Story Behind the Story - Why I Wrote The Exploress and the Pillars of Eternity

My fascination with Egypt began long before I started writing The Exploress and the Pillars of Eternity. There is something about the ancient world along the Nile that captures the imagination—the towering temples, the mysterious tombs, and the sense that countless stories still lie hidden beneath the desert sands.

For centuries, explorers, scholars, and adventurers have journeyed to Egypt in search of lost knowledge and forgotten history. Their stories of discovery, danger, and perseverance have always fascinated me. When I began writing my upcoming novel, I knew I wanted to capture that same spirit of adventure and curiosity.

There is something endlessly captivating about the ancient world along the Nile. The towering temples, the mysterious tombs, the vast desert landscapes—Egypt feels like a place where history and myth are constantly brushing against one another. For centuries, explorers, scholars, and adventurers have traveled there in search of lost knowledge and forgotten stories. I have always been drawn to those journeys of discovery.

When I began imagining the world of the Exploress, I found myself particularly inspired by the early nineteenth century—a time when Egypt was opening itself to European travelers, archaeologists, and adventurers. It was an era filled with excitement and uncertainty. Ancient monuments were being rediscovered, inscriptions deciphered, and the modern fascination with Egyptology was just beginning to take shape.

That moment in history felt like the perfect setting for a story about exploration and discovery. But I didn’t want the novel to be only about ancient ruins and archaeological intrigue. At its heart, The Exploress and the Pillars of Eternity is the story of one remarkable woman: Sarah Banne Belzoni.

Sarah was the wife of Giovanni Belzoni, the Italian strongman who reinvented himself as an explorer, Egyptologist, and treasure hunter during the early nineteenth century. While his name appears in the pages of history, Sarah’s story has largely faded from view. Yet she was extraordinary in her own right.

Sarah was one of the first European women to travel extensively through Egypt during this era, accompanying her husband on journeys along the Nile and into landscapes that were still largely unfamiliar to European travelers. In a time when such adventures were considered unsuitable—if not impossible—for women, Sarah quietly defied expectations.

Her courage and curiosity didn’t end there. She even went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land on her own—an undertaking that required determination, resilience, and a spirit of adventure equal to any explorer of her time. Sarah’s life fascinated me, and imagining her experiences became the heart of this story. Through fiction, I wanted to bring her sense of wonder, courage, and discovery back into the spotlight.

And her journey is far from over. Sarah’s adventures will continue in the sequel, The Exploress and the Secrets of Infinity, coming in 2027.

Readers can expect sweeping journeys across Egypt, encounters with its ancient past, and the quiet thrill of uncovering secrets that have waited centuries to be found. There is danger along the way, of course, and a touch of romance, because even the most determined explorers cannot entirely escape matters of the heart.

Ultimately, this story grew out of my love for historical adventure and my fascination with the explorers who ventured into unfamiliar worlds in search of knowledge. I hope readers will feel as though they are traveling alongside the characters—walking among ancient temples, crossing desert landscapes, and discovering the mysteries of Egypt one step at a time.

The Exploress and the Pillars of Eternity is coming soon to a bookshelf near you!

by A. Piper Burgi

Piper is the award-winning author of The Country Girl Empress series. When she isn't busy typing on her computer, she can be found chasing after her furry children or holding on tightly to a good cup of coffee. Follow her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Medium, and Goodreads