Anna Elliott's Blog, page 9

Coffee Break

I just learned about this wonderful site on the Historical Fiction Online forum where I'm a member. If you haven't seen it yet, you have to check it out–amazing British actors reading some of the best love scenes in all literature. Does it get better than that? Because I believe in brainwashing my children early, last night Vivi and I listened to Greg Wise (Willoughby in the Emma Thompson version of Sense and Sensibility) read my absolute favorite scene from Persuasion, my absolute favorite A...

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Everyone else out there may well have heard about this book already–but I just had to post here and say: If you haven't read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society yet, you must–it's such an absolutely wonderful read.

Here's the cover copy:

" I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers." January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton ...

N. Gemini Sasson

Here today in another installment of Q and A's for aspiring authors is N. Gemini Sasson. She is a fellow writer of historical fiction, happens to share my (absolutely wonderful) agent, and her Isabeau, a Novel of Queen Isabella and Sir Roger Mortimer is making the submission rounds to publishers now. She's here to talk to us about what keeps her going during the long and often discouraging periods of waiting involved in the submission process.

Anna graciously asked me to guest blog today...

Dating Your Characters

Happy Holidays, everyone! I have a new post up at Writer Unboxed talking about getting to know your characters. Stop by!

Don't Blink

You know that song (not sure who sings it?) Don't Blink? I heard it once and had it stuck in my head for the next solid week and a half. And now everyone reading this probably has it stuck in their head. Sorry!

But my point is, it's true. Three months ago, my baby girl was born. She looked like this. Note the teeny, tiny little scrunched up newborn face, the wee little curled up fist, the brand-newness of her:

And then . . . then I made the mistake of blinking. And all of a sudden she...

Twilight of Avalon Book Trailer

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Twilight of Avalon Book Trailer

Trystan

Awhile back I saw a website that let authors cast actors in (obviously imaginary) movie versions of their books. I can't for the life of me find the site again–which is probably a good thing. I'm sure I could fritter away waaaaay too much time there. But I mention it because I just discovered the TV show White Collar (we don't actually have a TV, so I'm limited to shows I can watch online) and realized that the actor who plays Neil on the show is very close to the way I picture Trystan....

Cover Art

I just got the cover for the Portuguese version of Twilight of Avalon. I had absolutely nothing to do with it–for the most part authors don't have a voice in the foreign edition covers of their books–but isn't it pretty? Another Waterhouse painting and such a lovely one.

A Holiday Contest

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm over at Writer Unboxed today talking about a special holiday contest for this month. Stop by!

Why I (re)Write

Junot Diaz had such an amazingly inspiring article on Becoming a Writer the other day. My favorite quote:

. . . in my view a writer is a writer not because she writes well and easily, because she has amazing talent, because everything she does is golden. In my view a writer is a writer because even when there is no hope, even when nothing you do shows any sign of promise, you keep writing anyway.

Reading that, I was reminded of another of my favorite quotes on writing, this one from Ernest...