Books By Esther Friesner

Esther Friesner is the author of 5 YA historical novels as well as many paranormal/fantasy books. Here I am going to cover just the historical novels. The Princesses of Myth series currently has 4 books divided over two sub-series. Two of the books are on Helen of Troy and the other two books are on Nefertiti. I am most interested in reading her stand alone, Threads and Flames, as I had to do a major project in college on the subject of this book. I had the opportunity to meet Esther as a local bookshop last year – it was a small gathering and we were able to chat for a little while.

Princesses of Myth Series

Nobody’s Princess Book 1
”She is beautiful, she is a princess, and Aphrodite is her favorite goddess, but something in Helen of Sparta just itches for more out of life. Not one to count on the gods—or her looks—to take care of her, Helen sets out to get what she wants with steely determination and a sassy attitude. That same attitude makes Helen a few enemies—such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus—but it also intrigues, charms, and amuses those who become her friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi.

In Nobody's Princess, author Esther Friesner deftly weaves together history and myth as she takes a new look at the girl who will become Helen of Troy. The resulting story offers up adventure, humor, and a fresh and engaging heroine you cannot help but root for.”

Nobody’s Prize Book 2
“In this rousing sequel to Nobody’s Princess, young Helen of Sparta is not about to be left behind when her older brothers head off to join the quest for the Golden Fleece. Accompanied by her friend Milo, and disguised as a boy herself, Helen sets out to join the crew of heroes aboard the massive ship known as The Argo.

Helen quickly faces all sorts of danger. There are battles to be fought, as well as an encounter with a terrifying murderous princess. With her beauty blossoming, Helen’s journey takes her beyond the mythology of the Golden Fleece to Athens, where her very future as Queen of Sparta is threatened.”

Sphinx’s Princess Book 1
“Nefertiti was far more than just a pretty face.

Nefertiti may be the dutiful daughter of a commoner, but her inquisitive mind often gets her into situations that are far from ordinary, like receiving secret lessons from a scribe. And she’s the kind of girl who acts first, and apologizes later whenever she witnesses injustice or cruelty. But she is also extraordinarily beautiful. And news of her striking beauty and impulsive behavior attracts the attention of her aunt, the manipulative Queen Tiye, who sees Nefertiti as an ideal pawn in her desire for power. Even though Nefertiti is taken from her beloved family and forced into a life filled with courtly intrigue and danger, her spirit and mind will not rest. She continues to challenge herself and the boundaries of ancient Egyptian society.

Esther Friesner offers readers another fresh new look at an iconic figure—blending historical fiction and mythology in a thrilling concoction.”

Sphinx’s Queen Book 2
“Ancient Egypt springs to life in this enthralling sequel to Sphinx’s Princess. As she did in Nobody’s Princess and Nobody’s Prize, author Esther Friesner offers readers a fresh look at an iconic figure, blending historical fiction and mythology in a heady concoction.

Hunted . . . Overnight, every aspect of Nefertiti’s life has changed. She is no longer living at the royal palace as the intended bride of the crown prince. Instead, she is being chased by the prince and his soldiers for a crime she did not commit.

Hidden . . . Traveling with two of her dearest friends, including the crown prince’s brother, who helped her escape, Nefertiti takes shelter in the wild hills along the Nile’s west bank. She must rely on her own resourcefulness and skills (all those secret archery lessons prove very useful) as the fugitives fight to survive.

Haunted . . . But the need for justice gnaws at Nefertiti. She is determined to plead her case to the Pharaoh and set things right. As she begins to question long-held sacred beliefs—a questioning that could alter the fabric of Egyptian society—her extraordinary journey from commoner to royalty brings adventure, intrigue, and romance.”

Stand Alone Novel

Threads and Flames
“It’s 1910, and thirteen-year-old Raisa has just traveled alone from a small Polish shtetl all the way to New York City. It’s overwhelming, awe-inspiring, and even dangerous, especially when she discovers that her sister has disappeared and she must now fend for herself. She finds work in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory sewing bodices on the popular shirtwaists. Raisa makes friends and even, dare she admit it?, falls in love. But then 1911 dawns, and one March day a spark ignites in the factory. One of the city’s most harrowing tragedies unfolds, and Raisa’s life is forever changed. . . .

One hundred years after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, this moving young adult novel gives life to the tragedy and hope of this transformative event in American history.”

You can visit these blogs for great reviews of these novels:
Sphinx’s Princess – By Vanessa at Book Geek Reviews
Sphinx’s Queen – By Vanessa at Book Geek Reviews
Nobody’s Princess – By Becky at Becky’s Book Reviews
Nobody’s Prize – By Stephanie at Juiciliciousss Reviews
Threads and Flames – By Kari at A Good Addiction

You can check out Esther’s website for more information about her books (including her other non-YA work). For excerpts from the Princesses of Myth series, please visit Random House. For more information on Threads and Flames please visit Penguin.

Here is a video where Esther discusses what has led to her writing of YA historicals.







Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Guest Post by Esther Friesner

Good morning everyone! I have the opportunity today to introduce you to Esther Friesner, the author of a couple wonderful books about Helen of Troy and Nefertiti. So take it away Esther!

A Few Wandering Ideas About...Ideas

Guest Post by Esther Friesner, Author of

Sphinx Princess

As you might expect, I'm often asked the old reliable question, "Where do you get your ideas?" I'm willing to bet that this happens to all writers, and if somehow, somewhere, a writer lives who has -not- been asked this question, please call the office and pick up your prize. This question is asked so often and so widely that my colleagues in the Science Fiction Writers of America usually trot out the stock answer coined by one of our number (whose name, alas, is eluding me), said answer being: "Schenectady." (I'm sure that when someone asked Homer the same thing, he probably answered, "Troy," followed by the ancient Greek equivalent of: "D'uh!")

Anyone who has ever spent a terrifying hour or two (or day, or week, or--but enough) staring at the blank piece of paper/blank screen, desperately seeking inspiration, will find what follows hard to believe. Nonetheless it's true: It's just as scary to find too much inspiration as it is to find too little. It's one thing for writers to have the Muses play a cruel game of Can't-Catch-Me with us, but it's just as bad when they surround us in a dark alleyway and gang up. When you are starved for ideas, as soon as one comes along you pounce on it and are grateful. Simple. Ah, but when you are overwhelmed by ideas, it's almost the same as having none at all. You run the very real risk of dithering about which one to work on first, meanwhile working on none of them. You are also prey to grievous attacks of doubt: What if I'm working on a -stupid- idea? What if I'm spending valuable time writing a story that's not going to sell, while if I'd chosen to work on a different idea, it would've been my ticket to Bestsellerdom? What if I'm horribly, horribly WRONG?

It's the difference between having a dinner where you've already seen the menu and know beforehand what you'll be eating versus sitting down to a mystery meal where you don't know what's going to be coming out of the kitchen. Do you gorge on the first plate set before you just in case you won't like any of the yet-to-appear dishes? But what if the next dish (or the next, or the next) turns out to be so awesomely delectable that if you live to be a hundred, you'll never again taste anything that good, except. . .you already filled up on the first dish.

Dang.

Now as you also know (unless someone's not doing their job) I write YA historical novels. This means that my feast of potential inspiration is as big as all of human existence. This also means that the Muses have loaded up a mega-sized moving van full of possibilities and they are trying to unload it dump-truck style on my front lawn. What do I choose? HOW do I choose? And how do I know I've chosen the right historical character to write about?

To answer that, indulge me in a side-note:

As long as we're talking about stock phrases concerning writing, let's turn to another one: Write about what you know. And -as- you know, this does not mean you are limited to writing about only those things which you have experienced directly, up-close-and-personal, or literature would be nothing more than a slew of fictionalized diaries and nobody would be able to write about the protagonist's death until it was too late. We know more than we experience. We know what we read. We know what we observe happening to others. We know what we gather from talking to others.

We know--and thus can write about--what we LEARN. And if you are like me, one of the first things you learn is how you learn best. In my case, that happens when the subject is interesting enough to make me want to learn more about it.

Which brings us back to dealing with those overly-generous Muses.

When I look at history, seeking the next idea for one of my books, I find that there are some events and people that have been in the spotlight for so long that they're starting to go a little crisp around the edges. I find that writing about an already-popular and much-novelized historical person or event is like going to a new restaurant and filling up on bread. Now I have done that myself--not the fill-up-on-bread thing, but the writing about an already-poplar historical or quasi-historical character. For instance, I've written stories set in Arthurian times (most of them collected in UP THE WALL), and you know how many other novels and stories have been written about those Camelot shenanigans.

However, what I prefer to do is write about someone whose story hasn't been over-told quite yet. These are the historical characters who interest me the most because there is so much more to be learned (and written) about them! Cleopatra has been given more than her due by many fiction writers (including Shakespeare, and I'm not about to compete with that!), so I decided to give Nefertiti her turn. As for Helen of Troy, while her adventures as an adult have been told and re-told from ancient Greek days to the present, her girlhood was just sitting there, waiting for me. Right now, I am in the middle of working on a pair of YA historical novels about Himiko, who was a 3rd century shaman-queen of Japan. Ever heard of her? Do you know who she is? No? Well, after Spirit’s Princess and Spirit’s Bride, you will! (And I assure you, she was a real person, mentioned in the Chinese chronicles of her day.)

I'm writing about what I know, which is what I've learned about Nefertiti and Helen and Himiko, and I've learned about them because so much of their stories is not well-known. History (and in Helen's case, myth) is keeping some mighty enticing secrets about them, and if History isn't going to tell me what they are, I'll get to come up with my own answers.

Which is fun!

So there you have it: I get my ideas from the quieter, less-frequented, most interesting (to me) borderlands of history, and I then set myself to making them interesting to you. I hope I succeed, because I do so love a challenge! It's rather like the joy some folks--myself included--get from discovering a wonderful new recipe served solely in one small bistro that hardly anyone knows is there. I think it's delicious, but can I tempt you to try it? I know it's something that you're not used to, but come on, here, taste this! You'll like it.

And even if you don't, try something else. But whatever you do, don't just fill up on bread.

You can visit Esther at her website for more information about her and her books.




Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Author Event - Esther Friesner

Today I went to another author event - this time with young adult author Esther Friesner and her new book Sphinx's Princess (released September 22, 2009). The book is the first book of a two part series about Nefertiti - as a young girl in this one and as a queen in the sequel Sphinx's Queen (due out Fall 2010).

This was a small event - there were about a dozen people there, and Esther was the sweetest lady. We talked all about Egypt, the culture, her research, past and future works. She had a door prize raffle for a scarab beetle bead and my boyfriend won! Pretty cool since I brought him along for company. It being a small setting we got to ask all kinds of questions and it was nice compared to the huge one I was at for Audrey Niffenegger.

You may be familiar with Esther's previous works, Nobody's Princess and Nobody's Prize - about Helen of Troy. She also has another book coming out at the end of 2010 about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory tragedy, tentitively titled Threads and Flames - if you don't know anything about this, check out the Wikipedia entry. I was very excited when she mentioned this, because I had to write a paper on this incident in my women's history/sociology class a year ago - so I will be looking forward to that one.




Copyright © 2009-2011 by The Maiden’s Court