The Roman Massacre from The Smoke In Shadows

I like to use historical details as a background for the stories I write. In The Smoke in Shadows, a Roman ambush is a major plot element. It’s based on an actual event that took place several centuries before Darius’ ambush, and in Germany, not in Northern Italy.

I found the account in an article from the Smithsonian Magazine, and you can read the story here. The inspiration for Nic’s visit to an archaeological site, where she discovers the bins of nails, comes from this article, as well as the idea that one ambush could destroy a seasoned Roman legion and change history. It’s a truly tragic story, one that stuck with me for a few years before I wrote The Smoke in Shadows. I can identify with the haunting grief Nic felt, with so many lives lost.

Imagine, if you discovered that you’d contributed to that tragedy in a past life?

That’s the question I asked when I was finding inspiration for Darius and his love story.

The idea for the iron stylus with the Wolf’s motto came from a CNN article. Archaeologists found an iron stylus beneath the streets of London. Dating back more than 2,000 years, an unknown Roman soldier engraved a joke in his stylus and left it behind.

Maybe I was an archaeologist in a past life. Who knows? But I find the history so fascinating and I hope these details add richness to the stories I tell.

Here’s a convenient link to The Smoke in Shadows for those of you who are curious.

As always… I appreciate your support, your reviews, comments, and encouragement. Hugs from a distance.

~ Sue Wilder