Welcome to Shoot The Muse!--the homeworld of bestselling speculative fiction author Celina Summers. What do I do here you ask? Well, I shoot my Muses. If you're looking for Elf-Killing...well...that would be my blog.
THIS JUST IN:
Get The Asphodel Cycle in its entirety at Fictionwise and 1 Romance Ebooks!
New Reviews for The Asphodel Cycle!
ChrisChat Reviews gave a four out of four rating to The Asphodel Cycle 2: The Gift of Redemption:
"...There have been times I have felt cheated when reading a fantasy quest…Ms. Summers never cheats. Each of her books is packed with intensity and gentleness. Still she leaves you craving more.While reading "Gift of Redemption" I felt there was an underlying meaning to Tamsen's journey. There is more to her adventure and battle, she is learning her own truth, her strength of being. How does a writer capture this? This is the craft of writing, which Ms. Summers dominates..."
Novelspot gave an eight of ten rating to The Asphodel Cycle 2--The Gift of Redemption:
"...The Asphodel Cycle should appeal to fans of Tolkien: high fantasy, noble characters, a world-changing quest. Like Tepper and Lackey, Ms. Summers presents a strong, likable and imperfect heroine with a good cast of supporting characters. If you like High Fantasy combined with romance, you should enjoy the series. I strongly recommend it, and am looking forward to the concluding volumes..."
Love Romances And More gave a five out of five rating to The Asphodel Cycle 4--Apostle of Asphodel:
"...Ms. Summers creates complex characters that continue to grow as you read this series. All the characters, new and old, will keep your attention as you try to figure out along with Tamsen, what her objective is and if she can overcome the obstacles placed in her path. I highly enjoyed this entire series but am sincerely hoping Ms. Summers continues on with Asphodel and her great cast of characters..."
THE ASPHODEL CYCLE 4: APOSTLE OF ASPHODEL--AVAILABLE NOW from Aspen Mountain Press!
The exciting conclusion to The Asphodel Cycle!
Synopsis:
Tamsen Ka’antira has grown into a woman of incredible power as the Virgin Huntress’ player in the game of the gods. After discovering the Hippolytes, a fabled race of women devoted to the arts of combat, she must lead them back to the plains of Ilia to fight the greatest war of antiquity again. The pantheon of gods awaits her in their Hall of Judgment, where the ultimate fate of the Elven Realm will be determined. Not only must she defeat her uncle, Gabril de Spesialle, but she must contend with a renegade goddess whose sole purpose is to overthrow the pantheon and rule over a universe wrapped in chaos. But when Tamsen finds herself standing alone against overwhelming odds, she is forced to make sacrifices that threaten everything she loves. Can she find the strength to complete the game and redeem the Elven people? As the Apostle of Asphodel, Tamsen must transcend from a wielder of magic into a part of the magic itself.
Also Available now from Aspen Mountain Press!
Breaking the Covenants
The German vampire Gunther von Wittersheim has a problem: he’s fallen in love with a mortal woman, the English beauty Lady Marguerite Giffard, and his greatest immortal enemy, the French Comte Alphonse de Brunel, knows about it. When de Brunel captures Marguerite and turns her into a vampire, Gunther must put aside his desire for revenge and help his beloved through the painful transition to immortality.
Vampires are bound by the Covenants, a code of law enforced by the mysterious Conclave of Elders. The couple is ordered by the powerful Elder of Paris to bring de Brunel to the Conclave to answer for trial. The lovers pursue their foe to St. Petersburg, where they are caught in a power struggle between factions of warring vampires. Can they find a way to capture Alphonse de Brunel before the factions go to war? Or will their love fall prey to the breaking of the Covenants?
NOW AVAILABLE :Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a journey through the short stories of critically acclaimed author Celina Summers. Every story deals with a transformation--from a world where the Church places the blame for original sin upon men to a New Orleans garden that brings a play to life. The collection culminates with a previously unpublished prequel to Summers' best selling epic fantasy series The Asphodel Cycle. Sometimes funny, sometimes horrifying, Metamorphosis is a romp through the realms of speculative fiction--where anything can happen and nothing is quite as it seems. Edited by Lori Basiewicz and the cover art is by Renee George.
Love Romances and More has nominated The Asphodel Cycle 3: Temptation of Asphodel for the Golden Rose Award as Best Sci Fi/Fantasy Novel of 2007! I am shocked and honored to even be mentioned on the same nominee list as Christine Feehan, one of my idols. Thanks to all the devoted fans of Asphodel for your continued support of me and my work!
How about the book trailer for
Breaking the Covenants?Breaking the Covenants
Check out my interview with AuthorScoop in their new Five Minutes Alone With...series. This is a great site, chock full of literary news and fabulous articles. Go check them out!
Nominated for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novel of 2008 by Preditors & Editors and Love Romances and More E-Cafe.
"...Tamsen is a strong yet vulnerable character that delves into a world of magic, political Intrigue and finds a love so strong it is her core strength. With many characters that find a way to keep the story moving, Ms. Summers delivers a stunning addition to the Fantasy world. If you love Lord of the Rings, then add Ms. Summers’ Asphodel series to your collection. She will definitely keep you on the edge as you find yourself rooting for Tamsen to take the step that will give the Elven realm their redemption..." --Love Romances and More
"...This has to be the best fantasy romance I have ever read. I could not put this book down until I had read the final page. While it is clearly the second book in a series, the author does such a good job of weaving background information into the storyline that the reader never feels cheated. Ms. Summers skillfully draws her readers into the book. The characters are so realistic that they appear to step from the pages. A devilishly wonderful book that I highly recommend to one and all!"-- Regina from Coffee Time Romance--and she gave GoR FIVE cups!!
From Bitten by Books:
"...I’m giving The Gift of Redemption 4 ½ tombstones. I loved revisiting the characters, and watching them grow – especially Tamsen – was a delight. Celina Summers really packs in the drama and love that was so evident in her first novel into this action-packed delight. There is a scene at the end that left me in tears..."--Brianna at Bitten by Books
More reviews as they come in--stay tuned!
Be sure you check out my blog Elf Killing and Other Hobbies for updates on Redemption and the rest of my wild and wacky writing career.
What's Going On Now?
Aspen Mountain Press will be publishing several more books of mine this year. First is my short story collection Metamorphosis. It's a grouping of stories ranging from humor to horror and includes a previously unpublished prequel to the Asphodel novels that might explain a few things.
My fellow writer at AMP, Rob Graham, and I are preparing for the release for the first book of our dark fantasy trilogy The Vampire Covenants. The first book of the series, Breaking the Covenants, should be released this April. No Elves in this one, I'm afraid.
Only vampires.
Finally, the last installment of The Asphodel Cycle will be released this May. Stay tuned for more details on the Apostle of Asphodel and be prepared for an extravagant and spectacular end to the saga of Tamsen and Brial!
The Reckoning of Asphodel was a top ten finalist for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel of 2007 on the ever so fabulous Preditors & Editors Readers' Poll. Asphodel spent some time at number one on Fictionwise.com best seller list for Fantasy novels!
The Reckoning of Asphodel had one heck of a year. Be sure to check out my reviews page to get an idea of how fabulous it was. The Gift of Redemption has followed in Asphodel's footsteps, spending time this summer on the bestseller lists at both Fictionwise and Amazon. The third book in the Asphodel Cycle, The Temptation of Asphodel was released in November of 2008. There's a lot more of Tamsen and Brial to go!
My short story, "One Hell of a Cat," was released by New Myths ezine in March, 2008. Go check out their site!
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