AN ANCIENT FLAME. IMMERSIVE NOVELS. MODERN LIFESTYLE.
Welcome! I’m Debra May Macleod
I am the author of seven novels set in ancient Rome and featuring the Vestal Virgins. These were the esteemed priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the home and hearth fire, who were tasked with keeping Vesta’s eternal flame alight in her temple. My novels span the thousand-plus year history of the Vestal Order and have been translated into multiple languages. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in English and Classics, and a Juris Doctor. With a commitment to immersive world-building, I have participated in research excursions at various historical sites and inform my writing with this invaluable perspective.
I am also an author with a true passion for my subject, as you’ll see if you spend some time on this site—something I sincerely hope you do.
COMING SOON! Follow me on Amazon or subscribe to my YouTube Channel to be notified when my newest title is released (it’s close!).
Vesta Today, and Where it Started for Me
It was over thirty years ago that I first heard the name “Vesta.” It was my first travel experience abroad, and while cluelessly roaming the Roman Forum, I met a woman burning a candle in front of a few standing columns. It was something that struck small-town me as an incomprehensibly exotic thing to do.
It was she who first told me about those columns—columns that once housed the sacred flame of Vesta in its hearth—and ignited a passion that would last a lifetime. She even gave me the old beeswax candle she was burning as the “best souvenir” of Italy. It was her way of spreading the story of this ancient flame, something I do via my novels and this site.
A “Vestal” Candle
This is the old milk-glass candle holder I received at the temple in 1989. I affectionately call it my Vestal candle, since the white glass drapes the flame like a Vestal’s stola draped a priestess.
You can experience the ancient flame too
On this site, you’ll find lots of fun and meaningful ways to incorporate ancient traditions into your modern life—because everything old is new again—as well as ancient history, videos, the Gallery and more.
You’ll also find my novels, below, so that you can immerse yourself in the world of ancient Rome, the sacred flame, and the thrilling lives of those who guarded it.
Epic Novels You Must Read by Candlelight
See the sacred flame burn in the temple… feel its heat, hear it roar… enter the world of ancient Rome and live with the Vestal Virgins by reading these action-packed, emotional historical fiction novels.
“A riveting imagined world ripped right from the pages of history, this smart repartee captivates in every way. - Steve Berry, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Devil’s Bible
BOOK 1 in The First Vestals of Rome trilogy: RHEA SILVIA
An unflinching, breathtaking retelling of the story of Rhea Silvia, fated by the gods to play a spectacular part in the mythos of Rome—the mother of Romulus, Rome’s legendary founder.
It is 772 BCE, nearly two decades before the birth of Rome. The city of Alba Longa and its king, Numitor, reign supreme. But Numitor’s children, Princess Rhea Silvia and Prince Egestus, fear for the city’s future. With Rhea set to marry an unpredictable enemy, they can see the end of their family’s dynasty as surely as their ancestor Aeneas saw the fall of Troy.
In a bid to maintain power, Rhea is set on a harrowing course that will push her to the limits of human endurance, forcing her to turn to the gods and rise with the ferocity imbued in her Trojan blood, sacrificing everything for the new Troy—Rome.
BOOK 2 in The First Vestals of Rome trilogy: TARPEIA
A bold retelling of the legend of Tarpeia, a priestess destined to be swept up in the danger of Rome’s earliest days, and whose name would give rise to Rome’s most dreaded site—the Tarpeian Rock.
It is 753 BCE and the new city of Rome exists on the edge of a knife. The young King Romulus reels from the loss of his mother’s counsel, turning to his father—Mars, the god of war—and his city’s new chief Vestal, Tarpeia, to fill the void. The city is constantly at war. As bad, it is a city of men, set to die out within a generation.
Thus, the knife slips, setting into motion an infamous crime that will entangle Tarpeia and resound throughout Latium and beyond, pitting Rome against its enemies and allies alike, and showing the settlement by the Tiber, and its young king, what it will ultimately take to rule the world
BOOK 3 in The First Vestals of Rome trilogy: AMATA
The gripping, unsparing tale of Amata, the first true Vestal Virgin of Rome, whose choices would shape the Vestal Order for centuries to come.
It is 716 BCE, over thirty years since the founding of Rome. The city’s war-like nature has made it the “tyrant of Latium,” and King Romulus’s hardened nature has caused the fledgling Vestal order to fall into disrepute.
But as crisis strikes and an enigmatic newcomer named Numa arrives in the city, Romulus’s only living kinswoman - Amata - must rise to restore the dignity of the order as Rome, too, finds itself at a crossroads. Will it remain mired in the violence of its founding, or evolve into something greater?
AMATA is the riveting conclusion to The First Vestals of Rome, an epic trilogy about the founding Vestal Virgins of ancient Rome.
COELIA CONCORDIA: THE LAST VESTAL VIRGIN OF ROME.
For over a thousand years, the esteemed priestesses of Vesta were tasked with keeping the goddess’s Eternal Flame burning in her temple. For as long as the fire was alive, the Eternal City would endure.
This is the story of Rome’s last Vestal Virgin—Coelia Concordia—and her battle to save the sacred flame from an encroaching darkness. It is also a story about a prophecy fulfilled, the fall of an empire, and the relentless suppression of the old gods as seen through the eyes of those who were losing everything—not just their gods, but their freedoms too—yet fought on and never lost hope.
Based on real events. Recommended by the Historical Novel Society.
Visit the COELIA CONCORDIA page to learn more about this important woman.
“In an age of ruthless politicians, the seemingly benign Vestals could hold the balance of power. Macleod has written a fascinating mystery set within the relentlessly masculine world of Roman power politics, but seen through the lens of a unique, all-female institution.” - John Maddox Roberts, SPQR Series
The Vesta Shadows Trilogy
The Vesta Shadows trilogy spans decades, from 45 BCE to 14 CE. It follows the life of the Vestal priestess Pomponia Occia, who is inspired by the real Vestal Occia who lived during this time, serving in the Temple of Vesta for more than fifty years. Set during the tumultuous years that saw the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire under Augustus - and beyond - it dramatizes some of the major historical events that occurred during her lifetime while simultaneously bringing ancient Rome to life with fast-paced, engrossing and visceral storylines played out by a striking cast of characters.
Vesta Today
If looking into the flame of a candle brings you comfort or focus, you’re not alone. Many people use Vesta’s flame to bring meaning and peace to their life. If what you’ve read in my books or discovered elsewhere about the ancient flame has resonated with you on a deeper level, visit the Vesta Today page where you can explore some simple but special ways to incorporate this ancient tradition into your modern life. Because everything old is new again.
Visit The All Things Vesta Gallery
The Vestal Virgins have long been the subject of art. From ancient Roman coins to Renaissance paintings, visit the Visual Gallery to browse amazing images and artifacts of the Vestal Virgins, Vesta and the world of ancient Rome. It’s the Internet’s largest collection of Vesta and Vestal-related artwork.
Many of the images are interactive, so click / tap / learn!
Articles
Featured Videos
Coelia Concordia was the last Vestal Virgin - the last great pagan priestess - of ancient Rome. It was during her tenure as chief Vestal that the Christian emperor Theodosius forcibly disbanded the Vestal Order. By having a jeweler recreate the medallion shown on her statue, it is my hope to restore just a little of the dignity that this important woman deserves.