Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed Philip and Meredith’s love story! I had a wonderful time writing about their adventures, especially as the research I conducted for this book led me to some fascinating information regarding ancient civilizations. Of special note is the story of Cleopatra’s very clever way of hosting the most expensive feast in history. This is indeed based upon writings found in Pliny the Elder’s Natural History, a comprehensive work detailing his observations of the world around him, and devoted to a variety of subjects such as agriculture, geography, astronomy, botany, zoology, and medicine, as well as history. Gaius Plinius Secundus (known as Pliny the Elder) possessed a passion for directly observing phenomena and taking notes. Unfortunately, his dedication to this method, along with his curiosity, was directly responsible for his death in 79 A. D., when he ventured too close to Mount Vesuvius during its eruption and the destruction of Pompeii.
Also of special note is the poem Philip recites to Meredith during their Mediterranean dinner, which is an actual lyric translated from an ancient Egyptian glyph.
I love to hear from readers! You can contact me through my website at www.JacquieD.com, where there’s always something fun going on.
Thank you so much for spending time with Philip and Meredith!
Best regards and happy reading,
Jacquie D’Alessandro