The Master of All Desires by Judith Merkle Riley

When I left Viking/Penguin, we stayed in touch.

I worked with Judith on the books, THE ORACLE GLASS and THE SERPENT GARDEN. I guided her books through the editorial process, yes, as I did with many books - but she always was so kind, so funny, so gracious - I felt (for the first time) like a colleague. Judith made my dorky twenty-two-year-old self feel like a real publishing professional. The original cover of THE MASTER OF DESIRES I was liking more of the smiley pictures, but Judith said, 'No, I like the one with the half-smile-that's the right one for the author of a book with witches.' And that's the one you see above. I clearly remember my first telephone conversation with Judith, going over the contact sheet of her author photos for THE ORACLE GLASS (there was no email then). I was lucky to be able to work with Judith in 1992, when I was but a lowly editorial assistant for Pamela Dorman at Viking/Penguin.

Judith's books are historical fiction, with strong woman protagonists, wicked wit, and a supernatural twist. The three-way battle that ensues-a prophet who scorns poetry, a woman in love, and a sly and ruthless queen-is set against the rich, detailed tapestry of a nation on the verge of civil war and a lively constellation of famous figures clustered around Nostradamus, seer of the millennium.SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Today I'm delighted to introduce Shana Drehs, Editorial Director of Sourcebooks & Sourcebooks Landmark, who's talking about the late (and beloved) novelist Judith Merkle Riley - and the reissue of two of her novels, THE ORACLE GLASS and MASTER OF ALL DESIRES. And the head, in its coffer, has fallen into the possession of a charming, wryly perceptive but stubborn young woman: Sybille Artaud de la Roche, a bluestocking poet who needs it to obtain all her desires.beauty, genius, and a dashing, intelligent cavalier. But she does not know that evil befalls all those who wish upon this accursed object.

The queen, Catherine de Medicis, a dabbler in black magic, has decided to get rid of the king's mistress by seeking out the legendary Undying Head of Menander the Magus, known as the Master of All Desires.

It is 1556 and the queen's astrologer, the prophet Nostradamus has uncovered a secret that could destroy the kingdom of France. The Master of All Desires has it all, with an extra helping of the occult, clad in Riley's hallmark style and wit. In The Oracle Glass and The Serpent Garden, Judith Merkle Riley enchanted listeners with rich, pause-resisting re-creations of eras past, wicked thumbnail sketches of power players, riotous action, delicious mystery and romance, luminous prose, and feisty heroines with a feminist sensibility. From the novelist with Antonia Fraser's authenticity and Anne Rice's allure comes another 'highly enjoyable romp' ( Newsday), with a millennial twist.

The Master of All Desires by Judith Merkle Riley