Christy English

A Quote from Eleanor

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 | Eleanor of Aquitaine, To Be Queen | No Comments

In TO BE QUEEN, Eleanor of Aquitaine is a musician as well as a ruler.

"I sang a short song that I had written for my little sister, Petra , to cheer her when she was sick with fever. I sang of a magic mirror that showed each woman herself as she really was. The power of a woman’s inner strength, held clear in her own mind, could conquer the world."

Live Chickens and The Queen’s Pawn

Monday, June 28th, 2010 | The Queen's Pawn, Video Blog Entries | No Comments

From The Queen’s Pawn: "If [King Henry] had ever seen a chicken, it had only been on a plate."

Quote from Eleanor

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 | Eleanor of Aquitaine, To Be Queen | 3 Comments

In my novel, TO BE QUEEN, Eleanor petitions the pope to annul her marriage to Louis VII…When Pope Eugenius tells her that Louis has no wish to be free of her, that instead her husband would rather wait on God’s will to see if he will ever have a son and heir, Eleanor replies:

“Louis is young. It is well and good to wait on God when one is eight and twenty. But when he is forty, and the wolves begin to circle, he will want a strong son to stand beside him, to hold them off. Whatever Louis is, whatever he hopes to be, he is king. A good king provides a son and heir for his people.”

Isn’t it obvious why I love this woman?

Cecelia Holland and The Secret Eleanor

Monday, June 21st, 2010 | Cecelia Holland, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Guest Posts | 6 Comments

I am thrilled to announce that Cecelia Holland will be joining us on this site! In early August, just in time for her latest novel, THE SECRET ELEANOR, Cecelia will be contributing a guest post to Working With the Muse. Tune in the first week of August for a little more Eleanor from yet another of her devoted fans…

Lightning Revisions

Friday, June 18th, 2010 | Eleanor of Aquitaine, The Writing Life, To Be Queen | 2 Comments

I got my notes back from my editors on TO BE QUEEN and I am working to make my new due date while traveling to signings and book clubs. Speed is of the essence, while still making sure the book is the best I can write. I love all of it, working with Eleanor, which I have loved for years, and meeting and talking with readers. I am having a blast. Who knew it would be this fun?