Morgan O’Neill’s Roman time travel series begins in
present-day Ravenna, Italy. Our heroine, Gigi Perrin, plays her flute in the
Baptistery of Neon, an actual UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the most
ancient of Ravenna’s monuments, constructed circa A.D. 402. It is here that a
curse placed on an ancient ring sends Gigi back through time.
The excerpts are from Love,
Eternally, Book One of the Roman Time Travel Series, with the photographs
courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.
Photograph. Caption: Baptistery of Neon in Ravenna, Exterior,
photo by Matthias Hollander.
Gigi stepped out of the Mercedes. Before her stood an
octagon-shaped brick building, surrounded by a colorful garden. She could see
the remains of the baptistery’s ancient door sunken partway into the ground.
The structure had to be really old, if the original level was that far down. Gravel
crunched beneath her feet, the sound of traffic from the nearby Piazza Kennedy
fading with each step. Sweet, flowery air wafted over her. Outside the entry, a
lone palm stood sentinel, surrounded by riotous sprays of orange and white
gladiolas. Beside the door, a plaque read “Battistero Neoniano.”
She stepped inside. Sunlight poured through the windows,
illuminating a pulpit, and recessed chapels lined the perimeter, the walls
painted with frescoes. She looked up, slowly turning. Glittering above, richly
colored mosaics rose to the top of the dome. There, images of Peter, Paul, and
the other Apostles seemingly whirled toward a central golden medallion, where
Jesus was depicted being baptized in the Jordan.
The building was late Roman and perfectly preserved. She
stepped to the railing surrounding the empty baptismal font and was surprised
by the drop, maybe ten feet down. “Wow,” she said, listening to the echo.
“Hey!” She grinned, her own voice coming back at her, crisp and clear. The
acoustics were perfect.
Gigi noticed someone had placed a wrought-iron candelabrum
on the pulpit, and she guessed that was to be her stage. She flicked open the
case latches and put her golden flute together. She couldn’t wait to play.
Photograph. Caption: Baptistery of Neon, Mosaic
Ceiling, photo by Hay Kranan.
Gigi laughed and bowed to the air, then heard a distant
cacophony, a really badly done version of the “Minute Waltz.” Another flutist?
But where? The baptistery was empty. Probably someone outside, a bystander.
Funny. She raised her flute and played along, appreciating the musician’s
struggle, wanting to help. Finally, she heard pure tone, matching hers note for
note. Yes, that’s it––
Magnus squinted. Was it his imagination, or had the air
begun to sparkle where the musician once stood? Rubbing his eyes, he cursed the
effects of too much wine. This odd air reminded him of trips to his family’s
salt mines, where the briny haze twinkled in torchlight, and he could smell it,
taste it for days afterward, like tears upon his tongue.
By now, the extraordinary melody had faded, and Horace
returned to the pulpit, but something was still decidedly odd. Magnus studied
the flutist’s glimmering robes, the sparkles whirling around his brow. Was this
a dream? Was no one else seeing this?
Horace placed his silver flute to his lips, listening as the
phantom melody rose again. He tried a few notes, his attempt rough and too
slow. Frowning, he took a deep breath and blew true. For a long moment, the
music meshed.
Troubled, Magnus looked at Placidia, but she was conversing
with several young women. The crowd once again grew lively, unaware of the
strangeness he perceived.
When Horace let out a yelp, Magnus spun back around. The
flutist was nowhere to be seen.
Magnus warily cast his glance about the room, looking for
the absent musician, but the sound of a gasp brought his attention back to the
pulpit. The air sparkled as before, but now a woman appeared, ethereal, glittering
like the stars.
Magnus’s chest tightened.
She turned and stared at him, clutching a golden flute.
The air cleared and he let out his breath as she came into
focus. Her wide green eyes blazed with an emerald fire, the whites so clear
they held a tinge of palest blue. Her body was slim, her bearing regal, and he
was instantly aware of her slightest movements: the trembling of her fingers,
the sudden flicker of doubt in her beautiful gaze.
Her vulnerability unleashed a thunderbolt that surged straight
to his heart.
Magnus took a step forward and her perfume floated to him
soft as a cloud, enveloping him, the fragrance hinting of figs and something
unfamiliar and warmly sweet. He breathed deeply. Who was this glorious
creature, this––this divine . . . ?
Overcome, he felt compelled to drop to his knees, to worship
her as a goddess, but his warrior’s instinct shouted No! He must not
reveal his suspicions of her identity to anyone in this most Catholic court.
Magnus glanced at Honorius and saw the emperor lift his
head. His face held a different expression than before, not lewd or wretchedly
amused, but dark and dangerous, like a wolf sensing prey.
If you have comments or questions about ancient Rome,
we would be glad to answer them. Thank you and happy reading!
Book Blurbs ~ The
Roman Time Travel Series by Morgan O'Neill
Love, Eternally, Book One of the Roman Time Travel Series
A witch's ancient curse propels
talented flutist Gigi Perrin back to A.D. 408, to the court of the depraved
Roman Emperor Honorius and his admirable sister, Princess Galla Placidia.
There, Gigi grapples with her disbelief about what has happened, and with the
strange, new world of violent politics, social upheaval and barbarians
straining at the very gates of an empire. Through it all, she must struggle
with her powerful attraction to a pagan senator and military commander, Quintus
Magnus, a man exotically different from anyone she has ever known. On the brink
of a dark and war-torn age, Gigi joins forces with Magnus, battling to save a princess
and her people, and ultimately finding love amid the chaos, before the
fall of Rome
After the Fall, Book Two of the Roman Time Travel Series
In an attempt to save Rome
Bound by a friendship that transcends time, Gigi and
Placidia must do whatever they can to protect the men they love, after the fall
of Rome
Return to Me, Book Three of the Roman Time Travel Series
Return to Me finds
time traveler Gigi Perrin happily settled into twenty-first century life with
her husband, the former Roman senator and military commander, Quintus Magnus.
Gigi has resumed her successful musical career, playing the flute for her
adoring fans, while making her first foray into
At the film’s wrap party, Gigi is presented with a gift to
commemorate her work: an ancient Roman ring depicting the goddess Victoria.
Stunned, she and Magnus recognize it as the very ring that brought them
together, and the one subsequently stolen from her and lost in A.D. 410. How
did it make its way back to them? Magnus believes the answer is clear; Victoria
Realizing they have no other choice, Gigi and Magnus prepare
to embark on a perilous quest to go back in time and rescue them. But one
ominous question remains – how can they save the children without altering the
course of history?
