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At 15, Cleopatra is years before Caesar & Antony. She's learning to rule, while her father slips into early retirement (true). The novels cover her various schemes to raise funds and get the empire back on it's feet. Not for children, adult themes, nothing graphic.

Historical figures and events, but all the characters are people that live in your neighborhood: stumbling into surprises, making mistakes, bonding. No Shakespearean Masterpiece Theater aristocrats here ... just people like the guy across the street that borrows your lawnmower and, when you can get him to return it, there's always something new that's broken.

Download both books in the series for free: rifle through them like you used to do with books in a bookstore (remember that?).

This is a bit of an experiment: "historical" romantic-comedy. See what you think. Work for you? Needs something? Let me know.
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CLEOPATRA 54 BC
When Your Father Leaves You The Family Business
~or~
Who Let The Scribes Out?

In 54 BC, Egypt is in its death throes (5 years before Caesar steps foot in Egypt, 13 years before Antony) � the latest of many rise-and-falls due to its last nine Ptolemies. The first three were the empire builders: once Alexander the Great chased out the Persians, Ptolemies I, II, and IIII expanded the Egyptian empire and stuffed its treasury to bursting. The remaining Ptolemies from IV through XII, just spent the money like it had no end ... which of course, was a mistake. To make matters worse, with no funds left in Egypt, Ptolemy XII borrowed enormous amounts of cash from Roman moneylenders, for bribes to put himself back on the throne ... twice.

At 15 years old, this is the empire Cleopatra begins to rule without a formal title: bankrupt and under crippling debt. Now that her dad has secured the empire as a “good friend� of Rome, he's done ... and retires from political life to relax and only participate in pleasant religious activities. As a side effect of Ptolemy's shenanigans, Cleopatra also has to deal with an embezzling Roman tax collector and pay the salaries and expenses of 2500 Romans stationed in Alexandria. She needs gold ... and lots of it.

So far, this is historic fact, and the fiction starts with Cleopatra as she tries one scheme after another to dig Egypt out of its financial hole. She romantically bonds two scribes to priestesses to make sure they return to Alexandria after a mission 1000’s of miles away. She gets women in the tax collector’s house to work against him, and deals with the soldiers by rewarding Egyptian women to bend Roman loyalties. Anticipating an upcoming civil war, Cleopatra plays both sides of a political game between Pompey and Caesar (leveraging the women in their lives), and covertly attempts to extend her influence behind the scenes in Rome. Between all that, she spends a little too much time obsessing over notes she took from an interview with one of the scribes � stumbling into her own coming-of-age.

See how a woman is trained to snare a husband, without him realizing what’s happening. What kind of dance is it, exactly, that the scribe does to amuse his paramour in her bedroom? What could that scholar have possibly done to get him banned-for-life from a woman’s temple? Watch how a storytelling Macedonian warrior gets turned into a tongue-tied puppy at first glance of a friendly Kushite. Will the Romans ever figure out that they’re being manipulated by the entire female population of Alexandria? What are that priestess� OTHER tattoos?

It’s a world where women call the shots and men do the grunt work. Star-crossed, separated, reunited, desired � people are just people, not puffed-up pompous elitist upstairs/downstairs snobs. They’re more like the knuckleheads that live in your neighborhood.

It's a story about how people deal with unexpected situations and unintended consequences, and how sometimes the heart just wants what the heart wants.

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CLEOPATRA 53-52 BC
Gold Is Where You Find It
~or~
Supersize Me!

In 53 BC, Egypt continues to struggle financially. This is 4 years before Caesar steps foot in Egypt (12 years before Antony). Cleopatra, as co-regent with her father, is a barely making ends meet with the year’s taxes and some reclaimed funds from an embezzler, but she’s looking at the future and cutting corners where ever she can. Gold mining is starting up from a previous plan, but it’s not in coming fast enough. Cleopatra decides to take a lesson from previous dynasties who robbed the fabulous tombs of ancient pharaohs.

At 16 years old, Cleopatra is overwhelmed by her first relationship, and it takes some effort to get her to balance governing the empire with her own awakening. Unfortunately, it comes at the cost of disrupting other people’s lives. Still thinking of the empire, she attempts to extend her influence in politics by reaching out to influential Roman women and matchmaking behind the scenes.

Banafrit, Dedyet, and Dakka all advance in their careers and relationships, with Kalek developing some surprising angles in entrepreneurship and Dedyet discovering the horrors of marriage counseling. Banafrit anxiously notices how way too many women seem to be attracted to her awkward husband. Astarte continues her long game for making babies with Kalek. Orestes quits his job in Alexandria to pursue Ensela, 2200 miles up the Nile in Meroe. A souvenir dealer in Thebes tries to wear down the resistance of a fiercely independent woman he’s loved all his life � that will have nothing to do with him. Dedyet’s twin sister takes a very Egyptian interest in her brother-in-law � and a very unlucky deaf-mute orphan girl gets a reprieve.

See what it’s like to be on the receiving end of arguing couples when it’s your job. How will the divine Pharaoh manage when his daughter puts him on an allowance? Watch Cleopatra chase-slap Kalek around and around the Aphrodite shrine on her palatial luxury barge. Witness the possible origins of organized tourism, theme parks, franchised fast food, sports betting, � and the chicken dance.

The future Kandake of Kush, Amanirenas (who fights Romans to a standstill in future) enters the story as a 10-year-old princess being groomed for the throne.

No stuck-up pompous elitist aristocrats eating “saahhndwiches� on the “grahhnd piahhno� � just the people you live and work with.

Cleopatra 54 BC: When Your Father Leaves You The Family Business ~or~ Who Let The Scribes Out?
Cleopatra 53-52 BC: Gold Is Where You Find It ~or~ Supersize Me!


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