Vanessa's Island Queen is featured in the New York Times! Check it out!

ISLAND QUEEN is a historical fiction novel based on the compelling life of Dorothy "Doll" Kirwan Thomas who rose from slavery to become the wealthiest woman landowner in the early 1800's Caribbean. 

Take a breath. Let those facts sink in. 

From slavery to the wealthiest woman landowner in the early 1800's Caribbean.

She advocated for women's rights and successfully appealed the unfair taxation of free persons of color on the Island of Demerara. She was also a mistress to royalty, the future King William IV of England. 

From the bustling port cities of the West Indies to the forbidding drawing rooms of London's elite, Island Queen is a sweeping epic of an adventurer and a survivor. Doll answered to no one but herself as she rose to power and autonomy against all odds, defying rigid eighteenth-century morality and the oppression of women as well as people of color. 

This well-researched story is as remarkable as Doll Kirwan Thomas. Vanessa Riley honors this remarkable woman's life and makes her real on every page.

You can learn more about Island Queen on Vanessa's website and order autographed copies.

UPDATE! Island Queen is coming to the big screen!