Ananke Press is thrilled to announce the signing of our newest author, Julie Anne Stratton, with her series of historical novels that follow a line of extraordinary women through the ages. The first book in the series, The Witches of Riegersburg, is coming out in early 2020.

Ananke Press is thrilled to announce the signing of our newest author, Julie Anne Stratton, with her series of historical novels that follow a line of extraordinary women through the ages. The first book in the series, The Witches of Riegersburg, is coming out in early 2020.

The Author

Julie Anne Stratton

Julie Anne Stratton was born in Seattle, WA and grew up in New York City and Syracuse, NY. She spent most of her childhood and teen years reading books. Julie loved to explore worlds opened up by the page of a good story. When she was a child, her family put on elaborate marionette shows of their favorite stories for the neighborhood children. Julie fell in love with the role of the wicked witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz.

During the summer her father, a scientist, took her and her family to Cape Cod and Friday Harbor. These trips awoke a deep passion for the ocean and nature. She spent hours on the beach writing plays, journals and poetry.

She had her first flute lesson at ten, which eventually led to her life-long career as a classical musician. Julie studied at SUNY Brockport for year before leaving the US for Europe where she attended the College of Performing Arts in Graz, Austria. Instead of coming back to the states, she married and had a family there, loving the European life style. As a professional musician she collaborated with her chamber group “Cosi von Donne” producing two shows: one performing stories about women composers, and the other a re-telling of the Medea story.

While raising her three daughters, Julie stumbled on the book, “Ich bin eine Hexe” (“I am a witch”) by Gerlinde Schilcher. She traveled to mountains of upper Austria where Gerlinde introduced her to Goddess worship. She was hooked and read as many books about witchcraft as she could find.

After living in Europe for 20 years, she returned home to the States, where she attained her masters in music education. Also, she began writing again.

Her passion is writing fiction about strong women and continuing to practice her earth-based reclaiming Goddess religion.

We are aware that the gods of patriarchy are pale derivatives and reversals of ancient yet always Present Goddess(es).” - Mary Daly, Quintessence: Realizing the Archaic Future

The Story

The Witches of Riegersburg follows the lives of three women who belong to a long line of witches. From the dramatic tale of Baroness Elisabeth von Galler, a historic character from 17th century Austria, to the young Katarina Lilienthal, a young girl on the run from the Nazis in the WWII Europe, to our contemporary, a modern American woman trying to discover her identity — the story illuminates both epic and intimate facets in a woman’s life