Hi, I am Camelia.
Welcome to my site, where I help historical fiction writers build their stories with accuracy and clarity. How did I get into this?
Here is the short story
I grew up in communist Romania, where history served mainly to justify the enslaving of people. In high school, I met a good friend of my sister’s, a history teacher and amateur archaeologist. On the long and hot summer days, we’d go up the hills of the Suceava district, digging for Cucuteni pottery. This culture flourished around 5500 B.C.E in what is now Romania.
I knew I couldn’t go on to study history. I didn’t have a clean “file.” Classified as an “enemy of the communist party” because I spoke against the regime, I was banned from studying everything that wasn’t math or technology.
But things don’t last forever,
as we know from many lessons from the past. In 1989, the mighty lords of the world came together and ended communism in Europe. Once freed, I followed my passion.
Today, I am a history teacher and occasional writer passionate about historical fiction. Hillary Mantel, Philippa Gregory, and Umberto Eco are my favorite fiction writers. My favorite historical fiction novel is The Egyptian by Mika Waltari. I appreciate a good researched historical romance where surprising historical details brighten the unfamiliar past and bring an unexpected twist to the story.
As for nonfiction, I absolutely love Mary Beard, Barbara Tuchman, Erin Hillenbrand, Jacque LeGoff, and the French L’Ecolle Des Annales.
I would like to give back to the world
some of the wealth of knowledge that I accumulated while searching the past. I am here to help historical fiction writers create an unforgettable experience for their readers and give them a better understanding of the past.