Goddess, I Am.

I read a lot, so if somebody asked me who my favorite author is, I would probably end up with a list to rival that of Extenze’s cache of sexual enhancers. (Please don’t ask me why or how I know.) But if I were to pick one (author, not sexual enhancer) who I love most, I wouldn’t bat an eyelash when I say Colleen McCullough.

The first McCullough book I ever picked up was Antony and Cleopatra, and from the very first page, it was love – love for the story, love for the history, and love for the author. Because of that, I spent the better part of last year acquiring and reading her entire Masters of Rome series. I thought my love for her books would end there, but then I found an old copy of The Thorn Birds (definitely among my top 3 favorite stories of all time!), and she got me hooked once again. Since then, I’ve been making it a point to find copies of all her stories, which really isn’t an easy thing to do when there aren’t a lot of her books floating around. So far, I’ve managed to acquire 10 of her books (from the most unlikely sources, mind you), including the 7 Roman ones, and I’m still on the lookout for more.

I love how she writes, and I won’t even try to describe why when, for me, the reasons are intangible. All I know is she writes about the very things that I personally would’ve liked to write about but could and would never ever give justice to. And it’s because of this that she almost feels like family – so much so, in fact, that I now ‘know’ her writing well enough to recognize styles that are unique to her, such as her penchant for throwing in a Roman nuance or two even in her most un-Roman stories, be it as a character’s name, or a subtle metaphor. I find myself smiling each time I see a Roman-esque word or phrase in one of her books. I like to think of it as her personal tribute to that period of history she loves so much, and I join her in that tribute.

Thank you, Colleen, for giving me Caesar, Ralph de Bricassart, and Joshua Christian. I look forward to finding more of your stories in places where I least expect them.

I love eBay. I think it really is the best thing since sliced bread.

After four years of shrewd bidding and impulsive online shopping, I’ve finally found that oh-so elusive item (or in my case, items) that make the whole eBay experience so worthwhile. And no, I am not making this up because such things really do exist. It was a sewing machine for my sister, a particular Mango dress priced at a quarter of its original price for my best friend, and two (well, technically, three) of Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome books for myself.

And these books were very hard to come by, mind you. I got the first one I ever read (Antony and Cleopatra, which, incidentally, is the last book of the series) from Asia Books in Bangkok. I couldn’t find any other of the other titles for months and months, but with a strange bit of luck, The Fiance managed to snag me a lone copy of Caesar from Fully Booked for my birthday.

I’ve been regularly trawling through Fully Booked, Powerbooks, National Bookstore, Book Sale, and RSO since, but I have not seen a single Colleen McCullough title anywhere. Even the staff claim never to have heard of her, or seen any of her books before.

I would’ve ordered over Amazon, but the shipping charges just don’t seem to justify the purchase. So I tried eBay, and until now, I’m still wondering why I didn’t even think to look there first, considering I’m on the site trawling for Macbooks almost every day anyway. (Yes, I should hit my head on the wall, I know.)

I found three of the seven books in one go. I’ve bought two of the titles, and one of them – Caesar’s Women – turned up today, while The First Man in Rome is still in transit. I’m currently haggling for the third (The October Horse) because it’s a tad overpriced. Truth be told, though, I’ll probably pay twice the price for it in a heartbeat, but the seller doesn’t know that (tee hee), and nobody else is bidding on it. Plus, it really is fun to haggle.

So now I’m just missing The Grass Crown and Fortune’s Favourites. If any of you ever come across these titles, please, please, PLEASE send ‘em my way. I can promise you a lifetime of servitude. Okay, that’s a bit extreme, but, really, I’ll pay. And I’ll buy you dinner, whoever you are. And ice cream. And yes, I’m serious.

Thank you eBay for ensuring that I’m kept amused for at least the next month or so. You really are the best source of everything from breast pumps, to a Romanian vampire killing set. You’re not selling Caesar’s underwear in there somewhere, are you? Just thought I’d ask.