Welcome to the home of MJ Pankey, author, bibliophile, and historiophile.
I love writing stories that dive deep into human emotions, psychology, and social conflict. My narratives are heavily inspired by mythology and history, mainly from ancient Greece. I host the Augusta Writer’s Critique Group, and I have a podcast, where I read-aloud my stories and novels, and you can listen along for free!
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Published December 2025
Messenger of Olympus: The River of Truth is a goddess Iris origin story for early readers, which follows the goddess Iris on adventures throughout ancient Greece as she earns her rainbow stripes.
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Published May 2025
Oracle of Helinthia is book 2 in the Epic of Helinthia series. The gods make their will known, and the mortals have no choice but to obey. Or do they?
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Published October 2023
Epic of Helinthia is an original Greek epic for adult readers about warring gods, an island in the throes of famine, and the mortals who are caught in the storm.
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Releases 2026
War of Helinthia is book 3 of the Epic of Helinthia series. The bloodbath for Helinthia has finally begun, and no one will emerge unchanged.
Releases 2026
Messenger of Olympus: The Island of Refuge is a goddess Iris origin story for early readers, which follows the goddess Iris on adventures throughout ancient Greece as she earns her rainbow stripes.
Releases 2027
Throne of Helinthia is book 4 in the Epic of Helinthia series. Control over the island and the throne will finally be decided in this epic conclusion.
Releases 2026
Messenger of Olympus: The Snows of Grief is a goddess Iris origin story for early readers, which follows the goddess Iris on adventures throughout ancient Greece as she earns her rainbow stripes.
Releases TBD
Road to Persia is an ancient historical fiction novel about love, survival, and one woman’s determination to be free during the Persian conquest of Athens, Greece in 480 B.C.E.
Releases TBD
Flame of Delphi is an ancient historical fiction whodunnit mystery set in 5th century B.C.E. Athens, Greece.
War of Helinthia Update February progress was super slow, I wrote 7,324 words total; not a lot. But I did some editing, restructured a pivotal chapter, and wrote a new one, so not a total loss. My WIP is now 102,998 words, with 46 chapters. We’re now almost midway through our 3rd month of 2026 (what the actual —–?!) and if I’m going to publish this book this year, then I...
I’m excited to announce that my books will be available as part of a promotion on Smashwords celebrating Read an Ebook Week from March 1 to March 7. Now’s the perfect time to take advantage of great deals to load up on new ebooks, mine included!You will find the promo here at this link:
Please share this promo with friends and family.
Thank you for your help and support!Happy reading!
With 2026 off to a totally dystopian start, allow me to transport your mind back to Ancient Greece with a writing update. And if you desire to physically portal to a different time and place, I have some suggestions to help there, too. War of Helinthia Update I wrote over 22,000 words in November for Epic of Helinthia book 3, 12,000 in December, and 23,000 in January...
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Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, a written document challenging the authority of the Catholic church, was nailed to a church door in 1517, sparking the Reformation. In the following decades, the church’s power and authority was continuously challenged and subsequently diminished. The Reformation would lead to the Age of Enlightenment, a golden age of critical thinking and bold ideas spread...
This post will meander a bit, but bear with me. What is Smashwords? Smashwords is an ebook distribution platform, similar to Kindle, where thousands of books are distributed and published by indie authors. Why Smashwords is significant This year has been a year of revelation for me about the enormity of power certain entities hold. One such entity is Amazon. During the pandemic, I was grateful to...
Greek and Norse gods join forces in an apocalyptic fight to save the world from total annihilation. Witty, engrossing, and full of action and suspense, this irreverent novel of Gods vs God is a must-read for fans of the Iliad and pagan pantheons. Why War of the Pantheons is one of a kind I was hooked from the very first page of this novel and found it challenging to put it down. The premise of...
Tea & Alchemy is a page-turning read full of old world charm and DELICIOUS intrigue. Why Sharon Lynn Fisher’s stories never disappoint There are very few authors that are automatic reads for me, but Sharon Lynn Fisher is one of them and has been one for years. I have adored every book I’ve read of hers and this one is no exception. Sharon Lynn Fisher is the master of cozy...
When a madman seizes the throne, the gods on Olympus fall silent, and the island of Helinthia descends into decay. Anassa Iptys’ glorious city burns. Forluna escapes with the rightful heir, a descendent of Apollo, and hides him away. But the new Anax, Charixes, is relentless. He will not rest until his hands are drenched in their blood. Under Charixes’ rule, the gods abandon the...
Inger N.I. Kuin’s biography of Diogenes is A memorable and thought-provoking biography of one of ancient history’s most provocative philosophers. Diogenes is Tragically overlooked I’d heard of Diogenes in college but didn’t know much about him before requesting this ARC from Netgalley. My Philosophy courses mostly focused on Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle before moving on...