Aria Cunningham's Blog: Writing Tidbits for Historical Fiction and Screenplays

Read below for an update from Aria on the release of Book 3 in the Heroes of the Trojan War Series.

Dear Readers,

First off – Thank You! The outpouring of support and love for this series has been tremendous. Since The Princess of Sparta hit the press in 2014, we’ve had over 30,000 copies printed or downloaded. It has been well received by a wide array of reviewers, and both men and women are loving this new interpretation of Troy’s star-crossed lovers. Thank you for coming along on this journey with Paris, Helen and I.

Book 3 (working title “The Princess of Troy”) was supposed to drop this year. Alas, life intervened and I have yet to get a manuscript to my editors. Shortly after Princess of Prophecy was released, I started a family with my own soulmate/partner. As fellow parents can attest, the workload you think you can handle pre-child, and the one you end up doing, are two very different things. Instead of shuttering myself off to write, I decided to take the last year to enjoy the nuances of motherhood and devote myself to my son. Unlike Hecuba, it has been a wonderful experience to date. ;o)

As my boy transitions to toddler-hood, I am now back in the writing saddle. Major groundwork has been done on Book 3, and I expect to have a first draft finished by the end of the year. I am VERY excited about the twists in this chapter of the Trojan saga and the new characters I get the privilege of introducing to you. Never fear that this series will not be finished! I might not be able to produce a book a year, but slow and steady wins the race. I have a series bible with rough outlines for at least eight books, the deepest exploration of this pivotal time period in fictional print. We will delve into the events leading up to the Trojan War, the war itself, and at least one book dedicated to the aftermath.

Well, I’m off to work. Thanks again, and keep on reading!

-Aria

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The ARC reviews are rolling in… here is the latest 5 star feedback from the Kindle Book Reviews!

Not Homer’s Troy

“This is not a re-telling of Homer’s poem about Helen of Troy! In this story, Paris has rescued Helen from abuse at the hands of her husband and his brother, and he is taking her home, to Troy. A need for provisions forces them to dock in Egypt. The old Pharaoh is dying, two of his sons want to succeed him, members of the court are choosing sides, and Paris and Helen are drawn into the intrigue of the court.

This book is fantastic! It is the second book in a trilogy, but even though I had not read the first volume, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It has love and betrayal, suspense, murder, good and evil. It captured my interest and would not let me go. The writing is excellent, the dialogue believable, and the story captivating. I loved the book and I highly recommend it.”

- David Burnett for the Kindle Book Review.

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From blogger Jessica Lynn at Chronicles of a Book Nerd:

In Volume II of this saga, we follow the lovers as they make their escape from Mycenae to Troy. Desperate to make it there before Menelaus and Agamemnon can catch up with them, Paris and Helen find themselves in a precarious position when they are delayed in Egypt after attempting to stop for supplies. With the death of Pharaoh eminent, Paris and Helen find themselves caught up in battle for succession, local politics and traditions. Throw in a dash of sibling rivalry, a hired assassin, a power hungry king, and an empire on the brink of war, and you get the exciting tale that is The Princess of Prophecy…

Read her full review at: Chronicles of a Book Nerd – The Princess of Prophecy

Early consensus is saying this book is better than the first, meaning the tale is building in both quality and drama! I look forward to getting feedback from our other fans!

Chronicles of a Book Nerd

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Congratulations to Heather, Daniel and Amand for winning the Goodreads Giveaway. We’ll be shipping out Advanced Reader Copies of “The Princess of Prophecy” to you this week. Our winners came from California and North Carolina. For those back east, we hope it makes for some good, cold weather reading!by

Hey folks,

I’ll be blogging about this experience in the weeks to come, so this is just a short update on the promo in progress. This morning we launched a BookBub promo, offering The Princess of Sparta up for free until Friday Jan 30th (Click here for the Deal). In a few short hours we’ve had thousands of downloads and jumped to #1 on Amazon in the Ancient World Historical Romance category.

I am so happy to welcome in the new readers. And though the first book ends with a cliffhanger, they won’t have to wait long for the sequel. The Princess of Prophecy is currently up for pre-order and will ship March 1st!

Thank you everyone for making this day happen. Till next we speak…remember to follow your heart. In love and career!

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Dear friends, family and fans!

Book two in the series “The Princess of Prophecy” is complete. I was hoping for a fall 2014 publication date, but we’ve run into some scheduling issues with the publisher. Rest assured, the book is finished and edited. We are just waiting on a few items, like getting advanced readers out and the final cover art.

On the plus side, for the handful of people who have read and given notes on the manuscript, this book is one worth waiting for. It’s a bit longer than The Princess of Sparta, with lots of new characters, plot twists, and new lands. I can’t wait to share it with you and peak your imagination about the ancient world!

I’ll post updates here as soon as I have them.

Happy holidays!

- Aria

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I’m tickled pink to announce that I am the August profile article in the Ventana Monthly! For those not in Ventura County, the Ventana Monthly is a posh community magazine that highlights local artists, business owners and other “high society” stuff!

Ventana publishes nonfiction articles on a variety of topics related to our tagline: “Fine Living in Ventura County.” We prefer stories that are sophisticated and tightly focused. Our readership is comprised of relatively affluent residents of Ventura County. With few exceptions, articles tie in to the local area. The magazine is direct mailed to 30,000 selected homeowners and over 700 business locations each month.

Check out the full spread at your local restaurant or VC business – or their digital version available here: A New Light on History.

 

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After receiving a 4 star review from BTS Books, we are eligible for a Red Carpet Review Award! BTSeMag has been reviewing and discovering quality works of fiction since 2011.

Check out a segment of their praise for “The Princess of Sparta” below and visit their site to read more:

Aria Cunningham presents the coming-of-age of a character often portrayed as a mere pawn in the wars of men and expertly reinterprets the “Herstory” behind Helen’s legendary tale. Sprinkled with tunic-tearing passion, Cunningham paints this popular story with an exquisite brush and reinvents one of the greatest love stories ever told.”

Read The Full Review Here!

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Looks like Oregonians love The Princess of Sparta! Check out the latest review by Kim Heimbuch:

The Princess of Sparta is the perfect blend of history, romance, and action giving this book a broader reach with readers. The characters come alive in this forlorn world of long ago as they share their joy, pain, and struggles. Once you pick this book up, there’s no turning back or putting it down!

Read the full review HERE.by

As a Ventura County native, I am stoked to be doing my first VC book signing at Bank of Books on Main Street, this Saturday from 11am – 1pm.

Check out the write up in the VC Star about the event, and come out and enjoy an afternoon discussion about myth, history and love!

local-author-launches-new-historical-romance-series

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