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Nocturnal Quarry is in flight
Which is to say, if you wanted some more Alexander in your life, here it is! (This novella is an enjoyable read on its own, but will make much more sense in context if you’ve already read Best Foot Forward.)
In 1938, Alexander is sent off to American to tend to some diplomatic matters on behalf of the Council. While there, he hopes to tidy up some loose ends – figuring out what’s happened with Geoffrey’s long-term nemesis, see what information he can get from American magical connections, that sort of thing. America has plans for him, in the form of several unexpected meetings.
Want a copy of your own?
(Kobo and Barnes and Noble Nook are still in the process – I’ll send a note to my newsletter and update here when those two stores are available.)
Oh, and if you’re curious about the art Alexander looks at while at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, there’s a post here for you!
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Bound for Perdition is here!
Get your copy of Bound For Perdition now!
In 1917, Lynet has done what seemed impossible. A skilled bookbinder, she’s worked to create magical journals that can readily communicate with each other.
When she returns from leave for the death of her father, she’s given a new challenge – make them faster and cheaper. She and Ellis, the papermaker on the project, struggle to figure out how to move forward. When Reggie is assigned to help them, Lynet isn’t sure what to do with him – or make of him. Recently invalided out of the front, he’s like all the Schola men downstairs who ignore or insult her. But he’s also willing to fetch the tea, take instruction from her, and share some good ideas.
Reggie isn’t sure how much help he can be, but he’s soon swept up by the project’s potential and fascinated by Lynet’s skills and knowledge. When problem after problem crops up for the project, he’s willing to do what it takes to protect the work and keep moving forward.
- Lynet, a bookbinder
- Reggie, figuring out who he is now
- Magical research and development
- Dealing with recent grief
- A house party or two
- Magical journals and their implications
And for those of you who’ve read other books of Albion, a look at Temple Carillon and his wife Delphina, in 1917.
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Do you get my newsletter?
And if so, did you get a newsletter email from me today (Friday, January 27th, 2023)?
If you didn’t, sign up for my newsletter here. (Again!) Read on for a bit of an explanation. And if you’re not on the newsletter, check out more below on why you might want to be.
The explanation
I’ve been working on moving to a newer version of my mailing list software. As part of that, I decided not to move people who hadn’t interacted with the list in any way for at least 9 months.
(I sent out two reminders in hopes that people who do read but don’t click things would notice, and I’ve moved everyone who clicked on the link to stay on the list.)
The problem with any kind of cleanup like this is that the “did you interact?” mechanisms are all sometimes inaccurate. If you got caught in this, I’m sorry! Signing up again will mean you’re all set.
If you’d rather not get the introductory emails talking about my books, just reply to any of the intro emails welcoming you to the list, and I’ll move you out of that series. However, if you don’t have a copy of both Ancient Trust or Outcrossing, you might want to stick around.
About my newsletter
I send out a newsletter on most Fridays (I sometimes skip one if I don’t have anything at all to share). I talk about any news and upcoming events – things I’m doing, books coming out soon, etc. Today I talked about the mailing list update, and about a story that my editor, Kiya Nicoll, has in an anthology that just came out.
I share things I’ve posted other places. This week, that’s the blog post about Carry On, and a public post on Patreon about how I’m tracking what I’m reading this year.
Finally, I wrap up with a bit about what I’ve been writing that week, along with three or so links to interesting things I’ve come across in my research. (A number of my newsletter readers think this is the best part, and look forward to it.)
Also!
The newsletter is the place to get access to my extras of various kinds. When you sign up, you also get Ancient Trust, a prequel novella featuring Geoffrey Carillon and Thomas Benton, when Carillon returns to Albion after the death of his brother in 1922. It overlaps with Outcrossing.
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Come join the conversation!
Starting today, we’ve got two great new places to chat, and for me to share more about my writing and Albion. I have the best readers, so I hope you’ll join me in one or more of these places, depending on your own preferences.
(Extra thanks to everyone who responded to my survey in November 2022 for helping me figure out which options made the most sense to try out!)
And a huge round of appreciation to Kiya, who has helped me get the Discord set up. (Kiya wears many hats – often literally – as well as being my editor, first reader, and other half of my brain.)
A lot of my characters enjoy a social situation, but it’s the Dwellers at the Forge (and Martin and Galen in specific) I think of when it comes to great conversations. Discord
Discord offers a text-based chat server (you can share images and links, too). It’s a low-key way to hang out and connect without other people and have slower conversations without a social media algorithm deciding what you see.
All sorts of topics are fair game! I’m glad to chat about books – mine and most all others – but also historical amusements, food and crafts, interesting astronomy, and whatever else seems interesting.
Our server is called Albion’s Delights. It’s a private server just to keep it more manageable, so you’ll need an invite link. You can get one from any email newsletter I’ve sent since the start of 2023, or by becoming a Patron on Patreon. (And if either of those are a problem, drop me a note.)
Curious? I’ve got a guide with more information about our Discord and how to get started. It’s also got a copy of the rules if you’d like to check that out before joining us.
Patreon
A few readers (thank you!) have asked for more ways they can support my writing. I also was looking for a place where we could have more space for actual conversation, and where I could share some posts about things that don’t quite fit into the authorial blog here. (A number of people are interested in more about my writing process and tools, for example.)
Starting out, there will be two public (free) posts a month. If you become a Patron at any level, you’ll also get early access to another post every month. This will either be a chunk from an upcoming extra or to a deeper dive into a research topic. Both of these will be available for everyone via my newsletter or blog later on.
Learn more about Patreon and how I’m planning to use it.
I’ll be linking to public posts (and letting people know what I shared for Patrons) in my newsletter too.
Other places
I’ve updated my contact page to have all the info about where I am these days online. Here are the big three:
My newsletter is the best way to get all my news first! It’s also where you can get extras about different characters, amusing research tidbits, and other fun details.
I’ll be making weekly blog posts here, focusing on the world and people of Albion, as well as talking more about specific books. I love getting questions from readers, so if there’s something you’re curious about, get in touch and ask!
I’m eyeing the state of Twitter very cautiously right now, and am mostly active on Mastodon at @celialake@romancelandia.club. I also just set up a new Instagram (@celialakebooks) account, which will likely mostly be book announcements. (But also the occasional photo as I go about my life. Right now, swans!)
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My plans for 2023
Now that I’ve talked about what I got up to in 2022, it’s time to look forward into 2023. I’m incredibly excited about my plans for 2023. There’s quite a lot to come! Publication dates may shift a little, but I expect them to be fairly close to the following.
Coming out in 2023
This year, I’m alternating between a series of 1920s books (Mysterious Arts) and books dealing with the Second World War (the Land Mysteries series).
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Forged in Combat is out!
I’m delighted to share Forged in Combat, a prequel novella for the Mysterious Powers series. It’s the romance of Arthur and Melusina, parents of Roland in Carry On. It takes place mostly in 1882 in the Viceroy’s Palace in Calcutta.
Melusina is building her own career as mistress of warding and protection magics. Arthur is following the well-trod traditions of his family in the Army. When Melusina takes on an assignment to help with a tricky safe problem in the Viceroy’s office, they find themselves collaborating – and more than collaborating.
- Competence
- Navigating social expectations
- Difficult colleagues
- A strategically useful bustle
- Reevaluating assumptions
- Lock picks
- Sparking passion
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Surprise! Giveaway
(This giveaway is over! It ended on Tuesday, December 13th, 2022. Thank you so much for everyone who joined us!)
Do you love jewellery? Do you know someone who does?
My dear friend Elise Matthesen is an amazing jewellery maker – and also a lover of my books. She’s offered a delightful giveaway, with a short timeframe. One lucky person will win an item from Elise’s shop (based on your answers to question 2).
[giveaway details removed]
More about Elise
Elise won the Hugo Award (a major award in the Science Fiction and Fantasy fandom community) as a Fan Artist in 2020. Her pieces are in the collections of quite a few authors, musicians, artists, and other creative folk. Many of us have a custom of picking up something from Elise for a major achievement in our creative lives.
If you’re a fan of Lois McMaster Bujold, as I am, Elise both designed Lois’s award pin collar and makes planet pendants similar to those referenced in the Vorkosigan books at one point.
Here’s a few samples of Elise’s previous work. Again, check out the shop for the current delights!
Almost Monochrome pendant 
Blue lampwork earrings 
Dragon with Green Roses pendant 
Elise, holding the Hugo Award 
House in the Labradorite 
Pearl Dragon with Moon pendant I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Elise for more than 20 years, so as you might imagine, I have quite a few of her pieces by now!
The necessary giveaway details
By entering, you understand that if you are the winner, I will be sharing your email address with Elise to make arrangements about getting the piece you have won.
Elise ships regularly, but depending on where you are in the world, the piece may not make it to you in time for holiday gift-giving.
No reading of books or purchasing of anything is required, but we certainly hope you enjoy thinking about wonderful things to read and look at!
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Where are you, online? (Looking at some social media options)
Hello! Given the world (and especially the Internet at the moment), it seems a good time for me to look at where I’m spending my time online in the authorial sense.
I’ve put together a survey form to ask some questions about what spaces you’d be interested in, so I can think about some options. I expect to get whatever new options I add set up by the end of December 2022 at the latest. (ETA, December 20th: Survey form now closed. Watch this blog space for an update on what we’re going to be trying!)
It’s completely anonymous unless you give me your email address at the very end. You can also use the contact form or email me at celia@celialake.com if you’d rather do that.
Robin does love his fountain pens. Not so good for online communication, though… Where I am right now online
I send out a newsletter on most Fridays. It has my latest news, a highlight of a book that’s been out for a bit, links to any blog posts I’ve made, and notes about the week’s writing. It also usually includes a couple of links I discovered while researching that week.
Twitter is the place where I’ve shared more flippant commentary on the writing process, often with some back and forth with Kiya, my friend and editor (and other half of my brain who makes my books so much better.) If you haven’t been following this bit of the news, I’m not sure how much longer that’s going to be viable. I’ve also shared links to new books there or other news.
I’ve really enjoyed some of the conversation with readers there, and seeing what they say, too, when they tag me in to the conversation.
Facebook is the place where I spend the least time, but it also gets announcements of new books and other related material.
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Best Foot Forward is out!
Best Foot Forward is the one Kiya (my friend and editor) described as “M/M aroace/bi-allo-(incidentally polyam) enemies-to-it’s-complicated there-was-only-one-bed espionage and WWI trauma-healing romp”.
Best Foot Forward also contains:
- Vienna and Berlin in 1935
- The power of spring
- Healing and becoming who we were meant to be
- Love of music
- Egyptian theology
- Land magic and the good it can do
- Chosen family
Music turned out to be a big part of this book, so there’s an additional playlist and explanation of the music references. (It does contain spoilers for the book, but there’s a link in the author’s notes to remind you to go look and listen, or from the book page here on my website or on the authorial wiki.)
Land Mysteries -
Mistress of Birds is out!
Mistress of Birds is the final book in the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the impact of the Great War on the people and institutions of Albion.
Thalia has had a certain small success with her literary writing. But her inspiration is gone, and no one is buying her stories. When her family volunteers her to stay at her great-aunt’s house on the edge of Dartmoor, she figures at least she’ll be fed.
Adam had a bad War. Ten years after he was invalided out of the Army with shell shock, he still hasn’t recovered. His family have lost patience, and when his uncle breaks his leg badly, they ship him off to lend a hand. Adam isn’t sure he’s able to do anything useful. When his uncle wants a report on the apple orchard, though, Adam realises something isn’t quite right.
The mysteries of the house and the apple orchard bring Adam and Thalia together, in search for answers. Together, they might just be able to figure out what’s going on, what’s making the eerie noises in the house, and why the apples ripen so late.
Mistress of Birds is my take on a Gothic romance (spooky house and all). All of my books can be read in any order, but this one stands alone particularly well.
One particular content note on this one (also on my content notes page). The book does deal with long-standing PTSD (what we’d now call CPTSD). If you’re sensitive to discussions of it, chapter 31 briefly references the barbaric treatment of it in 1917. (One paragraph, strong implications of what happened, few explicit details.)
Get your copy!
- Amazon Kindle
- Apple Books
- B&N Nook
- Google Play
- Kobo
- Other sources (also ask your library!)
cosy historical fantasy romance
