How I Celebrated Alfonso X's 800th Birthday

Showing the king my birthday present for him 
All photos in this post 2021 Jessica Knauss 

I've been looking forward to Alfonso X's 800th birthday on November 23, 2021, for a very long time: since before I moved to Spain, before so many things, before I went to study cantigas in England (of all places). 

I was hoping to participate in lots of events for this grand occasion now that I live in Spain and could easily go to any one of Alfonso's favorite cities. Then the pandemic happened. I'd had Our Lady's Troubadour in the works for while, and thought since I can write a book under practically any circumstances, that it would be an apt tribute. 

And so Our Lady's Troubadour came into being, with a lot of help from friends and Encircle Publications. But meanwhile, the conditions of the pandemic relaxed, and some conferences and theatrical experiences celebrating the 800 years started to take place. Mostly, I heard about them and sighed wistfully because travel is still difficult or because I heard about them too late to do anything. 

Jesús Lozano plays Alfonso X in Alfonso X: La última cantiga, Sevilla, August 2021 

I was able to go to Sevilla for my own birthday and see the play La última cantiga, twice. It tells the story of the last years of Alfonso's reign and life and is punctuated by cantigas played by Cantica and Emilio Villalba (wonderful artists!). I know the history well, and to see it played out before my eyes was truly thrilling. Too few have been the times I've been to an event with cantigas played live. This is how they were meant to be enjoyed, in all their foot-tapping glory! 

But that was my birthday. Was I going to spend Alfonso's great anniversary stuck at home among piles of my own books? 

I didn't have to! I found out about Eduardo Paniagua doing a limited tour with the basic members of Música Antigua, ostensibly to promote their latest discs, about a month before the anniversary. With his group, Eduardo Paniagua has been recording all the Cantigas de Santa Maria, every last one of 427. They've been at it for about thirty years, and have some 380 done. The goal is on the horizon... 

The closest thing you can get to the instruments of Alfonso's court. 

The group uses instruments created from medieval miniatures and sculptures and a variety of voices and techniques. The approach they take, recording the entire text of each cantiga and developing the story with dialogue and interplay, has influenced my literary interpretation of the texts more than any single cantigas critic. Singing along with the recordings has helped me enter into the medieval mindset to write the stories in Our Lady's Troubadour, and given me a burning desire to perform cantigas in public (which I will do on December 10 if the worsening COVID figures don't stop me!). 

The city crest of Ciudad Real appears to feature Alfonso X! 

I've been listening to Música Antigua's work since 1998. So when I found out that they were going to do a concert on November 23, the exact birthday, in Ciudad Real, which Alfonso founded (and where I'd meant to go and see a Manolo García concert in 2008, but that's another story), I leapt at the opportunity! 

Ciudad Real isn't close to where I live. I reserved the Hotel Alfonso X, because how can you not, and tried to find out how to guarantee a seat when it was going to be first come, first served. I wrote to the cultural ministry, and at great personal cost, called, but never got to speak with the organizers. I had to just go and trust. 

Another element of this story is that I have a shiny new boyfriend (shiny as in "knight in shining armor"), whom you will probably hear more about. His name is Mario, and when he suddenly got the opportunity, he offered to go to Ciudad Real with me, doing the driving. We had a delightful road trip to Don Quijote country through snow and sunshine. It was sleeting when we go to the town of Milagros in the mountains north of Madrid, and Mario took this photo showing a book of miracles in a town called Miracles so I could hold the umbrella and keep the book from getting wet. What a great guy! 

We toured Ciudad Real. It has a strong current of Don Quijote going on, less so of Alfonso X. The mural in the above photo was done last week, just in time for the 800th birthday. But I couldn't be stopped. We saw the mural, a couple of statues, and a fountain, and it was enough to keep me happy. I was coming full circle, finally seeing a concert in Ciudad Real--not Manolo, but Alfonso, and I was comparably excited. 

The old casino building 

In the morning, we headed to the concert venue, which is the headquarters of the cultural ministry in the old casino building. We wanted to see if they would guarantee us seats because we had come so far and, after all, I'd just published a book for Alfonso X. We met with the organizers, and my social ineptitude took over. I let Mario do the talking, but when he couldn't make a very strong case for us based on how far we'd traveled, he started explaining that I'm an Alfonso X expert. I took up the challenge finally when he said, "But she can explain it better than I." 

I shakily removed Trovador de Santa Maria from the bag we'd been carrying around to protect it from the rain and explained that it had ten stories based on the plots of Cantigas de Santa Maria, and that I thought the City of Ciudad Real should have a copy. Everyone's demeanor changed. They said to come back when they opened the doors, and they would make sure we got in. (They didn't seem to feel the urgency I did about the limited number of seats.) 

Santiago, the oldest church in Ciudad Real,
might've seen Alfonso X cross its threshold. 

That done, we had a busy morning sightseeing, and all the while my mind was roiling with how the concert was going to go coupled with the excitement of hearing Cantigas live by the best musicians. 

In the afternoon, I read the introduction of Trovador de Santa Maria to Mario, both to share with him the importance of this occasion and to get used to speaking about these things I so love. He suggested we go to the Plaza Mayor and read the introduction out loud at the fountain with Alfonso X's statue so he could hear his present. I wept copiously at the suggestion, thinking about all the years I've studied Alfonso X and how I wish I could know whether he likes my gift to him. 

Front row, baby! 

We showed up at the casino early in our enthusiasm, and were told to come back later, not to worry, even if there were no seats available, they'd make room. Even with that hint, I still didn't imagine what ended up happening: we were personally escorted to the section labeled "protocol" in the front row! We were joined by members of the press and the organizers. 

Oh, the anticipation! The instruments were laid out as in the photo near the top of this post, and the air seemed to spark as, indeed, every last seat filled in behind us. 

And then, Wafir Sheik, Luis Antonio Muñoz, Eduardo Paniagua, and Jaime Muñoz walked out and took their seats to play instrumental versions of Cantigas 388 (295) and 1. The sound, without amplifiers of any kind, was as perfect as on the discs, but so much more alive. It was like lifting a veil and opening a passageway to a thirteenth century full of richness and beauty. 

I knew most of the cantigas in the concert well. They're like old friends, and I couldn't help tapping my feet and mouthing the words as I stared unabashedly at the wonders taking place in front of me. Mario was also overcome with the masterful playing of the marvelous instruments. The photos don't do it justice. Videos wouldn't have, either. 

Eduardo Paniagua talked with the audience between cantigas. He explained the miracles and their context, his perceptions of Alfonso's contribution to world culture, and how moved he was to be playing cantigas in Ciudad Real on November 23, 2021. I'd seen interviews with him before, and he always struck me as a very practical, no-nonsense kind of guy. But you can't be strictly practical and head a project of this magnitude for thirty years. Perhaps he's both down-to-earth and unbelievably passionate about this best of all medieval books, rather like I imagine Alfonso X himself. 

Afterward, they had discs for sale and the musicians stayed to chat with any audience member who wished to ask about the instruments or cantigas. I stood, my knees like jelly, my brain mush, and couldn't force myself to get in line to talk to Eduardo Paniagua just yet. Mario seized the opportunity to chat with Jaime Muñoz about the various flutes. While participating in that conversation, I also observed the others interacting with everyone and got the sensation that everyone in that large room loved cantigas and treated each other with kindness and respect because of that mutual understanding. 

Rather than calming me down, that rush of love wound me up more. When it was finally my turn to talk to Eduardo Paniagua, I could only start by buying the latest two discs, which are in fact two-disc sets. But then somehow I managed to say my fangirl speech about how I think the cantigas project is the best project in the world and how I've been listening for twenty years, and being able to listen to the music has influenced my writing. 

Luckily, Eduardo then asked me what I write. I accepted Trovador de Santa Maria from Mario, and showing it to Eduardo, I explained that it's a book I wrote for the 800th anniversary, and that the short stories are based on the plots of cantigas. And that I would be honored if he accepted this copy. He was incredibly gracious, insisting I sign it and gifting me a triple-disc set in return. (So I'm seven discs richer in cantigas than before I went to Ciudad Real!) 

Two Alfonso enthusiasts exchange works of art. 

Afterward, I went over to where Luis Antonio Muñoz, who did most of the singing, was showing the psaltery to a journalist, and told him (forgive my schmaltz), "Thank you for being the voice of Alfonso X." He was a very good sport about it and had a more-than-pleasant conversation with us. We were also able to congratulate Wafir Sheik on his excellent lute playing before we left. 

A journalist overheard Mario and me talking with Luis Antonio Muñoz and came to ask us why we'd come so far to see a free concert. By then, I was warmed up, not to say on fire, and launched right into Trovador de Santa Maria. Look at the last paragraph of this article. I feel so proud looking at that! The organizers said they'd be in touch about a possible book event, too. A triumph all around. 

I'm so grateful for these moments! I honestly don't know if I could've gone through with talking to everyone without Mario's encouragement. So I'm unspeakably grateful that he was able to come with me! 

In the end, Alfonso X's 800th birthday was better than I could've imagined. Happy birthday! 

See more Alfonsine photos here:

Happy 800th Birthday to the Wise King - Feliz 800º cumpleaños al Rey Sabio

On November 23, 1221, a boy was born who would become Alfonso X, King of Castile and León. 

Even his political enemies couldn’t tarnish his legacy of intellectual curiosity and cultural open-mindedness. 

I took the opportunity of Alfonso’s personal appearance in in Cantiga 321 to portray the empathetic and kind ruler I personally hope he was in Our Lady's Troubadour. (The excerpt is from "Clear Water." But more about that story in another post.) 

Happy eight-hundredth birthday to the Wise King! 

In honor of this extraordinary occasion, I'd like to share my translation of one of the most autobiographical Cantigas de Santa Maria. 

Every tenth cantiga is a song of praise. These usually don't have plots, but do have more daring poetic and musical forms. Cantiga 200 is special among these special cantigas because here, Alfonso X himself uses the form of praise to present an autobiographical sketch of sorts. It's general, but it's told from an emotional point of view, unlike other, more specific such stories. 

Cantiga 200

Refrain: I've praised, I praise, and I will keep praising St. Mary.

Because among all the most honored men alive today, she's shown me the most blessings, as I will recount.

She made me descend from good people and wanted me to fully rein and be king.

And with her mercies, she aided me in grave illnesses. Therefore, you must know that I will serve her. 

And to those who wished me ill and conspired and plotted against me, she gave them what they deserved, as I will prove. 

She pulled me out of great poverty and gave me riches, and so I will tell all her noble qualities that I can.

She who doesn't err and never erred made me the lord of a good land and helped me in every war when I called on her. 

She delivered me from misfortune, death, and injury. So, know, good people, that I will die for her. 

So everyone help me pray with good will for her to help me, since I have need.

And whenever she desires, that she will take me from the tumult of this world, and that I will see her whom I've always loved. 

***

I believe and hope Alfonso X achieved what he's asking for in this personal poem. 

Perhaps the greatest present we can give him on his birthday is the feat of remembering him 800 years later. 

This is the main goal of Our Lady's Troubadour. 

And, as Our Lady's Troubadour is available in both English and the Spanish Alfonso X did so much to create: 

El 23 de noviembre de 1221, nació un niño que se convertiría en Alfonso X, rey de Castilla y León.

Ni siquiera sus enemigos en la política han podido mancillar su legado de la curiosidad intelectual y mentalidad abierta, al final.

Aproveché la oportunidad de su aparición en la Cantiga 321 para retratar a un soberano empático y bondadoso, como yo personalmente espero que fuera. (La foto tiene un fragmento de "Agua clara". Escribiré más sobre ese relato en otro momento).

¡Feliz 800º cumpleaños al Rey Sabio!

Trovador de SantaMaría es mi humilde obsequio. 

Beautiful, Fun Music: The Cantigas de Santa Maria

A good troubadour in Cantiga 194, T codex. 
Cantiga 194 gives Our Lady's Troubadour its title. 
RB. Patrimonio Nacional.

With music, poems, and pictures, the Cantigas de Santa Maria are still a true multimedia experience. The music was the most enigmatic aspect for a long time, but since the code was unlocked in the early twentieth century, musicians have leapt at the chance to re-create the sounds of Alfonso X's court. 

A major reason Alfonso X is considered “the wise king” is because he placed himself at the center of the constant exchange of hybrid cultural currents of his era. He fostered an avid interest in the both the sciences and the arts and was obsessed with setting it all down in writing. This mania for compilation led to the Cantigas manuscripts becoming one of the largest songbooks of medieval Europe, with musical notation for more than 400 songs.

Alfonso holds up the musical prologue in the T
 manuscript of the Cantigas. RB. Patrimonio Nacional. 

I’ve studied the Cantigas de Santa Maria, mostly as literature, for more than twenty years, and I’m accustomed to English-speaking people having some strange preconceptions about this marvel of the Middle Ages. Now that I live in Spain, where the people ought to have these rhythms in their blood, I thought I might be able to skip the introductory lecture on what the Cantigas are really like.

I was wrong. My wonderful musician friends who are helping me put together some cantigas for my book launch in December made the same assumption non-Spaniards have made in the past. Since the stories tell the miracles of the Virgin Mary, they think the melodies are going to be droning, stultifying church music heavily influenced by the apparent shapelessness of Gregorian chant.

Cantiga 380 (E manuscript) with exotic hats and written music.
RB. Patrimonio Nacional. 

Now, I don’t consider Gregorian chant to be boring, but it’s true it never captured my imagination the way the Cantigas have, with their virtuosic earworms and lively rhythms. Although the Cantigas have a single line of text and music, this doesn’t reflect the influence of church music, which at the time was largely polyphonic. Here, monophony is a way to avoid obscuring the words and the meaning of the stories.

It’s important to remember that this music was written by the best troubadours at the most sophisticated moment of their age, and in some cases by the cosmopolitan king himself. It was meant to be heard at court, possibly accompanied by dance or even some type of drama. The story was all-important. The Cantigas’ music is more like the movies, singer-songwriters, folk music, and even marching bands of their time than like something a monk would sing.

This illustration for Cantiga 130 from the E manuscript
shows a multicultural environment. RB. Patrimonio Nacional.

Additionally, the Castilian court likely welcomed the influence of the Andalusians or Moors, who brought the latest innovations in instruments and theory to the Iberian Peninsula. Although no one has discovered a manuscript describing the style with which Alfonso wanted the Cantigas to be played, the melodies, the stories, and even the miniatures point clearly to Muslim musicians, who were, culturally, the posh kids of the time everyone wanted to imitate.

These seemingly opposite currents of northern troubadours and southern musicians, and ostensibly religious themes in a secular court setting, came together to create what I consider some of the most beautiful and just plain fun music in the world. 

I leave you with a version of Cantiga 166, which features in the introduction of Our Lady's Troubadour, because when I heard it for the first time, it changed my life. 

Our Lady's Troubadour lets you experience this rich world in a fun new way with ten exciting stories! 

Alfonso X's Greatest Work on His 800th Birthday

This illustration of Cantiga 235 in the F manuscript of the Cantigas
shows Alfonso X meeting a diplomatic retinue during his travels to meet with
the Pope in Beaucaire in 1275. The trip ended in disappointment, and 
much worse was soon to come... 

The historical figure of Alfonso X, el Sabio, has accompanied me through travels, trials, and tribulations for most of my life. As a human being, he was probably as complex and hard to live with as anyone, but I will always love what he stands for now: thirst for knowledge and the application of that knowledge to live better and improve the world. 

I've written about Alfonso X many times. Perhaps most important is his contribution to world culture. It gives some indication why I feel such tremendous respect for this king and scholar. 

Our Lady's Troubadour, which came out yesterday, celebrates Alfonso's 800th birthday on November 23, 2021, by adapting ten of the plots of the Cantigas de Santa Maria so modern readers can easily enjoy them and understand something of Alfonso X's world. 

The Cantigas de Santa Maria are one of the medieval compilations of miracles of the Virgin Mary. This collection is unique because: 

the miracles are told in the form of song; 

it’s a very large collection, with more than 400 of these songs, including every musical style in the Europe of their time; 

the manuscripts themselves are unique;  

the way the songs are organized has no equal; 

and most importantly, the Cantigas de Santa Maria are unique because of the personal involvement of the king. 

Alfonso X's court in the presentation miniature of the E manuscript. 
RB. Patrimonio Nacional. 

Here we see the king, Alfonso X himself, in the center of this illustration of his court from the first pages of the E codex. On the sides we have musicians tuning up, noblemen seated on pillows ready to listen, and tonsured monks ready to take dictation. Gold leaf, bright colors, happy feet jutting over the border, and blissful expressions complete a dynamic portrait of the royal workshop. The king's centrality in this picture is not casual: this is one of many ways Alfonso put his personal signature on the Cantigas. He wanted future generations to know that this wonderful book came about because of him. 

As we read the different miracles in the Cantigas, we witness all levels of daily life as well as extraordinary times. We spend time with people who have nothing to eat or are ill as well as with princes and an empress. 

For an introduction to how wonderful the Cantigas de Santa Maria are with examples, read here. 

For a more thorough but no less enthusiastic introduction to the Cantigas, read the introduction to Our Lady's Troubadour. 

For an even more thorough, documented, and scholarly approach to what the Cantigas are (where you'll still note unadulterated joy shining through), read the second chapter of Law and Order in Medieval Spain. 

I'll write more about the wide variety of topics to explore in the Cantigas in the weeks and months to come. It's going to be a fun ride! 

I'll end this strange introduction to an extraordinary king and his favorite book with my take on Cantiga 295. 

Cantigas 295 is one the happiest of the Cantigas de Santa Maria. In it, some nuns the king himself brought in to worship a certain image of St. Mary have a vision of St. Mary herself calling for the king. When he comes to lay prostrate before her, saying he would kiss her hands and feet in devotion, St. Mary says no, she wants to kiss his hands because of all the great things he does in her honor. A dream come true for Alfonso X! 

This is me singing unaccompanied, and yes, there are mistakes. But I hope you can hear the joy with which I share this music with you! Thanks for listening. 

2021's Most Commemorative Preorder! Our Lady's Troubadour

On November 23, 1221, 800 years ago, a baby boy was born in Toledo, Spain. He would go on to become King Alfonso X, el Sabio. He earned his wise reputation because he enthusiastically sought out knowledge wherever it could be found: in Europe, Africa, or Asia; with Christians, Jews, or Muslims. Attracting the top scholars of his time (a very sophisticated time!) to his court, Alfonso was the patron of works of science, literature, history, and law that have influenced scientists, authors, and lawyers for hundreds of years. 

This open-minded embracing of different cultures for the betterment of humanity should be celebrated now more than ever. I'm doing just that with Our Lady's Troubadour. It's a book of ten short stories based on Alfonso's greatest work, the Cantigas de Santa Maria. The stories tell of people just like you and me dealing with relatable problems--and finding miraculous solutions. 

I'm so excited to see Our Lady's Troubadour out in the world! It will debut on November 17, 2021. November 17 was my husband's birthday. I'm so pleased to be able to honor two of the most important men in my life with one book! 

It's ready for preorder now, so you can be sure to have it in time to commemorate November 23. One ebook venue is here, and many sources for the paperback and hardback editions can be found here. 

The Spanish edition will be available on the same day! 

Happy 800th birthday, Alfonso! 

And grab your copy of the extraordinarily entertaining companion volume, Empress of Misfortune: 
- available for 99 cents at select outlets
- or FREE to my email subscribers 

In still historical, but not medieval, news: 

For October, I've gotten into the spirit of scary (the melancholic, Edgar Allan Poe kind) with a story based on the poem "The Lake." It's free to read on Vocal, and in fact, if you scroll to the bottom, you're really helping me out. Thanks! 

Enlarging the Family: Tree/House and Unpredictable Worlds Now Available in Portuguese

It is my great pleasure to announce the ebook release of Casa na Árvore and Mundos Imprevisíveis, two of my most imaginative books, in Portuguese! 

My writing is heavily influenced by magical realism, which is an important literary trend all over Latin America. So I'm thrilled that Tree/House and Unpredictable Worlds are now available in the two dominant languages of Latin America, Spanish and now beautiful, poetic Portuguese. 

I've done 500 days of Duolingo in Portuguese and taken a fantastic trip through northern Portugal with a Spaniard. My skills in this marvelous language leave something to be desired.

But they've been translated by two up-and-coming translators, and I trust that these stories are just as complex and thought-provoking in Portuguese. 

More information about Casa na Árvore here.

More information about Mundos Imprevisíveis here. 

Announcing Our Lady's Troubadour, Historical Fiction from My Heart, with Cover Reveal

I've been pounding away at the keyboard, seriously. You can hardly see the letters anymore, my nails have been scraping them off so much! This has been almost all to bring you a book that's really important to me: Our Lady's Troubadour and Other Miraculous Tales from the Cantigas de Santa Maria in Honor of Alfonso X, el Sabio. 

Alfonso X is my favorite king because he has a reputation for loving learning. His legacy includes histories, astronomy, legislation, and his masterwork, the Cantigas de Santa Maria, which is the largest collection of Marian miracles ever set to music. They survive in four deluxe manuscripts that emphasize how important these songs were to the king. 

November 23, 2021, marks 800 years since the birth of Alfonso X. There are a few conferences, concerts, and plays scheduled in places such as Toledo and Sevilla, but for a while there, the pandemic made it seem none of that would be possible. So I ramped up a project I'd started years ago, adapting some of the stories from the Cantigas into a short story collection. 

With a last push during confinement (lockdown), and the go-ahead from my publisher, Encircle Publications, years of love, devotion, writing, and editing, have resulted in Our Lady's Troubadour, ten short stories set in an ideal medieval Spain with problems and perils, but always happy endings. It will release on November 17, 2021, in hardcover, paperback, and ebook. 

November 17 was the birthday of my beloved husband, Stanley, so I'm touched to be able to add that small tribute to this project that's so important to me. 

The cover is based on one of the miniatures in the most important Cantigas codex. In it, Alfonso X himself points out to St. Mary and attendant saints and an angel all the wonderful ways he's sung her praises. Alfonso is shown to have direct access to St. Mary many times in the Cantigas, and this (unorthodox, bordering heretical) close relationship is unique in medieval European art. I always love something wonderful that much more if it's unique. 

More about this joyful new book coming soon!

Este tributo desde el fondo de mi corazón sale el mismo día 17 de noviembre en castellano con el título de Trovador de Santa María. El 3 de diciembre, habrá en Zamora una presentación del libro con música, y con un poco de suerte, también en Toledo.

(This heartfelt tribute will appear simultaneously in Spanish as Trovador de Santa Maria, and I'm planning an in-person book launch in my medieval city of Zamora, hopefully with an appearance to follow in Toledo.) 

Loads of News for Everyone's Favorite Month, March!

 I'm going to jump right in with all the bookish gossip.

The fine folks at Encircle Publications surprised me by releasing Seven Noble Knights in hardcover! This initiative to encourage library purchases makes me very proud. I honestly never dreamed that in this day and age, I would be the author of a book in hardcover.

If hardcover is your preferred format, Seven Noble Knights is discounted at Amazon. If you prefer to support your local bookstore, try Indiebound or Bookshop.org for the human touch (taking all pandemic precautions, of course). 

I'm working overtime on my next medieval project. It's a short story collection with no unhappy endings, and it's guaranteed to be released in time for November 23, 2021. (Hint, hint.) More on this passion project very soon. Sign up for the newsletter to get the dirt before anyone else! 

You read this blog because you know here will you find unpredictable stories that will entertain you anytime you have a moment. Great news in that regard! I'm now on the writers' platform Vocal, and I already have my first story up! 

"The Bloody Landing: Or, Reginald and Me" starts out as a thriller and quickly moves into an impossible love story. I let myself fantasize about a lot of cash and a Moleskine notebook, and this is the result. Reader response has been very positive, always asking for more, but there was a word limit! 

It's free to read, and if you scroll all the way down, I will get paid eventually, so feel free to share with your friends. If you're feeling very generous, Vocal has even made it easy to leave a direct tip, but don't feel obliged. Just your visit makes me incredibly happy. 

In other news, Awash in Talent is on sale in Kindle for only 99 cents this week only, March 4 through 10. This quirky, engaging fantasy is "better than X-Men" and will have you questioning everything at the end.

To celebrate the sale, I've released a slightly out-of-season short companion story for free!

"Awash in Christmas Spirit" is the first chance to see into the point of view of multi-Talented Beth, who's pivotal in every story in Awash in Talent. No one has more Christmas spirit than Beth! The magic of Christmas in Rhode Island seems undeniable to everyone but her surly sister, Emily. 

Get it in .mobi, .epub, or .pdf for free at ProlificWorks, or in .epub (still free) at these exclusive retailers. And check my Vocal profile. It will likely make an appearance there. 

I hope you enjoy these writings from the bottom of my heart. More great stuff coming soon! 

Stories of Plague in the Time of COVID: A Live Event (You Can Now See a Replay)

The New York City chapter of the Historical Novel Society cordially invites you to a live internet event you can attend for free on Tuesday, October 6, at noon Eastern Time. Please adjust for your time zone--I'll be joining from Spain, so 6 p.m. for me.

UPDATE: This event took place as planned, and it turned out great! See the replay on YouTube. 

Stories of Plague in the Time of COVID will unite eight of the nine international bestselling authors from the We All Fall Down anthology for the first time ever! Although the title might sound like a bit of a downer, the overwhelming takeaway from these stories is that the human spirit has survived even the darkest times... and it will survive these dark times. 

The authors attending will be: 

* David Blixt

* Kristin Gleeson

* Jean Gill

* Yours truly, Jessica Knauss writing as J. K. Knauss

* Laura Morelli

* Deborah Swift

* Melodie Winawer 

* Lisa J. Yarde 

You're sure to find a new favorite in historical fiction. 

Sign up here to join via Zoom, where you will be able to ask the authors your own questions during the session! 

Register here to watch on Facebook live and submit your questions ahead of time. 

You'll receive a link to the event the day of. Our NYC chapter of the HNS has lots of experience with these events and things are all set to go smoothly. 

At the end of the meeting, three attendees will be chosen to receive a free copy of We All Fall Down in Kindle or epub. 

So join us for a chat about hope and resilience! See you there!  

We All Fall Down Debut a "Viral" Success

We All Fall Down has hit a nerve. It's the most successful new release I've ever had, though goodness knows I always work very hard, hoping for such results. This time, my new release has so many factors in its favor. A gorgeous cover! The support of loyal readers of eight other terrific authors!  And that little something extra, a relationship to what everyone is thinking about, anyway.

One of our authors said, feeling quite ooky about it, "I feel like COVID-19 is a co-author."

Coronavirus is incredibly contagious, but has a relatively low death rate. Considering the first round of the Black Death wiped out half the population of Europe, there's really no comparison. The stories in We All Fall Down are really universal because they illustrate the way humans bounce back, even after the worst. They're worth a read any time, truly.

The universal buy link is here. Or go directly to your favorite store:

Goodreads | Amazon.com | Amazon.es | Amazon.com.mx | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Barnes and Noble | Apple iBooks | Kobo | 24 Symbols | Smashwords | Indigo | Angus & Robertson | Mondadori

It was an honor and a pleasure to work with all the authors. I'm thrilled our efforts are coming to fruition. Thank you so much for making this book a success! 

A Celebration of Unpredictable Worlds, Now Also Known as Mundos impredecibles!

My newsletter subscribers have already heard this news, but I’m thrilled to announce here that my five-star-rated short story collection, Unpredictable Worlds, has been translated into Spanish.

English-speaking readers, please see below the Spanish text for the special way Unpredictable Worlds is celebrating the birth of its Spanish sibling.

El libro con rinocerontes, matrimonios felices, mujeres que encuentran su esencia fuerte, y las miradas más raras al mundo del trabajo ya está disponible para disfrutar en el idioma que dio origen al realismo mágico. Estoy rebosante de orgullo al anunciar la llegada al mundo de la traducción de Unpredictable Worlds al español: Mundos impredecibles.

Encontré a un joven promesa de traductor, Carlos Orlando Castaño Franco, que tiene un don lingüístico genial y ha sabido transformar mis textos más extraños con un estilo ajustado a cada relato. He mirado personalmente la traducción de este colombiano para asegurar un español internacional pero no por ello falto de personalidad.

Estos relatos, que son un reglo ideal para el lector a la búsqueda de lo diferente e impredecible, son disponibles ahora para los siguientes dispositivos:

Amazon.com * Amazon.es * Amazon.mx * Barnes & Noble * Apple * Kobo

Y muy pronto lo verás en Google Play, si es tu mercado preferido.

¡Celebra conmigo! ¡Hazte con tu ejemplar de Mundos impredecibles ya!

Una edición en tapa blanda está prevista para el año 2020, ¡que se acerca!

Seeing Unpredictable Worlds in Spanish makes me feel like celebrating! So for those of you who don’t yet have Unpredictable Worlds in Kindle yet, this is your opportunity! Get it 75% off for two weeks only, now through December 31. The new year will see the price go back up!

Nowhere else can you get so much zaniness for only 99 cents!

You might have 99 problems, but a source for strange stories will not be one!

Makes a perfect Christmas gift for that reader in your life eclectic tastes who you’re never sure has read a certain book yet or not. Trust me, they haven’t read this one yet.

Sale valid in equivalent currencies on all Amazon sites.

My publisher has also decided to end 2019 with a bang. Awash in Talent is only 99 cents in ebook for the month of December. The latest (5-star!) review says, “A great learning experience of perspectives and thought. Stories that explain real-world phobias. Excellent writing.”

Get the 75% discount on Amazon US, and you’ll be all set for some original reading in the New Year.

Books of the Last Year: A Recap

The past year has been a whirlwind, in good and terrible ways. But that doesn't mean I haven't been reading, and today I'd like to acknowledge some of the finest books I've read (relatively) lately. A mention here constitutes endorsement, and I plan to place reviews in the appropriate sites.

The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna Van Praag. I wanted something to read on the plane to Spain, but I don't recall how I came across this author. I loved the sense of women's history and empowerment here.

 Modern Girls by Jennifer S. Brown. A fellow Launch Lab alum wrote this perfectly researched and imagined historical fiction about some of the most universal women's struggles.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I had this book recommended to me many times before I finally picked it up at my then-local bookstore, Antigone in Tucson, Arizona. It was the last in a long and hallowed line of books I read to my husband. He hadn't grown up with adults reading to him, so I started reading him my favorites and exciting new books to him before we were married. When my voice would give out, he would often pitch in, especially if we were at a really good part. This is why my husband put Harry Potter in our wedding vows. I had a lot of trouble getting into The Night Circus. Though my husband enjoyed it, I couldn't see that it was coming to any particular point. We didn't quite finish before my husband checked into the hospital, and after he lost consciousness, I read the last three chapters to myself sitting in a chair next to his bed. Of course, that's when the story all comes together and I ended up finally understanding why so many people recommended it to me.

A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin. I was nervous to get into this book because the great Manolo García, my idol in all things creative, recommended it to me when I met him in May 2016. If it was no good, what would that say about this artist I so admire? I purchased this book at Antigone two days before my husband passed away, which you might think would mar it for me. But I remember going to pick the book up with my sister-in-law as a much-needed break from the hospital, a slice of normal in a world that was quickly turning upside-down. I needn't have feared any of this. Lucia Berlin's writing is so overwhelmingly fantastic, this book is the only thing I remember about the first month after my husband's passing.

Monterey Bay by Lindsay Hatton. A tour-de-force by a fellow Launch Lab alum.

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald. On point and familiar, even though everyone's grief is different, with the added benefit of falconry drama—doubly unforgettable. I wish I'd read this before publishing the goshawk scenes in Seven Noble Knights!

The Grief Recovery Handbook by John W. James and Russell Friedman. Useful and no-nonsense exactly when I needed practical coping mechanisms.

The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud. This author was a favorite for my husband and I to read to each other, and I was comforted to be able to read this book when it came out on our wedding anniversary. I loved the mind-blowing imagery of life after death and how the two worlds might intersect. And I'm glad Lucy didn't abandon Lockwood & Co. for long.

Odd Adventures with Your Other Father by Norman Prentiss. I came across this gem by a fellow Kindle Press author when we did a cross-promo together. Whimsical, touching, and shocking in all the right places, this book made me realize I love some kinds of horror writing. The end is an unspeakably beautiful fantasy for someone who's lost a loved one to cancer.

Narrow River, Wide Sky by Jenny Forrester. I earned an internship at Hawthorne Books this winter, and focused on setting up the book tour and other publicity concerns for the wonderful author.

The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch. Thank goodness I came across this daring and truthful memoir in the Hawthorne offices! Read it. Now. You'll thank me.

Dora: A Headcase by Lidia Yuknavitch. A hilarious examination of the gender and age bias in traditional psychotherapy. It made me want to read every other book Lidia Yuknavitch ever produces.

Life is Short—Art is Shorter by David Shields and Elizabeth Cooperman. Astonishingly effective in their brevity, the pieces here inspire you to experiment in this age of short attention spans.

Death's Dancer by Jasmine Silvera. Another wonderfully imaginative book by a fellow Kindle Press author.

The Miniature Wife and Other Stories by Manuel Gonzales. I picked this up because I've been accepted into the prestigious Tin House Summer Workshop, and I'm thrilled I'll be working with Manuel Gonzales in July. Every one of these stories excited me for its approach, its novel logic, its turns of phrase, or the proliferating concepts I sensed behind the imagery, which was always exactly as crazy as I needed it to be.

Violation by Sallie Tisdale. Some of the best essays by one of the best essay writers.

Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown. I won this advance readers copy via Goodreads. I think disappearances and faked deaths are a whole genre in themselves. This one had compelling characters and interesting twists.

New Boy by Tracy Chevalier. Another Goodreads ARC win. Othello is my favorite Shakespeare, and the way the author transferred it to a 1970s middle school playground is fascinating. Great pop culture references run through the interesting and believable decision to make the action take place over a single school day.

Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant. After a tragedy or trauma, you no longer have Option A available. I'm doing a lot of thinking about what my Option B is, and this book helps with that as well as with not feeling so alone.

I'm astonished I've read so much when concentration has often been a challenge this year—I've left out plenty of books here! Thanks for checking out my recent literary path. Straight an narrow it ain't!