Byblos Foretold Series by M.E. Meegs

May of 1903. In the dank attic room of a squalid inn on the north coast of France, a young and penniless American woman, only recently recovered from a difficult birth, yearns for home. May God help those who stand in her way…. Though her circumstances are such that they might elicit pity, Mrs. Biddle neither needs nor wants our sympathy. Nor, after even the briefest acquaintance, are you likely to afford her any... moreMay of 1903. In the dank attic room of a squalid inn on the north coast of France, a young and penniless American woman, only recently recovered from a difficult birth, yearns for home. May God help those who stand in her way…. Though her circumstances are such that they might elicit pity, Mrs. Biddle neither needs nor wants our sympathy. Nor, after even the briefest acquaintance, are you likely to afford her any. Her yearning for home derives not from a love of friends or family, but rather a compulsion to settle a score. Haughty, arrogant, deceitful, cunning, faithless—these are the words best able to describe her. One moment she’s posing as the ruler of an underwater duchy in aid of a con game, the next she’s betraying a confederate. With never the slightest feeling of remorse. I suppose you’re wondering why anyone would want to waste ink writing about this devil in feminine form. I wonder myself sometimes. The truth is, hers makes for a very entertaining story. And, though quite unlike any told before, one that encapsulates the quintessential American ethos. Welcome, gracious reader, to Byblos Foretold, the Great American Novaplex. For more information on the novaplex, please visit: ByblosForetold.com less

This novella opens with my astonishing account of the origins of the Byblos Foretold phenomenon, and then resumes where the first novella left off, in June of 1903. As Lord Timothy Dexter’s entourage of faux aristocrats makes its way to Byblos, the small upstate New York city he calls home, we are introduced to a new set of characters... moreThis novella opens with my astonishing account of the origins of the Byblos Foretold phenomenon, and then resumes where the first novella left off, in June of 1903. As Lord Timothy Dexter’s entourage of faux aristocrats makes its way to Byblos, the small upstate New York city he calls home, we are introduced to a new set of characters. There’s Greta, the erstwhile Greenpoint jute-winder and casual prostitute; Jack, a knockabout street urchin with a keen grasp of market economics; Pat and Danny Lyons, identical twin swindlers who together make for a useful literary device; Corporal Trim, a veteran of the gruesome Long Island campaign who’s willing to tell the tale—and then some; Jane Jebril, a parlor house madam possessing all the requisite traits; Tillie, Lord Dexter’s affection-deprived wife, who for now manages to keep a lid on her libido; their accommodating daughter Felicia, who isn’t similarly inclined; and last, Felicia’s fiancé, the inconveniently married Arthur Biddle, whose arrogance and outsized self-regard rival those of his wife. Now that they’re assembled, take a hogshead of deceit and add a jigger each of rum, love philtre, and whichever bodily fluid suits your mood. Mix thoroughly and serve. For more information on the novaplex, please visit: ByblosForetold.com less

As she nears the moment of decision, new trials arise for Mrs. Biddle. The wily, if dimwitted, Felicia has somehow conceived plans of her own, while Tomasz, Mrs. Biddle’s former devotee, now conspires against her. Worse still, her more-often-than-not steadfast servant Mélisande allows herself to be distracted by a sweet-talking flank attack. How, you ask, will Mrs... moreAs she nears the moment of decision, new trials arise for Mrs. Biddle. The wily, if dimwitted, Felicia has somehow conceived plans of her own, while Tomasz, Mrs. Biddle’s former devotee, now conspires against her. Worse still, her more-often-than-not steadfast servant Mélisande allows herself to be distracted by a sweet-talking flank attack. How, you ask, will Mrs. Biddle combat these challenges? Why, with the usual combination of deceit, psychological handling, and thinly veiled extortion, of course. She may be a self-serving schemer, and have the ethics of a Borgia, but no one can accuse her of not being consistent. This compelling episode begins with Father Timoteo conducting a sparsely attended funeral, and ends with him performing an ill-omened wedding (you’ll never guess whose). In between, there’s a revealing séance, a remarkable fish story, a kidnapping, a not entirely unanticipated marital indiscretion, a parting of ways, and a voodoo rite out at the old Congo dancing-ground. For more information on the novaplex, please visit: ByblosForetold.com less