The five day countdown is on until publication of my fourth novel, The Fairy Lights. It’s available for pre-order until the 10th November and will be listed on Kindle Unlimited where it will be free to read, if you have a subscription. With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to share my countdown to publication checklist in the months before each of my books is published. If you aren’t a writer, or even if you are and your morbid curiosity is piqued, you might be interested in my behind-the-scenes preparation. Since I haven’t posted about this topic before, even though I do it with all of my novels, I thought I’d share my process with you. Curious? Read on…
When I’m reading a book, I don’t like the author to take me along on an easy journey where everything is explained; simply there on the page for you to read about it and that’s that. I like to be challenged as a reader and to be thinking about a book long after I finish it. Better still, I like to be so wowed by a book that I absolutely want to read it again to see if I missed anything, or if I would interpret it differently on the reread.
As a writer I try to leave some wiggle room for interpretation in my books. I don’t want to insult my readers’ intelligence by handing them the story on a silver platter with a bit of side salad for garnish. If you have read my latest book, The Blue Man, you will know what I’m talking about. I loved some of the review comments about how readers interpreted it. Some readers have even contacted me to ask how much of the story I intended as supernatural and how much was other factors that the characters believed to be ghostly themselves. To be honest, as the writer, I’d rather ask the reader: what do you think happened?
I can understand if some readers out there feel that ambiguity in books is frustrating, or not satisfying though; but for me as a reader, I love it when there’s room for interpretation at the end of a story. Got some recommendations of books that leave room for interpretation? Feel free to let me know, especially if they’re on Kindle Unlimited. I’m always on the lookout for new novels and I read widely in pretty much any genre, even though horror is my favourite.
Hi, I’m Leilanie, the good witch of the North. Look what I conjured up with my magic wand.
Happy Halloween! This is my author proof copy of my forthcoming novel, The Fairy Lights. It will be my fourth novel, and the second of my Belfast Ghosts Series. Wanna know what it’s about?
The Fairy Lights: the ghost of Christmas that never was
Belfast Ghosts Series: Standalone Book 2 of 3
When Aisling moves into an old, Edwardian house in the university area of Stranmillis, Belfast, she soon discovers that her student digs are haunted. The house, bought by her grandfather decades ago, is also home to a spirit known by the nickname Jimbo.
As yuletide approaches, and Aisling’s Christmas fairy lights attract mischief from Jimbo, she seeks to find out more about the restless entity. With the help of a local psychic and friends from her History with Irish course, Aisling uncovers dark, buried truths. What is the connection with Friar’s Bush Graveyard just around the corner? What does Jimbo’s dusty book of the Oak King and Holly King, hidden in the attic, have to reveal? What will Aisling’s journey into the darkness of the spirit world reveal about Jimbo – and herself?
Stay tuned… It’s coming soon on 10th November 2022
In case you didn’t know it, Halloween is my favourite themed season; what kind of horror writer would I be if it wasn’t? All of my novels pictured are suitable Samhain reads. From left to right, here’s why:
Gods of Avalon Road is an urban fantasy novel set in London with pagan and occult themes.
I’ve already written a recent blog post where I discussed my horror inspiration for The Blue Man, but in this post I want to share my character influences on my recently published novel. The reason I decided to write this post is that during Book Week NI a few people I was talking to, including librarians and readers, asked me if I would love to see my book made into a movie. The answer to that is what any author might say: of course!
Imagining a film version of The Blue Man got me thinking about my characters. I didn’t realise until then about how nineties cult classic, The Craft, was an influence on The Blue Man. Like The Craft, my novel has four rather delinquent teenage girls who are subjected to a supernatural terror; in my story it’s through the resurrected Blue Man spectre, rather than witchcraft.
I’m going to delve a bit deeper into the plot of my novel now, so if you haven’t yet read The Blue Man then – SPOILER ALERT – stop reading now!
My book releasepromo photo taken back in October2021
Wow, has it really been one year since The Buddha’s Bone was published? How time flies! Want to celebrate with me? Well, you certainly can – by grabbing a FREE Kindle eBook copy on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon CA or Amazon AU. If you read it, please do leave a review: I’d love to hear your thoughts. Remember, the freebie promo is only until 27th October, so download yours now to avoid disappointment.
In terms of my book babies, The Buddha’s Bone is my ‘middle child’, caught between my debut novel, Gods of Avalon Road and my recently released book, The Blue Man. Much like a middle child, it has had to work hard to be seen and heard; though in the past year, my second novel has fared quite well. I’ve had over a hundred sales, mostly hardcovers with eBooks a close second and the dozens of free downloads this week will hopefully bring my book to new readers too (hi new readers, hope you enjoy my book 👋).
So, what’s next for The Buddha’s Bone? Well, since you’re here, I’ll let you in on the exciting news… once Book 3 of my Belfast Ghosts Series horror novels is finished, I’m going to start writing a sequel for Kimberly’s adventure in Japan. Yep, some readers have mentioned how they would like to know what she gets up to next, especially after the dark psychological journey I put her through (I don’t go easy on my main characters, do I?). I have currently outlined a synopsis for the sequel and I’ve got a working title ready, so you can look forward to more news on this in 2023.
Five day freebie alert! As a Halloween promotion, my eBook of The Buddha’s Bone is FREE to download on Kindle from 23rd to 27th October, to celebrate its one year publishing anniversary on the 25th.
This promotion will only run for five days so make sure to avoid disappointment and grab your Kindle eBook from now until 27th October. All good things come to an end; so why not download it for a dark psychological read, perfect for Samhain?
Hope you enjoy it, and if you read it, please do leave a rating or review on Goodreads and Amazon!
This week, Libraries NI are celebrating Book Week by promoting a love of reading, in partnership with BBC Northern Ireland. Events will be running all week from Monday 17th to Sunday 23rd October.
While I stopped by Belfast Central Library on Monday to return some books, I decided to check in on my own novels, only to find out that they had all been borrowed! I’m delighted that people are borrowing and reading my books. Luckily for me, I always carry first chapter samples of my work, as you never know when a promotional opportunity might arise. Thanks to one of the lovely library staff for taking this photo next to the Halloween display.
It has been a busy week for me. I have also had another promotional library event with a book signing for The Blue Man in the run up to Halloween. It turned out to be quite atmospheric too with the rain drumming on the stained glass windows of the beautiful, historic library – perfect for a horror novel.
If you live in Northern Ireland and are celebrating Book Week NI, you can find out more from Libraries NI about events on near you.
It’s time to share my exciting news! My fourth novel, The Fairy Lights is coming soon. It’ll be published on 10 November 2022. The Fairy Lights is Book 2 in my Belfast Ghosts Series. Along with Book 1, The Blue Man, it’s a standalone novel that can be read on its own or enjoyed as part of a ghostly series. Want to know what it’s about?
The Fairy Lights: The ghost of Christmas that never was
Belfast Ghosts Series: Standalone Book 2 of 3
When Aisling moves into an old, Edwardian house in the university area of Stranmillis, Belfast, she soon discovers that her student digs are haunted. The house, bought by her grandfather decades ago, is also home to a spirit known by the nickname Jimbo.
As yuletide approaches, and Aisling’s Christmas fairy lights attract mischief from Jimbo, she seeks to find out more about the restless entity. With the help of a local psychic and friends from her History with Irish course, Aisling uncovers dark, buried truths. What is the connection with Friar’s Bush Graveyard just around the corner? What does Jimbo’s dusty book of the Oak King and Holly King, hidden in the attic, have to reveal? What will Aisling’s journey into the darkness of the spirit world reveal about Jimbo – and herself?
The old adage is true to some extent: writers write the books that they want to read. In my case I can say that this is true, though that’s where it gets a bit more complicated for me. I read widely; everything from poetry and literary fiction to speculative fiction, horror and experimental novels. This is reflected in my writing as a multi-genre author.
Horror is my favourite genre as a reader. It has always been an endless source of fascination, ever since I started binge-reading R.L. Stine, Stephen King and Dean Koontz from my pre-teen years onwards. I particularly love when there is an element of ambiguity in a horror plot. Have you seen the film, the Babadook? Not only is it scary, but there’s room for interpretation: is it all in her head? Due to mental illness? Or is the sinister entity a real supernatural fiend.
Photo: From IMDB
Ambiguity isn’t for everyone. Some horror fans want the supernatural element to be clear cut. I don’t. I enjoy multilayer plots that make you want to revisit the story to see if you missed anything. As a writer, this is also how I choose to present my own plots, though I tend to go for a 80/20 ratio; my horror stories present as supernatural with a bit of wiggle room, so that if the reader wants to make a different informed choice about what the book is saying, they can. I’m not going to insult my readers’ intelligence: if you read one of my books, you aren’t going to be spoon-fed, so don’t expect it.
Another reason I enjoy writing horror (The Blue Man) and psychological (The Buddha’s Bone) fiction is that I find these genres work best to show my ultimate goal in storytelling: writing that confronts the nature of self. All of my main characters undergo a dark psychological journey, have a crisis of identity, and create a new sense of self by the end. Whether that’s a dark sense of self, or a light one, comes down to the individual story.
Speaking of horror, I’m currently implementing feedback from my editor and proofreader on Book 2 of my Belfast Ghosts series. I’ll be writing another update on this novel soon. It isn’t a direct sequel of The Blue Man. In fact, they’re only related by theme; both are ghost horror and both are set in Belfast, Northern Ireland. That’s where the similarities end. More on Book 2 soon!
Research for the third novel in my Belfast Ghosts series. I’m up to 33,000 words or so of draft 1, but it’s involving more historical homework than I had envisaged. Not that such a task puts me off, of course. Although this is a horror novel, I want the historical aspects to ring true. I personally dislike it when I’m reading a book and important details from a different era are glossed over.
Haven’t heard of my Belfast Ghosts series? Well, here’s a rundown:
Book 1: The Blue Man (A haunted friendship across the decades) Book 2: Coming in November 2022. Stay tuned! Book 3: Scheduled for release in mid-2023, if all goes to plan.
It’s always nice when you find a quiet corner in a coffee shop where you can do some writing, editing or research. Sometimes the background noise helps me to focus. Or maybe it’s the caffeine.
Leilanie Stewart 