Look who stopped by today!  It’s Christy English, the author of “How to Tame a Willful Wife.”  she came to discuss her love of Shakespeare, her new release and other fun info!

Let’s see what she’s up to!

Nancy: You obviously have a great love of English history.  I am also fascinated with all aspects of the history of the English Monarchy. Please tell us about your earlier books “To Be Queen” and “The Queen’s Pawn.

Christy: THE QUEEN’S PAWN is the story of Princess Alais of France comes to the court of Henry II, betrothed to Prince Richard, later Richard the Lionhearted. Taken under the wing of England’s queen, the fabulous and learned Eleanor of Aquitaine, she finds that court is a dangerous place as she catches the eye of the king.

TO BE QUEEN tells the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s early life, her first marriage to Louis VII of France, her journey to the Levant with the Second Crusade, and her fight for her freedom. She manages to leave her husband with her property intact, and in her second marriage, joins forces with the young and powerful Henry, Duke of Normandy, later King Henry II of England.

Nancy:  I love early English history and look forward to reading these two books.

I see from your bio that you used to act in Shakespearean plays.  Can you tell us a little about that and how your love of Shakespeare translated into writing a Regency Romance.

Christy: I have acted in Shakespeare off and on since I was 12…I have always loved it. Those plays live when they are acted out as they can never live on the page. I really enjoyed using Shakespeare’s stories as a jumping off point into a whole new world.

Nancy: Now, I reviewed your wonderful book, “How To Tame a Willful Wife,” but I would love you to tell everyone about the interplay between your book and the Taming of the Shrew, which it is loosely based upon. 

Christy: When I first wrote HOW TO TAME A WILLFUL WIFE, I called it simply THE TAMING and knew it was a about a man who wanted to tame his wife, but who ended up tamed himself. Only after about five drafts did I realize I was re-working The Taming of the Shrew, and making it come out as I would like. That’s the best part about writing romantic fiction, being able to take a story and making it have a happy ending.

Nancy: I will tell you  that I was so angry at Anthony when he bought the pearl necklaces that I actually wanted to slap him. He needed to quite a bit to redeem himself in my eyes!

How did you plan out this series, and will all the books be based upon Shakespearean plays?

Christy: These books planned themselves. As I got to know the characters in HOW TO TAME A WILLFUL WIFE, I knew that both Pembroke and Angelique, Anthony’s discarded mistress would be telling stories of their own. Vibrant leading ladies and leading men tend to know other vibrant people, and that is what happened with the minor characters in the first novel. They threatened to take over if they didn’t get their own books.

Nancy:  What is up next-Pembroke’s story I believe?  :) I am so looking forward to this book!  Please give us a little taste of what that book will be about.

Christy: The next book in the series is loosely based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, LOVE ON A MIDSUMMER NIGHT, in which Raymond Olivier, Lord Pembroke is reunited with the woman who broke his heart ten years before. He’s a rake who gets reformed by true love, one of my favorite stories.

Nancy: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Christy: Writing a better book than I can write now. Having a deeper understanding of myself and my characters. Happy. Free. Full of joy.

Ambitious, right?

Nancy: What advice can you give to people starting out in the romance writing business?  Do you belong to any organizations like RWA? 

Christy: I am not a member of any, but an admirer of many. RWA, the North Carolina Writers’ Network, and my favorite, the Historical Novel Society. I need to join all of these…I’ve just been too absentminded to do it.

Nancy: Now just a few little fun facts about yourself: 

Do you prefer winter or summer? 

Christy: Summer. I love to be warm.

Nancy: Fine dining all dressed up or take out on the couch in your sweats?

Christy: Take out in sweats, definitely. Unlike the ladies I write about, I am low maintenance.

Nancy: Beach vacation or skiing?

Christy: I fear if I tried skiing I would break something vital. I love walking in the mountains, but I have never been there with snow on the ground. I’ll have to try it and find out.

I do love the beach, though it requires leaving work behind. I am not very good at that. My characters always want to tell me about just one more scene, or one more book, before they let me go.

You can buy Christy’s book at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

After years of acting in Shakespeare’s plays, Christy English is excited to bring the Bard to Regency England. When she isn’t acting, roller skating, or chasing the Muse, Christy writes historical novels (The Queen’s Pawn and To Be Queen) from her home in North Carolina. Please visit her at http://www.ChristyEnglish.com