Anna Elliott is the author of the Twilight of Avalon Trilogy from Simon & Schuster's Touchstone imprint. The trilogy comprises Twilight of Avalon, Dark Moon of Avalon, and the upcoming Sunrise of Avalon.Last month I asked her what she was reading. Her reply:
What I read tends to depend on where I am in my own writing process. When I'm in the midst of drafting my own Celtic fantasy books or short stories, I tend to read books that are as different as possible from what I'm writing. Reading a book too similar in tone or period or style to my own work can influence my own voice a bit, or limit my own imagination. So since I've been writing a few free short stories set in the world of Arthurian Britain, I've been reading mostly contemporary fiction these last few months. One of my absolute favorites that I recently finished was Backseat Saints, by Joshilyn Jackson.Read the prologue to Dark Moon of Avalon, and watch the video trailer.It's the story of Rose Mae Lolley, a fierce and fiery woman who after years trapped in an abusive marriage finally determines to break free. Joshilyn Jackson's writing is just gorgeous--lush and rich and lyrical and poignant. And with flashes of humor that had me laughing out loud, even in the midst of such a sobering subject.
Now I've just picked up Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, an urban fantasy set in Victorian era London. I'm only about 20 pages in, but it's a fantastic read so far--rich with period detail as well as the details of her fantasy world, and nail-bitingly suspenseful. I also read and recently loved a contemporary fantasy, Free Fall, by Laura Anne Gilman. I've enjoyed the whole of Gilman's series about a magical Retriever named Wren and her friend and lover Sergei.Once I'm finished writing and am in the down-time of doing research and outlining between books, I'm hugely looking forward to some upcoming releases in the historical fantasy genre. Juliet Marillier's The Seer of Sevenwaters and Jules Watson's The Raven Queen are high on my to-be-read pile for this coming winter!
Learn more about the book and author at Anna Elliott's website and blog.
The Page 69 Test: Dark Moon of Avalon.
--Marshal Zeringue
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