# Vestal Virgin--suspense in ancient Rome-- 4.5 stars FREE Today



## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

I am excited to announce publication of my debut novel, *Vestal Virgin*.

This book has been in the works for a long time; I began writing it about seven years ago. I hope you'll take a look.

Here's the description:

Elissa Rubria Honoria is a Vestal Virgin--priestess of the sacred flame, a visionary, and one of the most powerful women in Rome. Vestals are sacrosanct, sworn to chastity on penalty of death, but the emperor, Nero, holds himself above the law. He pursues Elissa, engaging her in a deadly game of wits and sexuality. Or is Elissa really the pursuer? She stumbles on dark secrets. No longer trusting Roman gods, she follows a new god, Jesus of Nazareth, jeopardizing her life and the future of The Roman Empire.

• *New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks says, 
"...a writer of real talent...a promising new voice."*

• *New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen says, 
"Suzanne Tyrpak weaves a spell that utterly enchants and delights. Her writing is pure magic."*

• *A torrid tale of love, honor, and sacrifice pitted against horrific acts of murder, betrayal, and depravity. Rife with intrigue and brimming with exquisite detail, Vestal Virgin is a deftly paced masterpiece of historical fiction. I hope Tyrpak is planning another foray into this ancient world . . . and soon!
- Eldon Thompson, author of The Divine Talisman*

*Please note:* Due to the setting and the times, the book includes several scenes involving deviant sex-suggestive rather than graphic-and not more than a few paragraphs.

*Blake Crouch* was kind enough to write a foreward for the book. Please sample the book, below.

Please feel free to ask me any questions about my extensive research, how the book developed, and all the wonderful people who have helped me along the way--including all the great readers and writers here on Kindle Boards--I'd be delighted to answer any questions.

Thank you!
Suzanne


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Welcome to KindleBoards, Suzanne, and congratulations on your book.

(If you've gotten this welcome before, it's just as a matter of housekeeping. We like to put a copy of the "welcome letter" in each book thread. It doesn't mean you've done anything wrong, it just helps us know that you know the rules.)

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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Hi Ann,

Thanks for the reminder!

*Vestal Virgin* has been "live" for about three days now. Be the first to give it a review!

About half the characters in the book are based on real people--I did extensive research. Other characters are completely fictitious. I took a lot of care in selecting names, and I find the meaning behind names interesting. For example, the name of my villain, Nero, means "strong and vigorous," but it also means "dark or black." The name of my heroine, Elissa, is associated with "light and joy," especially the light of the soul.

I often use baby name books as a source. If you find names interesting, another great source is Behind the Name. http://www.behindthename.com/

If you're ready to be swept away into another time and place, please check out *Vestal Virgin*

*Introductory priced at .99 cents--until Amazon changes the price today!*

*Happy New Year!*

Suzanne


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## farrellclaire (Mar 5, 2010)

Sounds good, Suzanne.  I'm looking forward to reading it - whenever I catch up on xmas and have a book budget again!


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## farrellclaire (Mar 5, 2010)

Came back to say I got an early xmas present and managed to snag your book this year after all. 

_And thanks again btw._


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Thank you so much Claire!

Happy Holidays,

Suzanne


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I'm pleased to announce that Vestal Virgin is our KB Book of the Day!


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Thanks Harvey. I'm delighted to support Kindle Boards!


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

If you've been thinking about buying *Vestal Virgin* Amazon still shows the price as .99 cents--just until the price updates. After that it will be $2.99.

The book has received excellent reviews, including 5 stars from author, L.C. Evans!

Suzanne


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

*Vestal Virgin* is featured today on *The Indie Spotlight* http://www.theindiespotlight.com/

*The Indie Spotlight* is a great resource for readers and writers. The site is run by graphic designer, Gregory Banks, and award-winning Indie author, Edward C. Patterson. Check it out.

My good news: *Vestal Virgin* has received eight excellent reviews on Amazon!


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

I'm excited to be going to New York later this week. (My dad's 95th birthday.) And I'll be visiting the Metropolitan Art Museum so I can hang out in their new Greek and Roman wing.

I'll also be there to view an incredible find: a complete, perfect, Roman mosaic floor--recently discovered in Lod, Israel, and now on display at the Met. http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={6C51E9CC-0958-4743-A2FE-4A3304C3AAD9}

If you find history interesting, check out the video below.


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

I'm excited to share this news: after twenty years, the House of Vestals in Rome is now open to visitors.

Read more here http://www.lifeinitaly.com/news/rome-reopens-house-vestal-virgins


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## BarbaraSilkstone (Feb 18, 2010)

Suzanne, I so enjoyed Dating My Vibrator. I love your humor and terse writing style. I'm looking forward to Vestal Virgin.


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Thanks Barbara.

Barbara Silkstone is a wonderful writer--and hilarious! 

My news: T.L. Haddix asked me to guest post on her blog about writing romance. (Perhaps I'm writing the antithesis.) 
Please check it out http://tlhaddix.com/content/2011/02/romancing-romance-by-author-suzanne-tyrpak/


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Happy Valentine's Day to all Romantics!

Romance, adventure, dark suspense--let *Vestal Virgin* sweep you away to another time and place. Just $2.99 on Kindle, Smashwords and Nook.


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## jbkirkpat (Jan 30, 2011)

Hi Suzanne, dropped by to let your fans know they can find your feature interview on my blog, at this link: http://tinyurl.com/4c4g8cx
They can even win an ebook copy of Vestal Virgin, if they leave a comment and then join and follow your blog. I'll push the deadline off a few days to let them find you.

It was great having you as a guest!


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Thanks Joe. You have a great blog!


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

*Vestal Virgin* received 5 Kitties from Socrates' Book Reviews and a "Great Book Alert." Read the review here:
http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/vestal-virgin-by-suzanne-tyrpak.html

It also received 4.5 stars from Mother Lode  http://gracekrispy.blogspot.com/2011/03/review-vestal-virgins-by-suzanne-tyrpak.html

All in all, a great week!


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## Kikuri (Dec 29, 2010)

Just wanted to add that this was quite well-written and interesting. : )


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Thank you, Kikuri!


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

This has been an exciting day for me. I'm holding the hard-copy proof of *Vestal Virgin* in my hands. Terry Roy did a beautiful job formatting the book, and Jeroen ten Berge's cover is magnificent.

Plus the book received more good reviews this week. 
*From Universe in Words* http://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2011/03/interview-giveaway-with-suzanne-tyrpak.html 
*Booked Up * http://tc-bookedup.blogspot.com/2011/03/book-review-vestal-virgin-by-suzanne.html and from 
*Stimulated Outlet Book Reviews *(Alice Yeh) http://www.stimulatedoutlet.com/2011/03/vestal-virgin-suzanne-tyrpak.html


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Author, Sarah Woodbury, who writes historical and fantasy novels set in the Dark Ages and Medieval Wales, asked me to guest post on her blog today about the role of women in ancient Rome.

Vestal Virgins were the most powerful women in Rome, highly literate and able to own property, at a time when most women couldn't read. Just one big draw-back: they were sworn to 30 years of chastity on penalty of death.

Read more at Sarah's blog http://www.sarahwoodbury.com/?p=2482


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

*Vestal Virgin* is a tale of suspense involving early Christians. Paul of Tarsus was in Rome at the time the story takes place, and he appears as a secondary character. The protagonist, Elissa, is a Vestal Virgin, caught between the old gods and the new god, Jesus of Nazareth.

Dark. Intense. Sex


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Harriet Klausner, Amazon's #1 Reviewer, gave *Vestal Virgin* a 5 star review!

Historical fiction readers will relish this powerful thriller that brings vividly to the armchair audience first century Rome. 
--Harriet Klausner, The Merry Genre Go Round Reviews

Read the whole review here: http://www.amazon.com/Vestal-Virgin-Suspense-Ancient-ebook/product-reviews/B004G093HQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending


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## Alex Owens (Mar 24, 2011)

Hi! Just wanted to let you know I just finished this book and I loved it. I bow down to you and your tale of Roman vaniity, corruption and depravity! Expect more glowing reviews to be scattered by me shortly


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Thank you, KP! I'm so glad you enjoyed the book.

I'm very excited, because tomorrow I'll be doing my Virgin (first) Book Signing at my local indie bookshop, Maria's http://www.mariasbookshop.com/event/meet-author-novelist-suzanne-tyrpak

Here's a photo of Maria's Bookshop and a photo of Main Avenue, Durango

















Also *Vestal Virgin* just received a great review from the Durango Herald http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20110610/ARTS05/706109963/0/ARTS04/Local-author-goes-way-way-back-for-debut-novel

This is an exciting time for me. I've been writing for a long time, and now my hard work is coming to fruition. A response, like yours, make it all worthwhile.

I look forward to reading your books too--I just downloaded a sample of *Memories for Sale.*


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## Tiphanie Thomas (Mar 10, 2011)

Congrats, Suzanne, on a great article and the book signing! You're a busy lady.

For all, Suzanne is the Romance Spotlight today. Visit and get to know more about her. It's very interesting.

Tiph


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Thanks Tiphanie!

I recently did a review copy giveaway at Librarything. It was great fun to connect with lots of readers, and, happily, *Vestal Virgin* has received excellent reviews. Here's part of a recent review from Bill Thibadeau:

*Top 40 quality - a MUST read*., June 16, 2011
By Bill Thibadeau (Edgewood, WA United States)

Suzanne Tyrpak has shown herself to be a first tier writer. She has woven a tale of life and tribulations of a historically accurate Vestal Virgin. I was unaware that they even existed. Suzanne has crafted a wonderfully articulate story of fictional characters interwoven amongst historical figures.

If you've read my book, or if you're interested in ancient times, I'd love to hear from you on this thread or on my blog!

Suzanne


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Like dark suspense? Check out Vestal Virgin.

Here's a video about the recently reopened House of Vestals


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## BRONZEAGE (Jun 25, 2011)

Have just gone through your thread and really enjoyed all the info, especially the videos!

You've inspired me to retain and post videos re: ancient Eire when they come along on the web.

best, jsd 
[my thread has floated to page 2 just now]


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Hi Bronzeage. Great to meet fellow historical readers and writers. 

Like videos? Want to learn more about Rome. Visit Google Earth's 3D Rome. Very cool!


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## BRONZEAGE (Jun 25, 2011)

Thank you, interesting link. Are you planning to write another novel set in Rome?

Checked out your humor titles also, good stuff ! You have a touch of _blarney_, my dear!


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Thanks Bronzeage, Blarney absolutely  

Eventually, I'll write a sequel to Vestal Virgin--set in Rome.

Right now I'm working on a suspense trilogy set in ancient Athens at the time of Pericles. It's called, Agathon's Daughter. Basically a woman's journey from slave to hetaera (courtesan) to priestess. I'm having a lot of fun writing it (now that I've figured out where it's going!) and I'm convincing myself that I need to take another trip to Greece for research!


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## Tara Maya (Nov 4, 2010)

SuzanneTyrpak said:


> Thanks Bronzeage, Blarney absolutely
> 
> Eventually, I'll write a sequel to Vestal Virgin--set in Rome.
> 
> Right now I'm working on a suspense trilogy set in ancient Athens at the time of Pericles. It's called, Agathon's Daughter. Basically a woman's journey from slave to hetaera (courtesan) to priestess. I'm having a lot of fun writing it (now that I've figured out where it's going!) and I'm convincing myself that I need to take another trip to Greece for research!


What a fascinating topic.


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Thanks Tara,  

I enjoy learning about the role of women throughout history, and I enjoy imagining their stories. So much has been written about wars and politics, but I want to know about every day life. And, although they're frequently not mentioned, there have always been powerful and influential woman--which really comes as no surprise!


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

I'm delighted to announce that Vestal Virgin just received a 5 Star review from J. Lynn at Red Adept Reviews!

Lynn notifies writers a few days before the review appears, but the rating is a secret until the review is posted. I woke up several times last night and checked to see if it was up. The last time I feel back to sleep, I dreamed the book received a 2 star review. I'm so thankful that wasn't true!

Here's a link to the review: http://redadeptreviews.com/


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## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

Wow - well done, Suzanne!


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## Tammie Clarke Gibbs (Dec 30, 2010)

Congratulations on the great review Suzanne!!!


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## Syria Says... AKA Celia Can Read (Apr 16, 2010)

Wonderful review!  

I can't wait to write my own review for it!  

Keep up the fantastic work, ma'am!


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Thanks Deb, Tammie and Syria!

Getting a review is always exciting and scary! Fun when they're good!


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

A bit of True Roman History from Horrible Histories. The Roman Emperor, Elagabalus held this lottery:


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Another *Rotten Roman* video for your entertainment and edifictation. This one is about Nero's uncle (the emperor, Nero, plays a major part in *Vestal Virgin*), Caligula. If any emperor can be named crazier than Nero, it's probably Caligula.

Enjoy!


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

I've just enrolled *Vestal Virgin--suspense in ancient Rome* in KDP Select -- the Amazon lending library.

Please watch for my new historical suspense novel, *Hetaera--suspense in ancient Athens*. This is book one in a trilogy.

Happy Holidays!

Suzanne


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

*Vestal Virgin--suspense in ancient Rome* is *FREE* today on Amazon. I'd love for you to pick up a copy!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Vestal Virgin is *FREE on Amazon* today.

*Merry Christmas!!!*


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## BRONZEAGE (Jun 25, 2011)

Happy holidays -- looking forward to reading your latest --

J S Dunn


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## agavin (Dec 25, 2011)

Given it was free, and I'm a huge Roman buff, I couldn't resist picking this up. Now to find time to read...


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Thanks JS and Andy. Happy Holidays!


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