Hello And Welcome To My Stop On The Book Tour For
The Shakespeare Secret by DJ Nix
@david.nix.author @alcovepress @austenprose
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𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐄: The Shakespeare Secret
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑: DJ Nix
𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑: Alcove Press
𝐏𝐔𝐁 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: July 29, 2025
𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: Historical Fiction
Everyone knows of William Shakespeare, the rakish former actor and famous playwright. But few know the three women writing every word of his plays: Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, a frustrated poet; Emelia Bassano, a court musician with a passion for complex stories; and Jane Daggett, a seamstress with an impressive ability to spin fantastic plots. Frustrated by the patriarchal restrictions of their sixteenth-century society, they come together to write anonymously.
As the plague deepens its grip on London and the Queen’s man traces their every move, the women are forced to choose between admitting what they’ve done and betraying each other to the Crown or hiding the truth at risk of endangering the Queen herself.
The Shakespeare Secret is a thrilling feminist tale of perseverance, justice, and freedom where friendship and trust are put to the test, for fans of Tracy Chevalier and Charlie Lovett.
From The Desk Of Gwendalyn
This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is a non spoiler review, because you as reader need to read this book. Also, I feel sometimes I have in the past gave away to much of the plot line. This has diminished the pleasure for would be readers..
Historical fiction meets feminist intrigue in this twisty, clever reimagining of literary history.
What if Shakespeare didn’t write Shakespeare? In The Shakespeare Secret, D.J. Nix takes that age-old question and spins it into a rich, entertaining thriller set against the dark and dazzling world of Elizabethan London.
Three women—Mary Herbert, Emelia Bassano, and Jane Daggett—each brilliant in her own way, are bound by their frustration with the limits imposed on them by society. Together, they craft the plays that will shape English literature forever—but only if they can stay hidden, outmaneuver the Queen’s spies, and find the right man to take credit for their genius.
This novel is a page-turner with brains, heart, and sharp edges. It’s equal parts literary mystery, political thriller, and feminist uprising. The tension crackles, the dialogue sings, and the “what if” premise is executed with precision and flair.
— Gwendalyn’s Books 🤎
D. J. Nix has called Austin home since 1998 with his wife and three children, where he fully embraces the city motto of “keep Austin weird.” He is a member of Regency Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of Central Texas, female-centered organizations that have taken him under their wing and shared their collective wisdom. He broke into traditional publishing in 2020 writing historical romance for Entangled Publishing under the pseudonym Sawyer North.
Gwendalyn’s Books 