POMPEII: My Love Must Wait

About the Book

POMPEII: My Love Must Wait

‘It cannot be,’ she replied, her breath coming in short gasps. ‘My love must wait, but somewhere, we will meet again.’

Pompeii. 78 AD. A distinctive, oddly-shaped building looms menacingly out of the night, squatting on the narrow laneway’s paving stones. The Lupanar Grande is the largest Pompeii brothel and a place reeking of body odour, stale perfume, urine and sex. The prostitutes are the dregs of society, infames, but they still seek a way to find love and friendship.

Selene, a free-born prostitute from Naples is new to Pompeii. She is an ambitious, enticingly pretty girl, determined to replace the famous courtesan, Prima. She will be drawn into a Lupanar blackmail ring.

Velina, a slave, is bought by the brothel’s leno and taken to the Lupanar with her best friend, Alexa. As slaves, they are limited to its interior and the outside footpath where they solicit for business. They sleep in their cells and are forbidden to stray from the brothel. Their leno, Servius, takes all they earn.

Flora, shrewd and intelligent, lives in her own tiny, two room house two doors from the Lupanar. Behind her cerulean blue front door, she sees everything through her large front window. She will save girls from prostitution.

Hester, a shy, gentle girl belongs to a small group known as Christianos. Its meeting place is located opposite the Lupanar, with unfortunate consequences.

Lucius Attilius is addicted to gambling and women. It leads him into the Pompeii arena, where few gladiators die but many suffer severe injuries. He will find a love so strong that it overcomes even the sordid Lupanar.

Their lives intertwine as Vesuvius erupts. What will happen to the survivors?

About the Author

Lorraine Blundell (Dance) was born in Brisbane, Australia. She lives in Melbourne and has a daughter, Jenni, and a son, Steve. Lorraine graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in English and History. She holds a teaching qualification in Drama from Trinity College, London.

She trained as a classical singer at the Queensland State Conservatorium of Music, Brisbane. During that period, she sang professionally on television as a solo vocalist, regularly performing for six years on channels BTQ7 and QTQ9 Brisbane as well as nationally on HSV7 Melbourne.

Lorraine is an experienced performer in musical theatre productions. Her interests are singing, ancient history and archaeology.