It’s been five and a half years since I started writing. 

And two and a half years since I typed the first word of what would become THE SECRET HISTORY: A NOVEL OF EMPRESS THEODORA. 

And today it finally goes out into the world. 

I’m going out with my family tonight to celebrate, and can pretty much guarantee there will soon be goofy pictures posted of me standing next to my book at Barnes & Noble. But today I wanted to say one thing…

THANK YOU. 

To all of you who started reading my blog when I was still writing DAUGHTERS OF THE GODS, (in fact, this blog used to be called Hatshepsut: The Writing of a Novel), to everyone who cheered me on when things got bleak, and who celebrated all of our successes along the way… 

THANK YOU.

And a special thank you to all my early readers: Renee Yancy, Jade Timms, Amalia Dillin, L.T. Host, Gary Corby, Joshua McCune, and Vicki Tremper. 

And now I’m going to get ready for my big night on the town: dinner, a visit to the bookstore, and, of course, an ice cream cake! (Because no celebration would be complete without an ice cream cake!)