Nancy McKenzie
| Nancy McKenzie | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 19, 1948 |
| Occupation | Author |
| Language |
 English |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts |
| Alma mater | Mount Holyoke College |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Notable works | Queen of Camelot |
| Website | |
|
www | |
Nancy Affleck McKenzie (February 19, 1948) is an American author of historical fiction. Her primary focus is Arthurian legend.[1]
Publishing career
McKenzie published The Child Queen in 1994, and its sequel, The High Queen, a year later.[2] The Child Queen won "Discovery of the Year" from Del Rey Books in 1993, and the Washington Irving Medal from Westchester Library Association, NY the following year.[1] The two novels were combined into Queen of Camelot in 2002. McKenzie wanted to rediscover Guinevere in her true fifth century environment.[3] "I decided to write about Guinevere because I never understood her. I wanted to make her into someone a 20th-century person could understand," McKenzie said in an interview.[4]
Two sequels followed, Grail Prince and Prince of Dreams, following by two Young-Adult novels, Guinevere's Gift and Guinevere's Gamble. Prince of Dreams tells the story of Tristan and Iseult, and takes place after King Arthur's death.[3] One reviewer wrote of the novel, McKenzie "explores the vulnerability of women in a violent and patriarchal society".[5]
McKenzie recently stated "Thus far, my published books are all Arthurian adventures/ romances, but I am deeply interested in ancient Egyptian culture and hope to write an archaeologically up-to-date life of Akhenaten in the near future".[1]
List of works
- The Child Queen (1994)
- The High Queen (1995), combined with The Child Queen and republished as Queen of Camelot in 2002.[5]
- Grail Prince (2003)
- Prince of Dreams (2004)
- The Chrysalis Queen Quartet series:
- Guinevere's Gift (2008)
- Guinevere's Gamble (2009)
Personal life
McKenzie was born in Princeton, New Jersey to James G. and Callie K Affleck.[1] She graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1970, and achieved her Master's degree from Tufts University in 1973. She married Bruce Gordon McKenzie in 1972, and they have three daughters.[1] McKenzie resides in Danbury, Connecticut.[2] In between her novels, McKenzie ran a freelance desktop publishing business from 1989 to 2000.[1][4]
She has listed Mary Stewart as one of her favorite authors, along with George Eliot and P. D. James.[4]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Nancy McKenzie". Contemporary Authors Online. 1 January 2004. Retrieved 6 January 2011. (subscription required)
- 1 2 "Author Spotlight: Nancy McKenzie". Random House. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
- 1 2 Ashley, Michael; Mike Ashley (2005). The Mammoth Book of King Arthur. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers. p. 534.
- 1 2 3 "Interview with Nancy McKenzie". WaldenBooks. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
- 1 2 Busby, Keith; Roger Dalrymple (2005). Arthurian Literature XXII. Cambridge: D.S. Brewer. p. 135.
External links
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