Spotlight: Donna Wichelman

Hello, I'm Donna Wichelman, and I'm thrilled to give you an up-close and personal look into my writing life and what led me to become an author. Thank you for joining me.

My appreciation for history and geography developed in childhood since my parents traveled by car from Ohio across the United States and Canada almost every summer to visit family in Washington State. As an only child on those road trips, our travels sparked my imagination. I developed stories of great adventures crossing the prairie in a covered wagon, charting our course in the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota, walking the beaches along the Oregon coast where I'd meet my true love, and scaling the mountains near Banff or Jasper National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Canada. Or perhaps we would be attacked by bears in Yellowstone National Park—a true story, by the way—and needed rescuing from the terrifying creatures hounding us.

In my last two years of high school, a unique opportunity allowed me to attend the United World College of the Atlantic—an international boarding school in Wales. While most of the students lived in dormitories on the “hill,” I lived in a two-room, ten-girl dorm inside the 13th- to 14th-century St. Donat’s Castle outside Llantwit Major, Wales, on the Bristol Channel. Though the castle has none of Hogwarts’ magic, it does have a legendary ghost, Lady Anne, who roams the halls. Living with international students and having the chance to travel throughout Europe further engaged my interest in history, literature, and culture.

St.Donat's Castle, Llantwit Major, Wales: Donna's Gallery 1975

As I headed into my adult years, I loved developing stories from learning about the history and culture of various settings. My first attempt at writing a historical romance was the first book in a series titled the Long White Cloud based on Captain James Cook's arrival in New Zealand in the late eighteenth century. Agent Steve Laube sent it to committee at Bethany House Publishers, but they rejected it, and the manuscript still sits on my computer. The experience taught me, however, that I needed to develop my craft and hone my writing skills.

My next project wasn't historical fiction, but it had a huge historical and spiritual component as a contemporary romantic suspense novel set in the Waldensian Valleys of the French and Italian Alps. I had become fascinated by this ancient Christian sect that endured centuries of persecution similar to the Huguenots. Some say these courageous men and women of faith banded together in 1170 A.D under Peter Waldo. Others say they hail from the first-century church fathers. In Light Out of Darkness, I wanted to create a story that explored the idea of an older origin. So in the book, A prestigious art exhibition turns into a horrific spectacle when a murder sends an art curator and professor on a hunt for a highly sought-after painting. At stake is a two-thousand-year-old drama unfolding in the contemporary world of the Italian Alps. 

The sequel, Undaunted Valor, continues the story as Professor Alessandro Marianni's grandmother is kidnapped, and he and Jamie Holbrooke must follow the trail of the Waldensians' Glorious Return from exile in Switzerland back to their home valleys. As they do, they will have to weather a rainstorm on a mountain trail, negotiate a dangerous waterfall, outmaneuver a car chase, and defy an assassin's gun with undaunted valor to find Lucianna Marianni.

By the time I wrote my Angel Book Award-winning novel, A Song of Deliverance, I knew I wanted to remain in the historical fiction genre. So when, on a family vacation, I stood on a crest overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland, I imagined a poor woman in nineteenth-century Ireland destined to emigrate to America. At that point, it was only a small leap to develop a story set in the nineteenth-century community of Georgetown, Colorado, which still retains its Victorian ambiance dating back to its history steeped in the gold and silver mining industry. Thus, a story was born about a poor Irish woman whose hopes for a better life in Colorado crumble after a mining disaster, and she must find the faith and courage to create a new life for herself. As she does, Anna Sullivan helps the mine’s owner uncover the nefarious deeds of his nemesis and falls in love with the mining mogul.

In Rhythms of the Heart, Book 2 in the Singing Silver Mine Series, Life as Cassie Munro knew it ended the day her husband and children were ripped away in a deadly train disaster. Will she ever find happiness again living with her parents in the community of Georgetown, Colorado? It will take one doctor with his own ill-fated past to help her mend a broken heart.

My current work in progress, Power of the Thorn, is a World War Two slip-time novel, meaning dual timelines, set in 1940s occupied France and some parts of the contemporary timeline in Denver, Colorado. The war has fascinated me since I was a child, listening to my parents talk about living through some of the darkest days in the history of the United States and the world. Much has been written about the war over the last eighty-six years. My hope is to bring a fresh perspective on those times.

Thank you for stopping by and letting me share a little bit of me with you. I hope knowing my history gives you a little flavor of who I am as an author and the kinds of books I like to write. I'd love to hear about what you do and the kinds of books you love to read. I'll be giving away one of my books of your choice to a lucky person who comments on this blog.

Website: Donna Wichelman.com

Instagram: Instagram, Facebook, BookBub, Amazon

The Most Powerful and Notorious Address on Earth - Domus Augustana Part 1

by Liisa Eyerly

by1 #1 AI image  #2 https://romeitaly.ca/images/domusaugustana.jpg

Today, the Domus Augustana is one of the most impressive ruins on the Palatine Hill, but only a fraction of the palace remains standing. Perched atop Rome's famous hill, the private residence of the emperors was one of the most powerful addresses in the ancient world. In 96 A.D. when my Secrets of Ephesus murder series takes place, Domus Augustana was the Heart of an Empire, and the palace would have looked vastly different than today. The first image reimagines what it could have looked like two thousand years ago.

 The first image reimagines what it could have looked like two thousand years ago.

• White marble columns lining the peristyles
• Pools reflecting sunlight
• Cypress trees, roses, box hedges, and topiary
• Colorful frescoes covering walls
• Bronze and marble statues
• Water flowing through fountains and channels

From the Palatine Hill, emperors ruled with seemingly unlimited power; adopting the title of Principate instead of emperor or king, to enforce the illusion that they were not dictators. During the period from Augustus in 27 BC through the reign of Marcus Aurelius in AD 180—the emperor, supported by alliances within the army, the Senate, and the Praetorian Guard, was essentially untouchable. There was no legal impeachment, voting him out, or forcing him from office. 

If an emperor became egotistical, unstable, cruel, or simply unfit to rule, Rome had only two practical remedies: a military coup or assassination. As a result, the imperial throne was both the most powerful seat in the world and one of the most dangerous. Assassination of Julius Caesar By Vincenzo Camuccini - Own work, user:Rlbberlin, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=145037989

The palace Domus Augustana was the perfect setting for murder. Thirty-seven emperors are documented as having been murdered—not including Nero, who died by suicide after the military turned against him. The palace’s vaulted chambers, stairways, and multi-level terraces descended the hillside, while subterranean rooms and passageways used by servants, guards, and maintenance workers still survive today. It offered countless hiding places for an assassin, escape routes for a guilty servant, or opportunities for a Praetorian bodyguard to abandon his post.
 

1. Nero's suicide, 2. Caligula assassinated, 3. Claudius poisoned, 4. Galba assassinated, 5. Domitian assassinated. As fascinating as the palace itself is, its most enduring legacy may be the assassination that occurred within its walls—an event that launches Powers of Death, the third book in the Secrets of Ephesus series.

Galba CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Domitian I, Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons
Claudius Naples National Archaeological Museum, CC BY 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons
Caligula Sergey Sosnovskiy from Saint-Petersburg, Russia, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Nero Glyptothek, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Step into the shadowy streets of 96 AD Ephesus, where danger lurks around every corner, and the line between friend and foe is razor-thin. Fortunes of Death, plunges you into a world where faith is tested, alliances are shattered, and one woman's courage could be the difference between life and death.

Sabina, a fierce young Christian widow, is thrust into a deadly game when a wealthy citizen is murdered. With her friend’s life hanging in the balance, Sabina must unravel a web of lies, deceit, and hidden motives. Every clue she uncovers brings her closer to the truth—and closer to becoming the next victim.

This isn't just a murder mystery. It's a gripping tale of faith, resilience, and the power of one woman standing against the darkness.

Visit me at https://liisaeyerly.com/ on my Author Facebook page

or purchase my books at:

Fortunes of Death

Obedient Unto Death

My Amazon book page 

Mystery, murder, and mayhem aren’t your typical Christian themes—but why should secular authors have all the fun solving crimes in ancient Rome? My love of history, scripture, and whodunits led me to blend faith with intrigue, bringing the world of the early Christians to life. Writing from my home in the woods of northern Wisconsin, I also draw inspiration from my travels to Turkey, Greece, and Italy, where I’ve walked the same streets my characters once did. Through historical mysteries, I explore a time when faith was a matter of life and death—literally.

The Island Paradise: Where Royal Women Disappeared

by Liisa Eyerly

There is no shortage of dark deeds in Roman history. For historical novelists, weaving these real people, places, and scandals into fiction is one of the most rewarding ways to bring the ancient world to life.

In the first two books of the Secrets of Ephesus series, Emperor Domitian's relentless persecution of Christians makes faith a dangerous choice. His assassination sets the stage in the upcoming book, Powers of Death, and sends my sleuth, Sabina, on a trail of clues that leads to the eerie island of Pandateria—modern-day Ventotene.

Like the other Pontine Islands, Pandateria belonged to Emperor Augustus (31 BC–AD 14). Early in his reign, he transformed the remote volcanic outcrop into a lavish imperial retreat complete with terraces, gardens, expansive thermal baths, aqueducts, and sea-facing promenades. From a distance, it must have appeared idyllic—a glittering paradise rising from the Mediterranean.  (image by ChatGPT)

Yet beneath the luxury lurked a darker purpose.

Its isolation made Pandateria an ideal place to send inconvenient relatives. Roman society frowned upon openly murdering family members, especially imperial women. Exile offered a more respectable solution. A troublesome wife, daughter, or niece could simply vanish from public life while technically remaining alive.

A gilded prison, however, was still a prison.

Augustus banished his daughter, Julia the Elder, to Pandateria in 2 BC. In AD 29, Emperor Tiberius exiled Agrippina the Elder there, where she eventually died of starvation. Later, Domitian reportedly exiled both his wife, Domitia, and his niece, Flavia Domitilla, who is honored today as a Christian saint. Across the empire, exile was a familiar tool of control; even the Apostle John received the visions recorded in Revelation while banished to the island of Patmos. (Agrippina the Elder via Creative Commons, Wikipedia)

Today, the remains of Augustus's vast seaside complex—known as Villa Giulia—still cling to Ventotene's windswept cliffs. Archaeologists have uncovered courtyards, cisterns, servants' quarters, and subterranean service passages leading down to the sea. 

Much of the palace itself has vanished after centuries of stone robbing, treasure hunting, careless excavations, erosion, and quarrying. Entire wings, upper stories, and decorative elements have disappeared, leaving only fragments of what was once a sprawling imperial estate. 

That loss somehow makes the site even more haunting. 

Standing on Punta Eolo, gazing across the same waters once viewed by Augustus, Julia, Agrippina, and perhaps Flavia Domitilla, it is easy to imagine the uneasy contrast between beauty and captivity. The surviving baths, terraces, and underground corridors hint at extraordinary luxury. Yet they also whisper of isolation, political intrigue, and lives quietly erased from history.  https://magazine.snav.it/ventotene-punta-eolo/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Pandateria was paradise for some.  For others, it was the last place they were ever truly free.

Step into the shadowy streets of 96 AD Ephesus, where danger lurks around every corner, and the line between friend and foe is razor-thin. Winner of the Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award, Obedient Unto Death launches a gripping historical mystery series set in the perilous world of first-century Rome. In Fortunes of Death, fearless Christian sleuth Sabina returns—risking everything to expose murder, magic, and corruption beneath the empire’s glittering surface. With rich historical detail and powerful spiritual themes, author Liisa Eyerly delivers intrigue, danger, and hope in equal measure. Reviewer Deborah Anne raves: “Murder mystery—Intrigue—Love—Fellowship through Christ. This series has it all! Eyerly is wonderful! If you’re tired of boring—read this series! I love a good mystery!” Prepare to be hooked!

Visit me at my website, on my Author Facebook page,

or purchase my books at:

Fortunes of Death

Obedient Unto Death

My Amazon book page

Mystery, murder, and mayhem aren’t your typical Christian themes—but why should secular authors have all the fun solving crimes in ancient Rome? My love of history, scripture, and whodunits led me to blend faith with intrigue, bringing the world of the early Christians to life. Writing from my home in the woods of northern Wisconsin, I also draw inspiration from my travels to Turkey, Greece, and Italy, where I’ve walked the same streets my characters once did. Through historical mysteries, I explore a time when faith was a matter of life and death—literally.

A Steady Man in an Unsteady World

  by Tom Goodman

This month's entry at Heroes, Heroines, and History is a post from my monthly newsletter. I open each newsletter with a story from turn-of-the-century Texas, or a quick review of a book or film from that place and time. Train Dreams does not come from that place, but it comes from that time. If you love historical fiction, and if you aspire to write it well, Train Dreams its worth adding to your list of books to read and films to watch.

++++++++++++++++++

Robert Grainier is a steady man.

That’s the way the novelist, Denis Johnson, described him in his novella, Train Dreams. That’s the way he’s presented in the film by the same title, too. 

Much of the story revolves around his labor in the Idaho timber industry in the opening years of the 1900s. When he meets a woman (at church) and they have a daughter, he finds renewed purpose in his hard work.

A steady man, then. 

But a steady man in the midst of things beyond his control or comprehension.

In his own interior world, he can never quite resolve the regret for his role in an unjust act against a Chinese laborer. Nor can he settle his grief at losing his young family to a forest fire.

Things are beyond his control or comprehension in the world around him, as well. The stunning beauty and sudden danger of the forest in which he works is a point hard to miss.

In the film, he gains an ever-widening realization of just how vast this beautiful, baffling world is. 

In one scene, he stands with a friend on a forest service lookout tower and scans miles of the forest where he worked. 

In aother scene, he takes a single-engine plane flight to “see the world as only the birds do.” 

Then in 1962, as an old man, he watches through a department store window as a television displays John Glenn’s first images of Earth as seen from space. “Is that--?” he asks a stranger watching the television next to him. “That’s us,” she replies.

Train Dreams is the only book of Johnson’s that I’ve read, so far. I’m told many of the characters in his other novels and short stories are erratic and eccentric.  

Not Robert Grainier. He moves through all the experiences of his life with what one movie reviewer called a “strapping stoicism.” 

The fact that he cannot make sense of it all does not lead him to conclude that this life is meaningless.

The late Denis Johnson—a complicated Christian—once told a reporter for New York magazine, “What I write about is really the dilemma of living in a fallen world, and asking: Why is it like this if there’s supposed to be a God?” 

I read Train Dreams while I was writing my forthcoming novel. Since my story is set in East Texas timber, it made sense to read Johnson's story set in Idaho timber during the same era. I’m editing the manuscript now, and it occurs to me that a version of Robert Grainier found his way into my story somewhere along the way. One of the characters has that same stoic steadiness. 

Give Johnson’s story a look (book; film). And be on the lookout for my novel, Through Many Dangers, later this year. To find out when it drops, subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Facebook.

How Silver Plume Became a Nineteenth-Century Gem In the Colorado Rockies

By Donna Wichelman

Readers of my blogs over the last year and a half know I've written on topics related to my Gilded Age historical romance series, the Singing Silver Mine series, which is based on characters who settled in Georgetown, Colorado, during its silver-mining heyday of the late nineteenth century. Known as the Silver Queen of the Rocky Mountains, Georgetown gained its fame from the abundant ores the surrounding mountains yielded to early miners who settled there. Yet, while Georgetown has received most of the glory over the years, its neighbor to the west, Silver Plume, has often been neglected, overshadowed by Georgetown's reputation.

Main Street, Silver Plume, Colorado: Donna's Gallery, June 2019

ID 394784059 | Colorado Silver Plume © Mkopka | Dreamstime.com

Though a meager amount of gold was discovered in the Territory of Colorado as early as 1850 by a group of Georgian prospectors heading west during the California Gold Rush, it wasn't until 1859, when George Jackson followed the Clear Creek gorge and found a significant amount of gold, that the rush was on in Colorado. Thousands from all over the world flocked to the Rocky Mountains to find their fortunes.

All seemed to point to a thriving region until the gold bubble burst in 1864, and the investment capital necessary to keep going never paid off in revenues. Many other investors pulled out.

Then, in the fall of 1864, three prospectors—Robert Steele, James Huff, and Robert Taylor—discovered an extremely rich silver lode called the Gus Belmont Lode eight miles south of Georgetown on Mount McClellan at 13,200 feet. They headed to Central City to have their samples assayed, discovering a preliminary value of $200 to $500 per ton. The silver boom was on.

ID 199624040 | Silver © Roberto Junior | Dreamstime.com

Once again, prospectors from every corner of the globe flocked to the region, and by September 1866, Clear Creek County was declared “indisputably” rich in ores by Central City’s Weekly Miners’ Register. Georgetown flourished, as clapboard buildings, housing, banks and business enterprises sprang up in a growing business district. Mining camps popped up everywhere--Bakerville, Brownville, Simplem, Silver Dale, and others. 

Historic Business District, Georgetown, Colorado: Donna's Gallery, December 2024

Finally, in 1869, two men, Charles A. Kimberlin and Col. Ambrose H. Bartlett from Doniphon County, Kansas, decided to establish a town in a small, wide spot in a valley half a mile east of the mines and buildings in Brownville and three miles west of Georgetown.

Things started slowly in Silver Plume, with Kimberlin constructing only one or two buildings in 1869, though one reporter was impressed by the completed work on a school building before finishing his own residence. (The original schoolhouse was a simple wood-frame structure that remained in use until the brick building we see today on Main Street was built in 1874.)

"View from Silver Plume, looking up." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1850 - 1930.NY Digital Library

Only a handful of buildings were built in 1870, but by the fall of 1870, they started to talk of building a hotel, and the town became known as Silver Plume.

By 1872, the town was up and running with a tightly packed commercial district, fifty to sixty residences, four to five hundred residents, and plans for a town government. In that same year, Silver Plume was incorporated.* See note below.

By the 1880s, the town grew quickly as silver mines proliferated in the mountains surrounding Silver Plume. Georgetown may have been the commercial center of Clear Creek County, but Silver Plume was also a cosmopolitan, multicultural, multilingual town comprising working-class miners and their families, a few merchants, and other entrepreneurs. At its peak, the population grew to well over two thousand people.

Original Road to the 7:30 Mine Trail: "Laden with ore from "Seven-thirty" mine, Silver Plume, Colorado." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 

Integral to the town's growth and importance to Clear Creek County's silver mining industry was the Silver Plume-Georgetown Loop Railroad. It enabled miners to efficiently move their silver nuggets to smelters and markets.

Completed in 1884 by the Colorado Central Railroad, the three-foot narrow-gauge railroad was one of the American West's greatest engineering feats, with a 640-foot elevation gain between Silver Plume and Georgetown. The railroad used loops, switchbacks, and a high bridge, called the Devil's Gate High Bridge, to gradually accomplish the elevation gain.

"Great loop of the Silver Plume, Colorado." The New York Public Library Digital Collections.

Unfortunately, the entire world fell into deep economic depression in 1893, and silver was devalued. Neither Silver Plume nor Georgetown recovered from the devaluation, and only a handful of mines survived.

Today, tourism keeps the Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic District alive. Visitors can take a step back in history and ride the narrow-gauge train between Georgetown and Silver Plume, stopping to tour a mine on the Georgetown Loop, or walk the historic streets of Silver Plume and buy coffee in the old saloon. For the adventurous at heart, one can hike one of several trails up the surrounding mountains and view numerous ruined mines in the area. One of the most popular is the 7:30 Mine Trail, which is 3.5-mile round-trip trail to the restored 7:30 Mine. 

*Note: Silver Plume disincorporated in 1874, when they realized they weren't ready for self-rule, but incorporated again on August 19, 1880.

Georgetown Loop Railroad, Silver Plume: Donna's Gallery, Summer 1995

Donna Hiking the 7:30 Mine Trail and Stopping at an Old Abandoned Mine: Donna's Gallery, June 2019

Donna is an Angel-award-winning author of Historical fiction for A Song of Deliverance. Book Two in the Silver Singing Mine series, Rhythms of the Heart, was released in November 2025. Weaving history and faith into stories of intrigue and redemption grew out of Donna's love of travel, history, and literature as a young adult while attending an international college in Wales, U.K. She enjoys developing plots that show how God's love abounds even in the profoundly difficult circumstances of our lives. Her stories reflect the hunger in all of us for love, belonging, and forgiveness.

Donna was a communications professional before becoming a full-time writer. Her short stories and articles have appeared in inspirational publications. She has two indie-published romantic suspense novels, Light Out of Darkness and Undaunted Valor, in her Waldensian Series. 

Donna and her husband of forty-one years participate in ministry at their local church in Colorado. They love spending time with their grandchildren and bike, kayak, and travel whenever possible.

Roman Citizenship, the Gold Standard

By Liisa Eyerly

Historical authors and readers must navigate a murky and treacherous landscape when writing. Murky because we don’t know all the facts and nuances of any period. So much has been lost to the melting ice cubes of time. Treacherous, because peering into the past confronts us with the impossible task of disconnecting from our present-day selves, modern ideas, and our evolved knowledge base.

Suspending moral judgment on the culture, rules, and practices of the Roman Empire, 2,000 years ago, can be especially challenging. Developing characters while distancing them from modern-age perspectives can be difficult. Depicting beliefs where slavery is neither right nor wrong, simply an accepted way of life; or exposing newborns to nature to die, as a common-sense solution for unwanted children; or their choice of mass capital punishment, ignites moral outrage. Is there a limit to how far we can suspend our beliefs, especially when it comes to our values, good and bad, right and wrong?

But to be fair to the times, we must try as much as possible.

Modern democracies work hard to include all citizens in their country's rights and responsibilities, with equality for all, a laudable goal. But Roman society was anything but equal. It was based on a ladder of legal identities, a tiered system of status, and privilege.

Almost every aspect of a person’s life was governed by their legal designation, and Roman Citizenship was at the top, the gold standard of privilege, power, and rights. And unsurprisingly, a major catalyst for power struggles, resentment, and rebellion in the Roman world.

A. Roman Citizens (Cives Romani)  

* Full rights and protections
* Included elites, veterans, colonists—and some provincials
* Women were citizens too, though without voting or office-holding rights

B. Latins (Latini) Originally from Italy, later expanded
* Partial rights- a “citizenship-adjacent” status
* Could trade and own property
* Sometimes eligible for citizenship after holding local office

C. Freedmen (Liberti)
* Former slaves who had been legally freed
* Became Roman citizens, but with limits:
     * Could not hold high office
     * Owed loyalty and service to former masters
* Their children, however, were full citizens

D. Provincials (Peregrini)  

* The majority of the empire
* Free people, but not citizens
* Governed by local laws, not Roman civil law
* Vulnerable to:
     * Torture
     * Summary punishment
     * Exploitative taxation
* Could gain citizenship through:
     * Military service
     * Imperial favor
     * Collective grants to cities

E. Slaves (Servi)
* Considered property, not persons
* Not determined by race or ethnicity
* No legal rights
* Could be punished, sold, abused, or killed (with some limits in later periods)
* Manumission (freeing a slave) was common—and strategic

Ironically, a freed slave could outrank a freeborn provincial in legal status. And it was one of Rome’s quiet engines for social change and mobility.  (Collared Roman slaves / Ashmolean Museum, Photo by Jun, Wikimedia Commons)

Why This Mattered for Christians

Christianity flattened social categories spiritually and sought to practice equality within the church, but Rome did not recognize or understand the religious rationale for Christian inclusiveness. Loyalty to Christ cut across Rome’s legal hierarchy; slaves shared the Lord’s supper with their masters, each serving the other on equal footing, and this terrified authorities. In the provinces like Ephesus, where my books take place, this legal gray zone was a powder keg and exactly the kind of fault line Rome cracked down on.

Christians included:    

* Slaves
* Women
* Foreigners
* A few citizens

Each of these legal designations included categories; even within the upper classes, women and children were typically at the bottom. Tune in next month for a look at the limits, challenges, and opportunities women of the Roman Empire faced.

Step into the shadowy streets of 96 AD Ephesus, where danger lurks around every corner, and the line between friend and foe is razor-thin. Fortunes of Death, plunges you into a world where faith is tested, alliances are shattered, and one woman's courage could be the difference between life and death.

Sabina, a fierce young Christian widow, is thrust into a deadly game when a wealthy citizen is murdered. With her friend’s life hanging in the balance, Sabina must unravel a web of lies, deceit, and hidden motives. Every clue she uncovers brings her closer to the truth—and closer to becoming the next victim.

This isn't just a murder mystery. It's a gripping tale of faith, resilience, and the power of one woman standing against the darkness.

Visit me at my website, on my Author Facebook page,

or purchase my books at:

Fortunes of Death

Obedient Unto Death

My Amazon book page

Liisa’s books have been called a cross between Agatha Christie and Francine Rivers. Her mystery novel, Obedient Unto Death, won the Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award for a debut novel and first place in the Spiritual Fiction category. The sequel, Fortunes of Death, continues the Secrets of Ephesus series, weaving fascinating Christian twists into the historical mystery genre of the first-century Roman Empire. Liisa’s travels to Turkey, Greece, and Italy have enriched her stories with vivid depictions of New Testament culture, history, and people.

Part 1: “Bread, Olives, and Posca — Everyday Meals of the Common Roman

 By Liisa Eyerly

[[File:Egyptian Olives.jpg|Egyptian_Olives]]

In past blogs, described the dining habits of the Roman poor and the rich, from lavish, multi-course banquets with guests lounging on silken couches to the majority and less fortunate, who were limited to eating cold meals of cheese, salted fish, and bread in apartments without kitchens or stoves, and the grab-and-go streetside “cafes” that served hot stews, porridges, breads, and pastries to a bustling society in Roman cities.

Join me now, as we dive into the rhythm of ancient Roman meals, where most citizens had little time for leisure, and their meals reflected the demands of daily labor.

Breakfast or ientaculum (sunrise to 8am, later for elites)
Poor - quick start, eaten on the go

· Day-old coarse barley or wheat bread similar to today’s rusks, (see recipe below)
· Softened by dipping in water, olive oil, or watered-down wine.
· Various types of pancakes- made with wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and curdled milk.
· Leftover dates, figs, or olives. 

Spikes (ears) of cultivated emmer (wheat) Wikipedia

File:Ouma Rusks bowl.jpg|Ouma_Rusks_bowl

Lunch or Prandium (11 a.m.–1 p.m.) The Romans did not enjoy eating a large meal in the heat of the day. A lite lunch was customary.
Poor – often eaten standing -cold meal to keep up energy

· leftovers from the previous day’s “cena”
· bread with olives, olive paste, or cheese spread
· eggs, vegetables (cabbage, carrots, turnips, squash, onions, lettuce)

Stacy Spensley - https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=96293297

Supper or Cena — late afternoon to evening (4–5 p.m., later for the wealthy)
Poor -The family meal at the end of the workday.  

 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=lentil+stew&title=Special%3AMediaSearch&type=image Emna Mizouni

· Bread and cheese
· Simple stews and porridge (puls), lentils, beans, millet, barley, wheat, flavored with fish, vegetables, and spices
· Occasional meat: fish, pigeons, thrush, small rodents, rabbits
· Fruit: dried and in season figs, dates, apples, plums, pears
· Drinks: watered-down wine, Posca, a drink made from watered-down vinegar and herbs. Its acidity killed germs. Mustum freshly pressed grape juice—unfermented wine

Most meals were accompanied by Garum, a fermented fish sauce — made by layering small fish (like anchovies, sardines, or mackerel) with salt and herbs, then allowing it to ferment in the sun for weeks. 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cetaria,_watercolour_painting_of_the_fish_processing_tanks,_Ru%C3%ADnas_romanas_do_Cerro_da_Vila._20_October_2016.jpgMost meals were accompanied by Garum, a fermented fish sauce — made by layering small fish (like anchovies, sardines, or mackerel) with salt and herbs, then allowing it to ferment in the sun for weeks.

The poor used cheaper, coarser versions of garum, often called allec, a thick paste or sludge left after straining out the clear liquid (reserved for the elites) — it still had flavor but was gritty and less refined.

While most Romans ended their day with a bowl of lentils and a crust of bread, the wealthy reclined in marble triclinia surrounded by peacocks and poets. In Part 2, we’ll step into their dining rooms…”

Modern-day Recipe for Rusks -- Traced to the ancient Greeks, the biscuit means twice-baked. Tasty sourdough recipe: Paximadia, BreadRusks | Diane Kochilas

Secrets of Ephesus Series: 

Winner of the Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award, Obedient Unto Death launches a gripping historical mystery series set in the perilous world of first-century Rome. In Fortunes of Death, fearless Christian sleuth Sabina returns—risking everything to expose murder, magic, and corruption beneath the empire’s glittering surface. With rich historical detail and powerful spiritual themes, author Liisa Eyerly delivers intrigue, danger, and hope in equal measure. Reviewer Deborah Anne raves: “Murder mystery—Intrigue—Love—Fellowship through Christ. This series has it all! Eyerly is wonderful! If you’re tired of boring—read this series! I love a good mystery!” Prepare to be hooked!

Liisa’s books have been called a cross between Agatha Christie and Francine Rivers. Her mystery novel, Obedient Unto Death, won the Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award for a debut novel and first place in the Spiritual Fiction category. The sequel, Fortunes of Death, continues the Secrets of Ephesus series, weaving fascinating Christian twists into the historical mystery genre of the first-century Roman Empire. Liisa’s travels to Turkey, Greece, and Italy have enriched her stories with vivid depictions of New Testament culture, history, and people.
Liisa’s journey into writing proves it’s never too late to follow your dreams and share your passion with the world

Purchase her books at:

Crossriver Media https://www.crossrivermedia.com/product/fortunes-of-death/

Amazon book page https://amzn.to/3Di2gyQ

Visit Liisa at:

Her website www.LiisaEyerly.com

Author Facebook page at Liisa Eyerly Author page