Michelle Moran – författare

Paris, 1788.

Marie is a young woman in love with her oldest friend and neighbour, Henri. But she is also a determined businesswoman, eager to see her family''s waxwork museum keep them safe and solvent. Her gift for modelling faces in wax brings her to Versailles, where she must teach the king''s sister her skill. But the coming revolution will place Marie, her family and all of Paris in grave danger.

As the monarchy is overthrown and the guillotine becomes a fixture in French life, Marie is expected to show her patriotism by making death masks from the severed heads of every key figure killed as the Reign of Terror begins and France enters its darkest time. How will Marie survive the Revolution? Who will survive it with her? And just how will this girl come to be known as the woman behind one of the most famous museums in the world?

Empress Josephine''s family has been called to Napoleon''s court for the terrible news that he intends to divorce his barren wife of thirteen years and take a younger bride, the Austrian Princess Marie-Louise.

For Josephine''s daughter, Hortense, this means she is free to leave her husband, Napoleon''s brother, having given the Bonapartes three heirs. As she looks for love, she must support her mother through the terrible grief of Napoleon''s betrayal.

For his new wife, it is a terrible duty she must take on in her father''s name. She has nothing in common with the strange, older man she has married and can find little in her life to enjoy. But an unlikely friendship with Hortense will bring her much comfort, especially as she must fight for her own happiness.

For Napoleon''s sister, Pauline Bonaparte, it is yet another woman stealing her brother''s attention and affection. Having spent years attempting to control his power and his influence, she must fight harder and dirtier if she is to win...

1857, India. At nineteen years old, Sita is the shining star of Queen Lakshmi of India''s imperial guard, having pledged herself to a life of celibacy in the name of protecting the young ruler. When Sita agrees to train Lakshmi in the art of military combat, a close friendship develops between the two women. But trouble soon threatens - Lakshmi''s court is dangerously divided and rumours are rife that the country is at risk. Meanwhile, in London, advisors to Queen Victoria are looking to extend the power of the Commonwealth, and India is coveted as the next jewel in the imperial crown. In the ensuing battle, will the bond between Lakshmi and Sita be broken for ever?

From the internationally bestselling author of Nefertiti comes a captivating novel about the infamous Mata Hari, exotic dancer, adored courtesan, and, possibly, infamous spy.Paris, 1917. The notorious dancer Mata Hari sits in a cold cell awaiting freedom . . . or death. Alone and despondent, Mata Hari is as confused as the rest of the world about the charges she''s been arrested on: treason leading to the deaths of thousands of French soldiers.As Mata Hari waits for her fate to be decided, she relays the story of her life to a reporter who is allowed to visit her in prison. Beginning with her carefree childhood, Mata Hari recounts her father''s cruel abandonment of her family as well her calamitous marriage to a military officer. Taken to the island of Java, Mata Hari refuses to be ruled by her abusive husband and instead learns to dance, paving the way to her stardom as Europe''s most infamous exotic dancer.From lush Indian temples and glamorous Parisian theatres to stark German barracks in war-torn Europe, Moran brings to vibrant life the famed world of Mata Hari: dancer, courtesan, and possibly, spy.

When Nefertari''s entire family is killed in a fire, she''s left to grow up alone, a spare princess in the palace of the new Pharaoh. Her young life is overshadowed by the past - the name of her infamous aunt, Nefertiti, the Heretic Queen, still strikes terror into the hearts of Egyptians. So, when she finds herself falling in love with the young Pharaoh, Ramesses, she knows it''s not going to be easy to win his heart.

But when the Pharaoh''s aunt takes Nefertari under her wing and begins to educate her in the ways to gain a man''s attention - and hold it - marriage to him seems within her reach. Yet, even as Ramesses declares his love for her, she knows there''s more work to be done. If she''s to be queen, all of Egypt must recognise her worth and overcome her connection to the dark, heretical days of the past.

Ramesses will face challenges from all sides: war, drought, conquest and the determination of a man named Ahmoses will all threaten his reign. Could Egypt''s rulers, and more importantly her people, ever allow him to marry the woman he loves, let alone make her his Queen?

Nefertiti is one of the world''s great legendary beauties. Seen through her sister''s eyes, she is vividly brought to life in this heartbreaking story of celebrity, ambition, love and loss.At the tender age of fifteen, Nefertiti marries Akenathen, the Prince of Egypt, her dreams coming true as she rises to fame and fortune. Bathed and decorated by a team of body servants her natural beauty is enhanced until she becomes mesmerizing. She is soon the darling of the people and her husband''s closest confidant.But when her husband breaks with a thousand years of tradition, defying the priests and the military, it will take all Nefertiti''s wiles to keep the nation from being torn apart. She''s prepared to sacrifice her sister to strengthen her power and this act will lock the two women in a feud that only death can break…

At the dawn of the Roman Empire, when tyranny ruled, a daughter of Egypt and a son of Rome found each other . . .Selene''s legendary parents are gone. Her country taken, she has been brought to the city of Rome in chains, with only her twin brother, Alexander, to remind her of home and all she once had.Living under the watchful eyes of the ruling family, Selene and her brother must quickly learn how to be Roman - and how to be useful to Caesar. She puts her artistry to work, in the hope of staying alive and being allowed to return to Egypt. Before long, however, she is distracted by the young and handsome heir to the empire…When the elusive ''Red Eagle'' starts calling for the end of slavery, Selene and Alexander are in grave danger. Will this mysterious figure bring their liberation, or their demise?