ceLEStial books

ceLEStial books now has a new home ! All older posts have been recreated on the site, but will also stay live here. Thanks everyone.

Welcome to Niamh Murphy ! 1. If you could have dinner with two of your own characters in real life, who would you choose and why? I found this to be a particularly tricky question to answer! Then I realised that, although I love hosting a good dinner party, I don’t really write the type of characters who would be interested in being invited, they would be too bored and eager to leave so they could get on with their next adventure! But right now, I’m writing a fantasy novel about a band of characters on a quest, there is the reluctant hero, the brave warrior, the cunning ranger, the friendly wizard, and the thoughtful healer. I would like nothing more than to join them around their campfire on a starry night and listen as they each tell their stories. 2. You write books across a plethora of genres. Of all of these, do you have a particular favourite? The next one! I am always excited about moving onto the next thing and by the time I finish a project as big as a

4/5 stars Sparkwood promises magic, intrigue, and strong-willed bisexual men, and it definitely delivers on those promises. After a sluggish start, the book drew me in and demanded that I finish it.  THE POSITIVES My favourite aspect of this novella was the setting. I didn't connect with the characters immediately (I did by the end!), but thanks to the initial description of the small town of Sparkwood, I started to really engage with the writing. I also loved how much the author managed to convey about the 'other' Sparkwood (a different realm) with very few words.  The enemies-to-lovers story-line that acts as a backdrop to the central mystery is handled very well. I, personally, don't tend to enjoy books where the romantic elements overpower and overshadow the genre tropes and/or genre conventions. As such, the fact that Sparkwood lets the romance develop as a result of the paranormal mystery, rather than using the mystery plot as a convenien

When I first started reading my way through the world of "lesfic" about a year ago, one of the first novels recommended to me was Lise MacTague's Depths of Blue . I read it in one sitting, which is unheard of me these days because my young children make that very difficult to do.  As such, I was most pleased when Lise agreed to share some thoughts with me for the next author Q&A.  1.     What's the last novel you read? Was there something memorable about it? The most recent novel I’ve read was A Close and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers. It’s a fascinating sci-fi novel about an AI who gets taken from the ship she was used to running and put into a human body. The body is mechanical but indistinguishable from a human from the outside. She has to come to terms to inhabiting a different form. At the same time, we get another story told from the point of view of a girl who was genetically created and raised to be a factory worker. She escapes from her circumst

I'm always excited to host a fellow NineStar Press author! Casey has published a fantastic M/M novel and, as it turns out, we even share the same philosophy when it comes to the romance elements in books. Welcome, Casey! 1. What's one book you remember reading in high school? What stood out for you during or after reading it?  I loved the books by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, namely Hawksong, the start of her Kiesha’ra series.  I also fell in love with Darren Shan’s Cirque du Freak series.  I’ve just always loved paranormal books, and these two authors really captured my heart.  They had memorable characters and stories that have stuck with me to this day, and their books still have a place on my shelf.  2. What aspect of your book 'One Bullet' are you most proud of?  I’m proud that I stuck to my guns - so to speak - and kept it sex free.  It’s a problem I have, as a reader, to find romance books with little to no sex in them.  I’m of the opinion that if it d

1. Thinking about your upcoming release  Dalí , what's one aspect of the book you feel really proud of? This is my fourth full-length novel, and I think I’m finally starting to hit my stride as a writer. I’ve learned so much about story structure and the craft of writing from my CP’s and mentors in the last three years, since my first book was published. I read it now and compare it to Dalí —it’s like night and day. Dalí  is also in first-person, which I’ve never done before outside short stories. I felt like it allowed me to get inside their head in a way I haven’t quite mastered with third person. I hope to continue to grow and improve in my craft. 2. I see from your bio that you're a nurse. Has your job helped inspire or inform any aspects of your writing? When I started writing Dalí, I was working as a hospice nurse. The aspect of dysfunctional grieving was something we dealt with, and I think that background helped me to portray it acc

It's been an amazing few months! I must say I feel incredibly blessed right now, and I plan to enjoy the euphoria for a moment. I've found a wonderful home for my recently completed writing projects, with NineStar Press having accepted three pieces of work, all with F/F story lines. For anyone who may be interested, here is where my writing projects currently sit: FINDING AURORA This is a 20,000 word fantasy novella. It will be published in the anthology Once Upon a Rainbow 2 in mid-January, 2018.  I really enjoyed writing this one! It's an appropriation of Sleeping Beauty, following the attempts of Talia (a caster of magic) and Amir (the prince of Grimvein) as they try to rescue Aurora from the curse that's trapped her and her entire village for almost a century. This is very much in the style of a classical fairy tale, but with a few differences - of course. BENEATH THE SURFACE (The Outsider Project, Book I) This is my debut novel, a sci-fi story of