For Easter 2024. Fiction set in Biblical Times. From New York Times bestselling author Angela Hunt comes a compelling new series set in the New Testament era. Her latest book, Sisters of Corinth, is a captivating story of love, sacrifice, and the quest for power, set against the backdrop of ancient Greece. Angela is a prolific author in a wide range of genres, from fiction set in Biblical times to historical fiction in other periods and contemporary romance All About the Binge Reading Podcast Welcome to the Joys of Binge Reading, the show for anyone who ever got to the end of a great book and wanted to read the next instalment. We interview successful series authors and recommend the best in mystery, suspense, historical and romance series, so you'll never be without a book you can't foot down. You'll find this episode's show notes, a free ebook, and lots more information at The Joys of Binge Reading.com. And now here's our show. Hi there I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and on Binge Reading today we present Angela’s fresh take on the Easter story. Two sisters - daughters of a top ranking Corinth magistrate - take up very different ambitions and life paths. In this episode she tells why readers can always “expect the unexpected” in her books  and talks about her latest series, featuring fledgling believers who came to faith through the teachings of the apostle Paul. This week's Giveaway - March Madness Our free books give away is Mad March Mysteries, and that includes cozies and thrillers, whatever level of mystery your tastes might dictate.  The offer is for a limited time as always, so get in now. The offer includes Poisoned Legacy, Book #1 in the Of Gold & Blood mystery series get free mysteries ​https://books.bookfunnel.com/marchmysterythriller/4nqbm64mq3 And just before we get to Angela. A blatant appeal for your help in defraying the cost of producing the show. Buy me a cup of coffee on www.buymeacoffee.com/jennywheelx Like a little kiss, and you'll just help me get through the day. BUY ME A COFFEE And one more housekeeping reminder. If you enjoy the show, leave us a review, so others will find us too. Word of mouth is still the best way for others to discover the show and great books they will love to read. Where to find items discussed in this episode The Sisters of Corinth: (On pre-order) https://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Corinth-Emissaries-Book-Testament-ebook/dp/B0CTKQNM2S/ The Apostle's Sister: https://www.amazon.com/Apostles-Sister-Jerusalem-Road-Book-ebook/dp/B09LWNJK4L/ Unspoken: https://www.amazon.com/Unspoken-Angela-Hunt-ebook/dp/B08LTXRJ8D/ Koko The signing gorilla: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koko_(gorilla)#: Koko’s trainer Francine “Penny” Patterson:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francine_Patterson The Bible Verse that inspired it: https://www.bible.com/bible/compare/JOB.12.7-12 The gladiator training arena: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludus_Magnus#: What Angela is reading: People Of The Book - by Geraldine Brooks, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1379961 Where to find Angela Hunt online Website: Angela Hunt books.com Facebook: Angela Hunt, novelist: https://www.facebook.com/angela.e.hunt/ Substack Newsletter: Angelahunt.substack.com Introducing author Angela Hunt Angela Hunt - fiction set in Biblical times - with five million in sales.... But now here's Angela. Hello there, Angela, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us. Angela Hunt: Thank you. I'm delighted to be here. It feels so weird because for me it's Wednesday, and for you it's Thursday. I feel like we're in a time loop or something. Jenny Wheeler: Yes, that's right. Just one of those things when we're on different sides of the world. I'm in New Zealand and you are in Florida. That's right. Isn't it? Angela Hunt: Yes, it is. Jenny Wheeler: Great. Now you've written 165 plus novels covering a wide range of historical periods, mostly focused in biblical times. You've won many awards including a Christie Award, and you say your books are for people who “expect the unexpected.” I wonder what you mean by that motto, which is at the top of your website. What can people expect when you say “expect the unexpected?” Angela Hunt: One of my pet peeves when I read a novel is if I can figure out the end, especially when I'm still in the beginning and I will often flip to the end to see if my instincts were right. And when they are, I just feel like what's the point of reading this? And I remember once I was reading a murder mystery. I don't even know if the crime - I think somebody had been murdered and a handyman walks in and the writer just happened to mention that he was left-handed. I said: Oh, he's the murderer then, and it's going be proven eventually that only a left-handed person could have done it. There was the clue right there, but it may as well have had like flashing lights around it. And I thought, okay, I'm not reading this one. Like I'm not even finishing this one. Yes. Fiction set in biblical times preferred term Jenny Wheeler: It's funny because I have heard the criticism from people who aren't believers about ‘what's the point?’ We all know how the story of Jesus ends. So what's the point of even investigating it? How do you keep it interesting when we do know how the story ends? Angela Hunt: Most of my, it's called biblical fiction but I really even hate the term because if it's biblical, it should not be fictional. I like to call it historical fiction set in biblical times, but that's rather a mouthful, isn't it? Anyway, my stories really aren't about Jesus per se. They are about people he met and what went on in their lives and how it influenced them. And some of them are fictional people. Some of them are mentioned in the Bible, but only briefly. I love spinning their stories and those I hope, always have unexpected outcomes. Jenny Wheeler: Yes, it's interesting. I interviewed Tessa Afshar at Christmas as one of our Christmas authors, and she made exactly the same distinction. She wanted her books to be seen as fiction set in biblical times, so you've on the same page there. I think it's also that sensitivity about not wanting to assume things about real biblical characters. We're going to talk a little bit later on when we get into this about the Apostle Paul's sister because one of the books you've published recently is The Apostle's Sister and she is a real character, but she's mentioned only in passing. Telling the story of the apostle's sister I'm interested to hear you talk about how you build up a story around a character like that, but we will get to that. The latest novel that we are focusing on at the moment is The Sisters of Corinth, and this is in a new series called the Emissaries. It's the second in that series. Tell us a bit about the Emissary series. I think you've said they are a series featuring “fledgling believers who have come to faith through the teachings of the Apostle Paul.” This is the second in the series. How many are you planning in this series for starters. Angela Hunt: There are only going to be three in the Emissary series. I found myself a few years back. I started writing a lot of Old Testament stories, and then I moved into the intertestamental period - that 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament, mainly because I knew very little about it. That was the time of the Maccabees. Cleopatra fell into that time span. I wanted to know more about it. I was curious. I wrote four books set in that time period, and then I wrote another four books set in the lifetime of Jesus, where he's just a peripheral character. And as you mentioned, The Apostle’s Sister was the last one in that series. And then I thought, okay, if I am doing this chronologically, the next thing would be the Gentiles, because Paul took the gospel to the Gentile cities, and let me tell you, they were a lot rowdier than the Jews were. I’ve just finished the third book and final book in that series. I handed it in a couple of weeks ago. I was fascinated. I've written about Ancient Rome before, but it is just such a fascinating society and so much of it has come into our world and our system of government today. So much survives them. So anyway, The Sisters of Corinth, what is that about? It starts out like a Cinderella story. You've got this important new government official, he's a senator of Rome and he's going to be the chief, the governor of the province that Corinth is the capital of, Achaea, I think it was. He's going to be the governor. There's a local magistrate who has two daughters. One is his stepdaughter, one's his biological daughter, and he wants to marry one of those girls off to the governor's son because that will put him in a very good and important position. Worshipping Aphrodite had a creepy side He'll be like the governor's right-hand man. One of the daughters happens to be a new convert to Christianity. The other one worships the Roman gods, particularly Aphrodite, who she starts to worship when she decides she wants to get married the governor's son, because Aphrodite was the goddess of love. There’s a definite culture clash. And as it happens, wouldn't he pick the sweet quiet one instead of the loud and flamboyant one? It's really a rivalry story between these two sisters and everything they go through. It. It's like Cinderella, run amuck. If Cinderella had not fit her foot into that slipper. Jenny Wheeler: That's right. And with this character of Prima, you get some fascinating detail about the goddess Aphrodite and what followers of Aphrodite had to do. I wondered how important that research side of things was to you and whether you enjoy doing it. Angela Hunt: I did find it was a little creepy because, even the Bible says,