· 2010
In this wonderfully transporting novel, award-winning author Karen Essex turns a timeless classic inside out, spinning a haunting, erotic, and suspenseful story of eternal love and possession. From the shadowy banks of the river Thames to the wild and windswept Yorkshire coast, Dracula’s eternal muse, Mina Murray, vividly recounts the intimate details of what really transpired between her and the Count—the joys and terrors of a passionate affair that has linked them through the centuries, and her rebellion against her own frightening preternatural powers. Mina’s version of this gothic vampire tale is a visceral journey into Victorian England’s dimly lit bedrooms, mist-filled cemeteries, and asylum chambers, revealing the dark secrets and mysteries locked within. Time falls away as she is swept into a mythical journey far beyond mortal comprehension, where she must finally make the decision she has been avoiding for almost a millennium. Bram Stoker’s classic novel offered one side of the story, in which Mina had no past and bore no responsibility for the unfolding events. Now, for the first time, the truth of Mina’s personal voyage, and of vampirism itself, is revealed. What this flesh and blood woman has to say is more sensual, more devious, and more enthralling than the Victorians could have expressed or perhaps even have imagined.
· 2009
Stealing Athena is the story of two women, separated by centuries but united by their association with some of the world's greatest and most controversial works of art. Aspasia, a philosopher and courtesan to visionary politician Pericles during Athens's Golden Age, defies societal restrictions to become fiercely influential in Athens' power circle. Mary, the Countess of Elgin and a beautiful Scottish heiress, charms the fearsome men of the Ottoman Empire to make possible her husband's costly acquisitions, all the while brazenly defying the social conventions of her time. Both women prevail yet pay a heavy price for their rebellion. A tale of romance, intrigue, greed, and glory, Stealing Athena interweaves the lives of two of history's most beguiling heroines.
· 2011
Be prepared to be seduced by an erotic and blood-tingling tale. Mina, the most famous woman in vampire lore, vividly recounts the joys and terrors of her passionate affair with the infamous Count. A timeless classic turned inside out, Dracula in Love is a haunting and suspenseful story of eternal love and possession.
· 2006
Isabelle d’Este, daughter of the Duke of Ferrara, born into privilege and the political and artistic turbulence of Renaissance Italy, is a stunning black-eyed blond and an art lover and collector. Worldly and ambitious, she has never envied her less attractive sister, the spirited but naïve Beatrice, until, by a quirk of fate, Beatrice is betrothed to the future Duke of Milan. Although he is more than twice their age, openly lives with his mistress, and is reputedly trying to eliminate the current duke by nefarious means, Ludovico Sforza is Isabella’s match in intellect and passion for all things of beauty. Only he would allow her to fulfill her destiny: to reign over one of the world’s most powerful and enlightened realms and be immortalized in oil by the genius Leonardo da Vinci. Isabella vows that she will not rest until she wins her true fate, and the two sisters compete for supremacy in the illustrious courts of Europe. A haunting novel of rivalry, love, and betrayal that transports you back to Renaissance Italy, Leonardo’s Swans will have you dashing to the works of the great master—not for clues to a mystery but to contemplate the secrets of the human heart.
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· 2007
Worldly and ambitious, Isabella d'Este is a legendary beauty and when she weds the Marquis of Mantua, a man she has loved since childhood, all her dreams and ambitions seem to come true. This book brings to life the turbulent times of Renaissance Italy, filled with romance and rivalry, political intrigue and betrayal.
· 2009
High drama and ancient history combine in this novel of the early life of Egypt's infamous queen, at once a beautiful seductress, brilliant politician, and the most powerful ruler of her time. Even as a child, Kleopatra demonstrates the charisma and intelligence that will ensure her destiny. During an Egyptian coup, she and the King are banished to the worldly capital of Rome, where she accepts the terms of her rightful ascent to power. But the return to Egypt proves less than glorious when her father falls ill and dies, leaving her vulnerable to banishment, once again. This time, however, Kleopatra, who has blossomed into a shrewd politician, is undaunted. With a warrior’s heart, she charges her handsome kinsman and lover, Archimedes, to gather an army, while she readies herself for her most royal challenge yet: to reclaim her throne by forming an alliance with the renowned Julius Caesar.
· 2009
Following on from Kleopatra, the glittering epic of Egypt's queen continues as she allies herself with Anthony and begins a love story that immortalizes her as one of history's greatest political players and most tragic heroines. Kleopatra has been reinstated to the throne and now shares her bed with Caesar. But in order for their infant son to be officially recognized as Caesar’s rightful heir, Kleopatra must journey with the child to Rome. There she forms an intimate bond with Antony, Caesar’s second-in command. When Caesar is assassinated, it is Antony who wages war against the slain ruler’s monstrous nephew, Octavian, who claims it is he, and not Kleopatra’s son, who is next in line to rule. Now Antony and Kleopatra are inextricably allied in love and a fierce battle against a formidable enemy, where no less than the control of the world is at stake.
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· 2007
· 2003
Kleopatra has been reinstated to the throne, and now, shares her bed with Caesar. But in order for their son to be officially recognized as Caesar's heir, she must journey with the child to Rome. There she meets Antony, and Caesar is assassinated... This is a sequel to the bestselling Kleopatra.