Things are going to look a little different around here.

For decades, I’ve been writing about women, power, ambition, beauty, desire, and the dangerous things that happen when a woman uses them all.

I wrote Kleopatra and Pharaoh because I’d become obsessed with the gap between the woman Kleopatra actually was and the seductress history had turned her into. The real queen was far more formidable, intelligent, political, and fascinating.

Apparently, I still wasn’t finished with her.

Here is the simplest way I can explain the six-book series I’m about to launch:

The Silk Rebellion is the Kleopatra books, two thousand years later.

Imagine that Kleopatra and Marcus Antonius won their war against Rome and their dynasty survived.

Imagine that two thousand years later, their descendants rule a vast and technologically dazzling empire built on the promise of perfect harmony.

Now imagine that harmony has a price.

Book One, The Empress’s Cape, begins with Elissa Valeria, celebrated designer to the Empress and one of the most influential women in the empire, commanding millions of followers.

When Elissa begins to suspect that the clothing she creates is being used for something far more sinister than fashion, things unravel.

The series is epic, romantic, dangerous, glamorous, political, sexy, and very much mine.

Those of you who have been with me through Kleopatra, Isabella d’Este, Mina Harker, and the Gabor sisters will recognize this territory. I’m still writing about women and power. I’ve simply stopped letting history dictate what happens next.

Over the coming months, I’ll bring you inside this new world as The Empress’s Cape makes its way toward publication. I’ll share some of the clothes, the characters, and the empire’s dazzling technologies.

These books first arrived in my dream life, where I found myself living in an empire too vivid and fascinating to ignore. But that is a story for another day.

For now, welcome to The Silk Rebellion.

And if you’d like to enter the empire early, The Empress’s Cape is now available for preorder. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0H426JYKX

As ever,
Karen

In the Italian city of Mantua, 1501

“Isabella! What have you done? We have just fought a war, and we shall soon fight another. You will bankrupt us!” Francesco roared.

Little Federico stirred, and Isabella pressed her fingers to her lips to quiet her husband.

“I know all about our wars, my lord husband. I pawned some of my mother’s finest jewels to pay your soldiers if you recall. Yet despite my sacrifices, you would deny me my small pleasures.”

She looked at him contritely. “I have had the painting for months. It cost us no money if that is your concern.”

Francesco leaned down to inspect his son in his cradle, restless in his sleep and threatening to wake.

“And how is it that you now receive paintings without cost?”

Francesco would eventually discover the truth. She might as well confess while he remained in a tolerable mood.

“It was a gift from King Louis.”

His eyes narrowed. “What favor did you grant the king of France that he sent you a masterpiece painting?”

Isabella felt his mood darken. As if to conceal it from her, he knelt beside the bed and kissed his son’s forehead.

“Go back to sleep, little man,” he whispered.

“My lord, why did you send me to charm the king of France if you were going to grow jealous that I had indeed charmed him? You did not mind leaving our affairs to me while you were off making war, yet you chastise me for my efforts.”

Francesco made the Sign of the Cross with the heavy silver crucifix he wore against his chest.

“God punishes me for my sins by giving me a clever wife.”

He turned his gaze from the heavens back to her. “I have ears, Isabella,” he said, circling her like a predator trapping its prey. “They say you danced with the king until dawn and that he paid no attention to the other ladies of the court while you rested in Milan.”

Of course she had allowed Louis to believe he was seducing her. And of course, she would never succumb to him. In fact, she had recently defied both her husband and the French king, and there was nothing either could do about it.

“My lord, I merely assured the king that I was not conspiring with his enemies. Otherwise, he might have continued his rampaging march and trampled over our lovely little Mantua.”

She paused, smiling wickedly at her husband. “Louis asked me to demand a gift of him. I said, ‘Your Royal Highness, a painting by Leonardo da Vinci, who is now in your service, would please me.’ The one Leonardo had sent me is nice enough, but I am certain it was painted by an apprentice.”

“You are never satisfied, Isabella, not even with your own children.”

Now he revived another old quarrel. Francesco would have been content with as many adoring daughters as Isabella could healthily bear, and she had birthed two before Federico was born. But in Isabella’s mind, girl babies were costly and largely useless until one could marry them advantageously. Sixteen years was far too long to wait for maternal satisfaction.

Finally, after nearly seven and a half years of marriage and exhaustive efforts, which had not been exhausting at all considering how thoroughly Isabella enjoyed the marriage bed, she had produced a son and heir to Francesco’s title and lands.

“I am satisfied with you, my lord.”

She could usually placate Francesco with a compliment, but he regarded her skeptically. “A contented woman would not need to fill her rooms with priceless treasures. You are going to bankrupt us!”

Poor man. He had to be reminded of the truth. Men always craved docility in a wife, yet once they obtained it, they no longer desired or respected the woman who capitulated too easily.

She gave him a saucy look. “My lord, as I have often told you, we are much too spirited to allow a mere eight or ten percent rate of interest to separate us from the things we love.”

He sighed. “As long as you agree to sell them back when we need the money.”

Isabella was about to reply when they heard rapid footsteps approaching, filling the hall with a hollow echo. Isabella’s secretary, Benedetto rushed into the room with the baby’s nurse trailing behind. She looked as though she had run all the way from the kitchens.

Without so much as a bow to the marquis and marchesa, she snatched the boy from his cradle while Benedetto struggled to catch his breath.

“Your Excellencies, come quickly! My lady, you may wish to bring your rosary. Oh, it is terrible. Terrible. God have mercy upon us all!”

Rosary in hand, Isabella followed Benedetto into the courtyard beside Francesco.

The air hung heavy and humid, summer’s particular scourge. The sky, bruised purplish gray, threatened at any moment to unleash a torrent.

Suddenly, Francesco’s sister, Elisabetta Montefeltro, Duchess of Urbino, seized Isabella by the arm, turned her about, and threw herself into Isabella’s embrace.

Bound by marital ties and kindred temperaments, the two women had become deeply devoted friends.

“We are ruined, Isabella.”

The words caught in Elisabetta’s throat as she forced them into the air. Isabella wrapped her arms around the sobbing woman. Her bodice was soaked with perspiration and her sleeves hung shredded.

Guidobaldo Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, beloved and exemplary prince, dismounted his horse shouting orders for the soldiers to take the exhausted animals, gleaming with sweat and gasping in the humid air, to the stables before the rain broke.

Francesco seized the duke by the arms. “In the name of God, brother, what has happened?”

Elisabetta broke from Isabella’s embrace. “That menace, Cesare Borgia has captured Urbino. We fled for our lives!”

The duke added grimly: “And there is no reason to believe he shall stop there.”

Dear Friends,

Renaissance Rivals, the sequel to my award-winning global bestseller Leonardo’s Swans, published July 15, and I would love your help giving it a strong first week in the world.

Leonardo’s Swans told the story of Beatrice and Isabella d’Este, two brilliant sisters navigating art, marriage, politics, and power in Renaissance Italy.

Renaissance Rivals continues Isabella’s story as she faces a new and formidable opponent: Lucrezia Borgia. Returning to the glittering, dangerous courts of Italy, the novel explores the fascinating rivalry between two women born into a world where marriage was strategic and survival required intelligence sharper than any blade.

If you love stories about women who shaped history from behind palace walls, Renaissance Rivals is for you.

A strong publication week can make or break a book with readers, bookstores, libraries, book clubs, and the little gremlins we call algorithms. If you’d like to support Renaissance Rivals, here are three easy ways:

Buy, or read in Kindle Unlimited, the book now at

https://shop.karenessex.com or https://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-Rivals-Isabella-stand-alone-Leonardos-ebook/dp/B0FT5P83DG

Share the book (or this email) with readers who love historical fiction, Renaissance Italy, powerful women, art, court intrigue, or all of the above. To make sharing easy on your social media platform, here are a few lines you can copy, paste, and adapt:

Karen Essex’s Renaissance Rivals, the sequel to global bestseller Leonardo’s Swans, continues Isabella d’Este’s story as she faces a new rival: Lucrezia Borgia. Perfect for readers who love historical fiction about powerful women, Renaissance courts, art, politics, and dangerous ambition. https://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-Rivals-Isabella-stand-alone-Leonardos-ebook/dp/B0FT5P83DG

Renaissance Rivals by Karen Essex is now available. If you loved Leonardo’s Swans or The Marriage Portrait, you’ll love this historical fiction novel about powerful women, Renaissance Italy, art, politics, and rivalry. https://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-Rivals-Isabella-stand-alone-Leonardos-ebook/dp/B0FT5P83DG

Happy publication week to Karen Essex. Renaissance Rivals brings Isabella d’Este and Lucrezia Borgia into a dazzling contest of beauty, strategy, ambition, and power. https://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-Rivals-Isabella-stand-alone-Leonardos-ebook/dp/B0FT5P83DG

Leaving a short review on Amazon or Goodreads once you’ve read it is tremendous help, even if it’s one or two sentences!

AND… For publication week only, both Leonardo’s Swans & Renaissance Rivals ebooks will be on SALE for $2.99 each from July 17 through 11 pm July 23rd. It’s the perfect moment to read them together or to send them to a friend who loves Renaissance Italy and history with teeth.

Find Leonardo’s Swans here: https://www.amazon.com/Leonardos-Swans-Karen-Essex-ebook/dp/B0FCSM5LBG

Find Renaissance Rivals here: https://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-Rivals-Isabella-stand-alone-Leonardos-ebook/dp/B0FT5P83DG

Thank you for cheering on my books, my talks, and my ongoing obsession: bringing history’s most fascinating women out of the shadows and onto center stage.

With love and gratitude,

Karen

Dear Friends,

With ten talks on the calendar for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027, I’m opening a limited number of dates for private cultural salons and illustrated keynotes.

These are intimate, visual talks with Q&A, on history, reinvention, survival, and soft power. Popular topics include Run, Darling and the Gabor sisters’ escape from Nazi-occupied Europe, Renaissance women and their rivalries, Kleopatra’s secret weapons, stolen art, and the hidden female stories behind history’s grand narratives.

My talks have drawn enthusiastic responses from private clubs, book groups, and cultural audiences. They are also well suited to gracious private homes, intimate dinners, destination gatherings, cultural and literary retreats, and curated travel experiences.

Speaking fees begin at $2,500 for in-person events, plus travel when applicable, and are scaled to the size and nature of the gathering. Virtual appearances begin at $750. Signed books may also be purchased directly from me and bundled into the event.

If you’d like to host or recommend an event, salon, or talk reply and I’ll send a short guide with topics, formats, booking details, and ideas for creating a memorable experience.

Warmly,
Karen

First, my deepest thanks to the beautiful souls who have signed up as paid Muses. You make it possible for me to continue this writing life: the books, the research, the deep dives into dangerous & dazzling women—the women history tried very hard to underestimate.

This month, I had the joy of speaking to an extraordinary women’s club about Run, Darling and the Gabor sisters’ escape from Nazi-occupied Europe. The event was sold out, and to a room of 200, I gave a 28-slide presentation on the sisters’ transformation from hunted Jewish refugees into icons of Hollywood glamour.

The club is very private, so I cannot share photos, but after the talk came a Gabor-inspired champagne luncheon. Truly, Zsa Zsa would have approved.

What moved me most was how deeply the audience responded to the story beneath the sparkle: female resilience, reinvention, and soft power.

By soft power, I mean the tools women have historically used to survive in worlds designed to limit them: beauty, wit, charm, allure, and emotional and social intelligence—qualities that are often dismissed. But in the lives of my protagonists like Kleopatra, Isabella d’Este, and the Gabor sisters, they were often the difference between survival and erasure.

That idea is at the heart of the memoir I’m writing about my heroines and what I learned from following them through history and in my own life. Paid Muses will receive early chapters as the book unfolds. The writing is personal and raw, so I’ll ask for your feedback and discretion.

I’m also booking talks for fall 2026 and spring 2027 for museums, universities, libraries, women’s clubs, and cultural organizations. If you know of a group that would enjoy a visually rich, story-driven talk on history, power, or reinvention, please send them my way.

Speaking of history, I’m returning to Italy this fall, where my roots run deep. I come from a proud Sicilian family, and my love of Italy breathes through Leonardo’s Swans and Renaissance Rivals, its long-awaited sequel. Renaissance Rivals debuts July 18, and it is available now for preorder at a lower price. https://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-Rivals-Isabella-stand-alone-Leonardos-ebook/dp/B0FT5P83DG

The novel returns to the glittering courts of Renaissance Italy, where Isabella d’Este and Lucrezia Borgia wage a battle of ambition, marriage, politics, and power.

Thank you, as always, for reading, supporting, subscribing, preordering, and cheering me on.

Enjoy the summer. Pour something sparkling. Wear the earrings. Own the room.

As ever,

Karen

Dear Friends & Readers,

I am thrilled to share that Renaissance Rivals, the long-awaited sequel to my global bestseller Leonardo’s Swans, will be published on July 15, 2026.

For years, readers have asked me what happened next in the world of Isabella d’Este and the treacherous courts of the Italian Renaissance. Renaissance Rivals is my answer.

The novel tells the story of the devastating rivalry between two of the most fascinating power women in history: Isabella d’Este, Marchesa of Mantua, celebrated in her lifetime as “The First Lady of the World,” and Duchess Lucrezia Borgia, daughter of the infamous Pope Alexander VI and one of the most maligned women in history.

Both women were beautiful, brilliant, and politically influential. And both understood that in a world ruled by fathers, husbands, and brothers, survival required more than charm. It required brutal strategy.

When Lucrezia marries into the powerful Este family, Isabella suddenly has a rival inside her own dynasty. What begins as family tension becomes a battle for influence, reputation, power, and for powerful men. Around them, Italy erupts in war and political chaos but also unprecedented artistic splendor, with the greatest minds of the age, including Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli, moving through the women’s orbit.

Renaissance Rivals is a story of ambition, rivalry, loyalty, and the choices women must make when history gives them no safe place to stand. It arrives just in time for your summer reading pleasure.

You can preorder Renaissance Rivals here before the price goes up July 15: https://amzn.to/3PPgm1u

Have a great summer!

As ever,

Karen

Portrait of Isabella d’Este by Titian

Portrait of Lucrezia Borgia traditionally attributed to Bartolomeo Veneto

​PAPERBACKS​ | ​EBOOKS​ | ​AUDIOBOOKS​

My work is entirely self-financed. And it takes $$$ to produce. There are no publishers or sponsors funding me—only readers like you. Becoming a Paid Muse on Substack means means helping me build something sustainable, and to keep entertaining you with stories that may otherwise go untold.

Become A Muse

Want to support me with a one-time gesture?

I’m a committed coffee addict and a romantic at heart.

Buy Me A Drink

OR

Send Me A Rose

Whatever you choose, thank you for being part of this new salon of bold ideas.

This year, I’ve had the extraordinary experience of appearing in not one but two documentaries about Lady Mary Elgin, the protagonist of my novel Stealing Athena, and the ongoing controversy surrounding the Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon Sculptures.

Speaking on the subject reminded me how shockingly modern this story remains.

Who owns cultural treasures? What is preservation, and what is theft? Who gets written out of history while powerful men argue over ownership and legacy?

Stealing Athena explores these questions through two extraordinary women across centuries, both crucial to the story and both largely erased from it: Aspasia of ancient Athens, a rare female philosopher, and Mary Nisbet, Countess of Elgin, the young Scottish heiress who helped navigate the dangerous political world surrounding Lord Elgin’s removal of the sculptures from the Parthenon.

As the conversation around the Parthenon Sculptures has intensified, I’ve rereleased a beautiful new edition of Stealing Athena. Frankly, it feels even more relevant now than when I first wrote it.

At its heart, Stealing Athena is a story of ambition, seduction, empire, and the complicated women history tends to flatten into footnotes, if it mentions them at all.

If you love stories about art, power, beauty, politics, and the price of immortality, I think you’ll enjoy this one. You can purchase a copy here: ​https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Athena-Karen-Essex-ebook/dp/B0GXLJXPLJ/​

Many of you also know that I’ve been giving a keynote talk and slide presentation on the controversy surrounding the sculptures and the women behind the story. If your university, library, museum, book club, or organization is interested, please get in touch.

As ever,

Karen

For one appearance, the company sent a crew to my home to film me. You can see this extremely well-done documentary here: ​

The second production company (still a secret so cannot reveal the title or air date) brought me to London to be filmed.

One war. A daring escape.

Run, Darling is available now.

Find it on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Run-Darling-Sisters-Historical-Fiction-ebook/dp/B0F7V17JL6

One war. A daring escape.

Run, Darling is available now.

Grab your copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7V17JL6

One war. A daring escape.

Run, Darling is available now.

Grab your copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7V17JL6

One war. A daring escape.

Run, Darling is available now.

Grab your copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7V17JL6

One war. A daring escape.

Run, Darling is available now.

Grab your copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7V17JL6

One war. A daring escape.

Run, Darling is available now.

Grab your copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7V17JL6

One war. A daring escape.

Run, Darling is available now.

Find it on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Run-Darling-Sisters-Historical-Fiction-ebook/dp/B0F7V17JL6

Dear Friends & Readers,

For the past two weeks, I’ve been deep inside someone else’s novel, a big, unwieldy, beautiful manuscript, full of talent, full of life… and completely tangled. The writer had lost her way in it and was losing her belief, not only in the novel, but in herself as a creator.

I analyzed the manuscript, pulled it apart, and found the spine. I not only showed her how to rebuild the structure seamlessly to make it more readable and saleable, but also discovered a second novel buried inside that was crying out to be written.

When I told her to have faith, that she is extremely talented (she is!) and just needed to learn restraint, she started to cry.

“You’ve given me hope,” she said.

I assured her that writing a novel is very hard, and that I would not under any circumstances, encourage her if I didn’t believe what I was saying.

Here’s something I know intimately: most writers don’t fail because they lack ability.

They falter because they cannot see their work clearly and become too discouraged to keep going. After many false starts and messy manuscripts, I stayed in the game, and I’m thrilled that I’ve given other writers the courage and hope to do so.

As we head into summer when my keynote presentations will slow down, I’m opening a small number of spaces for editorial and consulting work.

If you’re sitting on a manuscript that isn’t quite working, or lost confidence in something you once loved, get in touch by replying to this email.

As ever,

Karen

Dear Friends & Readers,

When I first submitted Run, Darling, the story of the glamorous Gabor sisters’ near-death escape from Nazi-occupied Europe, I was told the market wasn’t interested in a Jewish story. Ouch!

I refused to take no for an answer, and I published it myself.

Here’s what happened: Actually, thousands of readers were interested in the story. In an Amazon marketplace of nearly four million books, Run, Darling has consistently ranked in the top 30 of its Historical Biographical Fiction category, often in the top 15.

Read Run, Darling

Readers showed up. Book clubs showed up. Organizations invited me to speak about these women’s courage, survival, and reinvention.

The lesson? The Gabors survived a world war, reinvented themselves, and refused to be told who they were allowed to be.

I suppose I learned from the best. Powerful women have always rewritten the rules. I just followed their example.

Here’s what utterly iconic writers are saying about Run, Darling:

“Karen Essex has a gift for humanizing the so-called bad girls of history, and she does it again in this fascinating, untold story of the Gabor sisters during World War II.” —Stephanie Dray, NYT bestselling author of Becoming Madam Secretary, etc. @stephanie.dray on instagram

“Loved this book! @karenessex is one of my auto-buy authors. This story was hard to put down. I read it in two days. ❤️” —Trisha R. Thomas, bestelling author of the groundbreaking Nappily Ever After, etc. mas on instagram

“RUN, DARLING is a splashy soap opera romp of a good time, with surprisingly serious themes of sisterhood, family, and the danger of being a woman who knows her own mind.” —Kate Quinn, NYT bestselling author of The Astral Library, etc. @katequinn5975 on instagram

So don’t listen to gatekeepers and experts. Be your own!

As ever,

Karen

Some stories stay with you long after you read them (or write them).

Dracula in Love is one of those for me. It’s romantic, dark, unapologetically sexy, and deeply rooted in the history of Bram Stoker’s Dracula — a blend of gothic atmosphere and emotional intensity that, looking back, probably qualified as romantasy long before romantasy was officially a thing.

This book is also special because Mina Harker finally takes center stage. Her story, her desires, her strength, her choices — all of it lives at the heart of this novel, and I loved giving her the space to step fully into the spotlight.

With the re-release coming up on February 14th, I gave Dracula in Love a full glow-up:

✨ a brand-new cover

✨ updated formatting

✨ a new scene break image

✨ and gorgeous Dracula in Love merch

I considered changing the ending, but ultimately kept it exactly as it is. There’s a secret project in the works that makes that original ending necessary, and I can’t wait to share more when the time is right.

For now, I hope you’ll celebrate Valentine’s weekend with me in a way that feels cozy, indulgent, and a little bit decadent.

You can:

✨ preorder the paperback directly through me
✨ grab a matching mug or sweater
✨ pour a glass of wine
✨ and curl up with a story designed to make your heart race

An added benefit of ordering the Dracula In Love paperback directly through my shop is that you will save money! And while you’re there you can buy a matching mug to enjoy your favorite beverage while you read.

Whether this is your first time meeting Mina or you’re returning to her world, I hope Dracula in Love gives you a weekend escape filled with longing, danger, devotion, and romance.

👉 ​Preorder Dracula in Love ebook here​

👉 ​Preorder Dracula in Love paperback here​

As always, thank you for being here, for reading, and for supporting my work. It truly means the world.

As ever, Karen

What better time than Valentine’s Day to welcome Dracula in Love: The Secret History of Mina Harker back into the world? Consider it a dark Valentine from me to you.

Pre-order here!

This novel has been living in my bloodstream for a long time. It began with a single, delicious question: what if Mina Harker were not the obedient Victorian heroine of Bram Stoker’s imagination but the Count’s equal with her own mysterious background? The entire story arrived in a rush one afternoon at my desk, as if it had been waiting for me to catch up.

It’s a love letter to my devotion, as a New Orleans native, to Anne Rice, and to everything I adore about gothic fantasy, paranormal romance, and romantasy—the beauty, the danger, the ache, the seduction. (My former editor rebuffed those genres. “This is a literary thriller!” she insisted. Honestly? It’s that too.) Dracula in Love is told entirely from Mina’s point of view—her longing, her courage, her secrets. It’s for readers who like their passion with teeth.

On February 14, a newly refreshed edition will be released. The story remains the same but wears a gorgeous new cover and an updated interior design that better matches the mood, sensuality, and dark magic of Mina’s world. Think: a beloved story, not rewritten—just dressed for the occasion.

To celebrate, I’m offering paperback pre-orders directly through shop.karenessex.com. And for those who want to carry a little Mina energy beyond the page, the winged-heart “Dracula in Love” design is now available on mugs and hoodies as well.

E-book preorders for Dracula in Love are available here:

Preorder here!

I hope you’ll join me in welcoming Dracula in Love back this Valentine’s Day. After all… what better time to revisit a love story that literally refuses to die?

As ever,
Karen

As the year winds down and we’re all thinking about gifts, I want to mention one that costs nothing, takes just a few minutes, and means more to authors than you might imagine.

If you love books, you already give writers something precious: your time. But reviews are what help those books find their way to new readers. They aren’t just kind words (though I treasure those), and they don’t just help other readers find their next great read. Reviews directly affect how Amazon and other retailers rank and recommend books—meaning they are the difference between a book quietly fading away…or continuing to reach new readers.

That visibility is a lifeline in an industry that’s tougher than ever. Every review helps keep an author’s work alive and circulating. Truly, it’s one of the most meaningful gifts you can give us.

If you’ve enjoyed one of my books and have a moment to leave a review—on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever you buy your books—I would be deeply grateful.

And if you are looking for gifts to give others…

For decades, I’ve wanted to create merchandise inspired by my books, but those rights were tied up with my publishers. Now I have them back—and I’ve added some new things to my online shop that I’m genuinely excited about.

Get Yours Now!

Along with the new Dracula in Love mugs my assistant wrote to you about, there are now Dracula in Love sweatshirts and brand-new Love Like an Egyptian hoodies. Each is an amazing eye-catcher and conversation starter, I promise.

The shop is a wonderful way to support my work. It’s where I earn the highest royalties, and it’s the only place you can get signed copies of my books—whose gorgeous covers make them lovely gifts all on their own.

Please know how much your continued support and enthusiasm means to me. I don’t get to do this without you—full stop.

Wishing you a warm and wonderful holiday season. And yes: 2026 will bring plenty more History. Sex. Power.

Holiday hug,
Karen

This is Jess, Karen’s assistant!

Karen is deep in writing mode, so I’m stepping in for a special newsletter takeover to tell you about all the new goodies in the Karen Essex shop!

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Signed First Editions

If you’ve been waiting for an excuse to buy a gorgeous signed first edition paperback or hardcover, here it is:

Get Them Here

I’m warning you now that they will look gorgeous on your shelf and that the stock on these are limited. They are signed by Karen herself and are true first editions — which means once they’re gone, they’re gone-gone.

You cannot get these anywhere else, at least not with the personalization of the author’s signature and certainly not at this low price.

On second hand markets the first edition unsigned copies of Kleopatra are $60, but directly through Karen’s site you can get them for only $30!

New Merch Just Dropped:

Okay, I’m VERY excited about this one. We just added a brand new option to the site: Merch!

In honor of the new edition of Dracula in Love we’re starting with this gorgeous mug:

Get It Here

Start your morning with the pairing of the century.

The immortal romance of hot coffee and hotter scenes makes this coffee mug the perfect present for fans of Dracula in Love and are basically begging to be gifted to yourself or someone you love.

Paperback “Preorders”:

Okay, here’s a little behind-the-scenes secret:
Most distributors still refuse to let authors offer true paperback preorders.

But it isn’t fair that paperback readers have to wait until the book is released before they can order and then have to wait for the book to print and ship before they even get to read it.

So… we built our own system. Here’s how it works:

When Karen announces a new paperback, we open an early ordering window directly through her shop.
Those orders are printed and shipped two days before the ebook release.
Which means your paperback arrives right on time!

At the moment both Dracula in Love and Renaissance Rivals are available for paperback preorder. Get them here:

Get Them Here

Wishing you a warm, book-filled start to your December,
Jess
Officially Karen’s assistant
Unofficially, the chaos goblin with admin access.