Oh, that is excellent. And yes, the history of Trellech is fascinating, and the bubbling well.
(I've been to Tintern Abbey, not too far away, though many years in the past now. One of these days I will make it back to Wales and see Trellech as it is for us.)
You are not alone in this!
The first book has a librarian as a heroine, and I have plans to spend a lot of time around the Trellech library in future books in the series.
For those who don't know, I'm a research librarian by day job, and I spent a lot of 2025 moving books in our collection to make room for new circulating ones.
(I have also figured out where this library retrofitted their elevator and where the dumbwaiter from storage is.)
This is the Mysterious Societies series, spending a book with each of Albion's main secret societies.
The first one now has a title! It's called The Heart of The Work, takes place in 1919. I am prepared to be extremely geeky about Edmund of Langley and what he might have been up to magically.
My next series is spending a lot of time in and around the main library in the magical capital of Albion.
I spent a lot of this afternoon mapping it out and figuring out what the staffing numbers are.
I somehow seem to have more than sufficient shelving.
This is how we know this is a fantasy.
And I do a pass through ProWritingAid before it goes to my editor: I turn off all of their AI suggestions. What I use is "does this comma need to be here" flagging, and detailed (set up by me) style guide consistency.
Also, no, Alexander, you may not have a 60 word sentence.
Scrivener: outlining, structure, and editing (I have upcoming projects where I will probably draft in there for footnote/annotation reasons)
4theWords: drafting
Obsidian: my authorial wiki + research notes (so many notes coming!)
Google Docs for my editor + early readers
Vellum: layout
The first sonnet in the quoted thread is my favourite of his, because, well.
Look at the phrase structure and what it does, and know that its title is "Janus: Sonnet".
Mike was absolutely stunningly brilliant, and yes, you should read anything of his. This thread had two of his sonnets, and there are many many others wonderful bits and pieces.
nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/... has links to (12!) collections of various things he did on Making Light over time.
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.
And here is another sheep from the upper pasture, because we like random sheep around here.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Applying in '93 - tours to colleges to a) see if I liked them, b) learn more about specific programs (I was potentially majoring in music), and c) do an in-person interview at about half of them.
But also looking at schools within reasonable driving distance (a few hours), no big tour fuss, etc.
It's been in the top five favourite book lists since I read it in 1994, just before going to college.
(Friends had a room over an archway, from which we did carefully fling my copy of Liddell and Scott at one point. As one might given the opportunity.)
I am always here for bits of Newton history, this is a fantastic thread.
This is a fantastic summary of the Avignon Papacy, and also hilariously put in places.
Because @celialake.bsky.social did a thread about her books and what she writes and why, I decided to do something of the same, and then today happened and I'm only just getting around to it.
I don't just edit, I write things. The published ones are short stories.
I am so glad that resonates!
(And also the rekindling your love of history - I'm getting such a delight out of what you share about what you're reading now.)
These are just some of the many things swirling around inside my head. Making things better. Having hope. Letting beauty and magic touch us and inspire us and move us. Looking up and forward.
Blog post version (with a few more details) at www.celialake.com/2026/04/a-sm...
I hope that whatever you're reading (watching, listening to, talking about with friends and people who know different things than you do...) brings you joy and hope, whatever else it does.
If any of these comments intrigue, a handy guide for new readers at www.celialake.com/for-new-read....
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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'.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I got my second on Friday, and it was fine!
(It was much like the first, honestly: my immune system was definitely busy, I had an extended nap on Saturday, I was not my best self, my temperature regulation was iffier than its usual bad. But nothing super miserable.)
Wish the same ease for you!
My family all has lousy fine motor skills until we get to about our late teens. (And we all then independently developed distinctive and readable handwriting.)
I didn't quite get shamed for my handwriting, but I did have (in the 80s/90s) "Ok, you finished your assignment fast. Go recopy it."
Besides cookies, I use my cookie trays to freeze fruit puree (usually raspberry or cherry) to put in my water bottle and make tasty fizzy water.
The current mode is (for a 32 ounce bottle) 2 frozen fruit pucks, ice, some lime juice or lime powder, fill with fizzy water.
Small easy tasty treat!
I'm getting my second on Friday! (and I saw that research and it's fascinating...)