AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Elisabeth Storrs

I recently had the opportunity to chat with fellow Lake Union author Elisabeth Storrs, whose epic saga/series Tales of Ancient Rome vividly describes the world of the Etruscans and the rich, sophisticated culture that heavily influenced their eventual conqueror—Rome. Elisabeth graciously took time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions about her work and what inspires her. So without further ado, here’s our interview:

Paulette: Hi Elisabeth! Thanks so much for joining me. Your Roman saga encompasses so many intriguing facets of ancient Etruscan and Roman society. Can you tell us a little of what inspired you to write about this era in history?

Elisabeth: As a lover of classical history, I was intrigued when I came across a photograph of a C7th BCE sarcophagus with a man and woman reclining on their bed in a tender embrace. The image of the lovers remained with me. I was determined to discover who these people were with their distinctive almond shaped eyes and straight nose and brow. What kind of ancient culture exalted marital fidelity while showing such an openly sensuous connection? Which ancient society revered women as much as men? The answer resulted in an obsession with a people known as the Etruscans that lasted over sixteen years.

The Etruscans were a race that lived in Italy from before archaic times in a loose confederation of city states located in the regions of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio. When I dug deeper, I discovered the Etruscans were as enlightened and cosmopolitan as the Athenians, but there was one major difference. They granted independence, education and sexual freedom to women. As a result they were considered wicked, decadent and corrupt by the rest of the ancient world. Further research revealed the little known story of a siege between the nascent Republican Rome and the Etruscan city of Veii. Incredibly, these societies were only situated 12 miles apart across the Tiber River; and so it fascinated me that merely by crossing a strip of water, you could move from the equivalent of the dark ages into something similar to the Renaissance.

How was I to compare these enemy societies in an engaging way? I created two characters – a young Roman girl called Caecilia who is married to an Etruscan nobleman, Vel Mastarna, to seal a truce. Austere and intolerant, she is forced to leave Rome to travel to his city and grapple with conflicting moralities while living among the ‘sinful’ Etruscans. Caecilia is soon seduced by her husband and the freedoms his society offers her but the wild, uninhibited Etruscan ways disturb her even though their religion offers her eternal life. Throughout the saga, Caecilia journeys from being a self-absorbed teenager thrust into an alien land to a strong mother committed to her husband, children and adopted city. In each book she faces choices – in The Wedding Shroud she must choose between Veii and love, or Rome and duty. In The Golden Dice she risks cutting ties with her Roman family who consider her a traitoress. Finally, in Call to Juno, she must determine if she’s prepared to exorcise the vestiges of the Roman within her by seeking her birthplace’s destruction, and surrendering her religious beliefs.

In all three books I explore the themes of tolerance and prejudice, destiny vs self determination while highlighting the lives of women in the ancient world.

Paulette: Even though your novels are set in the distant past, those are deeply relevant themes to our modern world that will undoubtedly give rise to many possible avenues of conversation for book club readers. I’ve discovered through my own research as an author of historical fiction that there are truly so many misunderstandings about women who lived in the past and their roles in society. I love that the Etruscans were “ahead of their time” concerning the rights and contributions of women. I’m certainly intrigued by your saga’s premise and Caecilia’s story, and can’t wait to dive in when my reading schedule allows!

Let’s talk about your writing career. Have there been any surprises or unexpected moments on your path to publication?

Elisabeth: The most surprising moment of my writing career occurred this year. An Italian reader contacted me to say how much he loved Call to Juno and asked if I had plans to distribute an Italian version as he believed Italians would be interested in the Etruscan history. I told him my publisher, Lake Union, had not considered exploring this possibility and thanked him for his kind words. Then, about a month ago, I was contacted out of the blue by an Italian publisher who said he would like to buy the translation rights. My lovely reader had recommended my books to him! A deal was struck - and now my series will be released over the coming three years by Altre Voci Edizioni in the country in which my novels are set. I am absolutely over the moon about this. And it goes to show how important readers, and word of mouth, are to an author.

Paulette: Wow! That is a wonderful anecdote and I’m so happy for you! We truly never know who may pick up one of our books, and it’s inspiring that your Italian reader was able to help your series reach a new audience in the locations you have written about.

You obviously have done extensive research during the process of writing your series, and it takes immense amounts of determination to write a saga that stretches across three books. Can you share a little of what your writing process looks like?

Elisabeth: First of all, the essential thing I tell myself is that it takes ‘bum glue’ to write a novel. No procrastination – I make a time and date in my diary and sit down and write. I treat writing a novel as my job and work office hours. I like to think I’m a ‘flexible’ plotter. I set down a structure for the book with a beginning and ending (I always know what the last sentence of my book will be) and rough out the key crisis points of the story arc together with the main milestones of the protagonists. However, inevitably, I find my characters are a little unruly and will take me in entirely different directions. When that happens, I have to readjust things. I also find historical research can result in the need to alter my character’s reactions, motivations or emotions from my original concept. As such, I try and do as much research as possible prior to commencing a book to obtain the ‘big picture’. I then create historical timelines before interweaving my characters’ timelines within this framework. Inevitably, I continue to delve into the sources to ‘embroider’ my writing with telling details once the first draft is finished.

The big trap for historical novelists is to avoid the ‘tarpit of research’. I’m afraid I’m very guilty of getting my feet stuck at times! However, I relish editing. It’s great to manipulate and refine my writing once those blank pages are filled.

Paulette: Ah yes, the “tarpit” is very real and I have found myself trapped there a time or two as well! I admire your dedication and work ethic. It’s very inspiring, and while I try to have set office hours as well, being a member of the sandwich generation—those of us caring for elderly parents and children at the same time—makes it a bit challenging, I’m learning to carve out time for writing whenever I can. Usually late at night and very early in the morning.

I’m often inspired by other authors’ processes. Who are some of your influences and inspirations?

Elisabeth: I was first inspired to write historical fiction when I was a teenager after reading Mary Renault’s The Persian Boy. I was impressed by her powerful and vivid prose together with her ability to weave historical detail into a compelling vision of the ancient world. Other authors who have influenced me include Margaret Atwood, Anita Diamant, Jim Crace, Hilary Mantel and Charlotte Bronte.

Paulette: There are many of my favorites on your list! You’ve mentioned that your newest work-in-progress diverges a bit from your Ancient Rome series. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Elisabeth: My current work in progress, Treasured, is an extension of a ‘bottom drawer’ novel written over twenty years ago which explores the fate of ‘Priam’s Treasure’, a priceless hoard of jewelry from ancient Troy held in Berlin and threatened in the fall of the city in WW2. My research into the museum curator who protected it has led me to bizarre Nazi archaeology (think Raiders of the Lost Ark) as well as the disturbing role Himmler’s scholars played in underpinning the justification for Lebensraum and the Holocaust. The book has a lot of twists and turns as a young German woman is drawn into this sinister world while striving to protect her country’s national treasures from the ravages of war.

Paulette: That sounds like such an fascinating and unique story that will really stand out in the sea of WW2 fiction currently on the market. And I love that you were able to tie in some of your research and knowledge about the ancient world, even though the novel is set in the 2oth century. I hope to read it soon!

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me, Elisabeth!

You can find all of Elisabeth’s books, including her epic Tales of Ancient Rome saga, on Amazon.

Elisabeth Storrs has long had a passion for the history, art and myths of the ancient world. She is an Australian author and graduated from University of Sydney in Arts Law, having studied Classics. Elisabeth lives in Sydney and over the years has worked as a solicitor, corporate lawyer and corporate governance consultant. She is the former Deputy Chair of Writing NSW and the founder of the Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA). She is also the program manager for the HNSA conferences. In 2020, she founded the $60,000 ARA Historical Novel Prize. She is also writes for the History Girls. You can connect with Elisabeth via her website, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram