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Daco S. Auffenorde | A family curse, a missing heirloom, a house full of secrets, and a daughter suspected of murder


The Medici Curse
Daco S. Auffenorde

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July 2025
On Sale: July 1, 2025
288 pages
ISBN: 1613166419
EAN: 9781613166413
Kindle: B0DL3H2Z64
Paperback / e-Book
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Also by Daco S. Auffenorde:
The Medici Curse, July 2025

--What is the title of your latest release?

THE MEDICI CURSE

2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?

A family curse. A missing heirloom. A house full of secrets. A daughter suspected of murder returns to her late mother’s lavish estate in Tuscany only to face long-buried secrets. A suspense novel that leans into the Gothic and supernatural.

3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?

I took a trip to Tuscany with my husband to visit family and was inspired to write the novel.

4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?

Good question! Anna de’ Medici Rossi has real issues. She’s come into her inheritance and is heading back to her mother’s family villa in Tuscany to decide whether she can really live in the house where she murdered her mother. That means facing her troubled past. So, she might not always be easy—or safe—to be around. That being said, I absolutely would hang with Anna. We both love art, opera, and good wine, and we both paint. So I think we could find something to talk about.

5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?

Tortured. Artistic. Determined.

6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?

I’ve learned a lot about the Medici dynasty and how powerful they were. The family became humanists and, in that way, helped spur on the Italian Renaissance by encouraging painting, poetry, sculpture, opera. I also learned more about Tuscany and its residents. Tuscans like to enjoy life—a relaxed evening with dinner and wine, or in the afternoons head to a café for an espresso and to catch up with friends and neighbors. The museums and historic sites were amazing! Architecture fascinates me; I enjoyed feeling transported back in time when touring old forts, villages, and homes. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence was a highlight. Since I visited during the summer, I was lucky enough to see the countryside filled with sunflowers, such a wonderful sight to feed the eyes. And the leather goods of San Gimignano, wonderful! If you want purses, coats, shawls, you can find them there, along with hand-painted pottery. I purchased a wrap to match a leather skirt, and several purses. I also learned that you don’t carry olive oil on planes, and that the oil doesn’t go well with new purses from San Gimignano.

7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?

I edit as I draft, but that process varies.

8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?

My mother makes the utmost best “frosted” sugar cookies, but we only get them at Christmas. I could eat the entire lot of them in one sitting. She has a process that is very detailed and takes a few days. So good. I used to indulge in donuts, then cakes, then cookies, chocolate anything, and now, it’s just chocolate and tangelo oranges.

9--Describe your writing space/office!

I’m so fortunate; my space is the best. When I moved into my newly built house, I made sure to create the perfect office setting. And I bought a gorgeous Maitland-Smith desk to place in front of a set of two-story windows that look out into my backyard. Since I live at the edge of a mountaintop, the view is spectacular and no one is around, so there are few distractions. I write most efficiently in a quiet setting while listening the sounds of nature.

10--Who is an author you admire?

I admire so many authors, but at the moment, one comes to mind—Samantha Bailey. She is so hard-working, so dedicated, and so very, very generous to others, including authors. Anytime anyone has a question, she’s there. If you need a favor, she’s there. She’s always smiling, and I’ve never heard her speak ill of anyone. And, of course, she’s a wonderful writer!

11--Is there a book that changed your life?

Not a single book. Books in general have changed my life. I think everything you read gives you new insights. I’m currently reading a book Forever Young by Mark Hyman, M.D., and I can say that his book is going to change my life—extend it, actually.

12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.

My agent phoned one morning as I was getting dressed. I was ecstatic, because the perfect publisher and perfect editor made the offer. I haven’t been disappointed!

13--What’s your favorite genre to read?

I read good books in all genres and both fiction and nonfiction. Recently, I read the Amor Towles’s superb A Gentleman in Moscow.

14--What’s your favorite movie?

This year Anora. As to older films, I vacillate among As Good as it Gets, French Kiss, Jason Bourne, The Fugitive …

15--What is your favorite season?

Probably autumn, with a lean toward the transition between summer and fall. I like warmer weather.

16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?

That varies every year. But the one constant is angel food cake with vanilla icing.

17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?

The Apple TV series Severance has kept me riveted to the TV screen for two years. It’s artsy and weird, and the acting is superb. I also enjoyed the Morning Show and, most recently, Season 3 of White Lotus.

18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?

Homemade pasta. Chicken paprika and beef stroganoff have been traditional favorites. But lately, I’ve been eating salmon and a new favorite, arctic char. I traveled to Iceland this past November and had dinner at a place called Messinn in Reykjavík—delicious! They serve an all-in-one fish dish made with char and vegetables. Served in your own skillet, everything is smothered in butter with raisins and honey, and I’m telling you, the meal is out of this world. I’ve had to recreate the recipe at home, and I admit that AI helped me! My version isn’t perfect but it’s pretty close.   

19--What do you do when you have free time?

I have several hobbies: watercolor painting, hiking, birdwatching, baking. I also enjoy going to the symphony; I take my mother when I attend a concert in town. I also frequently travel to the bigger cities to listen both operas and symphonies. And while I’m at it, I’m definitely down for excursions to the art museums—classic, modern, and contemporary. Galleries are fun too, but that can get a little expensive. This summer I hope to attend the Shakespear Festival in Oregon.

20--What can readers expect from you next?

Thank you for this one! I just turned in my manuscript to my editor. I’ve titled the book The Twist. It’s about a circus that travels to my hometown, Huntsville, Alabama. It’s a mystery-thriller that is much different from The Medici Curse yet with similar elements of a psychological thriller. But that’s what makes writing so much fun—exploration of new topics. I also have a high-octane action thriller in line—think spies and lies and smuggling. I’ve also got a WWI historical fiction book that I’m hoping will go out on submission in the future. And I’m currently writing a psychological thriller-mystery. Once that’s finished, I’ll launch into a spy book that takes place in Iceland. As you can tell, my travels influence my writing.

Thank you for this lovely opportunity to introduce myself to your readers!

THE MEDICI CURSE by Daco S. Auffenorde

A family curse. A missing heirloom. A house full of secrets.

A descendant of a powerful Italian dynasty reckons with her family’s troubled legacy and her own fractured memories in this Gothic thriller from the author of The Forgotten Girl.

When aspiring artist Anna de’ Medici Rossi inherits her family’s opulent villa in Tuscany, she returns to a place steeped in tragedy and mystery. Living there as a child, Anna suffered from debilitating night terrors, frequently waking to find that she had wandered far from bed. During one such episode when Anna was twelve, her mother took a fatal tumble down the stairs. Vittoria’s death was officially ruled an accident, but an heirloom ruby-and-diamond necklace was missing from her bruised neck. Whispered suspicions suggest that Anna pushed her mother and stole the precious jewels. Anna, remembering little from that night, is afraid they’re right. But if that’s true, then what became of the necklace, which has long been associated with legends of a family curse?

Now back in Tuscany after sixteen years, Anna is shunned by the local townspeople as a killer who escaped justice, while only a few distant relatives and an old childhood friend offer solace. As she explores the sprawling villa, Anna uncovers hidden rooms and memories shrouded in fog, reigniting the violent night terrors of her youth. Plagued by unsettling visions and eerie occurrences, she questions her sanity and embarks on a harrowing journey to unravel the truth of her past. As her search deepens, she confronts shocking revelations that expose her to dangers she never anticipated.

Blending Gothic and supernatural elements with a gripping exploration of identity and legacy, The Medici Curse is a beautifully crafted tale of family scandal, murder, art, and intrigue.

Thriller Domestic [Scarlet, On Sale: July 1, 2025, Paperback / e-Book , ISBN: 9781613166413 / eISBN: 9781613166420]

Buy THE MEDICI CURSEAmazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Powell's Books | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Walmart.com | Target.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR

About Daco S. Auffenorde

Daco S. Auffenorde

Daco is an award-winning author of thrillers and suspense. Her thriller THE FORGOTTEN GIRL was awarded the 2023 Book of the Year in the Best Thriller Book Awards. COVER YOUR TRACKS was awarded the Best of 2020 Thriller Suspense by Suspense Magazine and the 2021 Action Thriller of the Year with Best Thriller Book Awards.

She loves to pen fast-paced stories that keep you glued to the edge of your seat while guessing what in the world will happen next. She's a storyteller who was raised in the heart of the south where tradition meets creativity. She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to make contact.

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