Readers have been asking me what’s up next after the Nile trilogy about Cleopatra’s daughter, and I’ve been mum because I’ve been in negotiations for a new project.
I’m now pleased to be able to announce it–since this just appeared in Publishers Marketplace:
SOLD: Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie’s AMERICA’S FIRST DAUGHTER, in which Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph’s loving but deeply destructive relationship with her father, the third president of the United States, forces her to sacrifice a worldly life in Revolutionary France with the man she loves in order to defend her father’s legacy and shape the identity of a new nation, to Amanda Bergeron at William Morrow, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency (world).
While this novel will be a departure from the ancient world, I am confident in making the switch because of an extraordinary writing partnership. My co-author, Laura Kamoie is a historian specializing in colonial and revolutionary America, Virginia history, and the history of slavery. She holds a M.A. and Ph.D. in American history from The College of William and Mary and is an Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Naval Academy. Her alter-ego is also New York Times best-selling author. Even better, she is also a close personal friend who shares my passion for all things Jefferson, and we have experienced many hair-raising moments of awe while researching this story–which will be a sweeping epic about an American Founding Mother people know far too little about.
For those of you who hope to see more ancient-world books from me, never fear. Daughters of the Nile will release in just a few weeks, and I have several more ancient-world projects brewing. But as I love bringing to life the story of daughters who walk in very big shadows, this story about Patsy Jefferson is one I’m dying to tell.
Congrats! So very excited for this one — hope you and your co-author will write a bit about what that experience was/is like — am so very intrigued by collaborative fiction writing! Also, really excited for the Dray touch for this era — I expect I’ll be gutted!
Thanks so much, Audra! Laura and I will likely write an article and/or sit on panels discussing our collaborative arrangement–because our experience, so far, has been wonderful. We each have strengths that complement, and when we get together for late-night plotting sessions, it has felt like pure magic and not work. I am very blessed both to be able to work with Laura and to be able to tell the story of another extraordinary woman–one that seems to want to be told.
As for gutting you, well, Patsy Jefferson’s life was almost as tragic and triumphant as Cleopatra Selene’s 😉
So excited! I can’t wait to read it! I also can’t wait to read Daughters of the Nile! 🙂
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
I am dying to know who the love of Patsy Jefferson’s life was – any hints? I read PATSY JEFFERSON OF MONTICELLO by Marguerite Vance when I was young and of course this was not included!
No hints 😉