Christy English

Christy at the Louvre Part III

Friday, February 26th, 2010 | The Queen's Pawn, Video Blog Entries | No Comments

Here is my last segment of video from the Louvre in Paris…the interior of Philippe Auguste’s Louvre…sadly it is too dark to see much, but you can see some beautiful capitals and stonework…

Susan Higganbotham in a Guest Post Next Week

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 | The Writing Life | 3 Comments

Susan Higganbotham, author of the fabulous novel, THE STOLEN CROWN, will write a guest post on this blog next week. I simply can’t wait! Her writing is compelling, and her storytelling transported me.

Once you buy the book, you will be transported too. Here’s the link to Amazon, in case you haven’t had a chance to buy it yet…

http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Crown-Marriage-Forever-Changed/dp/1402237669/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

And tune in…in July, Catherine Delors, the author of FOR THE KING will oblige us with a guest post as well…the spring and summer and looking more and more exciting!

Do Most Writers Keep a Journal?

Monday, February 22nd, 2010 | The Writing Life | 2 Comments

I have kept a journal all my life. I started writing random thoughts down when I was seven years old, and I started writing fiction off and on when I was eight. I know a few writers, but I have never asked them: did they keep a journal as a child? Do they still?

There is something soothing about writing my thoughts down longhand. It clears my mind, almost like a meditation. Often when I read back over my musings, they are not particularly interesting,  but every now and then I will find a jewel in the flotsam and jetsam that washes up on the shore of my notebook. And it is good to clear my mind, so that I can tune into whatever novel I am working on. Lately, I have been clearing my mind with my journal writing so that I can devote more time and focus to Eleanor.

Diving Back In: Re-Writing To Be Queen

Friday, February 19th, 2010 | Eleanor of Aquitaine, The Writing Life, To Be Queen | 2 Comments

There is such a delicious pleasure in getting my editor’s notes, reading them, and then beginning once more to submerge myself in Eleanor’s medieval world. I love this character’s point of view, her quirks and her vision, the amazing courage she shows at every moment of her life, at every turn in her road. Eleanor of Aquitaine was a woman who relied almost solely on herself and her own mind. To watch such a woman of strength move across the pages of my novel, I find myself truly awed. I am one of Eleanor’s biggest fans, and I find that I always will be.

So, I dive into the creamy white pages of my latest novel, dotted now with the many comments and questions from my editor, all in glaring red. The red casts a light of its own on the pages, showing me where I need to smooth things, where I need to make descriptions clear and prose clean. As I begin my time with Eleanor once more, I savor it. Every draft is an adventure. Every moment with Eleanor is a gift.

The Queen’s Pawn on More Blogs

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 | The Queen's Pawn, The Writing Life | 2 Comments

THE QUEEN’S PAWN showed up on more blogs…I am thrilled…

http://histficchick.blogspot.com/2010/02/mailbox-monday-2910.html

http://almostcrazymommy.blogspot.com/2010/02/mailbox-monday.html

It’s like seeing my child’s name in lights…