ceLEStial books

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 ...

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 circums...

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 t...

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 por...

If you haven't read E.J. Noyes's debut novel Ask, Tell then my message to you is...read it! I don't tend to gravitate toward romance novels, but I started this book and finished it in the same day because it wouldn't let me stop reading. E.J. is a fellow Australian like myself and so I was really pleased to be able to steal some of her time for this interview. 1. Let's start off with the important stuff. Beer or wine? Can I say gin? No? Okay… I live in Queensland where beer is mandatory, particularly in summer. I’d go for an ice-cold amber ale, like Ruby Tuesday.   2. If you could have a meal with one of the characters in Ask, Tell , who would it be and why?   I think Sabine’s sister, Jana would be seriously fun to spend time with. I imagine the (boozy) meal would start with deep discussions about movies and music and philosophy, segue to whispered observations about fellow diners and probably end with her chucking food at someone. Th...

For the second author Q&A on ceLEStial books, I am very grateful to welcome Kiki Archer. She "...is the UK-based author of eight best-selling, award-winning novels." Kiki is an amazing example of a successful, independent novelist. There are lots of fascinating interviews on her website that delve into her rising career. Her social media presence reflects her general awesomeness as a public figure in the LGBTI+ community. 1. What's one book you remember reading in high school? What stood out for you during or after reading it? I only remember reading Jane Eyre because it was our English literature text. I remember a section where Jane randomly hears Mr Rochester's voice echoing around her. That's as far as my love of the classics came and went. I was never a big reader in school, focusing instead on sports. All the sports. In fact I probably read more sport psychology than anything else.  2. If you were writing the screenplay for Disney...

This blog is starting to move into some exciting new territory with my first ever author Q&A. I'll be trying to do a few of these over time, hopefully they will compliment the book reviews I undertake and help us to engage more with both emerging and established writers. The first couple of author interviews will be for some fantastic writers being published through NineStar Press , given this is the same publisher my sci-fi novel will be released by in 2018.  I'd love to talk to some other writers soon though! _________________________________________________ For my fellow Australians, you can buy the Kindle edition here. _________________________________________________ What's one book you remember reading in high school? What stood out for you during or after reading it? I absolutely loved reading as a kid, both before and during high school. Honestly, it was one of my main go-to forms of entertainment growing up, and it was always the thing ...