Vanessa Riley is an award-winning author of historical fiction. Her novels illuminate the hidden histories of Black women and women of color, emphasizing strong sisterhoods and vibrant multicultural communities.

Her novel, Island Queen was a Good Morning America Buzz Pick and she was also named the 2023 Georgia Author of the Year Awards Literary Fiction Winner for Sister Mother Warrior.

Vanessa chats with Ashley about Queen of Exiles, which is based on the life of an extraordinary Black woman from history: Haiti’s Queen Marie-Louise Coidavid, who escaped a coup in Haiti to establish her own royal court in Italy during the Regency era. There, she became a popular figure in European royal society.

Queen of Exiles on ⁠Amazon and Bookshop.org

Find the recommended books, the author's social media links, and the video version of this episode at ⁠⁠⁠www.BestofWomensFiction.com⁠⁠⁠

All books featured on the podcast are listed in The Best of Women's Fiction List at ⁠⁠⁠www.bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠amazon.com⁠⁠⁠

Ashley’s author website: ⁠⁠⁠www.AshleyHasty.com