Character Spotlight ~ TL Higley's Ariella

Ariella

T L Higley's lastest novel, Pompeii, is brilliant ~ another foray into ancient times with adventure, intrigue and romance. Grab yourself a copy now!

Over to you, Tracy:~

Brief physical description

Ariella begins the story disguised as a sixteen year old boy, so she’s chopped her hair short and tries to fit in with the larger, bulkier gladiators. As the story progresses, her hair starts to grow out, but she’s still thin, and a bit athletic.

Actor/famous person

I’m a big fan of the TV show Castle, and I think a bit of Kate Beckett (and Rick Castle) crept in to the writing of Pompeii. I kept hearing their smart, fun dialogue in my head as I wrote, and picturing Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion. Ariella’s personality, especially, with all its strength and intensity, reminded me of Kate Beckett’s character.

Strengths and weaknesses

As with all of us, Ariella’s strength can also be a weakness. Her fierce loyalty to nation and family has led to anger toward God and Rome for the atrocities allowed to take place. She channels that anger into her arena-fighting, but when that’s taken from her she must find a way to deal with her anger.

Your inspiration for the character

I love smart, strong women! I’m always finding myself figuring out ways to portray them in societies that did not easily provide opportunities for their strengths. For Ariella, I focused on my own strong desire for freedom and the right to control my destiny, and the ways in which those desires come up against the sovereignty of God, and what that means.

Background to the story

The historical destruction of Pompeii, buried under the ash and lava flow of Mt. Vesuvius’s volcanic eruption, provided more than enough background! It was great fun writing the story, tracing the adventures of my characters as they lived beneath the simmering mountain, unknowing that it was about to erupt. When Pompeii was buried it left so much of Roman life intact, ready to be revealed centuries later, that it was a treat to map out the storylines amidst this historical location, and an even greater adventure to travel there, and explore the streets myself. If you’d like to read my Travel Journal from my research trip, be sure to visit my website and click through to the page about Pompeii!

Thanks Tracy :) Love travelling through history with you!

Relz Reviewz Extras

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