Feathered Quill Book Reviews

 #Authorinterview with Mark Jamilkowski

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Douglas C. MacLeod, Jr. is talking with Mark Jamilkowski, author of Mask of Romulus.

FQ: I can see you have a great deal of knowledge of ancient history. Can you provide readers with some autobiographical information, especially as it pertains to your interests in the subject matter of your novel? What research did you do for Mask of Romulus?

JAMILKOWSKI: For Mask of Romulus, the fascination with this particular era started with a report about an archeological find in Pompeii. Archeologists found a statue of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi in the ashes. My curiosity was piqued. How did these ancient cultures interact during ancient times? I began reading about other archeology sites, as well as published works regarding the civilizations, kingdoms and customs of those peoples. It became a puzzle, a complex one. I was energized by the challenge to try and wrestle the complexities underpinning these pieces into one coherent story. I was also challenged to not create another expected historical tale within the context of the Roman Empire, but rather expose more of the human nature elements driving the need for the civilizations to interact. The why became very important to me, as did the how. Why was that statue in Pompeii? How did these civilizations interact to such an extent that a religious artifact would be a household item during ancient times? In the end, I did a tremendous amount of research to fill in the gaps, to better understand the relationships, timing, and potential motivations of each character.

FQ: Much of your novel seems to speak of physical and emotional struggles with and for power. Do you see that as a contemporary issue, and is that why you think a work like yours can speak to a general audience? 

JAMILKOWSKI: Augustus as a young boy did not have “future Emperor of the Roman Empire” qualities, yet that is what happened. I like to explore the nuances of fate, destiny, and determination. The same rubric can be used for Kamala and her journey. The idea that everything happens for a reason, even if that reason is not readily apparent to us in the moment. It draws upon a larger, more mystical question as to how fate may be determined, by what force. The physical and emotional turmoil that came with realizing that destiny becomes a story of human will and determination. It becomes a story of good and bad decisions, perhaps a bit of good fortune, and the support of friends or team building. I do think that this is a timeless struggle. We are not always ready or willing to listen or accept the messages that we are being given. But we do not achieve our highest self without the assistance of others. That assistance takes on multiple forms, It may come from family, friends, those we surround ourselves with, but it may also include a personal spirituality that acts as a moral compass and guide. Understanding this, appreciating it, listening to it, being open to it, is all critical and pertinent for everyone.

FQ: Why not write a non-fiction work on ancient history? What compelled you to write this as a novel, as a historical novel?

JAMILKOWSKI: My objective was not to explore this ancient time with a scholarly lens, though I do weave in a lot of the actual history documented for that time. I wanted to spark the imagination of the reader to consider the lives being lived during that time. I wanted to demystify the overwhelming massiveness that comes with the Roman Empire. I wanted to introduce readers to the evolving understanding we have regarding life in the Red Sea region of that time, and the fascinating accomplishments in technology and capabilities that had been either lost to time or taken for granted. I also wanted to challenge the perspective that life in the Mediterranean was insular. I was awed to consider the ancient “global economy” that stretched from China to England, from Germany to the tip of India. As it was a surprise to me, maybe it will be fascinating and a surprise to readers as well.

FQ: Are there books you can recommend that one can read to get a better sense of the history surrounding this timeframe you wrote about? Apparently, you have a lot of information to work from…and on that note, how do you keep all the timeframes and names and places straight? How do you stop the work from being cluttered and disorganized? What is your process like?

JAMILKOWSKI: As I began reading into the relationship between Rome and India during ancient times, I relied initially on a few well regarded texts, such as Goldworthy’s “Augustus, First Emperor of Rome.” I went back to this time period because initial research into the commercial relations between Rome and India pointed to reforms and initiatives under Augustus that dramatically increased this trade-based relationship. As I read more about Augustus, a concept emerged related to the masks we wear. The facades we transition through as we journey through life. I was inspired by the image of a specific face plate that my research determined was a calvary helmet of the Augustan period. Researching Augustus and the ancient Roman civilization took on a focal point, yet with this focus in mind still was a bit like unraveling a ball of yarn, each footnote yielded a new resource to investigate, a new angle to consider. Keeping names, dates, and actions organized into some semblance of a timeline required a very comprehensive outline. I had to be critical about what to include or not given the tremendous amount of research and discussion regarding the time period and topic. I had to include enough to provide those familiar with the time period a satisfying sense of completeness or at least satisfaction that there was proper representation. At the same time, I had to make sure what was included added character development opportunities and nuance which I could delve into as a writer. The chapter about the still-born child is a good example of this. Augustus and Livia are topics of intense study and scrutiny, yet this moment in their lives receives very little attention if any mention at all. Drawing out the moment, and the impact it must have had on their relationship, was something I wanted to focus on, rather than dwell on battles or similar ideas that were already covered to great extent.

FQ: Your first book, The Road to Moresco, is very different than Mask of Romulus, at least in content. Why the sudden shift? In one of your bios, you claim to endeavor once again to write a story with "emotional depth, historical insight and a rhythmic narrative that resonates with intellectual rigor and vulnerability.” Can you explain that a bit more?

JAMILKOWSKI: The Road to Moresco was framed as historical fiction as a means to provide structure and context to the real-life stories of a woman and her daughter, who would herself grow up be a mother. The circumstances and trials of both mother and daughter were uncovered through interviews after I reunited with the daughter who, upon giving birth, had given me over to an adoptive family. Historical fiction felt comfortable, the time period and events already recorded and analyzed, available as landmarks to help guide the formation and unfolding of the story. As a consequence of the intense, personal nature of the story, The Road to Moresco is emotional and vulnerable.

When I discovered that Augustus was also adopted, raised and formed more by his grandmother and her brother, who just happened to be Julius Caesar, I felt an immediate commitment to tell this story from a different angle. An angle that explored the emotional drivers behind his ambition, the childhood traumas that formed his adult insecurities, and his purposeful efforts to overcome that which would hold him back while relying on that which would allow him to succeed. The oracle from India helps bridge the telling of the story of Augustus from a biography into something more, something spiritual and other-worldly. Consequences beyond his awareness are felt by his actions in Rome. The ripple effect we create through our decisions and actions cannot be fully appreciated. I am hopeful that Mask of Romulus succeeds in delivering an emotional and thought-provoking journey for the reader much the same way that The Road to Moresco did.

FQ: You seem to have a deep connection with both history and philosophy. Mask of Romulus is certainly an historical piece but can you provide more insights as to what makes this a philosophical piece as well?

JAMILKOWSKI: I attempt to bring philosophy into all my writing in order to better explain or understand the motivations of the characters I am exploring. If we exercise free will through our consciousness, purposeful action, morality and conscientiousness, the question that arises is where does this foundation start. What influences it? The guidance we seek, the decisions we make, the inspiration we receive and the passions we exercise have their roots in the fundamental philosophies and beliefs we aspire to. This morphs into psychology as well. In researching Augustus, I discovered he likely would have been exposed to or taught the teachings of Pythagoras, Epicurious and Plato, as well the teachings of Cato and Cicero. Romans worshiped in a polytheistic religious belief system that has many parallels to Buddhism and Hinduism, at a high level, in terms of messaging and morality. I have attempted to bring these theistic and philosophic principles into the story as well.

FQ: Oftentimes authors will feel connected to their characters in a multitude of ways. Do you feel connected to your characters, and in what ways do you feel that connection? Do you think that is harder to do when the characters are living in a much different era than ours?

JAMILKOWSKI: Part of the appeal of writing fiction for me is the ability to create the atmosphere and environment in which the characters are engaged, and then to also use artistic license through empathetic supposition to breathe life into the character themselves. I have to be connected to my characters to understand how they may have felt at a moment in time, in that specific circumstance, so as to better describe their motivation for a decision made, an action taken, a word spoken. Having a comprehensive understanding of their time period and the factual history unfolding around them requires exhaustive research in order for me to immerse myself and feel that connection, resulting in an attempt to communicate what the moment, the emotion, the scene means to the character. I am hopeful the reader will feel this connection in the same way through the use of my words, pacing, and atmospheric immersion.

FQ: I see you spend a lot of time and effort in producing videos and websites devoted to your works, and you are seemingly very good at self-promotion from your works. Can you provide the audience with some understanding of what it means to be an author in today’s publishing landscape, and do you have a philosophy devoted to your own marketing agenda? 

JAMILKOWSKI: I learned a lot about what being an author meant after I produced The Road to Moresco. Mostly, I learned what I did wrong. I did not realize, for example, how much effort has to go into marketing the book well in advance of its actual release. I think I canvased for reviewers six months after we published The Road to Moresco.

With Mask of Romulus, I have attempted to course correct and be more proactive. The promotional videos, one tailored for TikTok or Instagram, another more full length feature for YouTube, were meant to catch the eye of influencers and marketers. The idea was to build up expectation and anticipation for the release of Mask of Romulus and to drive engagement. It is still too early and difficult to determine how successful the effort was. I think I will categorize the video campaigns and promotional efforts a success if sales or e-book pages read exceed The Road to Moresco at the three-month and six-month marks.

The goal of one hundred reviews is still elusive. An independent author has very little chance at making it onto the Amazon or Barnes & Noble best seller lists and getting the attention of the most public book club recommendations or literary magazine coverage because of the way the online algorithms work. They favor publications with tens of thousands of reviews, which can appear almost overnight for works sponsored by the large, established publishing houses. This is a difficult process that requires a literary agent to choose to represent you. The effort to market yourself to agents, and then through agents to publishing houses, and then follow their marketing plan for six or nine months before publishing, is very time consuming and expensive. I don’t have that kind of time nor that level of funding. In the meantime I write because I enjoy the creative effort and the ability to share my prose with others, especially if even one person is touched emotionally. I will consider myself a true author when I see one hundred reviews for one of my books.

FQ: After reading your novel, what do you want audiences to get out of the narrative you presented to them? This is a form of writing and filmmaking that has been around for decades; what do readers and viewers get from this form of entertainment that they don’t get from others…and do you think you provide that to them?

JAMILKOWSKI: I am hopeful that readers will find the narrative thought provoking and emotional, perhaps in a way they did not expect. One reviewer said that he found himself rereading sentences not because he had to but because he wanted to, to dwell on the significance and profound insight he felt as a result. That may be one reader’s experience. Still, if it happened for one, maybe others will find other, similar kernels of joy and entertainment in Mask of Romulus. I want them to experience the unexpected, to feel the vitality of a time and place they may not be familiar with and yet recognize the people and challenges as something they themselves struggle with.

FQ: Are you currently writing another historical novel and, if so, can you tell us a bit about what your next writing project is? If not, are you planning more works in the future?

JAMILKOWSKI: I have started doing research for a third historical fiction novel. The work will be centered on the 1921 assassination of the first elected president of the post-WW I newly re-established Poland, the man who carried out the assassination, and the Polish diplomat working as a double agent for the Russians that groomed the assassin into carrying it out. The book will be telling the story of the double agent, exploring his life and motivations through the lenses of societal shifts, family drama, political ambitions, conspiracy theories, and a missing Fabergé egg. It will be another sweeping saga, spanning the century 1850 – 1950. I am targeting late 2027 for that release.

I am also working on a graphic novel adaptation of my first book, The Road to Moresco. I hope to have that available in late 2026.