📚 A Bookish Chat with 'Sparks and Shadow' Ceara Nobles @CearaNobles #AuthorInterview #BlogTour #Interview
Ceara Nobles is a Utah-based author of romantic suspense and fantasy novels. She graduated from the University of Utah in 2016 with a B.A. in Computer Animation, then realized she hated it. Now she spends her days juggling her side hustle as a line editor and her true love of authorship. When she’s not busy writing, you can find her chasing her toddler, road tripping with her hubby, or hiding in bed with a chai and a good book.
Her latest book is the YA Fantasy, SPARKS AND SHADOW.
Visit her website at www.cearanobles.com or connect with her at Facebook and Instagram.
TWL: Welcome to The Writer's Life! How did you come up with the idea to write your book?
Ceara Nobles: It’s a funny story, actually. It all started on a camping trip with my husband. We sat in camp chairs by the river and dreamed up a story about a bike messenger from Seattle. That fall, we went on a trip to Ireland and I fell in love with the moss-covered trees and Fae mythology, and I’ve always loved the idea of portals and adventures in worlds full of magic. When I combined all that with our original bike messenger idea, Sparks and Shadow sprang to life!
TWL: Can you give us a short excerpt?
Ceara: Of course! Here you go:
Seattle was full
of monsters.
I’m not talking
about the petty criminals, drug dealers, and
other miscellaneous jerks that flooded the
streets every day. No, I’m
talking about real-life, stuff-of-nightmares
monsters—but these
weren’t confined to the midnight recesses
of the mind.
They stood in line
at Honey Hole, waiting for a sandwich like it
was the most natural thing in the world.
It was one o’clock
in the afternoon, just past the lunch rush, and
most couriers in the area had gathered at
Honey Hole for Al’s
gourmet sandwiches. A line of pedal bikes
leaned haphazardly
against the building’s cement wall and my
co-workers sprawled on
the sidewalk, gossiping about the day’s
deliveries between bites.
I sat on my bike,
leaning forward against the handlebars, and
watched a tall, horrific monster covered
in scales have a friendly chat
with the woman in line behind him.
Part of me—the
part that never learned—wanted to run inside
and yank the woman away from him, but
there was a big problem
with that.
I was the only one
who could see them.
Tapping my foot, I
forced myself to look away from the big
window and down at my phone. The smell of
freshly baked bread
tantalized my nose. My stomach growled, but
I ignored it. Since
everyone else was eating, it was the
perfect time for me to get a few
good gigs with no competition.
“Hey, Everly.”
Peter leaned forward, crossing his arms over the
handlebars of his ridiculously expensive
Diamondback. His overly
gelled blond hair gleamed in the afternoon
sunlight. “Get any good
gigs today? I got one that paid a hundred
bucks to deliver a letter
across town.”
I smiled sweetly
through clenched teeth. “That sounds like a gig I
would’ve had if someone hadn’t kicked my
tire and made me crash.”
Into a hot dog
stand. In the middle of the morning rush. With
fifteen witnesses.
I hated Peter’s
guts. He’d stolen dozens of good gigs from me with
underhanded moves like that.
Peter threw back
his head and laughed. He glanced around as if
we had a captive audience, but everyone
was busy with their lunch.
“That’s unfortunate,” he said. “I guess
you just weren’t fast enough.”
My eyes narrowed.
I took a step forward to show him exactly how
fast I was, but the ‘ding’ of an app notification
stopped me. A
similar tune echoed from the pockets of
all the surrounding
couriers. I flipped open the old phone and
unlocked it. There, in
snappy red letters, an announcement blazed
up at me.
NEW GIG,
GO-CARTERS!
I tapped the
notification with my thumb and a map appeared on
the screen with a route from my location
to a red X. Just underneath
the X, a small yellow box read, “$250.00.”
Peter let out a
long whistle and shifted on his bike, placing his
right foot on the pedal. His dull brown
eyes met mine, and the
challenge there sent a shot of adrenaline
through my veins. “Don’t
bother with this one, E. I’m especially
motivated this afternoon.”
I slid my phone
into the pocket of my jeans and gave him a cool
smile. “We’ll see about that.”
TWL: What part of the book was the most fun to write?
Ceara: Oh man, it’s a tie between the magic system and the world-building. I had a blast dreaming up this crazy city of Thios, where the trees are as big as sky-scrapers and so tall that all the weather happens underneath the tree canopy. It was also fun to create my elemental magick and elemental technology system (but the latter is a secret!) and brainstorm how it could impact the society. For example, when you bond with an element, it brands itself in a tattoo somewhere on your body. The more you advance your magick, the more your tattoo grows. But there’s a big caveat with that—if your tattoo is damaged, it will destroy your bond and kill you in the process. The more powerful you become, the bigger your weakness. Even a paper cut in the wrong place could kill you!
TWL: What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?
Ceara: People might be surprised to learn that this is ultimately a love story. It’s a love story between Everly and another character in the book, but it’s also a love story between Everly and herself. The society of Thios is tackling some major issues that correlate with societal issues we face today, but ultimately it’s about Everly and her journey to self-forgiveness.
TWL: What other books are you working on and when will they be published?
Ceara: I have four books planned in the Rising Elements series. Book two is slated to be published in August, and the final two books will be out by February 2023. You won’t have to wait long to complete Everly’s story! After that, I have a companion series that I think will be fun to play with.
TWL: Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?
Ceara: Sparks and Shadow is a story of redemption, forgiveness, loyalty, and found family. The moral of the story is that you can find a home and a family anywhere, and that good will triumph over evil.
TWL: Do you have any final words?
Ceara: Sparks and Shadow is a story
that’s been brewing in my mind for years now, and I’m so thrilled for the world
to finally meet Everly and join her on a fast-paced adventure through a portal
and into the world of Faery. Get ready to meet a fun cast of characters facing
insurmountable odds and forces beyond their control. I hope you love this story
as much as I do!
Title: SPARKS AND SHADOW (Rising Elements Book 1)
Author: Ceara Nobles
Publisher: Riverside Press
Genre: YA Fantasy
BOOK BLURB:
Seattle is full of monsters, and I’m the only one who can see them.
I’ve spent the last 17 years (AKA my whole life) pretending I can’t see the monsters who disguise themselves as humans. I may not have a place to live and my best friend may be moments away from getting in too deep with the city’s most dangerous drug lord, but I’m rolling with the status quo.
That is, until I save my arch enemy’s stupid life and find myself in a warehouse full of monsters.
Next thing I know, I’m in Monster Land (AKA not Seattle) and up to my ears in monsters, magic, and inevitable mayhem. If I want to get home, I have to join a band of revolutionaries and stay alive long enough to get back through the portal before war breaks out.
This’ll be a cinch.
Sparks and Shadow is a modern, action-packed YA portal fantasy featuring Fae mythology, magic, and slow-burn romance. This is the first book in the Rising Elements series.
Book Information
Release Date: March 4, 2022
Publisher: Riverside Press
Kindle eBook: ASIN: B09HRFLWSW; $3.99
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3G2IYcN
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