"It all began when I read an advance copy of the Veil of the Goddess by Rob Preece, and was very much impressed," smiles Kristina O'Donnelly. "Veil of the Goddess is a fast-paced, enthralling thriller that would make John Le Carre proud! You see, when the True Cross is discovered beneath a bombed Iraqi mosque, a countdown to the ultimate Crusade begins. Can Sgt. Ivy Newland, a sharp gal combining brains and brawn, control the power of the Cross, I kept wondering, or will the Foundation bring about the end-times? Assisted by Capt. Zack Herrera, whom I would not mind dating myself, a mysterious priestess -- or is she Ishtar, the goddess? -- and growing powers, Ivy flees the CIA, the Foundation, and Iraqi insurgents across Iraq, Turkey, Greece, and Italy. This novel was such a good read that when I was finished, I was glad I had not tackled it in a New York City subway, or else I would have missed my stop and be late for work!

So, I contacted Rob Preece, the author, and a correspondence ensued. I was deeply entranced writing my epic novel of Troy, from the p.o.v of Andromache, lovely and loyal wife of Hector, immortalized as Tamer of Horses as well as the Defender of Troy, and I was losing my footing in the 21st Century. During our correspondence, I discovered that Rob Preece was quite familiar with the legend and its different versions by different authors. So I asked for feedback more than once. As it turned out, Rob Preece is not only an author, but a publisher, and in the end, he offered to publish Andromache ("Andromakhe" for I spelled it with how its pronounced in Greek) in e-version.  To be published by someone not only familiar with the subject, but also an author whose writings I enjoy, is a great pleasure. BooksForABuck.com is a thriving cyber-press, fast on its way to brick-and-mortar, deservedly known for offering a rich variety of quality fiction that is reasonably priced.

Ãndrõmakhê is indeed the fruit of many years of research and work, and I am happy that it will see the light of day, so to speak.

Now a bit about Ãndrõmakhê (a.k.a. Andromache), the Novel. For over three thousand years, her name has conjured up an appealing vision of Trojan hero Hektôr's lovely and devoted wife, bravely suffering the loss of all of her loved ones in the ten-year long Trojan War: Mother and father, seven brothers, husband, son, relatives and friends. Most novels about the Trojan War end with the Fall of Troy.

However, here, as we dwell in Ãndrõmakhê’s life, we have an account encompassing the pre and-post Iliad years. Love, hate, greed, war, intrigue, heroes and villains combine with authenticated geography and history, offering an intimate window into the Bronze Age. 

We meet her at age thirteen, as a Princess in Mysian Thébé, and follow her life from marriage to Hektôr, Prince of Troia (Troy) through the siege of Troia by the Achaians – modern day Greeks – and Troia’s destruction. However, Fates have declared that she must endure and triumph over more heartbreak and tragedy.

After Troia’s fall, she is tossed to Epirus—modern day Albania—as a captive, where Hermione, daughter of King Meneláos, tries to murder her, then back to Teuthrania, near Mysia, where she rises as the Patroness of the Kingdom of Pergamos—modern day Bergama, in Turkey. Haunted by flashes of a previous life in a land called Shardana, she has a mysterious bond with Alexis (Paris) Prince of Troy.

Admired by the legendary Memnon, King of Ethiopia, who comes to Troia’s aid after Hektôr’s death, to win her as prize, to Pyrrhos Neoptolemos, son of Akhilles, who enslaves her and loves and hates her at the same time, to Hektôr’s brother Helenos, a warrior, seer, and priest of Apollo, men battle gods and fates to win Hektôr’s widow, whose heart remains faithful to him even beyond his death.

Ãndrõmakhê... to be published by a publisher whom I first met as an author whose novel I enjoyed...ah, indeed, one never knows the ways of kismet!

"Kristina O'Donnelly takes the immortal tale of Troy – gods, heroes, and battles, but gives us the woman's take. The strong women that are victimized by the violence, yet survive and ultimately rise above it. O'Donnelly has done a great job taking the violent male-centered story of The Iliad and bringing it a female perspective. Men get the glory, women do the suffering (men suffer too, of course, but it's often their choice--women have fewer choices, and had fewer yet in those ancient days). Andromakhe is a major work and must-read story for 2006." Rob Preece, Author Veil of the Goddess