at She is Too Fond of Books
Monday, May 19
Review at Tower of Babel
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee
Tuesday, May 20
Review at A Bookish Affair
Wednesday, May 21
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair
Thursday, May 22
Review at The Most Happy Reader
Review & Giveaway at Griperang's Bookmarks
Friday, May 23
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Interview & Giveaway at The Most Happy Reader
Giveaway
Passages to the Past has one copy up for grabs. Giveaway is open to US & Canada only and ends on May 8th. To enter please complete Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Good luck!a Rafflecopter giveaway
I am so excited about this book. There aren't enough good books set in this time period. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Can't wait to read this !!!!!
ReplyDeleteI would love to read this book
ReplyDeleteI loved the romance in this one -- so good. Not cloying in the slightest. I'm glad Stephanie 'went there'!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like an amazing book!
ReplyDeleteThis novel sounds fascinating and unforgettable. Thanks for this wonderful feature. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThis looks so interesting - I love reading about what women achieved in ancient times. Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for it to hit the bookstores!
ReplyDeleteI loved the story of Hatshepsut,, ever since I read Pauline Gedge's books. The rivals after her thought they obliterated her from history, but did they ever fail. She was one tough lady.
ReplyDeleteI had a fascination with Egypt when I was in high school and college. Life got in the way (kids, work, many moves) and I focused on other things. This sounds like an interesting exploration of a time and people that are always interesting. I would like to find out more about Hatshepsut and those in her life. She sounds like a woman who took on life and made what she could from it.
ReplyDelete(Patricia B. in Rafflecopter)
I hope the release goes well.
I am really looking forward to this, it sounds really good!
ReplyDeleteI love historic fiction, but I haven't read much that is set in ancient Egypt. This novel sounds like a good place to start. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds so interesting. I love the pretty cover. Thanks for having the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteLove reading about ancient Egypt, this one sounds like a winner!
ReplyDeleteHatshepsut sounds like an interesting character.
ReplyDeletewould love to read this one!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to it being released on Kindle in the UK!
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to win this book for weeks! I can't wait to be able to read it.
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