The Sacred Cycle
Book information and story details
"I have my lying, cheating, tightfisted ex-husband to thank for the fact that I got the cheapest possible mummification package..."
Available in eBook standard edition, or eBook and paperback Select Editions with extra stories and author commentary.
Gripping historical fiction
set in the present
A woman revived 4,600 years after being murdered and entombed in ancient Egypt struggles to adapt to a new life in modern-day London.
But when long-buried feelings threaten to dismantle her fragile existence, she must learn to shape her own destiny and confront the sins of her past even as she risks the life of the one she’s grown to love.
A high-stakes personal journey through time
An exploration of regret, forgiveness, and second chances that blends warmth, humor, and meaningful depth to spark conversations about the enduring power of human connection across time.
The Sacred Cycle Info Links
Your no-regrets book-club pick
Humor, drama, and thoughtful observations on life—emotional weight grounded in historical facts and ancient myths.
The Sacred Cycle provides a clean narrative that blends accessible storytelling with deeper philosophical questions—without leaning on crude language or overt sexual themes.
Infused with British culture and London landmarks
Culturally and historically grounded without being dense, this book leaves space for meaningful disagreement and interpretation on topics as diverse as:
- Loss and redemption
- Friendships and families
- Ancient and modern religion
The Sacred Cycle is a mix of lighter moments and serious emotional stakes.
- Rich in relationship dynamics and interpersonal conflict
- Multiple perspectives on morality, accountability, and redemption
Even a bit of ancient Greek philosophy!
Is it your turn to lead the group?
I've got you covered! I provide:
- A discussion guide with dozens of thought-provoking questions
- A comprehensive plot summary to help you remember events
A woman thousands of miles out of place
...and thousands of years out of time
Revived by a young researcher after being poisoned and mummified in ancient Egypt, Teppi emerges to discover that culture shock makes the passage of more than 4,000 years almost insurmountable, nearly dying as she struggles to adapt.
But Teppi is smart, tough, and determined. While much has changed in the world, much more hasn’t, and her instincts give her a toehold on the first step to forming a new life. A woman who literally helped build the Great Pyramid is not so easily defeated!
A found family forged by an unlikely hero
Teppi needs all her hard-earned skills from a harsh past to survive one mishap after another as she masters the confusion of modern-day London and overcomes the determined resistance of a group of lonely students.
With the help of her best friend—an expat from California who’s a fish out of water herself—she's an unstoppable, if supremely odd, catalyst for change.
But fate has other plans
The ancient cycle of birth, life, death, and resurrection has been thrown out of balance by Teppi’s survival into modern times.
Memories of events—that to her seem to have happened just months ago—offer nothing but increasing pain and intensifying regrets over past mistakes.
When an ancient god reveals a way to atone for the sins of her former life, she becomes driven to return to her homeland.
Teppi slips into the shadowy black market for stolen cultural artifacts, risking everything she’s built in the present and endangering the life of the one she’s grown to love for one last chance at redemption.
Extra stories
Only in the Select Edition!
You'll fall in love with the friends of the main characters! I include three additional stories about families—found, broken, and mended—that occur both before and during the events of the main story. I loved writing these as much as I did the novel.
Message in a Bottle
A short story
Not lost... just waiting to be found.
On the way to quit her job—and her new life in London—a lonely young woman meets an unlikely ally. But change is hard. When she suffers even deeper disappointment, can she admit she’s as much in need of a friend as her new fish-out-of-water neighbor?
Broken Chords
A short story
A wounded girl in a broken world.
A middle school piano student struggles with her parents’ divorce. Lashing out in grief at losing the family she’s known for fourteen years, she shuns the unconditional love offered by her devoted mum.
Can the lifeline thrown by an anonymous online friend save her relationship—and her love of music—before her entire world crumbles?
The Storybook Heart
A novella
The heart knows the way home.
On the verge of academic failure and stung by the judgment of his parents and peers, a young PhD candidate struggles to recover his passion for ancient history—and his place in a fraying family.
When his devoted older sister helps him discover treasured artifacts hidden in the basement of the British Museum, he must learn how to recapture the magic of the stories he spun as a child before his dreams drift forever beyond his reach.
Plus: How I wrote my first novel at the age of 62
It was a bit of a wild ride! The "why" and the "how" I started a new career as a novelist and independent publisher.
Only in the Select Edition.