Storyteller Sessions: Meet Author Kady Ambrose, and her Upcoming Romantic Historical Fiction Fantasy Novel, All that Shimmers
While I’ve only ever corresponded with author Kady Ambrose over email, I immediately felt she was a kindred spirit (channeling my inner Anne Shirley here), and would fit right in with the Books are my Third Place community. And I’m thrilled for you all to get to know her, and her upcoming romantic historical fiction novel, All that Shimmers. Plus, she lives in Paris, one of my favorite cities in the world, so she immediately gets bonus points. I still feel so inspired every time I visit Paris, so I can only imagine the inspiration her surroundings played in bringing this romantic story to life. Plus, fairies! And you all have a potential opportunity to read it early! She’s graciously offered to give an eARC away to one lucky reader in the BAMTP community, and anyone can read a short novella prequel she’s also written by signing up for her newsletter. Don’t forget to enter below!
Kady actually reached out after I shared my review for Olivia Atwater’s Half a Soul (one of my favorite reads last year), and I have a feeling if it’s the same vibes, I, and many of you will absolutely love this story. For my Kindle girls, it will be on Kindle Unlimited, as well as paperback. And how cute is the cover?! Ready to dive in and learn more about Kady and her novel?
Author: Kady Ambrose
Her book: All that Shimmers
Release: Available May 13th, 2025 Want a chance to read it early? Enter the eARC giveaway below.
This giveaway is for the BAMTP community—make sure you’re subscribed to the weekly newsletter!
Tell us the cocktail party version of how you’d describe your book:
All That Shimmers is a romantic, WWI fantasy novel about a whimsical nursemaid at a grand hotel resort pursuing a misguided quest for the “man of sterling and gold” promised by a mysterious fairy—until the deadly Spanish Flu pandemic forces her to reassess where to best find the love and security she craves. I am currently working on the sequel, plus there's a prequel novelette I'm excited to share with you.
What’s the most challenging thing about being an author?
When I don't know what happens next in the story. I'm the type of writer who works from an outline, so I find that period spent dragging the story out of the primordial ooze is the hardest thing, followed closely by getting Meta Business Suite to function properly.
Most surreal moment as an author so far?
Reading my first review. It was 5-star, gushing and supportive and made me feel like my writing journey was complete. The rest will just be gravy.
Getting positive feedback like that has to feel so amazing! What books are on your nightstand table right now?
Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands (sequel to the fabulous Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeiries), Olivia Atwater's The Latch Key (a novella in her Regency Fairy Tales series), and Jesikah Sundin's Bound by Ravens (third book I'll have read from her delicious Bound by Ravens series).
That sounds like a perfect stack! Tell us about your writing process…
I have a big mug with the word "magic" on it. I normally start writing sessions with a hot mug of tea in it, and continue sipping even as the tea gets cold. My dog likes me to write on the sofa so she can snuggle beside me, and that's become a bit of a ritual, too.
Pets make the best silent (or sometimes not LOL) cheerleaders don’t they? What's something people don't know about you?
I adore licorice in all forms, from black jelly beans to shots of ouzo.
oohhh I do love a good Australian-style black licorice! What's a favorite comfort read and why do you keep coming back to it?
I almost never read a book twice. I'm a story addict, and once I know what's going to happen, I'm more drawn by the siren's call of my TBR pile.
Any influential authors from your childhood?
The biggest were Tolkien and Anne McCaffrey. They lifted me from my suburban life and took me on a magic carpet ride to other worlds, birthing my love of fantasy fiction. Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden led me into historical fiction, transporting me to a world where nature is a source of beauty and healing, a theme reflected in my Twin Birch House series.
If you could meet another author who’s no longer with us, who would you meet?
Toni Morrison, to thank her for Beloved.
Favorite format to read? (physical book, ebook, audiobook)
Physical, but I've gone almost completely ebook so I can read at night without keeping my husband up and it's just sooooo damn convenient, but may soon be moving to audiobooks because my eyes are fatiguing from all my screen time, and they won't keep him up either .
That’s honestly so sweet of you to consider his sleep! What’s a hill you will die on?
I no longer know since my dog now sleeps on my pillow and I let her lick my face.
Yikes! haha Any last words? And where can everyone find you?
If you like romantic historical fiction with fairies, I'm offering a free prequel novelette to All That Shimmers. Set in 1851, Under Dappled Sunlight is about a tenacious circus performer who must find a new home for the fairies who’ve bound her, or she’ll lose her chance at freedom and true love with a handsome innkeeper building a grand hotel in New Hampshire's White Mountains. You can grab a free copy by subscribing to my newsletter here. Happy Reading!
Full Synopsis of All that Shimmers:
An enchantingly romantic historical fiction novel of self-discovery and the nature of one's true worth.
Your destiny is a man of sterling and gold . . . by a woodland fairy, her future is foretold.
While World War I rages in Europe, Vanessa Perkins, a vivacious nanny with a whimsical imagination, enjoys summering with her wealthy Boston employers at a glamorous lakeside resort. There she meets Avery, a gentle botanist, and Ned, a dashing aristocrat.
Raised in a brutal orphanage, Vanessa dreams of being part of a close family like Avery's, but Ned's charm and privileged world are intoxicating. While confronting an agonizing decision, she discovers an enchanted grove in the forest, where enigmatic water nymphs and a fairy's prophecy inspire her to be bold.
But there's a price for breaking society's rules.
And when the Spanish flu starts killing people she cares about, Vanessa's choices will either bring her closer to the love and family she craves or drag her into more danger than she ever imagined.
Reviewers say: "A spectacular and bittersweet saga of loss, hope, and love. Tragic and hopeful in equal measure, this is a heartfelt, character-driven romance that tugs at your heartstrings from start to finish. A must-read for fans of historical fiction and fantasy."
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