Christy English

Two Amazing Moments in One Day

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 | Once It Is Sold, Selling Your Work, The Writing Life | 3 Comments

I had the most amazing experience today. Last night, after working into the evening on my latest draft of THE QUEEN’S PAWN, I turned my computer off, my task completed. I sent the book back to Claire via email, thinking that it still might need another pass. I have learned throughout this process that when Claire asks a question, she has always found a problem that needs to be addressed, something that I never would have found on my own. My book will be world’s better for her input. I never knew how valuable an editor was until I met Claire.

At any rate, I went to my day job today preparing to receive an email from her, asking me to make a few more adjustments. Instead, she wrote and said “It’s done! Congratulations!”

After months of working with Claire on making this novel the best I possibly could, it was transcendent to hear her say that it was done. I knew without a doubt that if she said it was ready, it was. What a relief to trust my editor! She has more than earned that trust from the moment we sat down to lunch in the West Village to discuss the current concept of the book.

So Amazing Moment #1: My manuscript got locked!

Not a minute after I received Claire’s email I got a call from my agent, Margaret. She had called to congratulate me on locking the manuscript. But there was more…Claire had also made an offer on my next novel, TO BE QUEEN. (This book will be about Eleanor of Aquitaine’s early life and her time as Queen of France. Can you tell I am obsessed with this woman? Hopefully, after you’ve read my first book, you will be, too.)

Amazing Moment # 2: My Second Book Got Sold!

I was still stunned from the joy of locking THE QUEEN”S PAWN. I am stunned and thrilled at the sale of my second book. Things can seem to be moving so slowly, at an almost glacial pace, and then suddenly, in less than one hour, everything changes; things don’t just move, they soar. One of the many difficult things about publishing a novel is that it takes so much time. But then everything comes together, and I am reminded that I am on the right path. My work is going forward, into the future, hopefully to make a difference to my readers once they open the pages of my book. That’s my job: to transport my readers to another time and place, to allow them to experience the lives of my characters, to offer them a different way to view the world.

And now it looks like I will get to do it again. As hard as this work is, I still love it.

C. W. Gortner to Appear on My Blog

Monday, July 27th, 2009 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

I have exciting news for all the historical fiction fans who may be tuning into my blog…C.W. Gortner, the author of The Last Queen about Juana of Castile, is going to do a guest blog here in the summer of 2010! Yes, I know…that’s a year from now. But I am excited, so I had to mention it anyway. I will be mentioning it off and on between now and next summer, so brace yourselves. And if you have not read his book yet, I highly recommend it.  Juana of Castile, known in Spain as Juana la Loca, is a fascinating woman who lived a truly wild life. She was the daughter of Isabella of Castile, the same woman who sent Columbus on his voyage to the New World.  Juana has her mother’s strength and fire, if not her political backing. An amazing woman, and an amazing book.

As a side note, I will also be doing a guest blog on C.W. Gortner’s website in April. I will mention more about that as the time draws nigh.

For those of you who want to have a look at Mr. Gortner’s site, here is the link:

www.cwgortner.com

Take a look…

The Queen’s Pawn on Amazon

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 | Once It Is Sold, Selling Your Work, The Writing Life | 4 Comments

I was so happy to find my novel available for Pre-Sales on Amazon. Though the cover art is not up yet, it is still exciting to see my book out in the world…one step closer to seeing it in print…

Here once more is a description of my novel and the link to find it on Amazon. I am working on getting a grass roots movement going…the more pre-sales, the better. So if my ladies interest you, hit that link.

The Queen’s Pawn by Christy English

Princess Alais of France travels to England to marry Richard the Lionhearted, the son of King Henry II, armed only with her dowry, the valuable Vexin. When Alais arrives in the land of her father’s enemies, she is welcomed by the beautiful and powerful queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor, the richest and most influential woman in Europe, sees a kindred soul in the young French princess. Intrigued by the girl’s strength and fire, Eleanor adopts Alais as her protégée, teaching the girl what it takes to be a woman of power in a world of men. But Eleanor and Alais’ love for each other is threatened when the capricious and imperious King Henry meets the lovely young princess. Fascination with the king draws Alais deep into political intrigue, and she soon discovers what Eleanor is prepared to do to retain her position as queen. Alais, the one-time pawn, takes ruthless action of her own, as the two women become rivals both for the king’s love and the throne of England itself.

Susan Holloway Scott and Sharon Kay Penman: Two of My Favorite Writers

Monday, July 20th, 2009 | Reviews, The Writing Life | No Comments

I did not have to write this weekend, which is a first in…well, let’s just say it’s been awhile since I was able to relax. So, since I did not need to write historical fiction, I read it instead. I am a glutton, and no mistake.

As I mentioned in my last post, on Friday morning I began Susan Holloway Scott’s fabulous novel about Nell Gwyn and Charles II called THE KING’S FAVORITE. Nell was quickly my favorite, too, though not quite in the same way… she was one of Charles’ many mistresses. After devouring Nell’s adventures in a day, I had to go out and buy Susan’s newest book, THE FRENCH MISTRESS. It is about another of Charles II’s lady loves, but this lady does even better for herself than Nell Gwyn…Louise is made Duchess of Portsmouth after delivering the king a healthy child. If historical fiction is your bag, run out and buy Susan Holloway Scott’s work. She is the newest author in my pantheon.

But I can not forget the authors who have been in my pantheon for years. Sharon Kay Penman’s novel, DEVIL’S BROOD, is coming out in paperback this week.  So if the hardcover was too daunting, run out and grab the paperback…the intrigues of Henry, Eleanor, Richard and John are featured within, as well as a completely different take on Henry and Alais’ relationship. I, of course, am fascinated by all things involving Princess Alais. The hardcover of this novel is waiting for me in my To Be Read pile; I have not gone to it yet, because I have been neck deep in my own Plantagenet drama. But as soon as my manuscript is locked, I will be diving in and relishing Ms. Penman’s balance of brilliant prose and amazing historical research. From all I have heard, Ms. Penman knocks this one out of the park with DEVIL’S BROOD, her fabulous conclusion to her Henry II-Eleanor of Aquitaine triology.

But Penman fans, don’t despair. Eleanor of Aquitaine will make an appearance in Ms. Penman’s next novel, as yet untitled, about Richard the Lionhearted and the Third Crusade. Richard is one of my all time favorite historical personalities (he features heavily in THE QUEEN’S PAWN), so any book about him by Ms. Penman is bound to be fantastic.  She is writing it now, so we all have to wait…Patience is not one of my virtues, but so it goes.

The Queen’s Pawn on the Internet Part II

Friday, July 17th, 2009 | The Writing Life | No Comments

When I went online yesterday, I found The Queen’s Pawn listed on yet another fabulous website, Tanzanite’s Shelf and Stuff: July 2009. There is a short mention of my book on Daphne’s WishList for July 3, which thrilled me to no end. Also, along the top of the page of this blog, the covers of many upcoming and already released novels scroll in a beautiful line, and my cover is among them.

The fact that my baby is going into print is getting more real by the day.  Please take a look at Daphne’s Shelves..she has a lot of great things to offer. I will be going back a lot myself.

http://shelfandstuff.blogspot.com

Also, I have just finished C.W. Gortner’s novel, The Last Queen, about Juana of Castile…it is amazing! And now I have started reading Susan Holloway Scott’s novel about Nell Gwyn and Charles II called The King’s Favorite. Let’s just say I’m glad that Susan has written a few novels already, because I am heading out to the store today to get the rest of them…I don’t want to leave this court!