SONG OF THE NILE New Paranormal Romance Release from Veronica Scott

It’s been a while since I was here to talk about ancient Egypt instead of scifi romance! Thanks for having me as your guest once more to share an excerpt from Song of the Nile!

I generally try to write one Egyptian paranormal romance novel per year but 2018 got too and before I knew it we were here in 2019 and I was determined not to lose any more time. (I did release quite a few scifi romances in that time though.)

I’ve been fascinated by ancient Egypt since I was in elementary school and read Mara, Daughter of the Nile, by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. At the time it was quite a revelation to me that an author could write a novel set thousands of years ago and make the vanished world so vivid and the people so real. I of course wanted more romance and more magic, which is why I make sure to have the gods directly involved in the plots of my own books.

In 2018 I was able to view the current traveling collection of selected pieces from King Tutankhamun’s tomb and as he lived about 200 years after the time where my novels are set, it was very inspiring. I’ll share some of my photos from the collection here.

The blurb:

Merneith, a harpist of rare talents, blessed by the goddess Hathor, has recently arrived in Thebes and joined Pharaoh’s court, but must hide secrets from her past. As she settles into her new life in the palace, the one man she can’t forget and followed to Thebes is unaccountably absent.

Nikare, a Medjai police officer serving under Pharaoh’s direct orders, is now deep undercover investigating high crimes against Egypt and forbidden to contact Merneith. Masquerading as a priest to deceive the plotters, he watches over her from afar and longs for the day he can approach her openly.

When an unscrupulous noble ensnares Merneith in the web of evil Nikare is pledged to bring down, the two must stand together against earthly and magical forces to save their own lives and protect Egypt.

How much help will the gods provide? Will the pair survive the final showdown between Pharaoh and the conspirators and find the happy future together they desire?

This is a standalone novel but is also a direct sequel to Lady of the Nile, which is where Merneith and Nikare were first encountered as supporting characters. Now they move front and center in the fight to protect Egypt from a new threat. Mild spoilers for Lady of the Nile.

The excerpt: Merneith meets another harpist who’s been assigned to mentor her in her first days at the palace:

“I’m to be your guiding light for your first month with us. I’ll tell you everything and, if I don’t, be sure to ask.” She sat on the bed and tilted her head, pointing at the clothing lying on top of the baskets. “Quite the wardrobe for a girl from a remote village.”

Blushing, Merneith hastily folded the fine linen sheath she’d been examining, admiring the exquisite embroidery at the hem, which was a pattern of lotus flowers and birds, and stuffed it hastily in the basket. Smoothing down the plain dress she was wearing, she said, “It was a gift. I’ll probably won’t need such fancy garb.”

“Yes, you will, I guarantee it. Musicians at the palace—especially those who are young and comely—receive many invitations.” Isetemkheb fluffed the braids on her wig and winked. Her makeup was intricate and bold, and her demeanor made it clear she spoke from experience.

“From who?” Merneith quailed at yet another complication in her new life. Couldn’t she simply play music and be allowed to enjoy using her talents? She sighed.

“Nobles, army officers, priests…any man who enjoys music and those who make it.” Now the woman examined her short fingernails, frowning, and studied a large gold and turquoise scarab ring on the same hand. “They can be most generous as well.”

“I—really—I’m just here to play the harp, learn new songs, earn my room and board.” A wave of vertigo swept over Merneith as she wondered what kind of life she’d fallen into.

“You have a man already? Back home perhaps?” Isetemkheb’s eyes narrowed and her expression sharpened. “A noble sponsor who helped bring you to the queen’s attention?”

Surprised by the questions, Merneith blinked. “No.” Anxious to put a stop to the direction the conversation was taking, she said, “I’m to go to the supply room and get wax for the harp I was assigned. New strings too. If you don’t mind showing me where the room might be.”

The other woman waved a hand. “Plenty of time for the drudgery of routine tasks. You’re going to need fittings for your performance dress as well. Luckily, Pharaoh and the queen don’t stint when it comes to what we wear.” She studied Merneith, as if measuring her for the aforementioned dress. "Is it true the Great Royal Wife herself appointed you to our group?”

“I came highly recommended.” Merneith made her answer short. The series of guesses and inquiries was becoming annoying and too inquisitive.

Isetemkheb’s eyes widened, disrupting the smooth flow of the malachite framing them on her lovely face. “Ooh, tell me more, because how does someone from a rural province even come to the attention of the Great Ones in Thebes?”

“Hathor blessed me. And I can’t discuss it beyond her generosity.” Merneith walked toward the door. “Can we go to the storage rooms now? I need to get my harp serviceable so I can practice properly before the Master calls on me to participate actively in rehearsals.”

As she’d hoped, the other harpist rose from the bed and followed her into the corridor. “Well, welcome to the troupe in any case. I rather like the fact you embody so many mysteries. It’ll be quite interesting to watch your career with us.”

VS Note: and of course Merneith isn’t going to tell her nosy new friend about Nikare, the Medjai police officer she really longs to see again…

Buy Links: Amazon     Apple Books     Nook     Kobo     Google

Author Bio and Links:

USA Today Best Selling Author

 Veronica Scott grew up in a house with a library as its heart. Dad loved science fiction, Mom loved ancient history and Veronica thought there needed to be more romance in everything. When she ran out of books to read, she started writing her own stories.

Seven time winner of the SFR Galaxy Award, as well as a National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, Veronica is also the proud recipient of a NASA Exceptional Service Medal relating to her former day job, not her romances!

 She read the part of Star Trek Crew Member in the official audiobook production of Harlan Ellison’s “The City On the Edge of Forever.”

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Summer Festivals in Ancient Egypt

We've adopted a "midsummer" theme for June here at Paranormal Romantics so I'm going to talk a little about ancient Egyptian summer festivals. They had a twelve month calendar as we do, although theirs consisted of 360 days, with five days of "makeup time."  Their year began with the inundation of the Nile, and was tied to the first new moon after the star Sirius reappeared in the sky.  With their typical efficiency, the Egyptians also maintained a separate civic calendar that didn't reset by the stars each year, in order for Pharaoh to collect his taxes reliably.

The summer season, or shemu saw some of the biggest festivals and celebrations, including the "Beautiful Festival of the Valley," whose origins trace back more than four thousand years. Held at the New Moon of month two, this festival was a major event in the city of Thebes, often running several days. It was a celebration of the dead, and began with a procession going from East (which represented the rising sun, new life) to the West (setting sun, land of the dead). The priests of Amun would lead the parade, carrying a statue of the god which had been decorated with a fabulous jewelled collar and a sun disk crown. This statue rode in  a ceremonial boat, decked with jewels and flowers, and would be followed by boats with the statues of Mut, his wife, and Khonsu, his son.  At the end of the procession sacrifices of food, wine and flowers would be presented to the gods, after which the people were invited to take flowers away with them to decorate the tombs of their families and loved ones. Feasting in the presence of the spirits of the deceased was considered a joyous occasion, in part because the spirits in the Afterlife would be nourished and supported by the attention.

Other, less well known festivals of the summer included a festival for Renenutet the Snake Goddess, as she and her creatures protected the fields from mice and other vermin. There was also an "adoration of Anubis" and a four day celebration of  the god fertility Min.  Special offerings were made to Hapy, god of the annual flooding of the Nile, and Amun, in hopes of ensuring a good inundation to replenish the soil in the fields. Hathor, goddess of joy and the home, adorned with cow horns (sometimes depicted as a beautful cow, or a cow-headed woman) also came in for some special celebrations at this time of the year.

I included a procession in my novel Magic of the Nile, although this was a one time celebration for Sobek the Crocodile God, as a new crocodile was dedicated at his temple in Thebes. The heroine in the book is Tyema, High Priestess of Sobek, who rides in the procession with the crocodile on display. (The god has given her the power to control his children as required.) Here's the excerpt as the parade gets underway:

Tyema’s heart beat faster at the honor of participating in a procession with Pharaoh. My astounding new cloak might be beautiful, but mere feathers can’t outshine  a living Great One.

            Paying the crocodile no heed, Nat-re-Akhte stopped for a moment beside her chair. “Are you ready for this, Lady Tyema?”

            “Indeed, my lord. It’s all so much grander than I’d imagined, but the procession pays proper tribute to Sobek. Thank you.” She knew if Pharaoh hadn’t taken a personal interest in this ceremony, things would have been done on a much lesser scale.

            He nodded. “An outstanding cloak, my dear, quite unusual. The priests of the Theban temples will have yet another reason to feel cast into the shade. And so they should.” He didn’t wait for an answer but walked to his own chair, separated from hers by heralds and standard bearers with the insignia of the Nomes of Egypt, the one for Nat-re-Akhte’s home province being foremost. The back of his chair was a glorious gilded rendition of the sun rising over the Nile. Uncut rubies set at the tip of each ray sparkled in the real sun as it rose higher. Six fan bearers took up position on either side of him as the burly litter bearers raised the chair high. In front of him soldiers stood ready to march, carrying his gold encrusted bow, shield and sword, accompanied by two handlers with Pharaoh’s snarling hunting leopards on leashes. Behind him was another miniature boat, elaborately constructed and painted, bearing an effigy of the god Horus, Pharaoh’s personal sponsor among the Great Ones. Depicted in falcon form, the statue was taller than a man, wings outspread, decorated in vibrant multicolored enamel and blue faience, with the head gold plated. Gleaming eyes, one a diamond and the other a yellow stone she couldn’t name, gazed upon the scene. Tyema knew Horus and Sobek maintained a friendly rivalry, so she could find no fault with the parade concluding on a tribute to Horus.

            Pharaoh must have made some sign she missed because suddenly her litter was raised into the air. Tyema clutched the arms of her chair as the eighteen men carrying her and the crocodile adjusted their hold on the ebony poles to achieve maximum stability. She glanced at Sahure for reassurance and he grinned, giving her a raised thumb of support. Far ahead, at the beginning of the procession, she heard the blare of trumpets. From her new position, supported on the shoulders of the massive litter bearers, three men at each corner and on both sides in the middle, she could see movement in the ranks of marchers. She took a deep breath, knowing she had to stay calm to play her part in this pageant, and more importantly, to ensure the crocodile played his. So far the animal stayed locked in his regal pose, watching his surroundings with the deceptively lazy demeanor of his kind. The litter bearers closest to him exuded almost palpable fear, and she wished she’d had time to reassure the men the crocodile was firmly under her control.

            Music began, a somber march supported by the rhythmic pounding of drums and then a moment later, her litter was in motion. As she was carried through the gates of the palace road onto the wide street, the roar of the assembled crowd made her blink. The roadway was lined with excited, expectant people, at least ten deep, come to see the parade and marvel. Tyema stared straight ahead as she’d been instructed by Edekh, although it seemed wrong not to acknowledge the people who’d come to watch.  The cheers for Pharaoh were deafening. Nat-re-Akhte was a popular ruler, much beloved. She glanced back once, and saw him sitting straight and unsmiling, the picture of a Great One come to life. She was glad she’d met him in private prior to today, knew what a kind and thoughtful person he was, despite wearing the Two Crowns and being a god walking the earth.

            The procession wove through Thebes along the path they’d all agreed to, passing the large temples of other Great Ones and coming to a halt in front of the somewhat less impressive building that was Sobek’s.  As she arrived at the temple, Tyema saw the marchers who’d gone before her had dispersed to prearranged places beside the building, along the towering pillars inscribed with hieroglyphics extolling the powers of Sobek or in the square in front of the main entrance. Sobek’s cadre of  priests had also regrouped, waiting to greet her.

Here's the story of Magic of the Nile (a Night Owl Reviews Top Pick):

After a childhood spent scorned and ignored by her family because of her crippled foot, Tyema was magically healed then installed as the High Priestess of his temple by Sobek the Crocodile God. But Tyema is still haunted by her memories, scarred by the abuse she endured. Despite Sobek’s protection, as an adult she’s become a near recluse inside the temple grounds…

 Until Captain Sahure arrives in her remote town, sent from Thebes on an urgent mission for Pharaoh, requiring High Priestess Tyema’s help. From that moment on, her quiet, safe life is upended in ways she never could have expected.

 But after a whirlwind romance with Sahure, the two part as Pharaoh orders him to undertake another assignment on Egypt’s dangerous frontier, far from Tyema’s remote town.

 Heart-broken, Tyema is ready to return to her life of loneliness, official duties and, now, regret. But the Crocodile God has other plans for his priestess: she must uncover the sorcerer who threatens Pharaoh’s life with black magic. Soon enough, Tyema finds herself thrown into the chaos of Pharoah’s court, neck deep in intrigue and danger. Just when she thinks she can’t take the pressures of a very public court life and her secret investigation for the Crocodile God any longer, Sahure re-enters the scene.

 But is her former love there to help or to hinder? Can they resolve their differences and work together to find the dark sorcerer who threatens Pharaoh and Egypt? Will the love between a proud warrior and a shy priestess lead them to a future together?

Available Now at Amazon   Barnes & Noble  All Romance eBooks  iTunes   Google Play Books Kobo

Myths & Legends of Childbirth in Ancient Egypt

VS sez: Pulled this post from the Archives, since Magic of the Nile is now available and this post was about events in that book. Somewhat updated and added a quick excerpt!

"Repay your mother for all her care. Give her as much bread as she needs, and carry her as she carried you, for you were a heavy burden to her. “ So says the Papyrus of a scribe named Ani, from 1250 BCE.

I’ve just published  my latest paranormal romance set in Ancient Egypt in 1535 BCE and there’s a childbirth scene. Children were very important to the Egyptians and of course there were many beliefs and legends surrounding the act of giving birth.  Fragmented, surviving papyri give remedies for pregnancy tests, infertility cures, contraception and obtaining answers to the always popular question “how do I know the sex of my unborn child?” Physicians of the day were almost never involved in labor and delivery – it was all left to the women of the household or the village, and the ever present gods and goddesses.

Egyptian myths have a great many variations, which works well for me as a novelist, because I can pick and choose to fit my story. I have the goddesses Hathor and Tawaret attending the birth of the baby in Magic of the Nile, but there is historical support for my selection, including a famous carving at the Temple of Hathor in Dendera which shows these two goddesses assisting a woman as she gives birth. Hathor was the beautiful Great One often shown with the head of a cow, or as a woman with cow’s horns, and she was regarded as the goddess of domestic bliss. Tawaret was the Hippo Goddess, although she had the feet of a lioness and the back of a crocodile. She was also regarded as a goddess of fertility and childbirth in part because female hippos were so protective of their young.

A woman often gave birth in a specially constructed pavilion or bower, sometimes in a special spot on the roof of her home, shaded to be cooler. Many of the depictions of birth show the use of “birthing bricks”, which were specially made for the pregnant woman to squat or stand on during the final stage of delivery. The women assisting her (or the goddesses if she was very lucky) stood on either side, providing support and something to push against. The birth bricks were considered so important they even had their own goddess, Meskhenet.  This important figure was sometimes depicted as a woman and at other times as a brick with a woman's head, adorned with a cow's uterus. She also breathed the child’s ka (one part of the individual’s soul) into them at birth.

One popular folk tale from thousands of years ago had the poor mother deliver triplets and after each son was born, Meskhenet appeared to say he would become king of Egypt! And the next baby born would become king of Egypt. And then the third boy will be king of Egypt too! The poor, confused parents...but in fact, each of these boys did become Pharaoh for a time, succeeding each other on the throne, according to the legends. Rather an amusing mental picture – sort of like some modern TV commercials where the nurses keep bringing the poor Dad another baby…

Childbirth could go wrong in so many ways in that era, and newborn babies were regarded as being fragile as the young sun (which was reborn every day). It’s no wonder that a rich tradition of special prayers, remedies and attentive goddesses developed to comfort the mothers in labor.

Here's the scene partway through the novel, where the mother-to-be and her female relatives have a luncheon:

Her older sister Paratiti, who’d been chosen by Sobek years ago to be Tyema’s guardian until she took over the temple, arrived from her home in the village one day late in the eighth month, by prearrangement bringing her daughters and the wives of her sons, as well as a gaggle of girl children. The group ate lunch with Tyema in the temple’s private gardens, laughing and chattering in the shade of towering palms and fragrant acacias. The older ones talked about when their babies had been born, exchanging funny stories and teasing each other. Tyema sat in the midst of her extended family, marveling at what a strange feeling it was to be with them all, but the impending birth of her child gave them common ground. She felt relaxed, unworried, since they were in her home and she was the hostess. In control. The baby moved and kicked just enough to remind her the two of them were in this together, and after all the entire gathering was in Tyema’s honor, organized by Paratiti. Some of the women had brought embroidered swaddling clothes for the baby and there was one big parcel they refused to let her open. It had taken two of them to carry the basket from the donkey cart at the front gate to the garden where the lunch was being held.

Finally, as the temple servants brought plates of honeyed cakes and figs at the end of the meal, Paratiti gestured at the oversized basket. “Bring the gift now.”

Her daughters hauled the sturdy container to Tyema, setting it on the ground next to her. Smiling, she said, “I can’t imagine what this might be.” Lifting off the lid, she set it aside and removed the top layer of straw packing. Below the straw she found a fine pair of birthing bricks, smooth, freshly painted in white, with stunning portraits of the goddesses Hathor and Tawaret drawn on the sides in turquoise, gold and red. Protective spells were inked in black hieratic. Tyema sat with a brick in either hand, examining the art.

“Do you like them? I made the bricks myself,” Paratiti said anxiously. “I said blessings to Hathor as I mixed the mud and straw in the brick-making forms.”

“And we had the best artisan in the village do the paintings,” Tyema’s favorite niece, Renebti, added. “He wouldn’t take payment since it was for you.”

“I—I don’t know what to say,” Tyema stammered. “I’m touched.”

“I hope your god won’t mind, but birthing a child is a female mystery and he isn’t known for involvement with such things. His crocodiles come from eggs after all. We were afraid you wouldn’t have proper bricks here when the time comes.” Paratiti gestured at the temple behind the garden.

Magic of the Nile Available Now at Amazon   Barnes & Noble  All Romance eBooks Other eBook retailers coming soon!

Just for fun - Here’s a Kay Perry video for her single “Dark Horse,” which gives another take on “magic of the Nile”!

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