CE: In the Shadow of the Globe by Michelle Cameron was one of the best books I read all year. It is a book of narrative poetry that tells the story of Shakespeare and his contemporaries as he is writing his plays for the London stage. A truly beautiful piece.
What was your favorite thing you wrote?
CE: My favorite quote from my own work is Eleanor thinking of a lover she has lost in my latest novel, To Be Queen:
"He is with me still. That is what fated love means in the end. The hand of fate lies heavy on us, to show us the ones who will never leave us, the ones we will carry for the rest of our lives. And beyond, if the priests are right.
Though I do not believe in words like forever, I did when I looked into the blue of his eyes. I was grateful for that one night, carved out of the rest of my life. Those hours were worth the pain I paid for them, both before and after.
For nothing in this world comes free."
What was your biggest writing struggle, and how did you overcome it?
CE: The biggest struggle was continuing to believe in my work and in my stories when no one else wanted to read them. To stay in the chair, in spite of all the obstacles in our path, in spite of all the other things that call us away. In the end, we have to stay in the chair and write in order to be true to ourselves, and to our work.
What can we expect from you in the new year?
CE: I am happy to say that Eleanor has given me enough time off to write a Regency romance series called Shakespeare in Love coming out with Sourcebooks Casablanca. The first novel in the series, a re-telling of The Taming of the Shrew will be out in September of 2012 under the title How to Tame a Willful Wife. Of course, the question always is, who is actually being tamed? It is a lot of fun to delve into another time period and into the world of Shakespeare. I am having a blast writing these books.
Write down your 'Writing Resolution of 2012!'
CE: To get better. To be a better writer at the end of the year than I was at the beginning. To be true to my characters and their stories. To hone my craft until I do my characters justice. Ultimately, that's the goal. To leave the world a better place than I found it, in any small way I can. Good writing can do that.
Thank you so much for these questions. I love being included in your December roundup!
Christy English
Author of the Historical Novels
To Be Queen: A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine
and The Queen's Pawn
From New American Library
www.christyenglish.com
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