Combine Cleopatra and Hillary Clinton. You'll have some idea of Queen Salome Alexandra, who ruled Judea (modern-day Israel) in the first century BCE. Vividly evoking scenes of ancient Jerusalem, Judy Petsonk's novel brings to life the queen's stormy relationship with her husband, and her love for the people who called her Shalom-Zion: the peace of Zion.

A gripping, fun, read... Judy Petsonk's sexy heroine, Queen Salome Alexandra, possesses the brains, hutzpah, and vision to save Israel not only from its many enemies but also from its own conflicted nature. A marvelous window into a neglected and little-known chapter of Jewish history." - Ellen Frankel, Former Editor in Chief of the Jewish Publication Society