Wednesday, February 19, 2014

the empress moment

My book has been out for a little more than a month. If we were to equate this to motherhood, my baby is just starting to sleep through the night. I can sometimes even go eight hours without checking to see if she's still breathing.

Do you know what I mean?

As with my first actual child, I celebrated this milestone by getting knocked up again. My second book, THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES, is officially in the queue for publication, and the "due date" for now sits at July 29th, 2014. In other words, I'm starting to show. Getting cravings, gaining weight, wondering about eye color, etc...

Some of you know this, but if you don't, I actually wrote TEC before THE MOMENT BEFORE. Built around my obsession for Empress Elisabeth, I concocted a fairy tale where I imagined "Sisi" as a young teen, before being sold off to the Habsburgs where she became, in short order, a controversial cult figure.

I've paired my version of Sisi with a contemporary heroine, Liz. Unlike many fanciful time travel stories, there is no actual "meeting" of these two girls, but there is magic. In TMB, Sabine is present through the narrator's memories and imaginings. In TEC, Elisabeth and Liz are embroiled in their own stories, but find a way to blur edges (and possibly, history) through a diary and a locket.

I suppose I enjoy exploring this idea of extra-sensory communication. A sprinkle of magical realism. A bit of whimsy. Hopefully, grounded in humanity.

Through March, I'll still be mainly concentrating on promoting TMB (potty training? weaning? what other half-baked metaphors can we rustle up?), but come spring proper, you will see much more of the petticoats and pomp associated with the last Habsburg Empress. I hope you'll be with me when I give birth. The second time goes much quicker, yes?

How many books do you want to write before you die?

4 comments:

  1. I am sooo freakin' excited about The Empress. I'm even kinda dying to see the cover. "....and we'll never be royals, royals..."

    I remember the first time clicking on your link (does that sounds naughty to any one else) on betsy's blog and spending an entire afternoon reading through empress chronicle blog posts. i think i said it was like eating a whole box of valentine candy where every piece was either a caramel or truffle. (if i didn't, i should have.)

    i almost forgot...CONGRATS!!

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    1. Awwww... Amyg that is even sweeter than truffles OR caramel. Xoxo

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  2. Anonymous7:07 PM

    Thrilled to bits about Empress!! I haven't read it yet so I'm in fan mode, waiting to get my paws on the book. I can't wait!!!

    I want to write...mmm...about ten more? I guess? I want to write until I'm finished but it's hard to know when that will be or how I'll know when I get there.

    XOXO

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    Replies
    1. At least ten, Averil. Hoping for 20

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