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Jo-Anne Blanco

Goodreads Author

Born

in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Website

http://www.jo-anneblanco.com

Genre

Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Young Adult

Influences

Ludovico Ariosto, Isaac Asimov, Margaret Atwood, Gillian Bradshaw, Kat ...more

Member Since

May 2016

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/jo-anneblanco

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Jo-Anne Blanco was born in Brazil to an English mother and Spanish father. She has spent much of her life travelling around the world as a teacher. Her travels, together with her lifelong passion for reading, writing and storytelling, inspired her to embark upon her Fata Morgana epic fantasy series, about the life and adventures of Morgan le Fay. Mythology, fairy tales and Arthurian legend are all major influences on her work, and her ongoing journeys to countries of great landscapes and folklore are never-ending sources of inspiration.

She is the author of Morgan Le Fay: Small Things and Great, Morgan Le Fay: Children of this World, and Morgan Le Fay: Giants in the Earth. These novels are the first three books in the Fata Morgana series.

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What are you currently working on?

Jo-Anne Blanco I'm currently completing the third book in the Morgan Le Fay series of books about Morgan of Arthurian legend. …moreI'm currently completing the third book in the Morgan Le Fay series of books about Morgan of Arthurian legend. (less)

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How do you get inspired to write?

Jo-Anne Blanco I am very much inspired by folk tales, legends, and mythology from all over the world – be they Greek, Roman, Celtic, Norse, Persian, Indonesian etc. …moreI am very much inspired by folk tales, legends, and mythology from all over the world – be they Greek, Roman, Celtic, Norse, Persian, Indonesian etc. However, many of my ideas also come from my imagination and my own experiences, as a child, teenager, adult and so on. With these first novels in the Fata Morgana series, in which Morgan is a young child, I draw a lot on my own experiences as a child, my interest as an amateur child psychologist, and my research into childhood throughout history. Historical research is another essential well of inspiration. Although my novels contain many magical and fantasy elements, I do try, as far as possible, to maintain a sense of historical accuracy as well.

One of the things I found fascinating while doing research for my books is how our idea of childhood today is largely a Victorian/Edwardian concept. Prior to this, particularly from what we know of the medieval period, children were sent out to work early and had to grow up fast. Children did have toys and games they would play, but the children of nobility were taught Latin and statecraft from the age of around four or five, while the children of peasants were apprenticed to a trade or sent out to work in the fields at an equally young age. I wrestled with whether or not to go for historical authenticity in my books, or to portray children and their childhoods in a more modern, recognisable way. Eventually, I chose the former. I know it can be jarring for contemporary readers, but I felt I had to go with historical realism as a way of grounding the more fantastical aspects, and with the knowledge that originally inspired me.

Mythology, legend, folklore, history, psychology, religion, philosophy, personal experience – all of these fire my imagination, and provide me with never-ending sources of inspiration and ideas. Writing for me is as much an educational experience it is a creative one.(less)

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Jo-Anne Blanco’s books

Average rating: 3.93 · 55 ratings · 40 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	Morgan Le Fay: Small Things and Great (Fata Morgana Book I) 3.73 avg rating — 33 ratings — published 2017 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Morgan Le Fay: Children of This World (Fata Morgana Book II) 4.31 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 2017 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Morgan Le Fay: Giants in the Earth 4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Morgan Le Fay: Small Things and Great (Fata Morgana: Child Of The Moon Book 1) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Morgan le Fay; Small things and Great really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Morgan Le Fay: Children of This World (Fata Morgana: Child Of The Moon Book 2) liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2017 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Morgan Le Fay: Giants in the Earth 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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The Magician’s Daughter

by H.G. Parry (Goodreads Author)

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Jo-Anne Blanco finished reading After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Feb 15, 2023 05:42AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jo-Anne Blanco is starting Morgan Le Fay Morgan Le Fay: Small Things and Great (Fata Morgana Book I) by Jo-Anne Blanco (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 15, 2023 05:41AM · like · see status · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Morgan Le Fay by Jo-Anne Blanco. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Morgan Le Fay by Jo-Anne Blanco <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">