THE EXILE DUOLOGY

The Exile Duology (2024) is composed of two books set in the 1st century CE. They are intended to be read in order.

Book I (The Longest Exile) is based on the stunning true story of Julia the Younger, granddaughter of Augustus, who, pregnant with her lover’s child, is exiled in 8 CE to an island in the Adriatic.

Book II (Daughter of Exile) follows Aemilia Lepida, Julia’s daughter, who is left behind in Rome when her mother is exiled.

Book I

  • Rome, 8 CE. Julia, eldest granddaughter of Augustus, is four months pregnant, and it should be cause for celebration. The only problem is that her husband was executed a year ago for treason. The math is simple, and damning.

    Julia is exiled to a remote Adriatic island as punishment for her indiscretion, upending her privileged life. As she struggles to adjust to her new circumstances, a suspicious accident kills her only confidante, and she finds that trust is increasingly hard to come by—especially in a world where power is everything and where people will do anything to get it. Soon, Julia is forced not only to question what else fate has in store, but to fight for her illegitimate baby’s survival.

    Julia’s scheming mother and slightly insane younger brother are already political exiles, but their newest plots pull her further into a deadly web of family betrayal and treason that threatens to taint Rome for generations to come.

    Further complicating matters is Titus, the bastard son of a senator. As one of the guards tasked with ensuring that Julia never escapes her island prison, she should resent him—but instead she finds herself increasingly drawn to him, at great risk to both their lives.

  • The Longest Exile contains mature themes and subjects which may be distressing for some readers, such as rape, sexual content, foul language, slavery, violence, murder, mental illness, suicidal thoughts, suicide, mention of pregnancy loss, and infanticide.

Book II

  • Aemilia Lepida was closer to becoming empress than anyone knew when she was betrothed to Claudius—but her parents’ disgrace leads to the dissolution of her engagement, and her life changes forever.

    Aemilia comes of age in Rome at a dangerous time, one in which her heritage makes her a desirable pawn in the schemes of others. Her own efforts to restore her family’s honor place her on a treacherous path of vengeance and intrigue that will consume her life even as it ultimately reveals a strength she never knew she possessed.

    Meanwhile, Titus begins a journey harder and longer than he could have imagined, spanning from Rome to Dacia and back again. He will sacrifice more than he bargained for as he struggles to accept his new identity: a deserter in hiding, shielding a secret that could disrupt the empire, not knowing if he will ever again see the woman for whom he has upended his life.

    Aemilia and Titus, and those around them, must decide whether their differences will keep them apart, or if Julia and her exile—their sole unifying connection—will be enough to bind them together, perhaps saving all their lives.

  • Daughter of Exile contains mature themes and subjects which may be distressing for some readers, such as rape, sexual assault, sexual content, foul language, slavery, domestic violence, general violence, murder, suicidal thoughts, suicide, grief, substance abuse, and the sacrifice of animals.