Reviews for Trojan Gold
REVIEW FROM THE ROMANCE STUDIO - MARCH 2006 5 HEARTS OH W0W!!!!
" Never have I thought of The Trojan Wars like this, this book is awesome and I found myself hurrying to the next page. Trojan Gold is well written and it flowed smoothly. I also got a quick review of the Trojan War through Ms. Summers mind. I found myself laughing and crying as I read of Helle's fate and I cheered at the end! Ms. Summers will have readers hooked once they have read this book, and Ms. Summers? If you are listening, could we have sequels? This one should be a keeper readers!"
DARK DIVA'S REVIEWS
"Trojan Gold by Sultry Summer: When I was younger, I fell in love with the Iliad. It has been many years since I sat down and read it, but this book has renewed that love. It's speculative that Sultry Summers captured the level of the original myths, but she also gives it a more modern taste. She also did her homework, bringing out the Gods and Goddesses. Even allowing me to see them in a new light. Sultry is a great writer who, draws you into her book and shows you a world through new eyes. I truly enjoyed reading this book. I give it 5 Delightful Divas."
Romance Reviews Today
"Sultry Summers Erotic Fantasy Romance - Short Story Rating - City of Troy - Helle is a tigress at heart and protects Astyanax with everything she's got. She also teaches him about his heritage and all that goes with being the son of a prince. With Helle, what you see is what you get, and I liked her from the very first moment. Sex between Helle and Apollo starts out in dreams but the reality is hot, hot, hot! Secondary characters are few and include young Astyanax, who is as protective of Helle as Apollo himself, Zeus, Hera, Poseidon and a couple of other gods, which keeps things interesting. With well-developed characters and an interesting storyline, Sultry Summers TROJAN GOLD is a very enjoyable read."
Read an excerpt from Trojan Gold
Visit Sultry Summers' web site
About Sultry Summers I love Mythology, even as a child, I preferred a myth to a fairy tale. As an older student I took Latin in High School, so my direction was centered more on the Greek/Roman classics. After that I discovered all the other wonderful myths of the varied cultures of our world, many giving me the inspiration for some of my science fiction tales. In that manner I have more stories on the burner, though we are in the middle of a major move from Florida to North Carolina. I am look forward to jumping in and learning many of the Native American myths and drawing inspiration from those. Hopefully this move will give me something else that will add to my writing - time, I should be able to write more - tucked away in a cozy mountain holler with those beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and allow my mind to escape away into those mists.
Backlist
Planet Of The Veils
Christmas Rescue
Casino-Star Shine
Troy - Lovers In The Mists
Mistress Says Faster
Torrid Teasers #63 Ride On & Heartbreaker
Trojan Gold
A note from Sultry...
Next out will be Star TyGer and the sequel - released at the same time tentative tile - Revenge - From Midnight Showcase. Also, the 'real' author, Sheila is hoping to find a home for some of my longer works, one of which I've been asked for by several readers, Atlantis Vortex. It's a long one, but in the short time it was out several years ago, was well reviewed and received - I hope to see it contracted soon.
An Interview with Sultry Summers
By Holly Hewson for The Romance Studio
HH: Sultry, thank you for talking with us at TRS. Please tell us about your featured book, Trojan Gold.SS: Trojan Gold begins after the Trojan War and begins a 'new myth'. Helle an old woman who has survived the war finds Astyanax the infant son of Hector, Prince of Troy, thrown from the walls of the defeated city by the Greeks. She saves the child and for her compassion is blessed by Zeus, his blessing is delivered by Apollo, the patron god of the defeated city. Apollo gently touches Helle, bestowing Zeus' blessing, extending her life and restoring her to a much younger age. Upon touching her, Apollo beholds not only a younger Helle, physically, but her inner beauty and falls deeply in love. Knowing he has found his life-long love Apollo watches over Helle and the child. With Zeus' help they keep the secret that Astyanax lives a secret from Hera who hates all Trojans and would see the child dead and Helle too for saving him.
Helle has always loved the sun god Apollo and since his visit from Zeus has kept his ruined temple after restoring it to her best ability, cherishing his occasional day time visits, not suspecting her nightly, erotic dreams of him are real.
Astyanax thrives on Helle's love and the care. She works to provide for him though Apollo has revealed a hidden treasury of gold hidden in a secret vault by Hector before Achilles killed him, for Astyanax's use.
Helle wise enough not to draw attention to herself or the child knows is the heir to Troy. Hera finds out the boy lives when he is eight and attempts to have him killed. Apollo intervenes preventing either from being harmed. Knowing the time for dream visits is over he reveals himself and his love but both he and Helle believe Astyanax needs to remain close to his birthright - for now.
Hera, enraged tries to enlist the aid of her sister gods and goddess but to no avail. She succeeds in kindling the curiosity of Poseidon, who like his brother Zeus, is always on the lookout for a fair mortal to seduce. He watches Helle as she fishes with her net for their dinner and he become so impassioned he attempts to abduct her causing an element splitting showdown between he and Apollo. One only Zeus can intercede in. Helle, also in love with Apollo chooses to go with her lover.
Both know the time has come to move Astyanax to a place of safety but Helle misunderstands Apollo and thinks he means to abandon her and runs from him. As has happened to Apollo so many times in the past, it appears, he has lost the woman he loves.
His father has warned him about this and told him; Helle is worthy to sit at my table and dine on Mount Olympus... Apollo must regain Helle's trust - can he do it? He's failed so many times in the past, this time could change history but Trojan Gold isn't a Greek Tragedy and it isn't a "myth" you want to miss.
HH: What was it like for you to take a classic tale and put such a new -- and wonderful -- spin on it? SS: Great! I have always loved Mythology - since childhood. I took Latin in school but before that my mother read many of the well known classic myths to me as a child. One of the most read books is in my home is Edith Hamilton's Mythology. This only opened the door to mythology and for that matter archaeology, another interest. Besides writing 'new' Greek and Roman mythology of which I also have a modern - time travel myth out, Troy - Lovers In The Mist, I am working on several 'new myths' from other cultures as well. Our world's histories are based on so many myths. It's like history from a romantic's point of view. I feel myths give us a true cultural base - a description of who we really are. As authors the new modern stories we write now are the myths of the future, the good ones will live on for - possibly thousands of years just as the old ones have. I think any author would hope one of our stories would find its way into such a collection.
HH: What do you like best about Helle and how do you relate to her? SS: Her determination and courage not only to protect Astyanax and provide for him but her devotion to the 'man' she loves regardless of the horrid life she had been forced to live before she found the child. Zeus truly blessed her by giving her another chance at a better life and she took it even though she lived in what we would consider poverty. She provided for the child using her wits and talents and because of her character, Apollo loved her, not just because she was young and beautiful - again. As to relating to her - I could only hope, faced with those set of circumstances, I could be as resourceful with that much determination.
HH: This story has enjoyed wonderful reviews. How is that for you? SS: I think any author loves to get good reviews. With this story in particular it means a great deal for a reviewer to think I wrote a myth that was as entertaining as something Homer wrote. If it touched the heartstrings of a reader and gave them some time away from the daily worries we all deal with, then I did what I intended. I enjoyed writing this myth. I've always enjoyed penning a new one. I love the old ones, but it is time for some new material even on old subjects.
HH: What else do you have in store for lucky readers? SS: My next book due out is Star TyGer. It was out, and will be again with Midnight Showcase. However the first version was shorter and in an anthology with three other stories. This will be a standalone and the sequel will be included with it. Star TyGer is a slight take-off on Flash Gordon but with a serious twist, more romance - erotic for sure and less comic book. These are some very severe characters in Star TyGer, really sadistic, with the galaxy at stake.
HH: How do you celebrate a good writing day? SS: Sleep, a good night's sleep! Then hope for another good day of writing - I would give a great deal to be able to write more consistently, but in my life that doesn't happen often.
HH: What's it like to write "the end" on a given work?
SS: I generally shed a tear or two, then think about a sequel - put the work down for a day possibly more, then go back, and proof it at least twice.
HH: What would you most like to accomplish this year?
SS: I would be extremely pleased, and feel 'accomplished' to published some of my longer pieces. Those aren't real erotic - romantic - highly but not explicitly erotic. They are more science fiction/fantasy with deep plots.
HH: What are you reading these days?
SS: Right now, SPACE by Michener - for the third time. I'm also reading the King Author's Avalon, this is a non-fiction historical - mainly for reference. Really a little dull but full of 'facts'. For the romance end to keep-up I read several authors consistently Kayelle Allen, CJ England, Isabella Jordan, Chey McCray and several other, what hits my mood at the time.
HH: Any exciting plans for the summer?
SS: This summer is very unclear. We are moving to North Carolina from Florida. I've lived here since I was three. It's going to be a big change for me and I expect my writing will reflect it. I hope for the better - we'll see. But one of my best LONG pieces, not yet proofed enough to send for publications was begun at a State Park in Virginia. Lots of inspiration in those mountains and I do love it there but I know I'll miss the ocean. Atlantis Vortex is one of those LONG pieces I referred to, but it's a definite Florida piece, that won't stop me from seeing it published, again. I'm making some changes on the manuscript and I am wondering how this move will affect it. I do foresee trips back down here though. Before we vacationed up there, really just where we're moving, now we'll vacation down here - like everyone else.
Great being interviewed by The Romance Studio and you Holly, regardless of where I live, TRS is always home.
HH: And we're glad you're here! Thank you!
top
| 
