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Natalie Kelda

@nataliekelda.bsky.social

2K followers 440 following 2.5K posts

I'm an author of (space) fantasy and Viking age historical fiction. ESL speaker, biologist, Danish. she/her https://nataliekelda.co.uk/book-links

nataliekelda.co.uk

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Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 9d

Proof copy arrived and it's looking gorgeous 🤩

10 days until I have a finished trilogy out in the world!

If you need a dark spacey fantasy series with slow burn romance and mental health rep, give it a go!

📚 💙

Hand holding paperback book which has a green cover with a dark forest on a spacey sky. A glowing blue bird soars above and the title is in gold lettering across the bottom: Verselva Blues.

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Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 9h

My trilogy concludes tomorrow!

Here's a snippet from it. I make no promises on who makes it to the end, except for Reddy the cat. He's happy and purring in the epilogue because he's the biggest baby who just wants cuddles and treats🥰

Text screenshot: <I'm sorry. She put a hand on his arm for half a breath, then Reddy trotted meowing across the floor and a sliver of aversion passed over her face. <What are all these strange animals? Not Trackers.>
<Reddy, is a "cat". Came with us from Outer Universe. The others aren't nice, but this one is mine and he's very friendly.> Balfour tapped his knee and Reddy leapt onto his lap.
Skye's jaw fell. Reddy kneaded Balfour's legs, purring louder than the stove in the kitchen.
<It sounds sick, I can kill it for thou.> Charlie bared his teeth in a mirthless grin.
<Very funny.> Balfour grimaced. <The sound means he's happy.>

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Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 1d

Read some super fun books. Wrote some reviews.

You should check out the books too if you want some gritty, fun fantasy adventures with plenty of banter and brilliant character work!

Five star The Envoys of War by Dave lawson goodreads review: This one was such a fun, and slightly silly(in the best way), fantasy adventure/quest book!

The character work was fantastic in this one and to me, really what pushed this into 5-star rating territory. We get 3 POV's and each is voicey and distinct, never allowing any confusion as to who we're following. The characters are also very consistent and realised, they don't change their personalities to conform to a pre-determined plot(something that's a pet peeve of mine).

The plot was also solid, subtly changing its course as we go on but it all makes sense for the characters and their motivations so it felt like the natural progression of things.

Five stars The Pawns of Havoc by Dave Lawson goodreads review: After loving The Envoys of War, I knew I had to grab this one the moment the audiobook was released and I was not disappointed!

This one follows Cork, a side character in Envoys although I believe this story is set before the events of Envoys. Where Envoys have more silly streaks this one also has plenty of humour and great character work.

It's a novella and a quick read but that doesn't mean there isn't loads of action and heart packed into it. I particularly enjoyed some of the more serious internal monologue from Cork after things had gone to sh!t, it helped flesh out sides of him I had worried wouldn't ever be addressed despite all the bloody mayhem.

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Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 1d

Haha yeah my sister wants to come for a visit with the whole family next summer and I'm already thinking of how to find space although I'm not sure if the oldest nephew will show, he's just turned 16 and is full on "can't answer in anything but single syllables" teenage mode 😂

Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 1d

I often wonder how Balfour's life would have turned out if Erica had managed to get back to collect him and Elin. I suspect he would have ended up a lab project because he's technically immune(rather than a healthy carrier as they think) to the pox-13 virus.

Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 1d

I said this to myself yesterday when Barry started yowling at 6am and I, simply to spite him and teach him a lesson, ignored him and kept sleeping until 9am. I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to do that with kids 🤣

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Reposted by Natalie Kelda

D.C. (Desi) Heart @desiheart.bsky.social · 1d

It’s here!!! Amongst the pile of this week’s bookmail, the long awaited Queen of Thorns (ok I maybe had to wait only a couple of weeks but still). My TBR has so much restructuring happening this weekend.

Queen of Thorns by Joel C Flanagan-Grannemann.

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Reposted by Natalie Kelda

K Lykkebo 🖤 Fantasy author @karenlykkebo.com · 1d

#WIPSnips
From Now, and the Hour of Death a zombie/apocalypse short story in my collection under same name.

It's an odd little piece about love and hope in the face of the very end 💀⏳
It's just 99c through October <3

“They saved your life. You can find all sorts of meaningful ways to express it; become philosophical and talk about hope and light and salvation. But no, they saved you the only messy way you ought to be saved at world’s end. It was mostly your own fault. You were stupid. You know better than to climb down the tree after sunset, but when you gotta go, you gotta go, and no way are you taking a shit where you sleep. You’re not an animal. Not yet at least.”

Excerpt From
Now, and the Hour of Death: five short tales of the eerie, tragic, and macabre
Karen Lykkebo
This material may be protected by copyright.

Promo picture for Now and the Hour of Death by Karen Lykkebo. White/grey background, blood splatter in left corner, ebook cover in middle. Title font in white, skull with a finger lifted as if silencing someone on cover.
Surrounded by fall flowers and pumpkins

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Reposted by Natalie Kelda

K Lykkebo 🖤 Fantasy author @karenlykkebo.com · 1d

Don't miss out!

You can get my 11 spooky short stories for just $3!
Each is just 99c.

Get your spook on 👻

📚🩸

K Lykkebo 🖤 Fantasy author @karenlykkebo.com · 2d

Happy Spooktober!

Choose your fighter:
- the ocean? 🌊🖤
- the gardens? 🤎🪱
- everything? 💀⏳

Or all of the above??
Spooky short stories only 99c thru October!

Ko-FI: https://ko-fi.com/k_lykkebo/shop
Itch: https://klykkebo.itch.io/
Other: https://books2read.com/karenlykkebo

📚💙
🩸📚

Promo picture of Now and the Hour of Death, Dirt You Shall Become, and Drowned Hearts.
Dark background photo with a tree in moonlight.
Text (from above): Spooktober Sale. 0.99. Available wide, KoFi and Itch.
Arrows pointing to each book> “5 stories with various themes of death” (Now and the hour of death). “Five garden-themed short stories” (Dirt you shall become). “A paranormal novelette with folklore vibes and a creepy ocean” (Drowned Hearts.)

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Reposted by Natalie Kelda

Marie Sinadjan @quillandcrib.bsky.social · 1d

The Hotel Fen book box is ready - only £20 with (UK) shipping 🐺 Comes with a pair of cozy socks, a bookmark, a keychain, sticky notes and a pen, a bookplate with both our signatures, and an art print of Ada!

Box with the book Hotel Fen by Meri Benson and Marie Sinadjan, a pair of socks, a sticker bookplate with both authors' signatures, a red crochet bookmark with a wolf charm, a sticky notes pad, a ballpoint pen, a resin rune keychain, and an art print of black cat with a retro vibe and the words "you're gonna love me"

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Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you!

Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 1d

Aah thnak you Karen! This one is my favourite of the currently published Inner Universe short stories 🥰

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Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 1d

They generally have a good life between their books ending and their death. At least 15-20 years of good life for most of them!

Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 1d

I had so much fun with this one! It's quite dark though, gothic horror adjacent at times 🙈

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Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 1d

Oh for sure. I've written less this year than previous years. If I start another WIP in late November I might hit 200k this year but I'm only at 155k atm(I have done a LOT of editing this year though)

Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 1d

I'm so happy! First book of mine to earn out!

Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you Desi! I'm really proud of both covers.

Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 1d

It's not quite as sinister, I mean they're in book 8 and 9 too but I sadly know how and when all my major characters die(few get to live to old age sadly).

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Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 1d

I finished drafting the winter standalone in the same universe as Reflections of Lilje Damselfly!

Release estimate: late '26
-
When a Yorkshire coal miner rescues an air sprite caught in a human's body, they can't deny their attraction to one another.

Bi4bi/FF/historical fantasy

Wintry graphic with icicles at top and snow flakes along the bottom. In the centre is black text: The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier. Below in pale blue text: 1st draft completed!

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Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 2d

🥰

Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 2d

Thank you! I think I'm almost under £2k in the red thanks to Lilje, she better get earning more! 🤣

Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 2d

Thank you!

Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 2d

Aw he wears an eye patch! My neighbour calls Barry "cat in a hat" 😂

Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 2d

250k a year is me pacing myself tbh. I *could* write 2k+ a day every day but I find I have less enjoyment then and the quality of my prose also takes a dip. When I draft I hyper focus and basically don't want to do anything else until I'm done🙈

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Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 2d

Setting smaller but achieveable goals and not feeling disappointed you can't do as much as you *want* to has been the theme of my year. It's difficult but it does really help to allow yourself to readjust expectations and give yourself grace.

Natalie Kelda @nataliekelda.bsky.social · 2d

I got royalties this week which means Reflections of Lilje Damselfly has earned out editing and ISBNs 🥳

I drew the covers to save money, but I'm still so chuffed.

She'll now be earning towards edits for the next standalone in the same world(which I finished drafting TODAY!)
📚💙

A hardback and a paperback book on a wooden mantelpiece with purple cosmos flowers around them. The books are both Reflections of Lilje Damselfly versions, the hardback cover with two women looking at one another in a painterly style and the paperback with an art nouveau style cover with a woman wearing a water dress and blue swirls around the edges. Text in purple above and below the books read: Lilje has earned out! In less than 4 months.

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