So, I'm 1,987 words into my novel, and I think it's going well. I've placed my first couple paragraphs behind the cut, the ones I've had the chance to look over. My working title is Coin Trick. The main character, Sophie Kresque, is a recent college graduate who quits her job at a consulting firm and becomes a magician's assistant. The key theme of the novel is illusion, why people employ it, its intricacies and what it is used to hide. To counterpoint that, I have a couple of incidents of genuine magic. If it works out, it may be beautiful. If it doesn't, at least I'll have made it through a novel, finally.

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And now I'll give an explanation of my new LJ username, whenshewasmine. So, I used to be completely in love with Colleen McCullough's operatic Masters of Rome series. It's a giant slew of books that try to fill in the personality gaps in Roman history. It's in Caesar's Women that I first read about the Battle of Carrhae. Marcus Crassus, known by some as the guy who got Spartacus, wanted more glory and gold. He decided to attack the Parthian Empire. The Parthian, or Persian, Empire was comprised of most of Syria and modern day Iran. The important part of this is that despite odds heavily on his favor, Crassus loses. It is the tactic of the "Parthian Shot," that wins the Persians the battle. 1000 archers on horseback feigned retreat and then turned to fire on the pursuing Romans. The Romans never saw it coming. The modern term "parting shot" probably has its origins in this event. I picked the name foremost because of my desire to have the last word. But ultimately, the Battle of Carrhae is an underdog story, and we all know how I like my dogs, so I went with it for that reason too.

If you'd like to read more about the Battle of Carrhae or the Parthian Shot, go right ahead. When Crassus was caught by the Persians, they forced molten gold down his throat, mocking the greed he showed in his attempt to conquer the Parthian Empire.

Brutality can be apt sometimes.