Celia Lake

@celialake

Author (cosy historical fantasy romance) : avid devourer of information : librarian by day : knitter : general geek in several directions. and

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Celia Lake@celialake· 18d

Why a cidery? Brave Truth (coming out August 7th) has some plot load-bearing cider. So load-bearing, in fact, that the cider's on the cover. (Hat tip to @augustascarlett.bsky.social for deftly managing this!) I figured I ought to have some to celebrate the release. celialake.com/book/brave-t...

Brave Truth by Celia Lake displayed on a a tablet resting on scattered brightly coloured flowers, some pink, some purple, some gloriously yellow.

The cover has two men in suits, cut for 1950, silhouetted on a bright orange and red background with a stone tower behind them. The man on the left is stockier, hands grasped behind his back, the slighter man in the centre stands ready to move in any direction, one hand reaching for bottles of amber cider on a table to the right. Stars circle around them.

Celia Lake@celialake· 18d

I went up to a cidery today for book-related reasons. I picked blueberries, assembled a jar of cut flowers, had lunch, and acquired cider. More (including more photos) over here: www.patreon.com/celialake/po... Blueberry snacking has commenced, there is no bad here.

A bouquet of flowers in a glass jar sitting on some concrete pavement with other greenery behind. The flowers are a mix of white, yellew, and some bright pink.

We have cosmos (the bright pink flowers, one at the top, one at each side), salvia (the white stem with little purple buds off to the right), white and yellow snapdragons, and white and (not really visible from this angle) deep purple lisianthus.

Celia Lake@celialake· 18d

The Fossil Door is the romance of Gabe and Rathna, set near Glencoe, in the Scottish Highlands (and some glorious wildlife) in 1922. Gabe: an entire bundle of impulse (and ADHD) who is devoting his life to untangling odd magical problems. May climb out a window with only minimal provocation.

The Fossil Door by Celia Lake displayed on a phone resting on two dozen tumbled stones, ranging from purples to greens. On the cover, a man and woman in 1920s dress stand silhouetted on a bright burgundy and glowing orange background. An illuminated book is inset in the top left corner.

Celia Lake@celialake· 18d

Looking for some fantastic cosy fantasy reads on sale today? (Friday, July 24th.) Check out www.cozyupwithfantasy.com for books from over 70 different authors for 99 cents! And if you're looking for cosy fantasy romance in particular, here's some books to check out, including The Fossil Door.

99c Cozy Fantasy and Romance - Today only, CozyUpWithFantasy.com. Eighteen book covers are displayed in three rows of six columns, making a bright mosaic with plenty of green. Starting at the top row, they are:
Snow Swept by C.K. Beggan, When the Witch Met the Minotaur by Lila Appleton, Tea Princess Chronicles by Casey Blair, Bespoke & Bespelled by Karen Healey, Love and Historical Events by Mary Stephenson Su, and The Lord of Stariel by A.J. Lancaster.
The middle row has Growing Memories by Jaime Ryanne, That Girl who Ran Off And Kissed a Vampire by KrisMcIntire, Pruning the Vampire by Maria Robin, Deceiving the Cursed Beast by Jen Lynning, Witch and Her Dragon by Emberly Wyndham, and Dear Diary by Maria Cardno.
The third row has The Fae's Bride by R. L. Medina, Princess and Pastries by Laura Greenwood, A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence by Stephanie Burgis, The Fossil Door by Celia Lake (that's me!), Rescued by Her Yeti by Neva Post, and Tea and Treachery at the Infinite Pantry by Jo Miles.

Celia Lake@celialake· Jun 23

Looking for some fun sapphic reads? IHeartSapphFic is featuring books from Washington and England this week! You can enter to win a whole host of books set in these two places, including my Claiming the Tower. iheartsapphfic.com/2026/06/22/2...

I Heart SapphFic 2026 Sapphic Reading Challenge : Week #24 Washington and England. The image has bright rainbow around and behind the text, with all sorts of different modes of transportation : ship, map, luggage, a globe, a car, a postcard, and plane.

Celia Lake@celialake· Jun 19

I appear to have successfully made my first Victoria sponge cake! (Traditional mode: weigh the eggs and then match that weight with the sugar, butter, and self-rising flour), raspberry jam, icing sugar dusted on top. The cake is for tomorrow, but the test scrap + jam is fantastic.

A round cake, golden brown except where it's been dusted with white icing sugar, on a broad circular blue cake storage base. It's sitting on a wooden table by a window, looking out on a prolific bit of garden greenery and a tiger lily or three, with white linen curtains framing it.

Celia Lake@celialake· Jun 2

Four Walls and a Heart is about figuring out what to do with your life after everything changes. It's about checking in with old acquaintances, fumbling through figuring out what's next, and a bit of seaside recuperation. Also a small architectural mystery.

Four Walls and a Heart displayed on a tablet, resting on small red and dark pink heart biscuits. The cover is a deep red with a blue window in the background. Two men are silhouetted in the foreground, both wearing hats and suits suitable to the late 1800s. One is seated in a wheelchair, his left leg missing from below the knee. The other is standing, talking to him attentively.

Celia Lake@celialake· Jun 2

Queer Quarterly Indie Pride book sale today (June 2nd) through June 4th! Almost 200 books for $0.99 USD (or your equivalent). www.mnbennet.com/pride-promo Get my 1884 m/m novella, Four Walls and a Heart! (It's under the Fantasy section.)

Clocks in radiant neon colours (blues, purples, into vibrant magenta) with pride hearts. Text reads: Queer Quarterly Indie Book Sale : June 2nd-4th, almost 200 books for .99.

Celia Lake@celialake· May 21

And this is Astra a few days earlier that, using my crossed legs and stomach as a pillow. (This is one of her favourite positions, though sometimes we have 'cat stretching left paw up to my shoulder, using my crossed ankles as a prop')

A black cat with one white whisker, taken verticallyfrom above, paws stretched to the left, head resting on the photographer's crossed ankles and stomach.) There is a bit of sprawled cat fur not in focus to the top left of the image.

Celia Lake@celialake· May 21

I've shared this one recently here (so bonus cat in the reply) but this is Astra being deeply confused about why I was spending so much time in the living room (because my main keyboard died).

A black cat curled up on her right side (facing left) on a navy blanket, paws tucked into her chest, ear pointing to the top.

Celia Lake@celialake· May 18

Looking for some free LGBTQ fantasy to fill up your reading list? Check out these great books! books.bookfunnel.com/faromay2026/...

Two hands - one with darker brown skin, one with white skin - holding up rainbow hearts with the sun behind them. Text: FaRo Society LGBTQ+ Free Fantasy Romance: May 1st to 31st.

Celia Lake@celialake· May 17

Today's cat is very confused by why I am in the living room so much more. (Confusion not visible in the photo) My main keyboard decided that the control key either wouldn't work or would stick. Neither of these works for other typing. New one en route. I'm on the old laptop in the living room.

A black cat curled into an oval on the edge of a couch, her ear pointing up toward the top of the image. She's got her paws tucked up into her chest, sleeping on a navy blanket.

Celia Lake@celialake· May 8

I've got Eclipse on sale for $0.99 (or your local equivalent). Eclipse is a friends-to-lovers staffroom romance set in the 1924-1925 school year, full of astronomy, problems students can cause with magic, problems to be solved, a theatre revue, and people figuring out how to find joy together.

Eclipse by Celia Lake displayed on a tablet resting on pine boughs, surrounded by five pointed stars. The cover has a man and woman wearing academic gowns silhouetted against a twilight background. The woman is gesturing up to the sky, where they're both looking. A telescope is inset in the top left.

Celia Lake@celialake· May 8

Do you need some cosy fantasy reading? (I do. I always do.) Today (May 8th) is the Cozy the Day Away sale. 100+ books on sale, great options for filtering by other genre aspects and representation, and multiple formats on offer. cozyfantasysale.promisepress.org

A little blue book dragon reading, surrounded by books, with "Cozy the Day Away Sale" in a half circle about them. Text reads: "A 24-hour sale specifically for the cozy fantasy genre. Friday May 8th. Cozyfantasysale.promisepress.org"

Celia Lake@celialake· May 1

Do you need a little selkie magic and people righting some wrongs in the world? Unknown Depths is out today! celialake.com/book/unknown... Something's wrong in the waters around Orkney in 1949. When Thom asks for help, he gets Rowena, who brings unexpected skills to solving the problem.

The cover of Unknown Depths by Celia Lake displayed on a phone resting on top of a number of small tumpled stones - amethysts, some green stones, agates. The cover has a man and woman silhouetted against a blue background with a large wave behind them. He's in a 1940s flat cap and jacket, she's wearing a shalwar kameez, her dupatta hanging off one arm. Both of them are looking down at and speaking with a male grey seal, given the roman nose on the seal.

Celia Lake@celialake· Apr 11

And here is another sheep from the upper pasture, because we like random sheep around here.

A white sheep grazing, head down, framed by a branch that angles from the top left of the image toward the middle of the right side, a curve angling around the sheep's body.

Celia Lake@celialake· Apr 11

And there were lambs! Lambs were the point of the current exercise. I did not catch them in the act, but these lambs were gamboling just moments earlier.

Three lambs in the centre of the image on the top of a small hill in a small pasture with farm buildings in the background. One, standing looking to the left, is black. One - hind end to the camera - is white. The one on the right - also facing left - is beige, head down to commune with their friend.

Celia Lake@celialake· Apr 11

An excellent morning! The world is on fire, but also it is spring, and there are lambs and kids in the world. I went out to Drumlin Farm (working farm and wildlife sanctuary) for my walk this morning. This is Stella. She's a Holstein-Hereford cross, and she'll be a year old on (US) Mother's Day.

A cow - maybe three feet away - stands in a field. She has a pure white head, dark ears, and her body is mostly black, with large white patches on her belly and down her legs. Her face is turned to the viewer. In the background, it's barely possible to see another black and white cow at the top of a slow rising hill.

Celia Lake@celialake· Apr 7

And this month, I'm thinking a lot about how long-term connections (and family) change and shape us. How children are their own selves. Unknown Depths is coming out May 1st, exploring the third generation of the Edgarton family in my books. Selkies, ocean, freedom, and choice.

Unknown Depths by Celia Lake, resting on a layer of carved stone hearts shading from white to deep green. The cover has a man and woman silhouetted against a blue background with a wave rising up above them. They are looking down, in conversation with a grey seal. He wears a peaked cap, jacket, and boots, while she has a long braid down her back and is wearing a shalwar kameez with a bit of her dupatta hanging over her arm.

Celia Lake@celialake· Apr 7

I live in hope of a world where people can treat each other with respect, work together to do better, and realise when they've done something wrong that needs fixing. And with each book, I hope I'm writing a little more of that into being. People can grow and change and figure things out. Right?

Fool's Gold by Celia Lake on a tablet, resting on a book on a bed, with three red roses leaning nearby. The cover has a silhouetted man and woman turning toward each other on a brilliant green and purple background. He wears a long jacket, his back to the viewer, while she looks toward the viewer in a 1920s dress. A pile of coins is inset in the top left.

Celia Lake@celialake· Apr 7

Sometimes, it's a relief to spend time with some historical problems, rather than current ones. (I don't know about you, but for me, knowing that we've got through awful, horrible, world-destroying things somehow in the past helps now...) In this one, the plans and deception leading to D-Day.

Illusion of a Boar by Celia Lake on a bed of greenery and small blue flowers, like stars scattering the night. The cover has two silhouetted men and women in World War II Army and ATS uniforms standing at a table, on a ground of deep gold with an astrological chart behind them. The man and woman at centre are vigorously discussing something, her hand raised as she's making a point, as the other two are looking at something on the table.

Celia Lake@celialake· Apr 7

Each book is a chance to get to know more people, living in a world that's like ours, with a bit more visible magic. They have some of our problems. They have some problems I don't have. I love figuring out how that works. What the options look like. How to get to 'happily ever after'.

Facets of the Bench by Celia Lake on a tablet sitting on a white table with lavender and white flowers with purple centres. The purple picks up the blue-purple of the frame around figures on the cover. On the cover area man and woman in silhouette. She's showing him a necklace as he sits in a wheelchair with forearm crutches propped against the chair, reaching out his hand toward the pendant.

Celia Lake@celialake· Apr 7

I love diving into learning about new topics for every book. Book binding. Shoemaking. Perfume. Weaving. London. Music. (Getting classical music back in my life...) I write people like me and my friends (chronic health issues, disability, neurodiverse brains, and all) finding love & adventure.

Harmonic Pleasure by Celia Lake displayed on a tablet on a bridge overlooking London, with Big Ben and Westminster Abbey visible. On the cover, a man and woman in 1920s dress silhouetted on a blue background. She holds an amulet in her hand as they speak to each other. A golden torc is inset in the top right corner.

Celia Lake@celialake· Apr 7

Today's a grey day here. It's a good day to talk about a thing I love. I write books about romance, about things getting better after challenging times, about getting through tricky bits in good company. Making the world better together. What do I love about writing? Exploring and learning.

Eclipse, by Celia Lake, resting on an open book and green grass, highlighted by a line of yellow leaves that picks out the yellow of the title. The cover has a man and woman wearing academic robes in silhouette on a twilight blue and sunset orange background. She is gesturing up toward the sky, a sweep of the arm that's all about reaching for the wonder of the stars, as he looks where she's indicating. A telescope is inset in the top left.

Celia Lake@celialake· Feb 18

Today's void, sleeping the sleep of the virtuous excellent cat. (I woke up at 6am this morning, 2 hours before I wanted to be up. 5 minutes later, there was a firm softly vibrating weight on my shoulder, and I went back to sleep.)

A black cat curled up in an oval sleeping on a beige cat bed with soft raised sides, her ear sticking out at the top left. Her paws are tucked into the circle, and her fur makes it clear this is an entirely soft and pettable cat.

Celia Lake@celialake· Feb 18

I'm contributing to The Books They Can't Burn, a FaRo Society auction against book banning! Bid on books, art, and chances to talk to authors (including me!) Auction runs until February 25th, 2026 www.32auctions.com/faro2026

Fire around blue background: I'm contributing to The Books They Can't Burn Charity Auction from the FaRo Society supporting PEN America: www.32auctions.com/faro2026

Celia Lake@celialake· Feb 6

Out today! Distilling Sunlight is a late-in-life romance in 1928 in the magical community of Britain involving an alchemist, a beer brewer, and several puzzles. Among them how to be a good parent and how to move from having a good life to a better one. celialake.com/book/d...

Cover of Distilling Sunlight by Celia Lake displayed on a tablet resting on a heart made of green and white heart-shaped rocks on a white background. On the cover a man and woman in 1920s clothing - he has a peaked cap - stand silhouetted on a glowing golden and amber background swirled with stars. They're holding bottles of beer, the same gold as the background, with hops and other ingredients inset in the upper right corner.

Celia Lake@celialake· Feb 2

Looking for an escape into a magical read? Today, February 2nd, check out the 250+ fantasy romance books for sale for 99 cents! Check out some of the gaslamp books here, including my Enchanted Net. farosociety.com/book...

Farobub .99 sale: Gaslamp fantasy romance : farosociety.com/bookblast. Six books are displayed on the image on a dark green background, in two rows of three books each. The books have shades of purple and red and dusty pink, full of swirls and ornamentation. Enchanted Net, Celia's book, has a couple in Victorian dress silhouetted facing away from the viewer. The woman holds a glass of wine, looking over her shoulder at the man, a book inset in the top left corner. The background evokes damask wallpaper in purple and soft lilac, with pipes running around the edges and a lightning bolt coming down from the top right almost touching the figures. The titles are: Treaties of Moial, a trilogy from Jen Lynning. The Musician and the Monster by Megan Van Dyke. Capturing the Baron's Heart from Gwynfira Blythe. The Desert Heiress from Shoshana Rain. Enchanted Net from Celia Lake. Coven of Ill Repute from S.L. Prater.

Celia Lake@celialake· Feb 1

Here is Astra, my own void. This is from a couple of years ago: she now has one white whisker. I call her my silent cat of doom because she doesn't make much noise (she had a rough first year before I got her from the human society and never entirely learned how to Cat.) She is best, though.

A black cat on her side, paws tucked into her stomach, lying on a yoga mat with a purple galaxy print on it, contrasting nicely with her void nature. She's looking at the camera with a certain amount of dubiousness, sun accenting the tops of her paws and her muzzle.

Celia Lake@celialake· Jan 28

Get you a cat who, when you are having a day of modest annoyances, shows up on your lap purring her heart out. (Photo is not of cat in the current moment. My knee is badly lit, my skirt is black, and there is going to be no contrast in the picture if I try.)