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Questions and answers

Read on to learn about some common questions and answers.

Table of Contents

What order should I read your books in?

You can read my books in any order. (Two notes below) 

  • If you’re someone who prefers internal chronological order, here’s a timeline (and links to some additional timelines).
  • Start with Pastiche if you want to read just one of my books, and get a sense of what they’re like.
  • Start with Bound For Perdition (for the 1920s) or Best Foot Forward (for the 1930s and World War 2) if you’d like to start with a current series in progress.
  • If you like a locked room murder mystery with your romance, try In The Cards

If you’re looking for particular kinds of stories, or want to avoid a particular topic, check out my content notes for more information about each book.

(Two notes: I recommend reading Goblin Fruit before you read On The Bias, it will likely be more fun. And you can read Fool’s Gold in any order you like, but it contains spoilers for the events of Seven Sisters.)

Where can I learn more about a particular character?

I have an authorial wiki where you can learn more about Albion, and make connections between characters, places, events, and stories. Let me know if you’d like to know more about a specific topic.

Where is the best place to get your books?

The best place is the place you like to get books! My books are available on all the major ebook sellers (and any others I can find). You’ll find the links on each book page. If I’m missing the option you prefer, let me know and I’m glad to see what I can do. Read on for more about getting my books from your local library.

Can I get your books from my library?

Yes! My books are available to libraries through Overdrive, Hoopla, and Bibliotheca, three of the major services libraries use for ebooks. (They’re also available in paperback.) I’m a librarian by profession, and libraries having my books makes me incredibly happy.

You can often find a form to make a request either on your library’s website or from their catalog. They’ll want to know the author and title of the book or books you’re suggesting they buy. If you don’t see a form, try the contact email or chat options, and let them know you’re a library user in their area.

Libraries can usually take it from there. Let them know my books are on those services! But if you or they have any questions, just use the contact form and I’m glad to help.

What helps you as an author?

If you enjoy my books, the single best thing you can do is tell other people who might like them too!

You can share a link to a book you’ve loved on social media or leave a review on whatever site you like to use to get your books (or on GoodReads, LibraryThing, or other sites that host reviews.)

Here’s a handy list of my profile pages on the major ebook sellers. (Let me know if I’m missing your favourite)

If you have somewhere you talk about books (a blog, a podcast, etc.) and you’re interested in featuring my books, I’d love to talk to you more about the details. Drop me a note in the contact form.

What’s coming next?

I’m releasing a book every three months right now. That’s usually in the first two weeks of February, May, August, and November. Learn about what’s coming next. Sometimes I get novellas or extras out, too!

Why the 1920s?

There’s a particular point in life I’m fascinated by. Not the middle of awful things happening or the immediate aftermath. Instead, I’m interested in what happens when some time passes and you recover a bit, look up and realise the rest of the world is still there, somehow. That could be months later, years, even a decade or two.

The 1920s are full of those moments. The world had been through such tremendous loss due to the Great War, the Spanish Flu epidemic, and many other social and structural changes. I also find it an incredibly rich and multifaceted space for romance and caring and mutual support to flourish.

As someone who cares a lot about disability history and representation, the 1920s are also an incredible time of medical and rehabilitation advances. (Some of which work out better than others.)

Why the disability focus?

I’m someone who has multiple chronic health issues (as do many of my friends). I wanted books that meant that people like us got to find love and friendship and have wonderful things in their lives.

Writing in the 1920s also means recognising the tremendous impact the Great War had on so many people, not just in terms of deaths, but in terms of what people lived through and lived with after the War. In most of my books, the characters have been living with whatever affects them for a while, rather than dealing with something new. (The content notes will let you know more about that.)

I want to know more about this detail. Help?

As a librarian and general geek, I love anchoring my fantasy in reality as much as I can. You’ll find author’s notes at the end of each book with a little bit about the places and events mentioned in the book. If I missed something you’re curious about, or you’d like to know more, email me at celia@celialake.com and I’m glad to answer you (and quite possibly write up a blog post).

My blog has articles about various topics, as well. If there’s something you’d love to see me share more about, let me know through the contact form. You can learn more about Albion itself in my authorial wiki.

If you notice something I got wrong (in terms of factual details), the contact form is the best way to let me know about that. (And I’d love to know, especially if it’s an easy fix.)

What’s in your newsletter?

I send out a newsletter most weeks on Fridays. Of course, I let you know about new releases, but I also share all sorts of other things, from other books I’m loving reading to interesting historical tidbits. Most newsletters have a few fascinating things I’ve discovered during my research that week.

I also have a few things I share just with my newsletter: short stories and deleted scenes from various books. And of course, my newsletter is the first place I tell when a new book is out.

Are your books in Kindle Unlimited?

For independent authors (like me), putting a book in Kindle Unlimited means it must be exclusive as an ebook to Amazon. I want my books to be available as many places as possible (including libraries!), so that’s not an option that works for me.

If you’ve got a limited book budget (don’t we all?), please check with your local library about getting my books.

Where can I get in touch?

If you’ve got a question that’s not answered here, drop me a note through the contact form. I occasionally post amusing moments or snippets of research to Twitter, but mostly you’ll find me sharing things directly through my newsletter and blog.

(I read reviews occasionally, but will never reply to a review or something on Twitter or elsewhere you haven’t explicitly tagged me into. Reviews and conversations are for readers.)

Thank you so much for reading my books!