BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Song of Princes: Homeric Chronicles [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Janell Rhiannon to talk about Song of Princes (13 June 2016, Janell Rhiannon, 490 pages), an Historical Fantasy, book one of the Homeric Chronicles series.

Ben Alderson, #7 GR reviewers, said, “It was breathtaking, written beautifully. It is a story following the chronological order of a myth we know and love. The story of Troy, Paris, King Priam, Cassandra, Helen, Odysseus, and the Greek gods.... leading up to the battle of Troy. I am so excited for the next book. Janell is a new, strong voice in the writing world and would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys slightly mature novels.”

Synopsis | Trailer | Teaser | Author Q&A | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

A very warm welcome to Janell Rhiannon; thank you for joining us!

Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in Song of Princes, or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"I completely listen to Game of Thrones soundtracks."

What was the inspiration for Song of Princes?

"I have always loved mythology, and the Iliad and the Odyssey in particular. When I was in graduate school, my advisor told me that you could be an Iliad lover or an Odyssey lover, but not both. He was wrong. Over the years, I’d read Greek plays and other sources relating to the Trojan War and a bigger story thread began to grow. I wanted to know all about the heroes and their lives. And share their stories."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"There is quite a bit of me professional skill in this series, primarily because of all the research I have done and continue doing on the ancient Mycenaeans, Trojans and mythology, as well as aspects of reimagining ancient world life. When I found that I had to write a birth scene for a cow, for instance, I watched a bunch of YouTubes about natural raised cows, figuring the birth of a calf hasn’t changed much in 3000 years, and consulted a farmer friend of mine. When it occurred to me I needed to know what drinking vessels were called in Troy, I turned to Academia.edu and professors there for help.

I also drew on my personal experience with childbirth to write a couple scenes. Iphigenia’s birth to Clytemnestra turned out to be one of my favorite scenes."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Song of Princes - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"My cover was created by Regina Wamba of MaeIDesign. The cover model is David Kessler. I love Regina’s work, her discerning eye, her ability to create and envision her projects is tremendous. In fact, she has already made all three covers for this series."

Why should we read Song of Princes and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"The Homeric Chronicles is more than just the Iliad and the Odyssey. It’s a retelling, a reimagining, of several storylines that converge into a single story. There is a follow through of the heroes, Achilles, Odysseus, Paris and Hektor, from youth through the end of their heroic adventures. I’ve taken care to try and be as faithful to the mythology and the archeology as possible."

Who would you recommend Song of Princes to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"This is not a YA book. I wrote the characters and their stories trying not to curb what I thought was true to the character or elements...somethings were just brutal, some were sexy...I didn’t want to sugar coat these stories. The deities in this series are not the benevolent kind, rather the opposite."

If you could / wished to turn Song of Princes and the Homeric Chronicles series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"What a great question!!! As for directors, I’d say it has to be someone or a team who can imagine the ancient world with all its rough edges and epicness, as well as capture the smaller moments. The current director team of Game of Thrones would be awesome. I think the Aegean would have the most amazing settings. Maybe not very well known actors, for the simple reason that they could develop the characters."

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"Mythology and fantasy are my current genre. I was always drawn to reading these kinds of books. I wrote 2 YA books, Invisible Wings and Uncross The Stars. But, I think the fantasy genre is my favorite. It’s the genre in which I have more books planned."

What is your writing process?

"HAHA! It looks like organized chaos. I literally have a clear plastic bin of research documents, sticky noted books, and recently had to pull a stool up to give me more space to keep notes nearby. It’s like settling into the pilot’s seat when I sit down at my desk. All my papers, book stacks, scraps of notes spread around me like instruments giving me the green lights to take off and write..."

What is in store next?

"As I write this, I am working on book two of the Homeric Chronicles series, Rise of Princes. The photoshoot was done last October with cover model Thomas David, and Regina Wamba has created an inspiring cover...this middle book is taking the heroes deep into their journeys. Already there is lots of blood and betrayal.

Below is a video of the photo shoot for upcoming book two featuring Thomas David in Malibu, CA. "