It's been a monumental journey....
About this novel: Book #6 of the Sultana series. In fifteenth-century Moorish Spain, Moraima, wife of the last Sultan of Granada faces an uncertain future. Her husband’s realm endures terrible odds in battles against dangerous foes. The united Catholic monarchs Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon gain ground steadily, encroaching upon Granada, while dynastic rivalries fracture the Moorish kingdom from within the palace. How can Moraima ensure the survival of her family, shattered by warfare and betrayal?
If you've visited my website or read this blog, you know much about my journey to publication of the Sultana series. These books have meant so much to me and I'm delighted to share this last in the series with readers. I hope you'll find it interesting, too!
What's next for me? After much consideration, I'm putting together an omnibus edition of all the novels in the series, with a few bonus exclusive for future readers, including a completed genealogy tree of the Nasrid Dynasty and a map of the last Moorish kingdom of Spain and its one-time North African allies. I'll also be sharing the full details of all of my research into the historical figures in this final novel. Was Moraima's husband Sultan Muhammad XI truly as unlucky as the historians indicated? What's the origin of "the Moor's last sigh" legend? Where are the bodies of the rulers of Granada buried? One certainty: not at Alhambra Palace!
Then, I shall bid a fond farewell to Moorish Spain, but I will come back to the setting at a much earlier time when the Moors began their conquest. Stay tuned for future news of my progress. My next undertaking will be a series about the father and brothers of Prince Vlad Dracula of Wallachia; his beleaguered parent Vlad Dracul in Order of the Dragon and the princes Mircea and Radu the Handsome in Sons of the Dragon. Prepare to be immersed in late medieval history, legends and superstitions on a journey through the forests and river fortresses of Romania to the regal but dangerous courts of Hungary, and the Turkish city of Istanbul, formerly Constantinople. I'm excited to share my decades-long fascination with the historical figures who knew Dracula well. Look for those novels in late 2018 and late 2019.
