Anna's Blog

Happy Mother’s Day!

May 8th, 2011

Happy Mother’s Day to all my fellow mamas out there! And to my own Mama, of course!

I dedicated my first book to my dad, because I always knew that if I were ever published, my first book would read ‘to my dad’ on the dedication page. My second book, Dark Moon of Avalon, is dedicated to my husband, because it’s the most romantic book of the trilogy. (This may or may not have something to do with the fact that as I recall, the poor guy was studying for his PhD comprehensive exams when I wrote it, which meant that channeling my distant memories of romance into the book were about as close to the real thing as I was going to get.

My third book, Sunrise of Avalon, is really all about motherhood and mothering, which meant that from the very start I planned to dedicate it to my mom. And since it’s mother’s day today, I’ll share the poem I quoted in the dedication here.

You may have tangible wealth untold
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold
Richer than I you can never be,
I had a mother who read to me.

That is for sure true for me, I can’t even begin to count the number of books my mom and I read together while I was growing up, some of my earliest memories are of the two of us curled up on the couch and reading The Bobsey Twins mysteries. That’s certainly why I read so much to my girls–and someday I hope they’ll read that poem and think, Yes, that’s me, too.

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Jane Austen and Punctuation

May 5th, 2011

In writing Georgiana Darcy’s Diary, I included a play on the quotation from Pride and Prejudice: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Because, really, when writing a Pride and Prejudice sequel, how can you not include at least a nod to that most famous line?

I wanted to make sure, though, that I got the punctuation right–that my comma placement was the same as Jane Austen’s. But in doing a little digging, I discovered something interesting: even Austen scholars aren’t necessarily sure that the punctuation in Jane Austen’s novels was hers.

Professor Kathryn Sutherland of the English language and literature faculty at Oxford University studied several of Jane Austen’s unpublished manuscripts and determined that “Her style is much more intimate and relaxed, more conversational. Her punctuation is much more sloppy, more like the kind of thing our students do and we tell them not to. She uses capital letters and underlining to emphasise the words she thinks important, in a manner that takes us closer to the speaking voice than the printed page.

Sutherland’s observations caused quite a controversy among other scholars and fans of Jane Austens work, who pointed out that we don’t have so much as a page of the manuscripts of the novels that she submitted to her publishers. All that Sutherland or anybody else has to go on is the manuscripts for some teenage juvenilia and the rough drafts of some unfinished or discarded works.

It’s a fascinating question, though, isn’t it? As an author who views the ‘delete’ and ‘cut and paste’ functions of my word processing program absolutely essential to my writing process, I’ve often wondered how Jane Austen managed to construct and polish such works of utter genius with nothing more than pen and paper. I’d love to know just what a finished draft of one of her books looked like, how Pride and Prejudice read in the version she sent off to her publishers and so on into immortality.

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Linky Love

May 3rd, 2011

I forgot to mention that over the weekend, the lovely Yamina from YaminaToday invited me over to her blog to talk a bit about the release of Georgiana Darcy’s Diary. You can read my post here. Thanks for having me, Yamina!

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Author Moments, part 2

May 1st, 2011

As I’ve mentioned before, one of my absolute favorite moments as an author is when someone reads my books and is inspired to create their own art or writing because of it. I love that! This amazing poem was just sent to me by Julie, who used the place names on my map of Dark Age Britain to tell her own Arthurian-inspired story:

A woman at the Round Table

I am Julia, Princess of Gwynedd
Where it is said
That High Queen Guinever came
And soon I hope to do the same
And that is to carry on
Women who can be strong
For I have in my sight
To one day be a Round Table Knight
For I cannot be under my father’s hand
Being that I am heiress to his land
My mother comes from a line of warrior Queens though
Their call grows strong in me so
I’ve been taught the skills of bow, sword and lance
Now all I need is the chance
To prove to them what I can do
And be the warrior that I am true
And one day it happened so
I asked to Camelot may I go
For an invitation from the High King Arthur was sent
Camelot’s annual tournament where my three brothers before me have went
All became Knights but all in battle died
It was my chance, my turn to carry my families name with pride
To my amazement both father and mother did relent
So off to Camelot with my squire I went
Now in Camelot invintation and royal papers in hand
I signed in and was shown my stand
The first woman to enter the tournament I was told
That statement was bold
I made it all the way to the jousting games
Here is where you get yourself a name
First I fought from Camelerd Sir Cadell
It took three hits before he fell
Next I fought Sir Caerwyn from Cornwall
Another three hits and he too did fall
Next I fought from Dinas Emrys Sir Emlyn known as the Knight in Blue
Another three hits and I knocked him down too
Next I fought from Dumnonia Sir Dilwyn known as the Knight in Grey
Another three hits and he too on the ground lay
Next I fought Sir Dylan of Dyfed
With another three hits he too on the ground I led
Next I fought Sir Gruffudd of Gwent
With another three rounds he too to the ground I sent
Next I fought from London Sir Llewelyn one of the best
It took four rounds before I laid him to rest
Next I fought from Powys Sir Pryce known as the Black Hound
It took another four hits before I laid him to the ground
Next I fought from Rhegged Sir Roderick
It took five hits before I sent him to the ground to lick
Now I had to fight the current champion
From Tintagel Sir Talfryn
He was known as the Silver Knight
He sure did put up a good fight
But in the seventh rounds end
Him to the ground I did send
For a moment he stood disbelieved
But with a sigh the tournament title to me he did relieve
In awe the crowd did stand
As Sir Talfryn shook my hand
Before the High King and Queen I stood
I asked for knighthood
I told them like my brothers before me I wanted to be
And Arthur gave it to me freely
I was dubbed on the spot
Julia Round Table Knight of Camelot
You might think this is a fable
But it is not for I, Princess Julia of Gwynedd, became the first woman of the Round Table

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New Release! Georgiana Darcy’s Diary

April 26th, 2011

I haven’t blogged in SO long. I’ve been busy with these little girls of mine (warning! I am of course completely without bias when I say that you may die of the cuteness!)

And I’m also SO excited to announce that I’ve also been busy writing this book, which is released today!

I’ve over at Sarah Woodbury’s blog today, talking a little bit about how I came to write Georgiana’s Diary–stop by! And here’s a run-down on the book itself:

Mr. Darcy’s younger sister searches for her own happily-ever-after…
The year is 1814, and it’s springtime at Pemberley. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have married. But now a new romance is in the air, along with high fashion, elegant manners, scandal, deception, and the wonderful hope of a true and lasting love.
Shy Georgiana Darcy has been content to remain unmarried, living with her brother and his new bride. But Elizabeth and Darcy’s fairy-tale love reminds Georgiana daily that she has found no true love of her own. And perhaps never will, for she is convinced the one man she secretly cares for will never love her in return. Georgiana’s domineering aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has determined that Georgiana shall marry, and has a list of eligible bachelors in mind. But which of the suitors are sincere, and which are merely interested in Georgiana’s fortune? Georgiana must learn to trust her heart—and rely on her courage, for she also faces the return of the man who could ruin her reputation and spoil a happy ending, just when it finally lies within her grasp.

You can buy Georgiana Darcy’s Diary here and here, or to read an excerpt from the book, click here.

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Bella’s Surprise

March 7th, 2011

Those out there with kids will be nodding their heads sagely, but a general truth of parenting I’ve discovered is that it’s almost never a good sign when your kids are being too quiet. Generally speaking, it means they’re eating play-dough, pouring entire bottles of dish detergent down the sink, cutting their own hair . . . the list is long in my household alone.

Which means that I really should have known better yesterday when I didn’t hear from Bella the ENTIRE time I was making lunch and feeding Vivi. But we’d had a busy morning going to a storytelling class for her, she’d been running around lots and said she was going to rest on Vivi’s bed. What could go wrong, right?

So, after the (ominous, I now realize) 20 minutes of silence, Bella came RACING down the stairs.

Bella: “Mommy! Mommy! I have a surprise for you in your room!”
Me: “Great! Um, what is it?”
Bella: “I’ll give you a clue! It starts with an H. Come up with me. And close your eyes! Don’t look until I tell you!”

I closed my eyes and let her lead me upstairs. And when I opened them, this is what I saw on my bedroom floor:

Actually, this image doesn’t even convey the full multi-layered reality of Bella’s pile. Basically she had dumped a hamper of dirty clothes, the plastic bag recycling, half my bookshelf, a package of Vivi’s diapers, the entire contents of our medicine cabinet . . . it was, without a doubt, the biggest mess I have ever seen. And–those with kids will be nodding again–for any mother of a 4 year old and a 1 year old, that is saying something.

And she was SO delighted with her creation. “Look,” she told me proudly. “It’s a HOUSE. Get it? House starts with H! I’ve made a house for us, and I’ve thought of everything we might need! Do you want to live in it with me?”

What to say . . . what to say . . . I took a deep breath. “You bet, sweetie,” I said. “It’s a fantastic house.” Mama-of-the-year? Or epic parenting fail? I’m still not entirely sure. I just couldn’t bring myself to scold her when she was so incredibly excited and had clearly worked so diligently.

And then it occurred to me while we were ‘living’ in the house–having a great time, actually–that this is one of the reasons that having kids is actually GREAT for a writing career. It’s all about surrender of control. Yes, as an author I’m in charge of my story–but I have to let myself surrender to it, too, if I’m going to faithfully capture what it needs to be. Sometimes that leads to a gigantic mess. But that’s how you uncover hidden truths about your characters and plot. Like the missing bottle of baby tylenol that rolled out of Bella’s pile. Sometimes you just have to give in and let your characters wreak havoc with what you thought was going to be your plot, sink into the current of your story and let it carry you wherever it will.

I’m going to keep reminding myself of that. Right after I mobilize my entire family to clean up my bedroom floor.

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The Raven Queen

February 24th, 2011

Thanks so much, everyone! Bella is MOST excited that her story was read and enjoyed by so many people. Her eyes got very big when I said that people all over the world had read it and she said, “Did they know it was a children’s story?”

Cutie. I’m going to go with ‘yes’ on that one.

She’d like to share a book recommendation with you today. Well, okay, maybe I want to share a book recommendation. Jules Watson’s The Raven Queen released this week, and if you only buy one historical fantasy book this year, buy this book–it’s the story of Queen Maeve from Irish legend, and it’s amazing amazing amazing.

And Bella did pick up my copy and say she liked it. I said, You mean, you like the cover? Which is gorgeous, see above. And she said, No, I like the words inside!

I’m sure this of course had nothing to do with the fact that Jules came to Bella’s birthday party and gave her a coloring book, stamps, and a stuffed koala. Not that I am name-dropping or anything. But yes, I actually KNOW Jules Watson. Isn’t that so cool? The reigning queen of the Celtic fantasy, and she lives right here in the same city I do. I was the biggest fan girl of her writing even before I met her in person, and I always feel like she should be wearing a superhero cape or at least a sparkly tiara every time we meet.

(graphic proof of coolness)

But, even if I had never met Jules in my life, I would still say: read this book. I don’t know any other author as skilled at creating a world of mists and legend that truly lives and breathes.

I actually got to interview Jules for Writer Unboxed last month. (This being part of my playing catch-up that I’m only posting the link now). But you can read the interview either here or here. She shares some great insights into writing and researching historical fiction.

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Playing Catch-Up

February 20th, 2011

I think about updating this blog all the time. Really, I do. I have whole posts all planned out in my mind, even the titles all chosen . . . and then somehow there’s a giant black hole in between thinking about it and the actual execution. This month, of course, that black hole involved 2 sick kids and a sick husband and copy edits on Sunrise. Oh, and a snowstorm that knocked out our heat and power. So maybe I have a little more excuse than usual. But anyway, I am now playing catch up. This week (really really I swear) I’ll have some new posts and announcements up. But today’s post is taken, because I promised my 4 year old I would put up a story she told me on my blog.

A little backstory–way back before Twilight of Avalon was even published, I wrote my very first blog post EVER about Bella’s first story ever. I mean, the first original story she made up on her own. Bella awhile back overheard me talking to a friend about this story and how I’d blogged about it, and ever since she’s been asking me if I’ll ‘put another of her stories on my web page’. I’m not entirely sure that at 4 she has any idea what that means, but she’s very excited about the idea. So, fast forward to today, when she and I are at a weekly storytelling/improv class that we take together. Bella loves the acting and the dancing and the art. But then every week it comes time to sit down and write a story together and . . . she digs in her heels. Why? I have no idea. Does it feel too much like work? Is she distracted by the other kids? I don’t know. So this week, I told her, “Bella, if you tell me a story to write down, I’ll put it on my blog!”
Yep, mama of the year that I am, when all else fails, I go for bribery. However, in this case, I am kind of glad I did, because otherwise I might have missed out on this gem of a Bella story, which I will set down verbatim as she dictated it to me. As you can see, she has shifted genres from her first story and is now going for a fairy tale/horror/crime/police procedural/family drama blend.

Bella’s story:

Once upon a time there lived an old castle. There lived an old ghost who didn’t like people to come inside or outside his bedroom door. Then a naughty boy came inside his bedroom and asked if he could have a chance to write. Then another little girl who was naughtier than the boy came in and asked for a chance to build a wall. Finally, the ghost hit her. (He’s an old ghost, remember). The girl fled out of that home and the ghost chased her. Then the ghost finally catched (sic) up to her and threw a net over her head!

(Interjection from me, when Bella showed signs of wandering off to play with the stickers here: You can’t just leave the poor girl there with a net over her head! What happened next?)

Bella again:
(Imagine a 4 year old eye roll here).

Well, she could see through the net. The firemen couldn’t come because there was another fire. She called her mommy and daddy, but they couldn’t come because they weren’t home. Then she was in prison for A WHOLE YEAR. Her mommy and daddy got her after a whole year in prison. And she said– well, she didn’t say anything because she felt foolish.

And that’s it–word for word the story as Bella dictated it to me. It’s so amazing for me to read her first story at barely two and then see what a difference there is between 2 and 4. And is it me, or is the poor kid doomed to be another writer for sure?

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Thank you, Michael Flatley

February 2nd, 2011

I’m a complete Irish dance junkie. It all started when I was pregnant with my first daughter and writing the first of my Twilight of Avalon trilogy. Living in an apartment on my husband’s grad student stipend, a research trip over to England wasn’t really an option, especially since I hadn’t yet sold the book or even landed an agent. So to put myself in a misty, dark-age Celtic frame of mind, I watched Riverdance approximately 4 million times.

This means that from before birth, my oldest has been brainwashed into loving Irish dance as much as I do. She can’t wait to be five and take official lessons. But for now she loves watching Riverdance herself and mimicking the moves. We don’t have tv, but sometimes on a cold, snowy evening I’ll find some Riverdance videos on Youtube and let her dance across the floor of my office. So last night, I found a Riverdance playlist. Terrific, I thought, she can dance for a few minutes while I run into the other room and feed her sister. Perfect. Which it was. Until this little number from Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance popped up in the playlist. Of COURSE while I was out of the room.

Now, let me say that these are all lovely talented girls dancing. But the kind of thing I want my four year old daughter to learn? Um, well.

Bella came streaking into the dining room where I was feeding her sister, SO excited. “Mommy, mommy,” she said. “You have to come and see this. It’s a dance I’ve never seen before! The ladies have the most beautiful dresses! And then they throw their clothes off!”

Awesome. Thank you, Michael Flatley.

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Tell Me a Story, Mama

January 14th, 2011

After I put my baby down to sleep for the night, all tucked into her crib with her baby doll under one arm, I head into my older girl’s room to spend a few minutes with her before she goes to sleep. And every night as soon as I settle next to her in her bed, the first thing she says is, “Tell me a story.”

Now, to be really super honest, as AWESOME and lovely as this request is, most nights I really have to dig deep to appreciate the awesomeness, because at this point in my day I am so, so ready for the day to be done. I’ve been with my girls all day long, fielding all those mama requests: Can I have a juice box? Can you play hide and seek with me? Mama, Vivi smushed banana into the carpet. You know, the usual. And in between I’ve spent every minute I’m not chasing a 1 and 4 year old chasing down the plot points of my own stories. Squeezing one final story out of my totally exhausted creativity well at the end of my day sounds next to impossible. And yet it always reminds me of why I write in the first place.

Bella’s favorite stories for me to tell involve (coincidentally) two little girls named Bella and Vivi who are called to ride with the Dream Fairy in her snow-white horse drawn carriage to distribute dreams to all the children in the world. Either that or she likes stories about a little ghost named Casper who has a baby sister ghost and is (coincidentally) good friends with a little girl named Bella who has a baby sister Vivi.

She likes stories with her as a character, basically. And isn’t that the magic that books and stories offer us all? Characters that we can see ourselves in, allowing us to vicariously live in a world made of magic. A world where a friendly ghost might knock on your front door wanting to play, or a dream fairy may tap on your windowpane at night and invite you for a carriage ride.

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