TAKE 5: Anna Elliott’s Sunrise of Avalon

Kath here. Our very own Anna Elliott has released the third and final book in her historical fantasy trilogy, SUNRISE OF AVALON. It’s a huge milestone for any writer, and we are so pleased to be able to share journey with this book. I downloaded it Tuesday when it released, and I’m already ripping through the first chapters — it’s great. If you like historical fantasy, Arthurian legends, and fantastic characters, you won’t want to miss this.  Huge congrats, Anna!

1.        What is the premise of your new book?

In Sunrise of Avalon, Isolde is the former High Queen of Britain. Trystan, whom she has married in secret, is a Saxon mercenary and outlaw. Their love has overcome endless obstacles, and both have already endured a perilous journey to keep the underhanded Lord Marche from the throne of Britain. But now a new traitor lurks amongst the kings on Britain’s High Council—and just when they’ve realized the depth of their love for each other, a new danger calls Trystan from Isolde’s side to test the strength of their secret marriage vow. Only Isolde knows that she is carrying Trystan’s unborn child.

As Britain’s armies prepare for a final battle in which they will either turn back the tide of the invaders or see their kingdom utterly destroyed, Isolde must undertake yet another daring mission—one that will bring her even nearer to a secret that Trystan has kept for seven long years. As the clouds of war gather, Trystan and Isolde must once again fight to protect Britain’s throne. Together, they hold the key that can defeat the Saxon king, Octa of Kent, and Lord Marche. But the cost of Britain’s sovereignty may be their own forbidden love.

2.        What would you like people to know about in this story?

This is the final book in my Trystan and Isolde trilogy!  I’m so thrilled to finally get to share it at last and have the story in its entirety out in the world.

3.        What problems and challenges do your characters have to overcome in this story?

Sunrise of Avalon is in many ways Trystan’s book, in which he struggles both to come to terms with his past and to believe that he can have a future with Isolde.  And of course Isolde has to fight for the right to control her own life–and the future of her unborn baby–in what is very much a male-dominated, warrior-centric world.

4.        What unique challenges did this story present you, if any?

Well, I was pregnant with my younger girl the whole time I was writing it.  Wouldn’t necessarily recommend writing your final and most emotional installment of a trilogy that way. ;-)  But in many ways it was amazing because I felt so connected to Isolde, also carrying a baby through the whole story.

5.        What has been the most rewarding aspect of this book?

I actually wrote the very final scene of this book first, before I even started work on Book 1 of the trilogy.  So it was amazing to actually get there, to finally bring my characters to the ending that I’d planned for them all along.

Writer Unboxed

Writer Unboxed began as a collaboration between Kathleen Bolton and Therese Walsh in 2006. Since then, the site has grown to include ~50 regular contributors and a variety of guests on rotation throughout a given year.

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