My fiction re-imagines the great political dramas that marked the history of the Holy Roman Empire in the middle ages, blending fact and fiction, romance, politics, and mystery to cast in a fresh light the women who changed Europe at the turn of the first millennium.

My debut novel Lotharingia collected the Gold Medal for World Historical Fiction in the HFC Book of the Year 2021 Contest, was shortlisted for the 2020 Page Turner Awards, and is a 2022 Historical Novel Society Editor's Choice.

Since childhood, I have devoured every tome of medieval history I could lay my hands on. After spending too long in a corporate career, I have taken redundancy to follow my dream: turning the period and characters I love into stories.

Currently based in the UK, with my family, cat, and dog, I take pride in visiting all the settings of my novels, throughout Italy and Germany - I guess another way of putting it is that I use writing as an excuse to travel! :)

Are you wondering what will happen to Matilde and Heinrich after the words 'The End?' You will find out in 2022. I am working on Lotharingia's sequel, The Road to Canossa. It has garnered some encouraging early feedback and has been shortlisted for the 2021 PageTurner Screenwriting Awards.

In the meantime, visit my website for your free copy of 'The Keeper', a Judge's Favourite at the Ink & Insights award.

Subscribe to my mailing list for book news, insights into my historical research and the lives of my characters, as well as the odd Italy/Germany/France travel tip!

You find me at: https://www.larabyrneauthor.com/free-download
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lara-byrne
Twitter: @larafbyrne