The Story Behind Sparks and Shadow
The best story ideas are born because of two words… what if?
Everly’s story began four years ago in the mountains of Utah. My husband and I sat on camp chairs next to a river and started discussing a story about a bike messenger in Seattle. We had recently watched the new Tomb Raider movie and Lara’s job as a bike messenger had stuck with me. I loved the idea of a fast-paced job where you have to know the ins and outs of a city. What kind of person would choose that kind of job? What ifs led to more brainstorming sessions and then Everly’s character came to life. She’s a rough-and-tumble girl who has fought tooth and nail to survive on the Seattle’s streets. She’s independent and fiercely loyal and she has a hero complex like you would not believe.
So now I had a character, but I had no story.
Later that year, I visited Ireland for the first time. I had dreamed of going there for years, and I immediately fell in love with the moss-covered trees and rolling hills of green. We spent hours wandering the forest, exploring well-worn trails and listening to distant waterfalls and streams. We walked through a small fairy village on an old property one day, and I took a million pictures of the little homes built into the trees.
What if…
The next thing I knew, the forest city of Thios came to life, where the trees are as big as skyscrapers and so tall that weather patterns form underneath the tree canopy. The Fae live inside the massive trees, and handmade rope bridges connect each home to its upstairs neighbors.
What if…
My tough bike messenger from Seattle had to get to this crazy beautiful forest city somehow, and what better way than an unwilling trip through a magic portal? Sprinkle in some elemental magic, a cast of weird characters, adventure, and slow-burn romance with a Fae who can change into a wolf… and you’ve got Sparks and Shadow.
Writing Everly’s story was an adventure, and I can’t wait to see where her mishaps will take her next!
-- Ceara Nobles
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
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.
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