Janet McGiffin is a storyteller with a passport full of stamps and a pen full of intrigue. Splitting her time between the pulse of Manhattan, the serenity of Washington State, and the timeless charm of Athens, Greece, she draws inspiration from every corner of the world. Born into a newspaper family in Fairfield, Iowa, Janet’s writing journey began early—crafting obituaries as a teen for the Ellensburg Daily Record in Washington.
Her career took a fascinating turn when she worked for the Milwaukee Health Department, an experience that fueled her gripping medical mystery series featuring ER doctor Maxine St. Clair, published by Fawcett Press, NY. She’s also navigated the political landscape as a press officer for the Washington State Senate.
Janet’s latest passion is The Empress Irini Series, an epic saga set in the glittering, treacherous world of Byzantine Constantinople. Whether unraveling modern mysteries or bringing history to life, Janet delivers stories as rich and complex as the places she calls home.
What I am working on now…
Thekla of Ikonion, narrator of the Empress Irini, is a favorite among my readers. So I am writing a series of mysteries—side-stories in the series—that are set in the convents where Thekla spends the nights during her journey from Ikonion to Constantinople.
In the first convent, Thekla is awakened by strange chanting which she follows to the crypt and discovers the abbess lying dead before a stone altar inscribed with the dancing figures of women. Thekla uses the inscriptions to discover how the abbess died—and how to prevent the next nun’s death.
Harry Pizzey lives and works in Cardiff, Wales, where he created the hand-lettered cover designs for The Empress Irini Series and the linocut chapter headings and illustrations.
He is a set and costume designer for theater and opera throughout the UK, and has worked as a model maker, puppet maker and event designer, as well as doing installations, animation, film and TV.
Recently he did the set and costume design for an online digital children’s opera. https://harrypizzeydesign.co.uk
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