TOSCA LEE on writing THE PROGENY
THE PROGENY
New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee brings a modern twist to an ancient mystery surrounding Elizabeth Bathory, the most notorious female serial killer of all time.
Emily Jacobs is the descendant of a serial killer. Now, she’s become the hunted.
She’s on a quest that will take her to the secret underground of Europe and the inner circles of three ancient orders—one determined to kill her, one devoted to keeping her alive, and one she must ultimately save.
Filled with adrenaline, romance, and reversals, The Progeny is the present-day saga of a 400-year-old war between the uncanny descendants of “Blood Countess” Elizabeth Bathory, the most prolific female serial killer of all time, and a secret society dedicated to erasing every one of her descendants. It is a story about the search for self filled with centuries-old intrigues against the backdrop of atrocity and hope.
Tosca Lee tells us more about the inspiration behind her book!
It was a fan who first suggested I write a book about Elizabeth Bathory. Having just come off of several historical novels, I was ready for something new and had already turned my eye to the suspense genre. Still, I’d heard of Elizabeth Bathory and her legendary atrocities and thought her story would provide a fascinating historical basis for The Progeny’s modern cast of characters—as well as the perfect mythology for the story’s supernatural thread. Add the fact that Bathory was a woman with a bad rap—well. That was practically irresistible; if you’ve read any of my historical novels, you know I always believe there are two sides to the story.
And as I traipsed all over Croatia and Hungary in search of the countess buried by history (her grave site isn’t even known) but kept alive in myth and folklore, that’s exactly what I found: a woman too educated to be silent, too strong to be ignored, with sins too fascinating to be allowed to rest in peace.
Who was Elizabeth Bathory?
Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Bathory (1560–1614) is alleged to be the most notorious female serial killer of all time. The exact number of her victims is unknown, though one witness testified at trial to an incredible total of 650, as detailed in the countess’s private diary.
Her accomplices were burned at the stake, but Bathory herself—a noblewoman and widow of a national hero—was spared execution. Instead, she was walled up in a set of rooms in Cachtice Castle (in present-day Slovakia) “as though she had never been,” where she remained for four years until her death in 1614.
Known to be exceptionally educated, wealthier than the Habsburg king and future Holy Roman Emperor (in debt to her until her incarceration), and a doting mother to her children, the private life and sins of Elizabeth Bathory remain a mystery. History calls her a monster. Others, a victim of conspiracy and greed.
Legend knows her as the Blood Countess.
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Tosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels including A SINGLE LIGHT, THE LINE BETWEEN, THE PROGENY, THE LEGEND OF SHEBA, ISCARIOT, and the Books of Mortals series with New York Times bestseller Ted Dekker. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages and been optioned for TV and film. A notorious night-owl, she loves movies, playing football with her kids, and sending cheesy texts to her husband.
You can find Tosca on social media or hanging around the snack table. To learn more, please visit toscalee.com.
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorToscaLee
https://www.instagram.com/toscalee/
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