Kate Quinn





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Kate Quinn

Goodreads author profile


born
in Long Beach, CA, The United States
gender
female

website

genre

influences
Bernard Cornwell, Judith Merkle Riley, C.S. Forester, Eva Ibbotson

member since
April 2009


About this author

Kate Quinn is a native of southern California. She attended Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Classical Voice. A lifelong history buff, she first got hooked on ancient Rome while watching "I, Claudius" at the age of seven. She wrote her first book during her freshman year in college, retreating from a Boston winter into ancient Rome, and it was later published as "Mistress of Rome." A prequel followed, titled "Daughters of Rome," and then a sequel written while her husband was deployed to the Middle East.

"I realized that my Roman legionary hero in `Empress of the Seven Hills' was fighting in the same part of the world where my US Navy husband was deployed. Life imitating art, or art imitating life? I ha...more


Here's a shout-out to those of you in northeastern Maryland and southeastern PA--I will be appearing with my marvelous friends-and-colleagues Sophie Perinot and Stephanie Dray at the FREDERICK BOOK FESTIVAL this coming weekend (Saturday, May 18th). Our panel on "Prejudice and Preconceptions - What you think you know about historical women" (at 11 a.m.) always brings down the house. Come out and... Read more of this blog post »
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Published on May 15, 2013 14:45 • 35 views • Tags: author-signing, frederick-book-festival, sophie-perinot, stephanie-dray
Average rating: 4.06 · 7,464 ratings · 1,078 reviews · 5 distinct works · Similar authors
Mistress of Rome (Rome, #1)
4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 avg rating — 4,574 ratings — published 2010 — 19 editions
Daughters of Rome (Rome, #2)
4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 1,827 ratings — published 2011 — 10 editions
Empress of the Seven Hills ...
4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 avg rating — 1,020 ratings — published 2012 — 5 editions
The Serpent and the Pearl
3.43 of 5 stars 3.43 avg rating — 7 ratings — expected publication 2013 — 3 editions
Ménage à 20, Tales with a hook
by
4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 36 ratings — published 2009
More books by Kate Quinn…
Mistress of Rome Daughters of Rome Empress of the Seven Hills
Rome (3 books)
by
4.060663251550283 of 5 stars 4.06 avg rating — 7,418 ratings

Upcoming Events

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Empress of the Seven Hills (Literature & Fiction)
1 chapters   —   updated Mar 03, 2012 08:34am
Description: Chapter 1 of my forthcoming book, "Empress of the Seven Hills" ("Empress of Rome" in the UK), published April 2012 by Berkley Books
Daughters of Rome (Literature & Fiction)
1 chapters   —   updated Jan 12, 2011 01:37pm
Description: Prologue to "Daughters of Rome," prequel to "Mistress of Rome," published April 2011 by Berkley Books
Mistress of Rome (Literature & Fiction)
1 chapters   —   updated May 30, 2010 10:06am
Description: Prologue to "Mistress of Rome," my novel of ancient Rome, published April 2010 by Berkley Books

Kate's Recent Updates

Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn
" Have you ever read something that flows so smoothly, that the entire novel seemed to unfurl in your mind to become such an epic movie? That is the brilliance of Mistress of Rome.

Quinn is a remarkable writer and storyteller. She flawlessly breathe... " Read more of this review »
Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn
" This book was really good! I had trouble getting into it about half way through, but once I did, I couldn't sleep until it was finished. The last 200 pages were totally spellbinding!!! What a climax "
Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn
" The novel was slow to start, but soon drew me in with the character of Thea, a Jewish slave who indifferently serves the extremely selfish Lepida. Thea's journey from slave, to a lover of the gladiator, Arius, and then as the mistress of the sadis... " Read more of this review »
Empress of the Seven Hills by Kate Quinn
" Oh my dear Vercingetorix, I truly adore thee.

4.5*, cos somehow, it didn't quite live up to Mistress of Rome. Regardless, I love Kate Quinn's opening message<3

"For Stephen, who in many ways—freckles, restlessness, short temper, loud snoring, le...
" Read more of this review »
Kate Quinn made a comment in the group Historical FictionistasMay 2013: Code Name Verity topic
"Personally, I think this is a great book for YA girls - especially the ones we're trying to ween away from those neverending high-school dramas with l...more "
Kate Quinn made a comment in the group Historical FictionistasMargaret George topic
"One way she kept Helen more sympathetic was by not portraying her as simply a mortal woman, but by taking the presence of the gods at literal value: H...more "
Kate Quinn made a comment in the group Historical FictionistasRoman Historical fiction topic
"I'm a huge Cornwell fan. Actually I have no problem with battles and blood HF (and I've certainly written my share of violent scenes). The thing I fin...more "
"I have a little bit of an easy out because my characters so far have all been speaking ancient Latin. As Sara noted above, "Romans must have had phras...more "
Kate Quinn wants to read
Medieval Underpants and Other Blunders by Susanne Alleyn
"Thanks so much!"
More of Kate's books…
“I love you. I love the way you rub the scar on the back of your hand when you're nervous. I love the way you make a sword into a living part of your body. I love the way you burn your eyes into me, as if you're seeing me fresh every time. I love the black streak in you that wants to kill the world, and the soft streak that is sorry afterward. I love the way you laugh, as if you're surprised that you can laugh at all. I love the way you kiss my breath away. I love the way you breathe and speak and smile. I love the way you take the air out of my lungs when you hold me. I love the way you make a dance out of death. I love the confusion I see in your eyes when you realize you are happy. I love every muscle and bone in your body, every twist and bend in your soul.”
Kate Quinn, Mistress of Rome

“Have you ever been - well, i mean, have you ever - really wanted someone ? Wanted them like water in the desert - even when you knew all their faults, every single one - and it didnt matter ?”
Kate Quinn, Mistress of Rome

“Paulinus, everyone knows. Say the word, and I'll run the bitch over with my chariot”
Kate Quinn, Mistress of Rome

Polls

Please help us vote for the November Anything Goes Book of the Month. We had so many nominations in the first poll we decided to use it to narrow down the choices. It is our hope this will help us choose the book the majority of our members wish to read. Also, please take into account Goodreads actually made up a book club specifically for discussing the Casual Vacancy. If that tempts you and you think you'll read it before November in that group, then please don't vote for it in this poll.

The Casual Vacancy
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Synopsis:
When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.
 
  32 votes 38.1%

Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Synopsis:
In this literary tour de force, novelist Arthur Golden enters a remote and shimmeringly exotic world. For the protagonist of this peerlessly observant first novel is Sayuri, one of Japan's most celebrated geisha, a woman who is both performer and courtesan, slave and goddess.

We follow Sayuri from her childhood in an impoverished fishing village, where in 1929, she is sold to a representative of a geisha house, who is drawn by the child's unusual blue-grey eyes. From there she is taken to Gion, the pleasure district of Kyoto. She is nine years old. In the years that follow, as she works to pay back the price of her purchase, Sayuri will be schooled in music and dance, learn to apply the geisha's elaborate makeup, wear elaborate kimono, and care for a coiffure so fragile that it requires a special pillow. She will also acquire a magnanimous tutor and a venomous rival. Surviving the intrigues of her trade and the upheavals of war, the resourceful Sayuri is a romantic heroine on the order of Jane Eyre and Scarlett O'Hara. And Memoirs of a Geisha is a triumphant work - suspenseful, and utterly persuasive.
 
  22 votes 26.2%

Mistress of Rome (Rome, #1)
Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn

Synopsis:
Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.

As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome's aristocrats. Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But Domitian's games have a darker side, and Thea finds herself fighting for both soul and sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of the brilliant and paranoid Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor's mistress.
 
  16 votes 19.0%

Tell No One
Tell No One by Harlan Coben

Synopsis:
For Dr. David Beck, the loss was shattering. And every day for the past eight years, he has relived the horror of what happened. The gleaming lake. The pale moonlight. The piercing screams. The night his wife was taken. The last night he saw her alive.

Everyone tells him it's time to move on, to forget the past once and for all. But for David Beck, there can be no closure. A message has appeared on his computer, a phrase only he and his dead wife know. Suddenly Beck is taunted with the impossible -- that somewhere, somehow, Elizabeth is alive.

Beck has been warned to tell no one. And he doesn't. Instead, he runs from the people he trusts the most, plunging headlong into a search for the shadowy figure whose messages hold out a desperate hope.

But already Beck is being hunted down. He's headed straight into the heart of a dark and deadly secret -- and someone intends to stop him before he gets there.
 
  14 votes 16.7%

84 total votes
2 comments
More...
“Open the hurt locker and see what there is of knives and teeth.

Open the hurt locker and learn how rough men come hunting for souls. ”
Brian Turner

“Shun epic verse.”
Bernard Cornwell

“It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it.”
Maurice Switzer

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
Albert Einstein

“Whenever I feel the need to exercise, I lie down until it goes away.”
Paul Terry

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Comments (showing 1-11)    post a comment »
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message 11: by Kate

Kate Quinn Kirstin wrote: "I just finished Empress of the Seven Hills and I have to say that I loved it completely. I was so excited when I heard you were writing about Vix and Sabina again. I was very impressed with how you..."

Wow, I am sorry I didn't see these comments way down at the bottom of my author page earlier! To answer your question, Kirstin, yes there will be another book after "Empress of the Seven Hills" - in fact, I'm writing it now! It will probably be released sometime 2014, after my Borgia novel which comes out this August. And as far as the interconnected stories go, I write them all simultaneously and switch back and forth between characters - it can get confusing sometimes, but usually I can keep it all straight!


message 10: by Kate

Kate Quinn Jarod wrote: "hey Kate! thanks for accepting my friend request :)"

You're welcome!


message 9: by Jarod

Jarod Kintz hey Kate! thanks for accepting my friend request :)


Taylor Nickell I can't WAIT for the Serpent and the Pearl. The Borgias are crazy and I can't wait to read your take on them. I'm already rooting for the Pearl :)


message 7: by Edik

Edik Baghoumian It is my very DISTINCT pleasure becoming your True friend !!! Wishing you much success, Happiness but above all GOOD HEALTH !!!!!!!!

Your True friend
Edik


Ananda Hi Kate, thanks for adding me:) I absolutely LOVED,LOVED,LOVED "Mistress of Rome". Can't wait to read the other two from the Rome series. You are so so talented! Keep up the great work:)


Kirstin I just finished Empress of the Seven Hills and I have to say that I loved it completely. I was so excited when I heard you were writing about Vix and Sabina again. I was very impressed with how you flowed from character to character without confusing the reader at all between their very interconnected yet individual lives. How exactly do you do that? Do you write one person’s story at a time or are you able to switch back and forth while you write? Also, at the end you hint that we will hear the end of Vix and Sabina’s stories, is it true?? Will you eventually be continuing the story??? (I am crossing my fingers for it) Thanks for sharing your wonderful book!!


message 4: by Ðɑηηɑ (last edited Apr 03, 2012 06:44am)

Ðɑηηɑ Kate Quinn, thank you very much for accepting my friend request. I have not read any of you books yet, sadly, but I must say all sounds very good. I would love to read them some day!
I wanted to thank you personally for writing those book - amazing or not - ancient Rome is a subject well forgotten in today's fast paced world. I am so glad there is an author who still pays attention to the past and willing to enlighten it for today's readers. Thank you for reviving an amazing culture, no longer unnoticed! I really appreciate writers such as yourself.

*uh-oh*
Well, that was quite an opening speech! Oops...
So, I hope you feel alright and keep writing. Kate (I love your name!) I promise I'll read a book of yours (hopefully, it'd be as good as I expect it to be - and then I might read more than one). It is such a shame I cannot find it anywhere...
Perhaps... Had it been translated to any language?


message 3: by Kate

Kate Quinn Judith wrote: "Kate, I noticed you went on a "blog tour" recently. From the blogger point of view, how does one go about putting together a blog tour for an author or group of authors? I'd love any quick pointers..."

Sorry, Judith, I didn't see your comment earlier. :) As for getting authors onto your blog - all I can say is, ask! I've had plenty of bloggers contact me through my website, and I've blogged for all of them. And if you get into the blogger community - posting comments on other blogs, entering giveaways, getting to know the other bloggers - you'll find it's a small world, and a remarkably supportive one. Many book bloggers are good friends, and they'll spread the love when you get to know them. Good luck!


Judith Starkston Kate, I noticed you went on a "blog tour" recently. From the blogger point of view, how does one go about putting together a blog tour for an author or group of authors? I'd love any quick pointers you have. Thanks, Judith Starkston


message 1: by Kate

Kate Quinn Janell wrote: "Are we going to get a preview of Daughters of Rome? Go ahead, make my day:)"

Not yet! I'm afraid I'm still working on it. I'll post the first chapter on my website and here under "Writings" when I've got a more-or-less final version.


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