Genevieve Iseult Eldredge's Blog

NEMESIS: Now in Paperback!

Dear Readers,If you're like me, you love your e-reader, but nothing is quite like having the real, physical book in your hot little hands. I'm very excited to announce that CIRCUIT FAE 4: NEMESIS is now available in paperback from AMAZONandBARNES & NOBLE!DESCRIPTIONWhat would you do if your beloved girlfriend suddenly became your worst enemy? That dilemma’s all too real for Syl Skye, the last princess of the fair Fae.Even though Syl is all things sun and Summer, she’s drawn to her polar opposite, Rouen Rivoche, the dark Fae princess-assassin of the Winter Court.They should be mortal enemies, but they’re best friends. Girlfriends. In love.That is, until Roue falls under a dark spell that makes her forget all about Syl, their lives and their love. Now Roue rules Dark Faerie as a cruel and cold Queen. A Circuit Fae who can harness the killing magic in technology, she wants nothing more than to destroy Syl and her fair Fae people. But when an old enemy brings both Faerie realms to the brink of destruction, only their queens, Syl and Rouen, can save the day—and only if they can put their differences aside for two seconds and team up.With the clock’s ticking on Syl and Roue’s relationship—not to mention all of Faerie—will Rouen remember the love she and Syl once shared, or is she destined to be Syl’s nemesis forever? Read a sneak peak of Chapter One here.See what readers are saying about NEMESIS here.Thanks for reading! xoxo,~GIE

GIE Revs and Recs: Frozen 2

Hello Readers,If you know anything about me at all, you probably know I'm a Frozen fan. With Elsa being such an important figure for the LGBTQ+ community, how could I not be? I loved her journey from having to hide who she was to having the confidence to live her truth. It's one of the greatest things about Frozen.One of the other greatest things is the focus on the deep, loving relationship between two women. Jennifer Lee and her team at Disney did a great job showing that in Frozen, with Anna sacrificing everything for sisterly love, all the way through Frozen Fever and Olaf's Frozen Adventure. Did Frozen 2 measure up? I'll tell you below. NON-SPOILERY REVIEWYes, mostly. While the storytelling isn't as tight, and they tried to retrofit a just a little too much mythology,Frozen 2 hits all the emotional marks you want, love, and need in a Frozen movie. All the Elsa/Anna feels and teamwork, plus a good, healthy dose of sisterly tension. Olaf is adorable and funny as ever. Sven and Kristoff steal hearts as lovable, goofy support and great examples on nontoxic masculinity. Overall, the focus stays where it should be: on Elsa and Anna, and their discovery of their past and future. Okay, that being said, let's get to the real talk. Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD!While not as tightly plotted as Frozen, Frozen 2 nevertheless delivers all the magical, emotional punch of the first installment. Elsa's journey of self-discovery continues, only this time it leads her into a past that is not what it seems, and Anna also realizes her own inner strengths. Some darker themes are explored here, from growing up and not wanting things to change to finding out your parents are less than perfect. Through it all, Elsa stays true to herself--the strong young woman we first saw in "Let it Go"--but in Frozen 2, she ups the ante by showing us that it's all right to leave a life we don't want for ourselves, even if others think that's where we belong.Anna also has substantial growth in this installment, making a tough transition from lonely girl to respected queen, with all the requisite bumps along the way. If there's one thing Anna shows us it's that sometimes you have to work hard for hope. I loved all the interactions between Elsa and Anna, from charades to "then don't RUN INTO FIRE." As always, the sisters are best when the writers play them to their strengths, Elsa stubborn and Anna fiery. I loved that they were depicted as older, growing up, and I felt that Olaf's musings highlighted that nicely and put a funny spin on it. His recap of the first movie is nothing short of genius. "They still have their parents... Their parents are DEAD."Kristoff works as adorable, goody comic relief with Sven and, with Anna, he's a Disney prince secure enough in his masculinity to not mind being relegated to support. Really, Kristoff's true strength is believing in his loved ones and supporting them even when he's feeling hurt. "My love is not fragile," he says.Hmmm... must've learned that from the love experts.Musically, there are two "Let it Go" moments. The first,"Into the Unknown," comes at the same point as LIG, but it's more of a call to adventure, very similar to Hercules "Go the Distance." The other is "Show Yourself," which felt a little more Elsa to me, as it's about discovering not only who the mysterious voice is but who she really is and on what path her destiny lies. The animation is beautiful, although nothing quite impresses like that ice castle in the original. Still, the ice horse and water sequences are lovely and certainly look great in 3D. I did feel that they tried to retrofit a little to much mythology with the Northuldra, especially if you weren't fortunate enough to see Frozen on Broadway (which filled in a few of the blanks here), but I am so very glad that they paid proper respect to the native peopleson whom the characters were based. All in all, a satisfying follow-up. I just have one question:Can Elsa, the fifth spirit, and Lee-Loo, the fifth element, hang out? Overall, Frozen 2 is a rollercoaster of emotions that should satisfy any Frozen fan, adult or child. Warning: you will need tissues. xox,GIEP.S. A post about "Give Elsa a Girlfriend" may follow, if there's interest. Let me know!

MORIBUND: Amazon Best Seller!

It's official! CIRCUIT FAE: MORIBUND is an Amazon Best Seller! I feel honored to be on the lists with such amazing reads as CRIER'S WAR and GIDEON THE NINTH(which is next on my reading list--yay!)Thank you so much to all the readers, reviewers, bloggers, friends, fans, and family who've supported me and this series! It's very close to my heart because, growing up, I didn't have any books like these at all, where teen lesbians had romance and adventures. Heck, I never really thought books like this would ever exist. So in a way, these are kind of a love letter to my younger self, trying to tell her that it's okay--you're doing great, kid. And I'm so glad and honored to hear from readers who tell me they see themselves in Syl and Rouen. I always knew the kind of book I'd want to read as a teen.I hope I got it right, y'all. xoxo,~GIE

Joywriting: Navigating the Writing Life

Hey Reader,Thanks for dropping in to catch up! It's been a whirlwind year so far. CIRCUIT FAE: REKINDLED and CIRCUIT FAE 4: NEMESIS released, and we had a cover reveal for CIRCUIT FAE 5: EIDOLON, the epic conclusion, which releases on March 3, 2020.In other news, in July, I went out on submission for my enemies-to-lovers teen lesbian knights book. Right now, it's in the hands of a dozen or so people who will decide whether or not it gets published.Some days, I can barely wrap my head around it. Here's the thing: the writing life is hard. It's like, you write a book and you send it out into the universe, and then, you have to let go of all your expectations of the outcome. It is just bizarre. The only thing you have control over is the product you produce. Everything else--Will it get published? Will it get good/bad reviews? Will I get the chance to write another?--is all up in the air. Once you write that book and send it off to your agent, you have literally no control over what happens. After a few months of being out on sub, I realized a thing: this can really mess with your brain. As my agent sends me the comments from editors who have passed and adds more editors to our sub list, and as time creeps by, it's very easy to let doubt start nibbling away at your creativity, your confidence, your happiness. You're told: work on something else. And you do. But that doubt...it clings... And if being on sub is a natural part of the writing life (and it is), the question becomes: How do you navigate this? A video I saw recently about choosing joy over happiness struck me soundly. Happiness, it purports, is a moving target. The second we attain it, we move the goalposts. It's true. Take me: years ago, I would have killed to have books in print, to have people I didn't know reading them, loving them. Now, I do. But as grateful as I am (thank you, readers!!!), it's human nature to move the goalposts, to say, "I can top that."It's time to stop that. At least for me. Instead, I'm choosing joy because "joy is in the making. It is always on approach. We take joy in the doing of the thing, in doing what we are put on this earth to do."For me, it's writing. So I'm trying to take joy in the everyday writing, to make writing the reward rather than looking to some nebulous future and feeling like I can never grasp that elusive happiness. That way, the writing becomes the goal, the focus, the thing that brings me joy. So far, it's working. I've noticed myself being more motivated and geared up to write each day. I'm tracking my progress on Twitter with the hashtag #joywriting. Follow me on Twitterand tell me what you're excited to write!Best,~GIE

GIE Reads & Recs

Dear Readers,I'm happy to report that October broke me out of my reading slump. There were just too many amazing releases. I'm still trying to catch up on them all. Today, I'm recommending CRIER's WAR by Nina Varela, a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers lesbian fantasy YA. SYNOPSISAfter the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, designed to be the playthings of royals, usurped their owners’ estates and bent the human race to their will.Now Ayla, a human servant rising in the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging her family’s death…by killing the sovereign’s daughter, Lady Crier.Crier was Made to be beautiful, flawless, and to carry on her father’s legacy. But that was before her betrothal to the enigmatic Scyre Kinok, before she discovered her father isn’t the benevolent king she once admired, and most importantly, before she met Ayla.Now, with growing human unrest across the land, pressures from a foreign queen, and an evil new leader on the rise, Crier and Ayla find there may be only one path to love: war.GIE'S RECThe angst! The longing! It was so good, Reader. This book was everything I wanted in a lesbian YA: well-drawn, complicated female characters, deep emotions between the heroines, real conflict (both internal and external), exciting action, and a ton of slow-burn romantic tension.Plus, being queer is normalized, which is important to me as a lesbian and something I strive for in my own writing: I want to see women who live and love like me having amazing adventures, deep relationships, and romance.The world-building was lush, the characters well-rounded and relatable. The romance between our heroines, Crier and Ayla, was sweet, bittersweet, and fiery. It was a real push and pull at times, which left me rooting for them to tear down the patriarchy and just kiss already.Some of my favorite tropes make an appearance as well (enemies to lovers, sharing a bed, etc.), and they were all handled well and with the utmost angst, I can assure you.Crier was likely my favorite character. I'm a sucker for a cinnamon roll, and Crier was all that and more: insightful, sweet, curious but also cunning and smart, a budding ruler in her own right. Her curiosity about Ayla and how that blossoms into love really read true to me. Ayla was equally amazing--fiery and passionate where Crier was insightful and intelligent. Her passion and anger really drive the story forward and watching the two of them clash, fall in love, and clash again was wonderful. But don't take my word for it. Get your copy at:AMAZONBARNES & NOBLEGOOGLE PLAYKOBO

NaNoWriMo Roundup!

It's that time again! Halloween approaches, and just around the corner is National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo! Whether you're planning on writing your entire novel or just using NaNo to create a habit of writing (always a great idea), I've got a round-up of posts that can help put you in a great starting position.Here, we have my Preptober series, a four-part hot-to prep your book and get yourself ready to meet those daily work counts! I cover everything from getting started to drafting to staying motivated when the going gets tough.CHECK OUT PREPTOBER:WEEK 1: BRAINSTORMING/PREPWEEK 2: CHARACTERS AND SETTINGWEEK 3: SYNOPSIS AND OUTLINEWEEK 4: WRITING THE FIRST DRAFTThen, for those who are NaNo veterans, I've assembled some brief tips on After NaNo: What Do I Do Now.READ AFTER NANOAnd as a bonus, check out my 5 STEPS TO FINISHING YOUR NOVEL post for tips and tracks and actionable advice for finishing--during NaNo and beyond!Happy writing,~GIE

Next up - CIRCUIT FAE 5: EIDOLON!

Dear Readers,I hope you're enjoying CIRCUIT FAE 4: NEMESIS! It's been getting great reviews! I'm very grateful to all the readers, bloggers, and reviewers for loving NEMESIS and calling it "a rollercoaster ride of emotions!"But what's up next? Will Syl and Rouen get their happily ever after? Or will old enemies arise to tear them apart again?Find out in CIRCUIT FAE 5: EIDOLON, launching on March 3, 20201! DESCRIPTIONLong live the Faerie Queens!Syl Skye, Queen of the Summer Court and Rouen Rivoche, Queen of the Winter Court have finally brought peace to their warring Fae realms.Or so they think.Because Rouen's mom, the Adamant Queen, is back, and she's hell-bent on ruling--no matter what the cost! She tears the Shroud that shields mortals from Faerie and declares war on Syl, Rouen, and the entire mortal realm.Now all of Faerie’s breaking loose—along with every other dimension in the history of ever—and mortals are awakening to their Faerie blood and being swept up in the Adamant Queen’s war. Worse, the mortals fight back, and with every passing hour, the military draws closer to discovering Faerie’s whereabouts and exposing all its secrets.Beset by enemies on all sides, can Syl and Rouen heal the Shroud, stop the war, and defeat the Adamant Queen before Faerie, the mortal world, and everything in between goes kaboom?Their only chance lies in the evil dark circuitry magic they’ve been fighting all along—the Moribund. It’s a desperate plan, but Syl and Rouen’s enemies are about to find out:Faerie hath no fury like a Queen scorned.Who will win in the final chapter in the War for Faerie!Lock in your copy to find out!AMAZONBARNES & NOBLEGOOGLE PLAYITUNESKOBOHaven't gotten your copy of NEMESIS yet? Check out the snark!Read Chapter One!Buy! xoxo,~GIE

My Favorite Things

Hey there, Readers! A month ago, I was a guest on the superbly awesome Spec Chic. Speculative Chic is a blog run and written by women that presents content-driven entries from fans, readers, and writers that highlight what’s important to them and why.I talked about one of my favorite things: TV shows and my three current favorites, which might surprise, you.Here's an excerpt of the article:I’ll admit it, I’m not a binger. When I consume media, especially TV, it’s in small increments, mostly later in the evening after the day’s writing work is done. Translation: I’m super picky about the TV I do watch.I’m also not a personal fan of instant gratification. I enjoy the anticipation. When I find a show I like, I stretch it out, watching only one or two eps a night to make it last longer. It gives me a little something to look forward to, especially on those days when the writing is grueling.But if I could, here are my three current Netflix faves to binge:Into the BadlandsInto the Badlands is a dystopian kung-fu western (you heard me) set in a near post-apocalyptic future, where guns are outlawed, and seven Barons rule over all. It’s the story of a teen boy with mysterious, dark powers named MK and his erstwhile protector, Sunny who —Nope. Don’t believe the synopsis because even though Sunny (Daniel Wu) and MK (Aramis Knight) are important, it’s really the Widow (awesomely portrayed by Emily Beecham) who steals the show.Basically, the story begins when the Widow murders her abusive Baron husband and takes over his oil fields. She then becomes a revolutionary, waging an all-out war (a la Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) on the rest of the Barons to free everyone from their oppression and greed and smash the unfair class system that keeps people in poverty.You want to see a woman break the wheel? This show’s for you.She pretty much outmaneuvers, outsmarts, and outfights every man she ever faces, and with her body count?She literally kills the patriarchy.According to the showrunners, the Widow was originally cast as the show’s villain, but then found viewers related strongly to her revolutionary character, and so the focus shifted. She became a main character and got a super badass redemption arc, including a mirror match battle.She pretty much becomes a samurai Jedi. Wait. Is that redundant?Reader, I LOVED watching her arc. It was satisfying in a way that typical “strong female characters” rarely are. What I like best about the Widow is she’s not perfect. She makes mistakes, she hurts those she loves, she nearly becomes the evil she strives to overcome. But she’s clever, competent, both mentally and physically powerful, and she’s chillingly self-aware.In the end, this villainess-turned-heroine is the only hope for the heroes.Plus, Emily Beecham just nails it in every scene and every badass fight. You can’t look away from this woman as she wages bloody battle against the patriarchy. And, really, why would you?READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Best NEMESIS Quotes!

Readers, it's official! Everyone's loving CIRCUIT FAE 4: NEMESIS! I'm so thrilled that y'all love Syl and Rouen and their angsty romance as much as I do.Today I'm here to share some of my favorite quotes, snippets, and snark from NEMESIS. Enjoy! SYLAs Glamma always says, Faerie giveth and Faerie taketh away.Well, Faerie took away, all right.It took my Roue, and I’m going to get her back if I have to burn all of Dark Faerie to its bones.SYLGlamma slips the vial of my blood into the pocket of her house dress and chucks my chin. "Eyes bright, dearie. Rouen will come to you. You’ll see.""Wait, what?" I frown at Glamma. She’s smart, but she’s met Rouen, like, once.Glamma stands, and her voice changes, heavy as ink dropped into water. "Because this happened before—two queens fighting over Faerie.""But how—"I was one of those queens." She pins me with her eyes. "And so was Jessamine Jardin."ROUENEver since Syl, I’ve been using junk food to feed my blood cravings.Pathetic, I chide myself, but I’m here to hunt, not to feed.Although…standing outside the arcade bar, smelling the smoke, alcohol, the sweaty press of human bodies, and the coppery-rich tang of blood, I can’t stop thinking about it. A headache pulses behind my eyes.Yes, low blood sugar is making the Dark Fae queen cranky.ROUENThe last thing I want is a chaperone, especially one so powerful. But bain sidhe are above Fae law, and this one literally has the power of Death over me. Plus, when an million-year-old bain sidhe who can murder you with a single scream says she’s riding shotgun, she’s riding shotgun. SYL"What is that thing?" "Spell in a can," Mom deadpans."Ah, you brought it." Glamma sweeps the can up in her fist and runs her finger down the label, tracking the contents with her eyes. "The perfect little charm for our troubles.""In a can?" Roue raises an eyebrow. Glamma sniffs. "Keeps it fresh." DESCRIPTIONWhat would you do if your beloved girlfriend suddenly became your worst enemy? That dilemma’s all too real for Syl Skye, the last princess of the fair Fae.Even though Syl is all things sun and Summer, she’s drawn to her polar opposite, Rouen Rivoche, the dark Fae princess-assassin of the Winter Court.They should be mortal enemies, but they’re best friends. Girlfriends. In love.That is, until Roue falls under a dark spell that makes her forget all about Syl, their lives and their love. Now Roue rules Dark Faerie as a cruel and cold Queen. A Circuit Fae who can harness the killing magic in technology, she wants nothing more than to destroy Syl and her fair Fae people. But when an old enemy brings both Faerie realms to the brink of destruction, only their queens, Syl and Rouen, can save the day—and only if they can put their differences aside for two seconds and team up.With the clock’s ticking on Syl and Roue’s relationship—not to mention all of Faerie—will Rouen remember the love she and Syl once shared, or is she destined to be Syl’s nemesis forever? AMAZONBARNES & NOBLEGOOGLEPLAYITUNESKOBOWant to preview NEMESIS? Read Chapter One here!xoxo,~GIE

Connect with Me

Thanks to all the bloggers, readers, and reviewers for making CIRCUIT FAE 4: NEMESIS a success! I really appreciate all tour love and support and your excitement for Syl and Rouen's story. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!Quick thing: there's been a small issue with the book on both Amazon and Google Play, which has made it temporarily unavailable. My team's working on it, but in the meantime, you can find NEMESIS on:BARNES & NOBLEITUNESKOBOBecause the blog tour always brings in new readers (hi and welcome!), here's how to follow and find me on social media:FACEBOOKFollow my author account for info on new releases, sneak peaks, and contests as well as personal anecdotes, cool links, and story inspirations and ideas.TWITTERConnect with me on Twitter for daily writing inspirations, thoughts, and banter. I also tend to interact with other authors and retweet interesting issues and facts.INSTAGRAMNot gonna lie, I'm not on insta much, but I do pop on occasionally to give updates and post book and personal pics. If enough people follow me here, I'll post more regularly. Promise! GOODREADSFind me on my GoodReads to star and review my books, please and thank you!PINTERESTWanna see my inspiration boards for CIRCUIT FAE and other works-in-progress? Follow my Pinterest. I also post on Celtic knotwork, bullet journaling, fantasy, writing inspirations, and I have a pretty extensive Elsa and Anna board, tooBOOKBUBFor the true bookish fan. SPOTIFYCheck out my Spotify, where I make playlists for CIRCUIT FAE, my other works-in-progress, and the various D&D games I'm running. Hope to connect with you soon!xoxo,~GIE