Melissa Addey

China, 1700s. Lady Qing has spent the past seven years languishing inside the high red walls of the Forbidden City. Classed as an honored lady, a lowly ranked concubine, Qing is neglected by the emperor, passed over for more ambitious women....

China, the 1720s. Giuseppe Castiglione, a promising and ambitious Italian painter, is recruited by the Jesuits to serve the Emperor of China. But his painting style is rejected as inauspicious.

The emperor has plans for gladiatorial games on a scale no one has ever seen before. But the games don’t just happen. They must be made. And Marcus, the man in charge of creating them, has just lost everything he held dear when Pompeii disappeared....

11th-century North Africa. Kella is a girl disguised as a boy, traveling the trade routes and beating all comers in the camel races. When her true identity is revealed, she is sent home to the family desert camp to be taught women’s skills....

When foundling Maggie takes a job caring for Edward, she knows him only as a young man declared mad and kept privately under the care of a physician to avoid any scandal for his family.

Eighteenth-century China. Ula Nara is a happy 16-year-old, in love and betrothed. But before she can be married, she must attend the Imperial Daughters’ Draft, where concubines are chosen for the Emperor and his family....

A false prophecy leads to the rise of a great empire...and a dangerous queen. Eleventh century North Africa. In an attempt to change her destiny, love-struck Zaynab makes a false prophecy: That she is destined to marry a man who will create an empire....

Commuting is bad for you. Really bad for you. If you commute for more than 45 minutes a day in each direction, you are more likely to be overweight, suffer from anxiety, stress, depression and social isolation....

The city of Kairouan in Tunisia, 1020. Hela has powers too strong for a child - both to feel the pain of those around her and to heal them. But when she is given a mysterious cup by a slave woman, its powers overtake her life, forcing her into a vow she cannot hope to keep....

They’ve been engaged since they were children, so he sees no need to woo her. She wants a love match and is determined to find an alternative suitor. Perhaps a Christmas trapped together in snowy London will change both their minds.

He’s a carefree rake who wants a marriage of convenience. She’s an awkward spinster who doesn’t want to marry at all. Fate has other plans in store for them both. Laurence enjoys his dalliances with the married ladies of the ton, and thinks marriage is only a matter of convenience.

Eleventh century, Northern Spain. Isabella has been a nun in the Christian kingdom of Galicia since she was a child, a gifted herbalist leading a quiet and spiritual life, devoted to God. But on a rare journey outside of the convent, she is taken by Viking raiders....

When her mother falls ill, brave Kameko sets off on a journey to bring back the jewel from the Monkey-King’s crown, known for its healing properties. Along the way she is helped by both people and kindly divinities, but will the Monkey-King give up his jewel so easily? Find out....

Creating your own merchandise can bring in income and engage your audience as well as giving you the creative edge at literary events and festivals....

Storytelling in business works. It enhances memory, enthusiasm, and commitment in listeners. But where do you get the stories from and when should you use them? The Storytelling Entrepreneur was developed during workshops and one-to-ones....