Please join me in congratulating Eileen Stephenson on the publication of her first full-length novel, Imperial Passions: The Porta Aurea! I had the pleasure of working with Eileen on a developmental edit and a copyedit, and I designed the cover! This first book in a series based on the life of Anna Dalassena, a powerful Byzantine woman instrumental in founding the Komnenian dynasty, has been a long time in the making, and I'm so thrilled to finally be able to share it with you! Here's the book description:
At the center of Byzantine society, fifteen-year-old orphaned Anna Dalassena lives with her grandparents among the most powerful men and women in Constantinople until the cutthroat imperial politics of the Great Palace send the family into exile in a distant corner of the empire. Her bleak situation finally turns promising after meeting handsome young soldier John Comnenus and his brother Isaac before they are finally permitted to return to Constantinople.
The vicious power struggles, uprisings, and betrayals at the highest levels of the empire push Anna and John unwillingly into its center as they struggle to deal with their own tragedies. When rebellion puts her life and those of everyone she loves at risk, is the reward - a throne for her family - too big a gamble?
Imperial Passions is available now in ebook and print format on Amazon and Barnes & Noble! Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Eileen's website for her fascinating photos and blog posts on Byzantine history and culture.
Need an editor or cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com