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 ...

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...

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...

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 ...

Daimonion by J.P. Jackson My rating: 4 of 5 stars __________________________________________________________ "But this is what I am bid to do. I am Dati Amon, a D'Alae, and we gather back the children who belong to us." __________________________________________________________ This is a well-executed story of conflict, horror, magic, and desire. Shape-shifters, witches, demons, creepy burrowing insects, elementals, satyrs and even a deliciously evil succubus make for a colourful cast of characters to guide readers through a beautifully described series of paranormal events, culminating in a satisfying end to Book I of the Apocalypse series. I was most impressed by the skilful manner in which imaginative and unique magical goings-on were described. Certain paranormal tropes and clichés were explored in new and creative ways. Without giving too much away, I was particularly amazed by the wonderful descriptions of what happened to a certain charact...

Ask, Tell by E.J. Noyes My rating: 5 of 5 stars "I live with constant noise and dirt. I live with the omnipresent smell of diesel, dust and aircraft fuel. I live with other people’s blood on my uniform." I started and finished this book in a day because it demanded my attention. The historical context, characters and wonderful writing refused to let me go. Noyes clearly undertook a mammoth amount of research. Her protagonist, a surgeon living and working in Afghanistan at the height of American intervention, is completely believable. I was totally engrossed. Sabine struggles with what so many people have struggled with: she's a person who is otherwise comfortable with being a lesbian, yet having to work within a system that forces her to repress her identity or face dire social, familial and financial consequences. The fact that she's a talented doctor who saves peoples lives every day is overlooked by an institution obsessed with rules, in thi...

Thanks to the marvel that is Twitter , I have 'met' several wonderful writers in recent months. One of the most responsive of these has been Tamara Boyens . Her novel, Under Dark Sky Law , looked like something that I would enjoy reading.  It was a little bit tricky to find a hard copy in Australia (I don't own a Kindle....maybe I should), but the author herself helped me find a vendor.  Given that I would, ideally, love to finish a writing novel that's worth reading one day, it makes sense to share some of my reading adventures along the way. I don't get to read nearly as much as I would like (children + full time teaching), but it's one of the most important activities I engage in. It feeds my soul and helps me learn more about good writing.  The last book I read before this one was Kindred by Octavia Butler. Gorgeous! But I feel that because novels such as Kindred have received a lot of attention and reviews (as they should!), it's bett...