The page 69 test? Is that something dirty? :-O

No. It isn't. :-)

I just read Lydia's blog post over at The Sharp Angle about the page 69 test. Basically, if you read page 69 of a book and like it, you should buy it. She shared page 69 of her YA novel, Summer Hoax. So, it inspired me to share page 69 of my historical fiction novel in progress. I opened the file marked "Full text part 1" only to discover that I don't have a page 69. :-O  Due to skipping around during the creation of this rough draft the first section ends on page 65.

I don't have a good tag line yet, but here's the basic premise. It is set in the first century CE in the Roman Empire. At age 15 Calli is sold into slavery by her cousin for refusing to marry him. All sorts of bad stuff happens to her (of course) and some good stuff too (to keep the readers from throwing the book in the trash cursing my name). By this point in the book the ship carrying her to Rome has wrecked on the small island of Malta.
  *side note - I had the ship wreck on Malta because I was an exchange student there and couldn't resist putting it into the novel. :-)

So, after reading my "page 69," would you buy the book?

 “Why is it that you take so much pleasure in irritating me?” Calli glared at the Nubian, who made a belated attempt to cover the wide grin spreading across his mahogany face.


Going straight-faced, Sefu looked into her eyes. “In my tribe it is our way to find joy in the things that surround us.” He grinned at her again and Calli saw something beyond amusement in his dark eyes. “Here, I choose to find joy in you.”

“That is – it’s,” Calli tore her eyes from his, clenching her fingers into fists. “You do not know what you’re talking about.”

Without allowing him to speak again, she stood and walked away. At least being stranded on this barren lump of limestone had one advantage – no shackles. She found Aspasia sitting alone gazing out at the Mediterranean.

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t,” she said, sitting next to her friend and giving her a nudge.

Aspasia gave her a wane smile. “I was just thinking of my mother.”

Calli lifted a brow. Aspasia had spoken only once of her mother and it had not been a favorable tale. She realized with a twinge, that her own mother might not have been warm and loving, but it had not been she who sold her daughter as a slave.

“I was just wondering what she looks like.” She turned her face back toward the water.

“Oh.” Calli put a tentative hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Do you want to be alone?”

Aspasia shook her head. “No.” She gave a long sigh. “All I remember of her is that she was wearing a blue chiton when they pried my fingers from her waist.” She turned and looked at Calli. “She never said a word as they carried me away. I screamed for her until my throat was raw.”

“I’m sorry.” Calli hugged her tight.

They sat together in silence and watched the sun chariot descend into the sea to begin its journey through the Underworld to rise again at dawn.