Ask the Author: Judith Starkston
Answered Questions (10)
Judith Starkston
My books about Puduhepa (renamed Tesha in my series) are available on Amazon Brazil. Priestess of Ishana, Sorcery in Alpara, Of Kings and Griffins. You should be able to buy them there. Is that what you mean by publishing in Brazil? Selling the foreign rights to a Brazilian publishing house so they could publish there seems unlikely to happen, although I'd certainly be interested if some publisher asked me.
Judith Starkston
I've been enjoying a number of fantasy books lately. I have V.E. Schwab, Beth Cato and Scott Lynch, among others in the queue to read this summer.
Judith Starkston
Fictional may not be quite the right term for Achilles and Briseis--mythological or legendary might suit better. But those two are my current favorite. They fall in love during crisis and tragedy, cope with a high degree of mental anguish with understanding for each other. And, when it's all said and done, Briseis doesn't define herself entirely in terms of her relationship with Achilles, but is able to move forward with life in an independent manner. That is, of course, my take on the tale and the one I follow in my novel Hand of Fire.
Judith Starkston
I haven't read Yiddish for Pirates yet, so no review from me, but it looks intriguing and I've added it to my TBR pile. It sounds like a book I'd enjoy.
Judith Starkston
I'm glad you enjoyed the article. I had a great time interviewing authors like Geraldine Brooks and all. My agent is in the beginning stages of finding a publisher for the mystery series, so it will be a while before I have a release date. If you are a fan of historical fiction, you might want to email subscribe to my website. I enjoy reviewing HF and I do a weekly post that pulls interesting history links together as well as HF news. http://www.judithstarkston.com/
Judith Starkston
I loved Santa Cruz during college. It'd be a great place to be living now, but for practical reasons I live in the desert now--about as different from the redwood forests as can be.
My novel Hand of Fire does have a fantasy element to it because the gods are characters. The people of this Bronze Age world believed that the gods were likely to walk among them, so this is a historically accurate way to portray this world, but it does lead me in ways I very much enjoy into fantasy. I'm intrigued by the mystical connections that my characters, divine and human, find entwining them.
My novel Hand of Fire does have a fantasy element to it because the gods are characters. The people of this Bronze Age world believed that the gods were likely to walk among them, so this is a historically accurate way to portray this world, but it does lead me in ways I very much enjoy into fantasy. I'm intrigued by the mystical connections that my characters, divine and human, find entwining them.
Judith Starkston
My father was a historian of the American West and we spent many of our vacations in California where I grew up visiting missions and mines. I never much liked the mines, but the best of the missions had displays of daily life as well as their beautiful buildings and I loved that. I had a major addiction to reading books with pioneers in them and the real life elements I witnessed on our family trips fed into that. How I ended up as an adult writer moving all the way back to the Bronze Age is another story entirely!
Judith Starkston
Hand of Fire is definitely a fun read for a fan of Homer--although I did work hard to make it read enjoyably for those who've never read Homer. I loved seeing the major events in the Iliad through a woman's eyes. Let's cross paths around twitter--I tend to send out links about fun archaeology and recommendations for good historical fiction reads. Conversations about reading, history or whatever strikes your fancy are always welcome @JudithStarkston
Judith Starkston
Thanks! It was an honor to be hosted by Sharon.
Judith Starkston
I began to write Hand of Fire in order to answer a question that had bothered me for a long time. For years I’d taught the Iliad, Homer’s epic poem of the Trojan War, and kept wondering with my students how Briseis, the captive woman who sparked the bitter conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon, could possibly have loved Achilles—which is what Homer distinctly shows us. The half-immortal Greek had killed her husband and brothers, destroyed her city and turned her from princess to slave—hardly a heartwarming courtship. She is central to the plot and yet she gets only a handful of lines. In those few words, the one clear notion expressed is her sorrow when she is forced to leave Achilles. I should say I always liked Achilles, the existential hero who calls the whole war into question—which shows he’s no brainwasher—so the answer wasn’t some ancient version of Stockholm Syndrome. This psychological puzzle was the triggering idea for Hand of Fire.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more