-
Queen of None is Now Available Everywhere!
No, this is not a repeat from 2020. Well, that’s not entirely the truth. As you may remember, the Queens of Fate series was picked up by Solaris books early last year, and Queen of None has officially been re-issued with a brand new cover, updated text, and new acknowledgements. This truly is the little book that could. This morning, I sat in my car to get some celebratory coffee, and listened to the beginning of the book narrated by the amazing Deborah Balm. She just absolutely inhabits Anna’s spirit in a way that made me quite emotional. As an audiobook nerd myself, I was thrilled when her voice sample first…
-
Presenting The Portraits of Fate: Anna Pendragon and Sir Bedevere, Art by Mae Morrison
I am a massively visual person. Part of this comes from having a fine arts background, but part of it is just the way my brain is wired. I have hyperphantasia, which means when I read a book I can see, hear, smell, and feel things in vivid detail. So it’s not surprising that I’ve dreamed a long time of having my characters rendered in beautiful art. And with the increasing challenges with AI everywhere, I decided that for Queen of None–and all the books in the series–I wanted to hire an artist to make project come to life. I took to social media for this project, and for one for Netherford…
-
The New Cover for QUEEN OF NONE is Here! (Plus Release Info!)
Most books and series don’t get a second chance at life. Indeed, when my publisher closed, not long after I submitted Queen of Fury, I despaired a little. This Arthurian adventure, the family saga, of the Queens of Fate, might never really come to a conclusion. Thankfully, I was lucky and that didn’t happen. Not only that, but I’ve been involved in the discussion of the re-branding of the cover and look of all three books coming out from Solaris next year and in 2024. I wanted something medieval, eye-catching, and representative of the Pre-Raphaelite inspired aesthetic. Thankfully, the publisher was on the same page! So when I got to see…
-
From the Arthurian Lit Readings: “Sir Palomydes’ Quest” by William Morris
Arthuriana and the Matter of Britain influenced centuries of writers and artists, but many think of the Arts & Crafts movement and Pre-Raphaelites when it comes to the visuals. Few know, however, that William Morris himself was more than a painter–in fact, he was also a fantasy writer and poet (among many other things). During my graduate research, I came upon his poem “The Defense of Guinevere” and, ultimately, more of his Arthurian poetry work. Sir Palomydes has always been one of my favorites, the prince from the Middle East sent to Arthur’s court as a paragon of chivalry–who falls in love with Iseult but never gets her (thanks,…
-
Check Me Out on the PopDNA Podcast talking Sir Gawain, the Green Knight, and Queens of Fate
Speaking about one of my favorite subjects of all time: Sir Gawain! It was so lovely getting a chance to nerd out with Rhonda and Erin from the PopDNA podcast. I could go on for a lot longer than I did about the Gawain subject, but getting a chance to gush about my favorite himbo cinnamon roll from Queen of Fury is definitely up there. Likely you’ve already seen how much I loved The Green Knight, too. Big thanks to the PopDNA hosts for having me.
-
On Feminism, Fate, and Family in the Queens of Fate Series
As I’m writing the third book in my feminist Arthurian retelling series (this one is Queen of Mercy, while the others are Queen of None and Queen of Fury), I’ve been having quite a lot of thoughts about the overall themes and symbols of them. For context: I started the first book in 2009, and now here we are in 2023. Which is about the same difference in time from the end of the first book to the beginning of the third book. In that time, characters who start out as babies become adults (well, in medievalish terms). People die. Alliances are forged, relationships broken. It’s very much a whole…
-
Fumbling Towards Camelot – My Arthurian Stories Find a New Home With Solaris Books
Who can say when a story really starts? Out of the mire of post-Roman Britain, the Arthurian Tales rose to prominence across much of Europe: a motley patchwork of stories, characters, and adventures that remain with us today. It is, I suppose, a great, collaborative tapestry, with new authors adding to the scenes for almost 1500 years. Like many young writers, and especially those of the medieval inclination, I fell head over heels for Arthuriana when I was in college. Though I was acquainted with the stories thanks to Disney and Mary Stewart, discovering the age and breadth of these tales absolutely blew my mind. I felt a kinship, especially,…
-
Read My Six Elementals Author Interview With P.L. Stuart
Into The Reaches of My Brain I had the pleasure of being interviewed by P.L. Stuart, and it’s now live on their page! If I recall correctly, P.L. and I first connected on Twitter just around the time that Queen of None came out. He bought the book and really connected with the story, and has been a wonderful champion of my work since then. I’m beyond flattered, really. You never know who’s going to resonate with your work, or where that connection will happen. The interview is quite comprehensive, and runs the gamut from talk of Arthuriana, to discussing falling in love with books, to future projects on the…
-
Ten Things About QUEEN OF FURY Plus Cover Reveal
Queen of Fury is set for publication this December, and here's a sneak peek at some of the themes.
-
Live Reading Stream from Queen of None
As I continue the one year celebration of the Queen of None release, I finally set up my audio arrangement in my office (read: space in the open loft area of my house where, if late enough at night, is relatively quiet enough). So last night I did a little live reading of two scenes from Queen of None: one, Hwyfar’s first introduction, and two, Anna’s total tear down of Gawain when she first arrives to Carelon. During the reading I was reminded, as I gave a voice to Anna… just how wily she is. She really is so calculating. It’s covered in a lot of beautiful language, good intentions,…
-
QUEEN OF NONE is One! New Book Trailer and More
Queen of None was always about the stories within the story. But I also knew that Anna was not always the most reliable narrator. She is a good and compelling hero–but like all heroes, she has her faults, her missing pieces. The version of the characters you see in Queen of None is her take on them. Even some of those closest to her, like her own sons, are portrayed and informed by her own biases. Back in 2010, I actually started the sequel to Queen of None, originally entitled Knight of the Blood. At that point, it was going to be about Gawain and Palomydes at war. A story…
-
Queen of Fury is Drafted!
What a long, strange trip it’s been. I started out Queen of Fury with a fairly straightforward idea. It was going to be 100% Hwyfar’s story. She was the standout character from Queen of None, and seemed like the ideal character to continue the whole invisible women of Arthur tale. But I wanted a foil for her, and very early on, I liked the idea of playing Gawain of Orkney against her. They have a very similar backstory: they’re both the same age, both royals from pretty messed up dynasties, both from toxic families, and they’re both gingers. Not to mention super tall. What I did not expect was Gawain…
