Today I have a special treat. I’ve joined part of Katie Hamstead’s blog tour for her recently released Kiya-Hope of the Pharoah. Katie has graciously allowed me to interview Queen Nefertiti from her book, but before we do that, let me give you the blurb on this story:
When Naomi’s sisters are snatched up to be taken to be wives of the erratic Pharaoh, Akhenaten, she knows they won’t survive the palace, so she offers herself in their place. The fearsome Commander Horemheb sees her courage, and knows she is exactly what he is looking for…
The Great Queen Nefertiti despises Naomi instantly, and strips her of her Hebrew lineage, including her name, which is changed to Kiya. Kiya allies herself with Horemheb, who pushes her to greatness and encourages her to make the Pharaoh fall in love with her. When Akhenaten declares Kiya will be the mother of his heir, Nefertiti, furious with jealousy, schemes to destroy Kiya.
Kiya must play the deadly game carefully. She is in a silent battle of wills, and a struggle for who will one day inherit the crown. If she does bear an heir, she knows she will need to fight to protect him, as well as herself, from Nefertiti who is out for blood.
And now…on to the interview.
I am the Great Queen Nefertiti, first wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten.
Of course. I love my husband. We’ve been married since we were children.
That little harlot. She thinks she is so clever and so powerful just because she has the Commander backing her. Well, she is still nothing more than a slave. She will get what’s coming to her if she doesn’t pull her head in. I will find her weakness and expose her deceitful nature to our husband.
Friends? Since that wretched Kiya came all the wives have turned against me. Even my husband listens to her more than me. But I still have my daughters for consolation, and my father keeps a close watch on the court. I guess my only friends are my family.
I am the great and wondrous Queen of all Egypt, more beautiful than any other. My bloodline is pure, and I am chosen by the great Aten as wife and mother for the Pharaoh. None shall be placed above me.
I do. I have six daughters, the younger three are still small, but the older three fulfill their roles perfectly. They are pure blooded, and obediently accept their roles as wife and queens to the pharaoh. They will one day inherit the crown. Most likely Meritaten whom I see myself reflected in. She is clever and cunning. Mekitaten is quieter and best serves as an offspring barer, and Ankhespaaten has a fierce loyalty to her father and loves him dearly, which I can use to my advantage.
Thank you!
You’re welcome. It was intriguing to learn more about Queen Nefertiti.
Sounds like another great one! Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if it rained all summer so that I could catch up on all this reading! That’s a fun idea to interview one of the characters. It sounds like she has all kinds of sides to her – and those are the most interesting and memorable ones.
We could use rain here (for the ground as well as for an excuse to read more). After interviewing Nefertiti, I want to learn more about Kiya now.
Sounds pretty great to be QUEEN! Happy Weekend:)
Yes, Nefertiti doesn’t sound like she has a confidence issue.
Sounds interesting. Is Naomi/Kiya mentioned in the history of Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti? I guess there would be a lot of research involved when using historical figures in fiction.
I was wondering the same thing. I haven’t read this one yet, so I don’t know the answer to that. But the story entices me to feast upon its plot and figure out if its strict fiction or has historical accuracy.
She is mentioned as a wife of Akhenaten. I spent a lot of time researching the period, but I did need to fill in the gaps with fiction. But I figure, if the story interests people to look into the history themselves, then I’ve done something right!
I love character interviews. It gives us a chance to see who we’ll be reading about. Being queen certainly has its perks, but I couldn’t handle all the required intrigue! Thank you for the chance to meet Nefertiti!
I was excited to do a character interview also. Nefertiti might not be my first pick to eat lunch with, but she sounds like she’ll be a perfect villain in this book.
This is a great interview, Char. Nefertiti sounds like a highly intriguing character 😉
I agree. Katie’s book sounds full of vivid characters, but Nefertiti sounds sly and devious (and smart enough to get away with it)
Great twist on an interview. The premise of the book sounds awesome. Do I remember correctly that you had risked your life interviewing another villain earlier in the year???
Yes, it was a pretty scary experience to interview Gina Barlean’s scary villain from Dead Blow
Yes! That’s the one, now I remember. You do put your life on the line, Miss Char. All in the name of author interviews. What a brave soul you are.
You’re the first to call me brave. I must call and tell my sister. She’ll never believe you.
Great stuff!
Wonder how much of the interview and the names used are grounded to history?
Shakti
Yeah, I liked that too.