Hi!

Hello, and welcome to my blog! A little about me, I suppose.

I'm Libbie Hawker, a writer living in the Seattle area. I write novels (all historical fiction so far, with some science fiction and literary fiction planned for the future), short stories, and a little bit of poetry.

You probably are only interested in my writing, and I don't blame you. It's the most interesting thing about me. I began my first novel in June 2009 and finished it in September of the same year. Yes, I write very fast. I type at the speed of sound, and when I already know what I want to say, books tend to come together very quickly. I am fortunate in that I have a very active imagination (still, at the age of thirty!) and don't have a whole lot to do besides sit and write.

In January of 2010, I signed on with my amazing and very talented literary agent, Natalie Fischer. We worked on revisions for my novel throughout February and the first half of March, and the book went on submission to editors on March 11, 2010. It's still out there somewhere, sitting on an editor's desk. It's thrilling to see how quickly my dream of becoming a working novelist is coming together. I've loved books for as long as I can remember, and have always wanted to be a writer -- but didn't really put much effort or thought into it until 2009. Don't let anybody tell you dreams can't come true, kids! If you work hard and type fast, they certainly do.

My first novel, currently titled Bride of Amun (that is subject to change at the whim of people who know more about selling books than I) is set in ancient Egypt, during the Eighteenth Dynasty (one of the coolest in all the thousands of years of Egyptian history, in my opinion) and follows the early life and career of Queen Ahmose, the mother of Hatshepsut (that's the chick who became king, for those who aren't already acquainted with Her Nibs).

I am hard at work on two more Egyptian novels, both of them featuring Hatshepsut herself; and I've got loads of interesting ideas for even more Egyptian novels cooking up in my head. If you're wondering whether I am just a little bit obsessed with ancient Egypt, I tell you now that I am.

But I also love other ancient cultures, and am toying with ideas and outlines for novels set in terribly fascinating old places such as Mongolia, Byzantium, ancient Australia, and Africa; as well as the Biblical Middle East (although I am not a believer, I find some of the Old Testament characters equally fascinating and disturbing, and dual fascination and disturbement make for my favorite kind of writing). Relatively modern history interests me, too, and has called out to me to slash it all to pieces and fictionalize it. The Lost Colony of Roanoke, Pocahontas, Harry Houdini, and Queen Victoria are all subjects I am eyeing with considerable interest, while rubbing my hands together and twisting the ends of my internal handlebar mustache (very dapper, I assure you.)

I love to talk to other writers as well as readers of all stripes (but especially historical fiction nuts). Please do feel free to comment on my blog any time!