Daughter of a Thousand Years audiobook giveaway!

Available NOW on Amazon!

Offda. It's been a while.

I'm currently in draft mode -- working on three different writing projects simultaneously (LOL GOOD JOB BRAIN), plus some graphic design things that needed to get done (bookmarks for TAMER and DAUGHTER and BHH are coming with me to HNS Portland in June!) so I've been a littttttle bit more scatterbrained about social media-ing than usual.

But somehow it is now almost Easter and I do not know where March went, but the blog has been sadly neglected. Which I *think* means it's time for a small giveaway. (USA only this time, sorry!)

I've got audio editions for DAUGHTER OF A THOUSAND YEARS -- MP3 or Audio CD -- and I think one of you should have your choice. I'll even send along the fancy new bookmarks once they arrive, too. (I'll be ordering them this week!)

The only mandatory entries in the rafflecopter are your contact email (exclusively so I can get in touch if you win) and dropping a comment below about your favorite author swag! (For example, I brought Herc Butt magnets to HNS Denver -- how do we feel about a Hermes Butt magnet for Portland? Do you prefer stickers instead of magnets? Or is there another Butt from #NameThatButt that you'd prefer? Or no butts at all? *gasp!*) 

You can also tweet and follow and subscribe to the Amaliad for extra entries, of course.

Anyway, GO FORTH AND ENTER!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

---

Amazon | Barnes&Noble | IndieBound

4th Annual #NAMEthatBUTT Round 3 BONUS! #NAMEthatBOOK

Rounds 2 and 3 are both still live over at blog.amaliadillin.com, so be sure to head over and check out the butts up for naming! They make quite a pair, and there's still a bonus five points to claim if you can name the location over which they moon!

To collect your 5 #NAMEthatBOOK bonus points, all you have to do is correctly identify which book of mine (as Amalia Dillin or Amalia Carosella) I've pulled the quote from and drop your guess in the blog comments either on this post or the round three post yonder. The deadline to #NameThatBook is the final reveal of the final #NameThatButt backside, so you've got time to do some last minute reading if you need to!

Ready?!

Here's your quote:

“I must go to the shrine of xxxxx upon the mountain, and make offerings to the Horse Lord.” How her voice remained steady, even cool, she did not know, for she wanted to scream at the pain inside her. As if she had been torn apart slowly by despair, and a dull, thick needle was piercing through her body with the heaviest of strings to sew her back together again. “I would ask that Pirithous not be left alone while I am away.”

“My queen, you mustn’t go—”

“Alone?” she opened her eyes to meet Melanthos’s pitying gaze. “Alone is what I am, Melanthos. Alone is what I will always be. But I will not betray my people any further by allowing a stranger to set foot in our most sacred grove. No. I will go with Podarkes, and trust in the Horse Lord to keep me safe upon the journey. You and the rest of the men will remain here and see to your king.”

“Will you not even accept my company?” Theseus asked.

She knew by his voice he did not expect her to say yes. “If you wish to make sacrifice to your father I will not stop you, but you will not do so with me, upon the mountain.”

Comments are MODERATED -- so you won't see your guess posted on the blog. It'll be delivered straight to my inbox instead, where I'll hold it until the final butt has been revealed.

And don't forget to #NAMEthatBUTT for round 2 and round 3 if you haven't already!

---

Amazon | Barnes&Noble | IndieBound

4th Annual #NAMEthatBUTT: Round 2 BONUS #NAMEthatBOOK!

If you're not already playing #NAMEthatBUTT over at blog.amaliadillin.com -- it's not too late to jump in! Round 2 is LIVE, and to celebrate, you've got TWO bonus opportunities! One relating to the sculpture's location, and the second HERE, With a #NAMEthatBOOK companion quote!

To collect your 5 #NAMEthatBOOK bonus points, all you have to do is correctly identify which book of mine (as Amalia Dillin or Amalia Carosella) I've pulled the quote from and drop your guess in the blog comments either on this post or the round two post yonder. The deadline to #NameThatBook is the final reveal of the final #NameThatButt backside, so you've got time to do some last minute reading if you need to!

Ready?!

Here's your quote:

The bull had been the god, come to test him, and one glance at Oenone had told him she had known all along. But he had bitten his tongue and knelt before the god of war, the bronze bull melting into an armored man, breastplate embossed with a bloody battle, so real, so grim, Paris could hear the cries of the dying when he looked upon it.

And that ruthless god, friend to no one, had laughed and called him just, named him honest and fair.

“Do you not see?” Oenone said later, after all the rest had gone, and they had led Tauros back to his herd, awarding him the heifer for his work. “I did it for you! Now, all of Troy will know you for your judgment, will praise you for your nobility. You are more than just a shepherd’s son, Paris, you are marked and acclaimed by the gods themselves. Surely you must be satisfied by that.”

Comments are MODERATED -- so you won't see your guess posted on the blog. It'll be delivered straight to my inbox instead, where I'll hold it until the final butt has been revealed.

And don't forget to #NAMEthatBUTT for this round if you haven't already! You have until SATURDAY this week -- because election day -- when I post the reveal.

---

Amazon | Barnes&Noble | IndieBound

NtB, A Fab Interview, and HNS Portland, GO!

Firstly:
We're less than a WEEK away from the 4th Annual #NAMEthatBUTT Games! I hope you're practicing your mythic-butt-identification!

This year I'm going to be giving away some new prizes -- including a 10 pack of Santa Herc Butt holiday cards, suitable for any winter holiday you and your friends celebrate, and a TAMER OF HORSES playing card (52 cards + jokers) deck, among other swag-esque items. And I'm going to be shipping internationally!

There will be more information about the gameplay for this season going up on blog.amaliadillin.com this week so keep your eyes peeled!

Secondly:
I did a really, really fun interview with The Book Wench(es) covering everything from my writing routine and my advice to new writers to Daughter of a Thousand Years, and of course all the Bronze Age Greece goodness in between. It's mostly focused on my Helen books but there's a LOT going on so definitely give it a read -- I think we all had a lot of fun with the interview itself and I am so honored to have been their very first author interview, so I hope you'll all leave comments and love! (And if you have any follow-up questions, go ahead and leave them in the comments on the interview and I'll swing by and answer what I can!)

Thirdsters:
Are you planning to hit HNS: PORTLAND in June 2017? (Hint: the answer should be yes.) The Panels and Sessions have been announced and on June 24th at 10:30am sharp I'll be joining with the fabulous Kate Quinn, Margaret George, Judith Starkston, and Libbie Hawker to talk Mythic Tradition and Legend vs. The Historical Record! here's the blurb:

Writing historical fiction set within myth and legend poses some intriguing issues today. To what extent do fantastical elements belong in myth-inspired historical fiction? When considering the sexual and racial diversity of the past, how can we contradict the popular white-washed version that often builds around legendary icons? It seems time for writers of the mythic traditions in historical fiction to bust some stereotypes and in the process hit some historical high notes.

HNS Portland will be my only west coast appearance for probably um, a really long time! So if you're in the Pacific Northwest, you might want to jump on the Reader Festival or at least come to the Saturday evening signing,* which will be open to the public! Most of my Amalia Carosella books should be available for sale at the event but you might want to order your copy in advance and bring it with you just to be safe.

*There is the smallest chance I might not get my name in the hat fast enough for the signing -- I'll confirm this for you guys as soon as I know for sure I'm in.

Lastly:
If you've read TAMER OF HORSES, please consider writing a review! And if you've already posted a review on Goodreads (Thank You So Much!!), do me a solid and copy/paste that bad boy to Amazon, too!

---

Amazon | Barnes&Noble | IndieBound

TAMER OF HORSES in the WILD!

People are saying some phenomenal things about TAMER OF HORSES, and I couldn't be more proud of Pirithous and Hippodamia!

But that's not all --

Erin at Flashlight Commentary said:

"I loved every minute I spent with Tamer of Horses and highly recommend it to fellow readers of myth based fiction."
(5 stars!)

The Book Voucher declared booklove and:

"I am in awe of Amalia Carosella’s latest, heart-wrenching, greek-tragedy style work" (5 stars!)

Betul at Silence is Read said:

"I was living this book, I was experiencing everything they were. I just couldn't get enough." (5 stars!)

and from KMcLeer Reviews:

"just as good as the Helen series and may even be better." (5 stars!)

Even Jayne at Dear Author had something to say about Pirithous and Hippodamia!

"I enjoyed watching these two come to a relationship of equals and love." (B!)

But lest you fear we are all TAMER OF HORSES all the time, I also have some other exciting news to share about what's coming NEXT on the blog(s)!

 NAME THAT BUTT!!!!

Just like last year, the main game will take place on my Amalia Dillin blog, but I'll have some bonus events over here, too. I can't even tell you how excited I am about this year's event -- so many awesome butts to share, including some new gods and heroes we've never guessed before!!! So brush up on your sculpture and your mythology, because it's going to be a GREAT season!

---

Amazon | Barnes&Noble | IndieBound

Tamer of Horses Available NOW in Print!

I know it feels like we're all Tamer of Horses all the Time right now -- such is the nature of the beast! We're just FIVE days from the big release day, October 3rd annnnnd...

I have GREAT news for you today -- TAMER OF HORSES is available *now* in print from Amazon! This also means that if you're an early reviewer, you can now cross-post your review from goodreads to Amazon, as well! (Which is maybe more exciting for me than for you, but without reviews, especially these days, an author is pretty sunk -- so I appreciate each and every one that comes my way. Thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you who have reviewed or will review any of my books!) Kindle pre-orders, of course, are still being accepted, too *-- so don't be shy :)

But WAIT, there's more!
If you're not sure if this book is for you, the fabulous Kate Quinn, Author of Mistress of Rome, and part of the author power house team of the forthcoming Song of War, had this to say about TAMER OF HORSES:

"Edith Hamilton's Mythology meets Taming of the Shrew in Amalia Carosella's delightful TAMER OF HORSES. In an ancient Greece where monsters, men, and demi-gods live side by side, a tenuous peace is brokered through the wedding of a womanizing son of Zeus and a wary princess raised among centaurs. Banter between bride and groom quickly gives way to bloodshed, war, and the possibility of a poignant, hard-bought truce. A fascinating read!"

(You can't see it but I am FREAKING OUT that Kate Quinn blurbed my book -- this is definitely one of those omg what is my life moments for me.)

TAMER OF HORSES is still available for request on Netgalley, but it won't be there for much longer -- and of course there's still time to enter my Goodreads Giveaway for a signed copy of TAMER plus some fun, semi-thematically appropriate extras. (There might be butts.)

And speaking of butts -- it's almost that time again. My teams** are currently in the process of collecting a fresh crop of Mythic Butts from around the world*** for this year's #NAMEthatBUTT adventures. So brush up on your gods, heroes, and sculpture, my friends, because our annual extravaganza isn't dead yet!

Let's wrap up with a little Pirithous-style bluster--

*Amazon tells me Print and Kindle editions should be linked soon!
**Family Members who have taken pity on me and to whom I owe a great debt of gratitude for humoring my "front, back, and plaque" photo requests.
***Okay, so mostly just Europe.

---

Amazon | Barnes&Noble | IndieBound

Holiday Hiatus!

The winners of the #NAMEthatBUTT challenge have been declared over on blog.amaliadillin.com, and I have LOTS of words to write, and Helen of Sparta's sequel to proof, which means it's time for the annual the HOLIDAY HIATUS! But before I go, a few notes:

1. Just in time for Christmas, the paperback edition of HELEN OF SPARTA is on sale during the month of December for just $8.75 on Amazon.com! Give the gift of Helen and Theseus to your friends, so they'll be ready for Book Two, BY HELEN'S HAND in June!
   
2. I've got more books by Amalia Carosella in the works once Helen's story wraps, but I can't share anything more about them quite yet! Just rest assured that I'll be using December and January and February to write like the wind for your future historical fiction reading pleasure. (Which means you might just mostly be getting writing cave updates when I'm back to posting in late January/early February.)
   
3. Did I mention both HELEN OF SPARTA and BY HELEN'S HAND are getting audio book editions?! (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I'm super stoked, and I hope you are, too!!

And that's a wrap for now -- here's some Santa Herc to get you through the new year, along with my warmest wishes for the happiest holidays of your choice/tradition!

See you in 2016!

3rd Annual #NameThatButt: Round 7, Double Butt Finale BONUS QUOTE!

This is it, guys! The final round!! And I've got a final Bonus Quote for you, too -- though it might be a little bit anti-climactic if you've already determined the identification of our twin ultibutts!

(To be honest all the best bonus quote action for these two butts is in a forthcoming title -- but that wouldn't be fair quote-play!)

These butts are courtesy of Thomas G. Hale!
Please do not reuse without permission.

A horse whinnied, drawing me to the window. The messenger stood with his animal, greaves, cloak, and leather chest-plate covered in dust from the road. My brothers greeted him, looking as though they had come straight from the practice field. They certainly didn’t look like twins, but of course the priests had attributed that to parentage, and said the same again when Clytemnestra and I were born, three years later, different as moon and sun in appearance and temperament. Leda swore Zeus had been in her husband’s guise the first time he came to her. She only realized the deceit later that night, when Tyndareus himself had returned and took her to bed a second time. The priests believed, then, that fair, green-eyed XXXX had been born of Zeus, and dark-haired and olive-skinned YYYY came from Tyndareus’s mortal seed. When my brothers’ looks were repeated in Clytemnestra and me, their declarations were only made more convincing.

Be sure to drop your guesses in the comments, and if you haven't already, hit up blog.amaliadillin.com for this week's clues, to #NAMEthatBUTT after you #NAMEthatBOOK!

But as a special treat for this Bonus Quote Finale, here's a snippet of an unedited cut scene from the BOOK you're guessing, as well! Call it Bonus-Bonus content...

Acamas brought me my evening meal, for Aethra could not be spared from the banquet without insulting the guests. I smiled and insisted that he sit with me while I ate, for I wanted desperately to hear the news from Sparta, and I had learned quickly that Acamas heard most everything in the palace. He was still young enough to be overlooked, and old enough to know all the best places to listen.

“You should have seen the horse he rode!” Acamas told me, his eyes bright with excitement and his cheeks flushed. “Black as night and taller than any in Father’s stables. It must be Poseidon’s own stallion!”

“Is XXXX not with him?” I asked, picking through the vegetable relish for the sweet peas. I saw no reason to eat cabbage if I did not need to, though it went well enough with the goat meat.

“Just the son of Atreus.” Acamas wrinkled his nose with distaste. “He demanded that Father let them search the women’s quarters, but of course Aethra would never allow it. She was offended more than Father, I think, and YYYY apologized. Menelaus is certain you must be here, but I do not think your brother believes it. He said that all of Sparta grieves for your loss, and offerings are made to Zeus each day, asking that you be returned unharmed. So many, the priests are growing fat on them! Queen Leda refuses to leave her rooms, and King Tyndareus has sent men out to every corner of Achaea, but it is rumored among the Spartans that Zeus took you to Olympus and so Tyndareus sent XXXX to Delphi to learn what he might from the Oracle.”

“Let us hope that the Oracle keeps our secret, then.” I offered him a fig and he took it with a grin.

3rd Annual #NAMEthatButt: Round 6 Bonus Quote!

And we're back for Round 6 with another bonus quote! (I can't tell you how much I wish I could quote from BY HELEN'S HAND for this year's #namethatbutt challenge, but alas! Maybe next year!)

Once again, if you haven't seen the clues for this week's butt, hit up blog.amaliadillin.com and be sure to check it out.

In the meantime, you can Name This Book instead!

“You offer this bull as gift rather than sacrifice. Do you think I am so easily trapped by sacred laws? I am not a king that you can make me your guest-friend and bind me to your protection.”

“I come to speak to the father of my husband, my lord, not to the god.”

“And yet, it is the god’s favors you ask for.” His sandaled feet were tied with seaweed instead of leather, so dark a green they looked black. He offered me his hand, and I had no choice but to take it, or risk giving offense. His fingers closed over mine, warm and dry and well calloused. “Rise, daughter of Zeus, ill-gotten wife of my son.”

I did as he bid, keeping my gaze averted from his face. He wore a sail-cloth kilt the color of sea foam, wrapped around his hips and tied carelessly with thick ropes similar to those I had glimpsed on the deck of Theseus’s ship, but his chest was bare, and he stood taller than his son by a head or more. He was as brown from the sun as any oarsman, his body so thick with muscle, he made Theseus look sparely built.

“Make your sacrifice, for you surely need the god’s favor more than the father’s love.”

Drop your guesses in the comments and get ready, because next week is the DOUBLE BUTT finale!!

#NAMEthatBUTT Round 5

No bonus quote this week -- but please do head over to blog.amaliadillin.com and check out the clues for this week's #NameThatButt round!!

While you're waiting for next week's games, you'll find me (beginning tomorrow!) at World Fantasy Con in Saratoga Springs, NY, and I'll have Butt stickers and Butt magnets, for your amusement, along with assorted bookmarks, postcards, and whatnots. I'm not on any panels this year, but if you see me, I'll be thrilled to say hello, and my Amalia Dillin books will be on sale in the dealers room at Flights of Fantasy Books and Games!

3rd Annual #NameThatButt: Round 4, Bonus Quote

For Round 4, we're switching it up to marble, rather than bronze -- and a huge thanks to the photographer, Tommi Lou Carosella, for capturing this backside! Head over to blog.amaliadillin.com to #NAMEthatBUTT, if you haven't, or keep on scrolling for this week's BONUS QUOTE, and #NAMEthatBOOK instead, for an extra 2 points!

photo by Tommi Lou Carosella, used with permission

“XXXX, hear us,” I began, pouring a sip of the wine into the fire. “We are the vessel, and you are the wine. And so we drink to you, of you, with you, that we might know you, and you might know our hearts and prayers, and carry them up, to Olympus, to Zeus our king of kings, and Hera our queen in all things, that we might be heard and answered!”

And then I drank. One sip, then two, before I circled the hearth, pausing between each of the four pillars, to raise the cup again and drink, giving thanks to [him] with every touch of the wine against my lips. When I reached the position before the throne again, I finished what remained in the kylix and dropped to my knees before the hearth.

“Accept our offerings and all our prayers, we beg of you,” I finished, lifting my arms and throwing my head back. My eyes closed. “Accept us as your servant, your vessel, in this.”

Drop your best guess of the name of the book in the comments on either blog, and thanks for playing! Next week there will be NO bonus quote, but don't worry -- there will definitely be more #NameThatBook fun for round 6!

3rd Annual #NameThatButt: Round 3, Bonus Quote

I can't promise a bonus quote every week -- there are a couple of sculptures of mythic figures in my hoard who I haven't referenced even obliquely in my books, and in fact, this quote is kind of a stretch but(t)! Name this Book, and you'll get your 2 bonus points, regardless! (If only Helen's Sequel were out, I'd have a much better quote -- but alas and alack!)

And don't forget to #NameThatButt over at blog.amaliadillin.com, when you're done here! But at LEAST click over to see the reveal for Round 2 because it's one of my favorites of this year's game!

This round's bonus quote:

The Northlands had fallen to the Christians, one after another. All but the Sami, in the far north, and the peasants and Samogitians of Lithuania, to the east, had converted. The old ways were outlawed along with the worship of the gods who had nurtured them for so long. There were those among the converted lands who still made sacrifice in private, praying to Freyr to protect their crops, or calling upon Odin to give them strength in battle, but every year, they grew fewer in number. Every year, the gods of Asgard spoke of moving on. And every year, Odin refused to be persuaded, his one-eyed gaze falling upon Thor, and grimmer lines forming around his mouth and eyes. Odin had never forgiven him for Loki’s murder, nor was he at all pleased that the Council had sanctioned it. But that was not all that lay between them.

“All these years, and you are still under her spell,” Odin had spat, after Thor had told him he would not go on to the new world that Zeus and his brothers had found, regardless of any decision made by the Aesir.

XXXX and Anubis traveled between the two planes, now and again, bringing news and invitations. The Covenant had forged bonds between pantheons that had not been forgotten, and Zeus had not quite given up on reclaiming his wisest daughter. Most of the Egyptians had left, at Ra’s urging, and a good many of the Persians had followed. There was no longer room for any worship but that of Elohim in those lands.

Name that Book! And maybe the mysterious XXXX's backside will come into better focus! :)

3rd Annual #NameThatButt: Round 2, Bonus Quote!

Ready for Round 2? Come #NAMEthatBUTT over at blog.amaliadillin.com! But(t) first: Name this Book for 2 extra bonus points this week!

My photography might not be great but hopefully my writing doesn't disappoint -- here's this week's Bonus Quote!

Reu was watching her, searching her face. “What will you do?”

[She] stepped toward the tree, and the low branch from which the serpent had hung. One of the fruits, hidden in the red leaves, winked with a flash of sunlight. A faint tingle traveled down her arm as her hand closed around it and the fruit came free. The branch swayed, relieved of its burden, weeping the broad scarlet leaves in a shower around her.

The fruit was heavy in her hand. Much heavier than an apple would have been. She wondered briefly about the angels. Who they were, and what they would do to her when they realized she had broken God’s law. Sin, the creature had called it. But was it, really? Or was it wisdom, for the greater good, like the story Reu had told her about the one-eyed man in the sky?

She raised the fruit to her lips.

Name that Book in the comments below, or Name that Butt AND Book over at blog.amaliadillin.com and aim for the title of #NAMEthatBUTT Champion!

(But seriously you at least want to check over yonder next Tuesday for the full frontal reveal of this sculpture because it is frankly phenomenal, in my most humble opinion. A very different take on its subject!)

3rd Annual #NAMEthatBUTT: Round 1, Bonus Quote!

Guess the Butt, and then Guess the book (hint -- it was written by me) from which this quote was taken! Or just guess the book, and you'll still score your bonus 2 points for this round!

Her auburn hair hung loose down her back, myrtle flowers floating in the soft curls like gulls on the sea. A scallop-shell pendant rested at the hollow of her throat, and sparrows and doves darted around her feet, picking at the crumbs of past offerings. Strange that I had never met her before, but I wished that she had not dedicated herself to the gods. Perhaps Menelaus might have fallen in love with her, instead.

“Do you feel so ill-used? The most beautiful woman alive, with a brother who loves you well—Pollux will never forsake you. And a man who would offer you the same, though you spurn him.” She seemed to look right through me, pinning me to the earth. “Is there someone else you would prefer over Menelaus? You have only to name him and he will be delivered.”

“No.” I rose to my feet. I did not like the way she spoke of Menelaus, as if he were nothing more than a convenience. “I ask nothing of these gods. Let Menelaus love me for his own reasons, or better yet, not at all.”

Name that Book, and while you're at it, go ahead and Name that Butt, too! (You know you want to!) Drop your guesses in the comments --they're moderated so no one will see your answer but me-- and join the fun!

The 3rd Annual #NAMEthatBUTT Challenge begins October 6th!

Artemis/Diana's beautiful backside in motion!

Join me over at blog.amaliadillin.com for some mythic sculpture fun beginning October 6th, and test your knowledge of mythology with the 3rd Annual #NAMEthatBUTT Challenge!

This year the games will cross over to this blog, as well, with some bonus clues appearing here, as called for -- I'll be using quotes from my books which relate to the butts in question, and if you guess which book I'm quoting from, you'll get a bonus two points for that week's round! (Spoiler: you can safely eliminate the Orc Saga books from these events -- so if you want to prepare by reading up, focus your attentions on HELEN OF SPARTA, and my Fate of the Gods trilogy!) As a result, you can expect this blog to be mostly finely sculpted backsides for the immediate future, and regularly scheduled posting will likely not resume until next year. (Words to write! Holidays to Holi! etc, etc.)

And since the games are coming, I thought it would be a good idea to post the rules for those of you who might be new to this greatest of adventures, just in case you want to play along!

THE RULES:

• Comments will be moderated.  You will NOT see your comment appear immediately after posting! 
• I post a butt and clues at blog.amaliadillin.com on Tuesday, you guess who that butt belongs to in the comments yonder. If you guess right, you get 5 points. 
• There may be a bonus clue posted on Wednesdays over at blog.amaliacarosella.com -- when applicable they will be announced on Tuesday in the main post and instructions for how to bonus it up will be included in the bonus post!
• If you CORRECTLY identify the artistic work (title/artist) in question, you earn a bonus 5 points total: 2.5 for title, 2.5 for artist. (Provided of course, that it differs from the subject's name alone and the artist is known at all)
• The following Friday, I reveal the full backside image of the sculpture in question! If at this time you can correctly identify artist/title/subject of the piece, you can earn up to 3 points (total -- 1 point for artist, 1 point for title, 1 point for subject) 
• You may guess artist/title/subject/book from which I've quoted until the next round of NAME THAT BUTT begins. (Usually the next Tuesday -- I'll reveal the previous week's sculpture and offer the next butt for guessing!)
• I'll keep a running tally of correct answers/points.
• For Olympians, Greek AND Roman names are acceptable for the subject guesses. For example, if the butt belongs to Mercury, I will also accept Hermes as a correct answer. Titles of works must be exact, however.
• A new NAME THAT BUTT may NOT be posted every week, depending on Things, but it's my hope they will be. 
• There will be Prizes at the finish. They will be shipped internationally. I haven't decided what they'll be yet, but for sure they will include #NAMEthatBUTT postcards/stickers.

I do hope you'll join us in the fun!

Tales from the Edit Cave

I'm still in developmental edits (Round 2) for Helen the Sequel (we're still working on the title!) and hoping to wrap that up today. NEXT Wednesday, I'll be taking the day off from this blog, but for a reason! At the end of September/early October I'm hoping I can put together a new #NameThatButt game, which will cross-over from my Amalia Dillin blog, GOOD TO BEGIN WELL, BETTER TO END WELL with some fun clues from my (myth-related) books. So fans of HELEN OF SPARTA, I hope you'll come play along!

In the meantime, I'm running a promotion for my romantic fantasy series -- HONOR AMONG ORCS is just 99 cents for the next two days, and I've reduced the pre-order price of BLOOD OF THE QUEEN, too, to entice readers during the sale -- so if you think you might be interested in reading the non-historical-fiction side of me, now's a good time to take a very small risk for what could (potentially/hopefully) be great rewards!

And with all of that said, I'm climbing back into my cave to edit, edit, edit!

The Armchair HNS Giveaway!

As promised, if you didn't have the opportunity to join us in Denver for the Historical Novel Society Conference, now's your chance to win some HELEN OF SPARTA swag!

I've got an autographed copy of HELEN OF SPARTA with your name on it, as well as #NAMEthatBUTT and Helen of Sparta magnets, NamethatButt stickers, and a Helen of Sparta bookmark to go along with it! (USA only!)

So what do you have to do to enter to win? What else but NAME THIS BUTT!

And I'll even give you a hint:
  This Butt, the twin of another, is well known for its enjoyment of the hunt!
  Enter your guess below in the rafflecopter and unlock the bonus entries, too, to increase your chances of winning, even if you guessed incorrectly! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway