Category Archives: About the Author

About the Author

Hungry Like the Wolf

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I wrote this post about two weeks ago, but didn’t publish it because I thought it may come off as…I don’t know…self serving, obnoxious, something bad. But then last night I saw this blog on why it’s okay to want as long as you do something about it (she gets to the point about halfway through the post) and I figured I may as well put my honest feelings out there. Here goes nothin’…

hunger-for-success1I had one of those ah-ha moments this morning: I realized that I’m hungry to be a professional author. I always thought that phrase, “hungry,” was silly, especially when applied to the business world. It conjured up images of corporate executives on the rise who stabbed each other in the back on their way to the top. But now that I’ve experienced true artistic hunger, I get it. It’s not about stepping on others; it’s about being your best and constantly striving to raise the bar.

For me, this hunger is a type of driving ambition, a compelling force that makes me take on more in order to establish a career doing the thing I love. I’ve always known that I want to write for a living and how much I love it, but this is something more. My word for 2014 was “bloom,” and I’m ready to burst forth.

I know the only way to guarantee success (as much as one can) is to write great books. I hope I’m doing that. I’m devoting every spare moment to research for this new project that I’m really passionate about. In the process, I discovered another historical figure that it doesn’t look like much has been written about (she’s from a slightly later period than the Celts). Now I’m planning to write her story next year, along with another contemporary story and possibly a Celtic historical fiction.

I’m also planning my conference schedule for 2015. (In case you were wondering:  BEA in New York in May, the Historical Novel Society conference in Denver in June and possibly Sirens in Portland in October.) But I don’t just want to attend; I want to speak at these events, to share what I’ve learned with others. I want to get to know other authors and avid readers in person. I’m also considering applying for a two-week residency (the longest amount of vacation time I can get) at Hedgebrook (where I took classes with Deb Harkness earlier this year) for their 2015 or 2016. (Oh yeah, and I’m trying to save money to move to another city, but that’s a story for another day.)

In the midst of all this, I saw an announcement for a historical fiction book award. Obviously, I don’t qualify for that yet, but it’s on my dream list (with many others) for the future. I’ve always been award-happy (I blame it on the dance trophies when I was little), but it’s about more than pretty bauble or a fancy title; it’s about recognition by your peers. I want that. I want everything and I’m willing to work as hard as I have to in order to get it.

Yet, I know this hunger has a down side and I’m beginning to feel it. The danger in this is trying to do too much, especially too soon. So much of publishing is out of our hands as authors (as opposed to most of the writing part, save editing). All I can do right now is keep producing good work and believing things will break for me whenever they are supposed to. But in the meantime, I have to be careful to guard my health and not burn out. Thankfully, I have family and friends who are willing to tell me to take time off when I can’t see that I need it.

I’m not exactly sure why I felt that I should write about this. Maybe it was to share my experience, my joy in all the exhausting work I am doing. Maybe it’s to try to find others of like mind, to know I’m not alone in this obsessive need to write, to do more, to be more and better myself, even though very few people know who I am right now.

PS – You’re welcome for the Duran Duran earworm from the title of this post. 🙂

What are you hungry for? Have you ever had this experience? How did you handle it? How do you deal with your hunger?

About the Author, Everything else

What’s New in My World

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My latest pride and joy, both purchased from Etsy. This hangs over my fireplace as a reminder that I can to anything I get my mind to. I bought a 3rd frame to display a future book-related accomplishment.

This hangs over my fireplace as a reminder that I can to anything I get my mind to. I bought a 3rd frame to display a future book-related accomplishment. (Both from Etsy.)

In lieu of a full on post this week, I thought I’d just give you guys a quick update on what’s been going on in my world:

  1. I’m still recovering and re-entering the real world from my blissful week at Hedgebrook and I’m exhausted (anyone else feeling this way, too, or is it just me?), hence the update post.
  2. I’m editing a book I haven’t talked much about here because it’s not historical. It’s a contemporary romantic comedy. It’s not something I ever thought I’d write, but love it to death. I had a ball writing it and am actually having fun editing it, which is a first for me; I usually loathe editing. I’m hoping that’s a good sign and that everyone who reads it will have fun with it, too.
  3. No updates on Guinevere, other than to say that book 3 is on hold for a bit while I focus on something new. Publication is totally out of my hands, so I’ll let you know when I know something more. I know many of you are anxious it to read it. Believe me, I’m anxious to see it go out into the world! If I had my way, it would come out tomorrow.
  4. About that new book: I’m taking on my second favorite English legend: Robin Hood. This is something I’ve always wanted to do and my agent is very excited about it. I can’t share plot details yet, so I’ll be sharing research with you as I get into it. I’ve never dug into the legend beyond what we all know as part of pop culture, so we’ll be learning together, which I think is exciting. I’m hoping to start writing this new book by May 1.
  5. I have a few more Arthurian/Celtic things to share, so they’ll pop up from time to time. Never fear.
  6. I’m going to start reviewing books for the women in fantasy group Sirens in April. My first review will be Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor, which is the final book in the trilogy that began with Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Be on the lookout for that, plus other reviews I’m doing for the Historical Novel Society, and maybe even some books I read just because I want to.

I feel like there’s more, but that’s all I can think of. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited about what the next few months will bring.

Question for all of you: I’m curious about your thoughts on genre cross over. Would you read a romantic comedy I wrote even though I’m primarily a historical fiction/fantasy writer? Does that matter to you as long as the story is good? I’m just wondering what people think. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

And if you have any other questions, or if anyone knows of good Robin Hood resources, please comment and I’ll answer.

About the Author, Guest posts

This Writer’s Space: Nicole Evelina

In case you ever wanted a little insight into my world…

About the Author, Books

10 Books That Made Me Who I Am

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“You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug.” – Sara Bareilles, “Brave”

The first time I heard this song, I’ll admit to tearing up, because as a writer, it meant that I have tremendous power to influence others, for good or for ill. I hope my own writing someday makes someone’s life a little better.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much certain books changed my life and shaped me i. Here’s a small sampling of the books/series that made me who I am today:

  1. Little EngineThe Little Engine that Could – I have a scrap of memory of sitting with my mom while she read me this book. I also remember one night “reading” it back to her (I memorized it) and telling her when she missed/skipped parts (I’m sure she loved that.) To me, this book symbolizes the time and care my mom took to instill a life-long love of reading into me. Plus, as I’m navigating the world of becoming a published author, I still repeat, “I think I can, I think I can,” to myself every step of the way. (I think that’s the 80s version of “just keep swimming.”)
  2. The Bernstein Bears series – This may sound silly, but I’m an only child, so books were my best friends growing up. A recent Huffington Post article reminded me what an effect these books had on my formative years. I have to say I learned quite a few life lessons from them, and I hope they made me a better person.
  3. Sweet-Valley-HighThe Sweet Valley Twins/High series – As I said, I didn’t have siblings, so for me, Jessica and Elizabeth were the sisters I never had. I always wanted to be Jessica, the popular, fun, cool twin. I decided my favorite color was purple because it was Jessica’s (it’s still my favorite color today). In high school, I took French because that was what Jessica studied (it probably would have been wiser to take Spanish, not that I remember any of it anyway). In reality, I was definitely Elizabeth, the bookish, do-gooder twin. I didn’t like the New Adult reboot that came out a few years ago, but the twins live on in my imagination, growing as I do. And yes, I still want to be Jessica.
  4. Life in a Medieval Castle by Joseph and Frances Gies – This is the first history book I remember buying. I was in fifth grade and obviously a strange child, if I bought history books for fun. But I was born with a love for castles and the Middle Ages in general. (It was only in college that my studies turned toward the Celts.) I devoured this book and the other books in the series (life in a village, life in a town). It gave me my first sense of how different daily life was in other times, and I began to imagine the people’s stories. I should have known then and there that I’d write historical fiction some 25 years later. (By the way, I still have this book.)
  5. interior-castleThe Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila – I’ve been fascinated with religion since I was little. I got a hold of this classic of mystical literature when I was a sophomore in high school. I’ve been a Teresa fan ever since. I like her intimate, personal relationship with God (she goes so far as to describe the union of the soul with God as a “mystical marriage”). I continue studying her and other mystic saints to this day. You’ll see my fascination with mysticism reflected in my writing.
  6. Silverthorn by Raymond Feist – I actually came to Feist’s work through the computer game Betrayal at Kronor, which will always hold a special place in my heart (even though the later novelization didn’t do it justice). I was in love with the characters of Jimmy the Hand, Owyn, and Gorath (*sigh*), so I sought out other books with them and found Silverthorn. It was my first adult-level fantasy and is the book I credit for hooking me on the genre.
  7. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley – I’ve mentioned this before, but this book is the reason I write Arthurian legend. Besides wanting to make me write a strong Guinevere, it also opened my mind to the possibilities of the old faith and coincided well with the beginning of my studies of Druidism and other neo-pagan paths when I started researching for Guinevere. This book is part of a very personal change in my life and is one that I will always treasure.
  8. moll-flandersMoll Flanders by Daniel Defoe – Okay, so I saw the BBC miniseries starring Alex Kingston before I read the book, but I did read it. Moll showed me a side of a historical (albeit fictional) woman that I’d never seen before, one who defied all the conventions of her time, grabbed life by the horns and did what she willed. I think she influenced some of my characters even though I didn’t realize it as I was writing them.
  9. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer – Laugh all you want. Yes, I was a Twihard. I think the reason this book qualifies for me is that I read it around the same time I started taking my own writing seriously. Stephenie was the first author I knew of with a web site and she just seemed more accessible than those I’d heard of growing up. I loved the book (shut up, I did) and when I read her story, I thought to myself, “well, if she, as an ordinary person, can get published, so can I.” Hence, an author was born.
  10. Discovery-of-witches_360A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness – I reviewed this book here, back in 2012 when I first read it. Since then, I’ve read it several more times, each time finding new nuances to the language, new layers of meaning and plot. Her character of Diana still speaks to me in ways no other character has. While I may not be a witch or be able to walk through time (that I know of…), I share Diana’s dedication to history and unfortunate suffering with anxiety. I even took rowing lessons because of this book. Maybe someday I’ll find my Matthew, too. Plus, next month I get to live with and learn from the author for a week. That will make it all the more life-changing!

What are your life-changing books? Which ones had the most effect on you throughout your life? Have you read any of these? Please share your stories with me in the comments.

About the Author, Everything else, Hedgebrook, Writing process

Announcement: Learning from One of the Best

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Deborah Harkness

Deborah Harkness

I am beyond thrilled to announce that I’ve been accepted into a week-long Master Class/writing retreat taught by New York Times best-selling author Deborah Harkness! It is at the beginning of March and will be held at Hedgebrook on Whidbey Island, which is a few hours outside of Seattle, Washington.

Some of you may remember how much I loved Deborah’s first book A Discovery of Witches, which I reviewed here. I also really enjoyed its sequel, Shadow of Night, but never got around to reviewing it. (The final book in the trilogy, Book of Life, comes out July 15.) Beyond a love of her writing, I consider Deborah a mentor because she’s a historian, and more importantly, she inspired me to want to get my master’s/PhD in history. (I have the school and program picked out. I just need to money to move, be able to pay tuition and support myself as a full-time student.) Deborah’s writing proves that having a strong background in history really can make your historical fiction better, but at the same time doesn’t have to make it dry – her books are anything but!

Hedgebrook

Hedgebrook

So what am I going to do during the retreat? I haven’t received the particulars yet, but I know there will be lectures, one-on-one time with the instructor, as well as time for writing. I’m taking the old, red editing pen to my first draft of the final book of my Guinevere trilogy. Right now, it’s missing chapters toward the end (I know what they will be, I just haven’t written them) and the new (second) beginning doesn’t match the middle, so the middle needs to change. Add that on top of all the normal editing and you can see why I need a week to dedicate to hacking it to bits and putting it back together again!

But beyond Book 3, I’m really hoping to learn all I can from Deborah. Basically, I’m going to sit at her feet and soak up all I can, whether it’s history or writing. I’m hoping to pick up some tips and tricks that I can use both for the four books I have in flight and those yet formed. I’m hoping to get inspiration for future books or at least ideas for new places to look. I’ve got two additional books in my head, as well as a few half-baked ideas, but I’m always looking for more. This is a life-long career, after all.

I plan to blog while I’m there if time permits. If not, I’ll certainly do a wrap-up post after it’s over and share what I can of what I learned. I am so humbled to have been chosen for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

About the Author, Celtic society

Why I Wouldn’t Survive a Celtic Winter

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Recreated Celtic Village, Museum of Welsh Life. The open fire within the circular hut gives the thatched roof a "steaming" effect. Three round wattle-and-daub huts are surrounded by a ditch and wooden palisade. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Recreated Celtic Village, Museum of Welsh Life. The open fire within the circular hut gives the thatched roof a “steaming” effect. Three round wattle-and-daub huts are surrounded by a ditch and wooden palisade. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

I would never survive a Celtic winter, or quite frankly, a winter in any other time period. I know this because of a series of recent events that temporarily suspended some of the modern conveniences I’ve realized I can’t live without.

Some of you may have heard that the Midwest has been experiencing unusually cold temperatures. That’s where this whole story starts. As I write this, we’re in our fourth round of sub-zero wind chill temperatures in as many weeks, which is not normal for us. In the first round, thanks to a frozen (but not burst, thank God) water pipe, I discovered that there was a hole in my wall where the previous owner left an old dryer vent completely open to the outside.

As I stuffed it with rags and waited for my dad to be able to remove it and patch the wall (I am not a handy person), I started wondering how anyone in the past survived such brutal cold with only a smoky fire and layers and layers of wool and fur for warmth. What must the Celtic roundhouses have been like if there was a hole in the thatch? How air tight were they anyway? Or what about the soldiers who had to stand guard on walls in gusty winds like the ones currently shaking my house? They must have been made of stronger stuff than I.

If the hole wasn’t enough, a few days later I fell asleep in the bathtub, only to wake up to wet hair, cooled water and no hot water to rinse off with. As I stood shaking in my cold bathroom, trying to suds myself up with lukewarm water, I gained a whole new appreciation for winter bathing. And I’m willing to bet my 69 degree bathroom was warmer than most of the rooms were the Celts cleaned themselves. In spite of my research, I had held on to a fantasy that boiling water to bathe in and drying hair by the fire would be enough. Perhaps some did bathe this way, but I now understand why winter was not the time for immersing oneself for a full bath.

And then there was the fast. I did a 10 day detox where I couldn’t have dairy, wheat, sugar, caffeine or alcohol. I was okay with most of it, but the lack of dairy about killed me. (I love cheese and milk.) That got me thinking that Celtic winters must have been very boring times to eat, since from the time of the slaughter in October through the beginning of February, when the ewes started to give birth, there would have been no milk or butter. (This is why the feast of Candlemas/Imbolc was agriculturally important.) Maybe there was some old or aging cheese. There would have been few fruits and vegetables – maybe some turnips or other root veggies, some wizened apples and whatever was preserved. On the other side, fresh meat would have become more and more rare as winter wore on, leaving preserved meat (ugh, jerky) and salt fish as the options. As long as grain stores held out, there would have been bread and maybe porridge in good supply, but that hardly qualifies as a tasty meal.

And then I had company last week. I slept on a sofa bed so my guest could sleep in my bed. I ended up having to put an extra cushion on top so that I could sleep. It made me wonder how people slept on the cold, hard ground, or on straw pallets for most of history. I really am the princess with the pea.

Couple all of this with long swaths of time stuck indoors with bored men aching for action that winter didn’t allow and I’m willing to bet a Celtic hall wasn’t that much fun. For most of the population, the animals not culled for the winter lived in the same rooms with the people. Even in noble household with separate buildings for animals, the hunting dogs (and perhaps a barnyard cat or two) would have vied for warmth in front of the fire with the humans. Long, dark nights, dreary days lit only by a central fire, rush light or tallow candles (a fortunate few would have had beeswax), smoke, unwashed bodies, drafts, poor nutrition, restlessness and soiled rushes do not paint a fun image of winter.

Because of my area of study, I place this in the Celtic world, but really, it was true for most of history. I know it’s completely different taking away a few conveniences from a modern girl than growing up without them, but I have a whole new respect for my ancestors now. How any of them survived to produce a fading little flower like me, I’ll never know. All I do know is they would be ashamed of what I consider hardship (#firstworldproblems).

Today, I’m counting my blessings a little closer and joining the people of old in wishing for spring to come quickly.

What about you? How would you have fared in a Celtic winter? How do you think they would have lived?

About the Author, Everything else

2014: The Year of Blooming

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2014 is the year our lives will bloom. Photo by Lee Safar. Used with permission.

2014 is the year our lives will bloom. Photo by Lee Safar. Used with permission.

They say that what you put out into the Universe becomes your reality. That’s what I’m doing in this post: setting my intentions and goals for the new year, putting them out into the Universe.

My friend Courtney had an interesting idea. She suggesting picking one word for the year, defining it and writing a personal statement about it. I liked that idea because it forces me to distill all the amazing things I’d like to accomplish down to a single concept.

The word of 2014 for me is: Bloom.

I got this idea from a tweet from my dear friend Lee Safar in which she said “2014 feels like the year that flowers will bloom!” The more I got to thinking about it, the more I realized how appropriate it is for where I am in my career and life. I’ve spent the last several years sowing the seeds of success. Last year was definitely one of sprouting seedlings and watching them grow. Now it’s time for them to bloom.

 In 2014, I will see my career as an author and various things in my personal life bloom and come into fruition, bringing with them beauty and joy into the world.

Now, I can’t just sit back and wait for it to happen. I have to work at it with all my might. To that end, I have a series of goals for things I want to achieve this year. They include:

  • Delivering book 3 and another non-related book I’m working on to my agent by the end of June.
  • Finally being able to announce when Guinevere book 1 will be available to the world.
  • Researching and beginning writing another Celtic era historical fiction novel.
  • Attending the Sirens Conference with several of my writer friends in October (and possibly speaking there if I can come up with a topic and get it approved).
  • Finding balance in my life between my day job, writing and all the other demands of life.
  • Getting healthier so that I can have more energy to devote to the things I love.
  • Being more active on Facebook. (I’m already on Twitter all the time.)
  • Traveling for research (cross your fingers that I’ll have an announcement on this soon) for book 3 and my current non-related book.
  • Continuing to find new ways to use this blog to reach out to Arthurian/Celtic fans, book lovers and writers. (You may see some new topics from me this year out of this goal.)

That may seem like a lot, but it’s all interrelated. And it’s what I’ll be focusing on over the next year as my life blooms. I hope your year is wonderful in every way possible.

What are your goals for 2014? What is your word for the year?

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About the Author, Guinevere trilogy, Interviews, Publishing journey, Writing process

St. Louis Writer’s Guild Interview Now Online

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In case you missed it, here’s the interview I did a few weeks ago with the St. Louis Writer’s Guild. Learn about my research and writing processes, tips and tricks, and even get some inside scoop on the Guinevere books!

About the Author, Writing process

A Love Letter from a Writer to Her Craft

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I own a copy of this print from http://www.thewanderingreader.com/, so I don't feel bad using their photo. Go look at their site.

I own a copy of this print from http://www.thewanderingreader.com/, so I don’t feel bad using their photo. Go look at their site.

“Writing for me is like breathing.”

I actually said those words when the company I work for was going to through reorganization a few years ago and one of my bosses was considering putting me in a non-writing role. (Yes, I like it so much I do it all day long. But it’s not as much fun as writing fiction.) I wasn’t being melodramatic, either. Take away the storyteller and you take away my soul.

I write because I have to. That’s the short version of this post. If I didn’t, I really think I would lose my mind. Maybe I do it because I’m an only child and have always had to entertain myself. Maybe I watched one too many soap operas as a teenager. Maybe it’s a desire for control (of the world and lives of my characters) in a reality that is too often unpredictable. Or maybe it’s all of these things.

No matter how you look at it, I write because I have a story to tell. I would do it even if I knew I would never be published, just to get the story out of my head – even if only my family and friends ever saw it. I have voices in my head and characters who demand to be heard. They’ve chosen me over all the other writers out there, and I can’t let them down.

Most of all, I write because I love it. I like playing with language and challenging myself to be as good as my favorite authors. I want to capture the images in my head in words that (hopefully) evoke them as clearly for the reader as I see them. I love getting lost in the story, and, in rare moments, letting the characters take over and shape their own destinies. Writing is my creative outlet, the thing that makes me feel the most alive.

But writing isn’t just about the creative process. It’s also a lot of hard work. My willingness –nay, joy – at doing it is how I know I’ve found my vocation in life. The old phrase “writing is rewriting” is very true. More often than not, it means multiple rounds of editing, untangling plots that have gone awry, deleting treasured scenes, and many, many late nights. It also means taking vacation days and sometimes foregoing social gatherings just to have uninterrupted time to dedicate to my craft.

But you know what? I don’t mind that one bit. This is more than a part-time hobby to be set aside at will. It may not yet be what pays the bills, but it’s my passion. Someone told me recently that when I talk about my fiction, my entire being glows and I get excited like I’ve had too much caffeine (which I don’t consume). But in many ways, that’s only natural. Being a writer is how I self-identify. Talk to me about it and you’re giving me the opportunity to share the thing in my life that has the most meaning.

I know not everyone reading this is a writer, so you may not be able to personally relate. But I hope you experience something similar in your life, no matter what it is you choose to do. Life is too short, our moments too precious to waste on things that don’t compel us from the depths of our souls. I’ve found my calling and I hope you will, too.

What activity can you not imagine living without? What brings you authentic happiness? Please share your stories below. I’m sure we will all be uplifted by hearing from one another.