The author has had a lifetime interest in Greek Mythology and particularly in the Trojan War. He has done a great deal of research into the characters featured in Homer's Iliad and the Odyssey and has visited the ancient sites of Troy and Mycenae. It was after seeing Wolfgang Peterson's movie Troy (2004) that he began to seriously consider writing a novel on Polyxena, King Priam's youngest daughter, because he was attracted to the name and found that her ill-fated fortune aroused great sympathy for her. From early on he conceived of presenting the story from her perspective and as a tale of forbidden love. After fully retiring in 2008 he had the time to begin his work. He was highly motivated and completed the novel in eight months.