Eleanor of Aquitaine

Best Ten Historical Fiction Novels of 2011

Monday, January 16th, 2012 | Eleanor of Aquitaine | 6 Comments

I am so deeply honored that TO BE QUEEN: A NOVEL OF THE EARLY LIFE OF ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE was chosen by the Pittsburgh Historical Fiction Examiner as one of the top ten historical fiction novels for 2011.  What an amazing moment for me…and I hope that Eleanor is pleased as well.  She is with us still, for the dead live on when we remember them, no matter how imperfectly.

http://www.examiner.com/historical-fiction-in-pittsburgh/the-10-best-historical-fiction-novels-of-2011

Eleanor of Aquitaine on Medieval Archives

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 | Eleanor of Aquitaine, Medieval Archives | No Comments

Medieval Archives: Illuminating the Dark Ages for the Digital World

Thank you to Medieval Archives for inviting me to talk about my favorite person, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Here is a podcast about my experience of becoming a published author and my ongoing love affair with Eleanor and her dysfunctional family…

http://www.medievalarchives.com/2012/01/02/map24-christy-english-interview/

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Eleanor of Aquitaine and Her Father

Monday, December 19th, 2011 | Eleanor of Aquitaine, Give Away, Guest Posts, William X | No Comments

Thank you so much to Vera and the folks at Luxury Reading for hosting me on their site. As usual, I explore my ideas about Eleanor of Aquitaine, this time about her relationship with her father, William X.  A fascinating woman raised by a fascinating man…follow the link below to take a look…

http://luxuryreading.com/christyenglishguestpost/

And leave a comment on the link to enter a give away for a signed copy of To Be Queen…

Juggling Worlds: A Fiction Writer’s Adventure

Friday, December 16th, 2011 | Eleanor of Aquitaine, Regency Romance, Shakespeare in Love, The Writing Life | 5 Comments

Image Credit:

http://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/juggling.html

This week I have had the pleasure of living in two worlds: the world of Eleanor of Aquitaine and the world of Regency England. As I write the Regency romance series Shakespeare in Love for Sourcebooks, I find myself immersed daily in a past that I have visited often as a reader, but only now have come to live in as a writer. I have been exploring the challenges of bringing Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew to life in a new way and in a new setting, this time in Regency England just after Bonaparte has been defeated and my hero returns from the war. Anthony Carrington comes home to an arranged marriage to a woman he likely would have never chosen for himself.  Caroline Montague, the daughter of his commanding officer, will be left penniless and alone upon her father’s death if Anthony does not marry her. He agrees to take her on, in spite of her wild ways, and a great deal of Shakespearean fun ensues.

Of course, in his efforts to control and dominate his bride, Anthony does not resort to starvation as Petruchio does in The Taming of the Shrew. And Caroline does not conform to her husband’s demands, but struggles to be accepted as an equal, something unheard of at the time. So needless to say, I am having a ball mediating between these two, knowing always that true love will triumph in the end. One of the wonderful blessings of romance.

The second world I have been living in is, of course, Eleanor of Aquitaine’s. True love does not win in Eleanor’s world, and power, the by word of Eleanor’s life,  is almost always elusive. This week I had the pleasure of answering questions about Eleanor and her world for RT Book Reviews. Thinking of Eleanor and reminding myself of all the reasons I adore her, why others adore her as well, is always a joy, and no more so than when people ask me about her. She is an amazing woman with more facets than we fiction writers will ever fully explore.

Image Credit:

http://www.123rf.com/photo_9406430_yacht-and-blue-water-ocean.html

It is always a joy to move between the worlds of my fiction, to explore my characters’ lives and to take part in their adventures. And there are always more stories shimmering on the horizon, along the edge of the ocean of imagination on which I sail. I look forward always to the next port, the next elusive shore on which I will wash up, only to discover the next story that is waiting to be told.

I have said it before, and no doubt I will say it again. I am a lucky woman indeed.

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Another To Be Queen Give Away

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011 | Eleanor of Aquitaine, Give Away, Guest Posts, To Be Queen | 3 Comments

I am going crazy this month, giving away copies of To Be Queen…I love a give away, especially around the holidays. Thank you to Michelle of the True Book Addict for hosting me for this guest post and this give away.

Follow this link, make a comment at the end of the post, and you’ll be entered to win a signed copy of my latest Eleanor novel…

http://christmasspirit-truebookaddict.blogspot.com/2011/12/sharing-joy-guest-post-and-giveaway.html

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