KRISTEN CICCARELLI
author of books about deadly dragons, badass girls, and enemies who save each other

About

ABOUT

 
Kristen_Ciccarelli_Author.jpg
 
 

Kristen Ciccarelli is an internationally bestselling author of fantasy fiction. Her first novel, The Last Namsara, debuted on the UK’s Children & YA chart, was named one of Indigo’s Best Books for Teens in 2017, and is being translated into 11 languages. Before writing books Kristen made her living as an artisanal baker, an indie bookseller, and a ceramic artist. She resides in a blustery seaside cove on Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula with her blacksmith and her rescue dog.

 

CONNECT WITH KRISTEN ON INSTAGRAM:

It’s #fantasyonfriday and this week’s theme is ♌️ZODIAC SIGNS♌️! What’s your sign? (I’m an introverted Leo.🦁) . I’m dying to read @bethrevis’s GIVE THE DARK MY LOVE (which shares a pub day with THE CAGED QUEEN!) and when I asked Beth what her protagonists’ signs are, she told me that Nedra is a Libra (she takes a balanced approach to things and really thinks through her actions) while Grey is a Gemini (he’s leading two lives, torn between the expectations of the rich elite and who he deep-down wants to be). @erinsummerill was raving about this book earlier this week, which is doing nothing to help my impatience. September 25 can’t come soon enough! . Fun fact: there is an item in this shot that directly relates to THE CAGED QUEEN. Can you guess what it is? . #bethrevis #givethedarkmylove #zodiac #zodiacsigns #astrology #darkfantasy #yafantasy #necromancer #bookishgirl #tbr #amreadingfantasy #yabooks
Last week I asked for questions you have about #TheCagedQueen. I’ve compiled them all and am going to answer at least one every week until the book comes out, starting with this one: “Will Asha and Torwin be in book 2?” . If you can guess the speaker of the quote above (as well as the person he’s talking about) you’ll have your answer. 😉 . #teasertuesday #quotes❤️ #bookquotes #bookishgirl #readersofig #readstagram #iskari #yafantasy #epicreads #kristenciccarelli
If you’ve been following my stories, you’ll know that Joe and I woke up on Saturday realizing we forgot it was my birthday. 🙈 So we packed up the truck with food + sleeping bags + Yonder, and took off down the coast. We had ZERO plans and spent the first night sleeping beneath the trees in #LarkHarbour (the trees don’t get very tall where we live since it’s a subartic zone, and I sometimes miss the huge Carolinian forests I grew up in). We then headed for #Burgeo to dig our toes in the sand and cook supper on the beach. I thought it would be roguish and romantic sleeping in the back of our truck. Mostly it was … cramped. 😂 But there was something beautiful and wild about writing in the back of a truck bed stacked with blankets while Joe made dinner over the campfire. Or getting chased off the beach by the rapidly incoming tide.... 😂 . If you could pack up your car right now and drive anywhere, where would you go? What would you do? Tell me in the comments! . ALSO! Canadian friends, this just in: @chaptersindigo is having a sale on its most anticipated teen reads and #TheCagedQueen is one of them! So if you’ve been thinking about participating in my pre-order campaign, you get 30% off when you preorder from Chapters/Indigo until this Friday. Go do the thing. 😉 . #authorlife #roadtrippin #explorenl #newfoundlandandlabrador #islander #islandlife🌴 #islandlifestyle #grosmornenationalpark #grosmorne
First off, thank you SO much for all the love and support this week! You guys are amazing and have warmed my heart with all of your enthusiasm for the pre-order campaign and The Caged Queen! Sending you ALL THE HUGS. 💕💕💕 . Second of all: it’s #fantasyonfriday and today’s prompt is “shelfies”! 📚 You might remember that when I moved across the country I got rid of a LOT of books, and I also left my shelves behind. 😢 These days I’m using old-fashioned grape boxes from the farm I grew up on for bookshelves, and I really love them. Here’s a glimpse at some of my “shelves”. @unicornwarlord’s sequel is front and centre because a) it comes out in one month(!), b) there are dragons in it 🐉💕 and c) she’s ALSO running a preorder campaign right now. (Click on her handle to check it out!) AS SHE ASCENDS promises “mysterious magic and riveting romance as one girl kindles a spark into a flame.” 🔥🔥🔥 . As someone who had to get rid of a ton of books a few months ago, I’m so curious how others decide what books to keep and what to let go of. How do YOU decide? Let me know in the comments. ❤️📚 . #jodimeadows #thefallenisles #assheascends #dragons #dragonbooks #fantasyfiction #yafantasy #shelfie #shelflife #bookshelves #yabooks
As promised, here’s the map found in #PosledniNamsara (the Czech edition of The Last Namsara). 😍😍😍 You can get the full tour up in my stories. ⬆️⬆️⬆️ Thank you to @ml_spiteri of @blossombooks and Elsa Kroese! Without them, this series would not have such an intricately beautiful and utterly perfect map! 💕 . #thecagedqueen #thelastnamsara #iskari #elsakroese #map #fantasymap #dragons #heretherebedragons #yafantasy #yabooks
Welcome to the final reveal for THE CAGED QUEEN’s pre-order campaign! The third item you’ll receive when you pre-order The Caged Queen is a map of Asha and Roa’s world, illustrated by Elsa Kroese! 😍 This map is ONLY found in a few translations. It isn’t found in the English editions of the book. So if you’re planning on buying an English edition, this map will NOT be in it. But you will get it from me in the mail if you pre-order! . On this map you’ll find places from book one (Firgaard, the Rift), places you’ll be introduced to in book two (the Scrublands, the Sand Sea), and places you won’t get to see until book three (Darmoor, the Star Isles)! Gah. I love this map so much!! Elsa did such an amazing job. 💕 . Along with this map and the two poster prints of Asha and Roa (revealed Tuesday and yesterday), you’ll also receive a handwritten note from me, a signed bookplate, and dragon-slayer sticker (Julia’s illustration of Asha facing down Kozu). To receive all 5 items: send your proof of purchase + mailing address to ask.kristen.questions@gmail.com before September 24th at 11:59pm EST. (Click the link in my profile for official deets.) Open internationally while supplies last. 🌍🌎🌏 Hardcover, paperback, and ebook versions count. English, Dutch, and German editions all count! Not affiliated with Instagram. . Thanks for all the love and support, friends! If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or DM me (but check the link in my profile first to make sure your answers aren’t found there). xo! . #thecagedqueen #thelastnamsara #iskari #kristenciccarelli #map #fantasymap #elsakroese #illustrated #dragons #heretherebedragons #yafantasy #yabooks
Okay, friends! Welcome to Day Two of the torturously slow reveal for THE CAGED QUEEN’s pre-order campaign! 😉This is the second item you’ll receive when you pre-order The Caged Queen: a matching 8.5x11 poster print of Roa, illustrated by @julia_iredale. I LOVE all the feather imagery, as well as Roa’s gorgeous layered gown, and most of all: the look she’s giving Essie. I can’t decide which illustration I love more, Roa or Asha. 💕💕💕 (Layout and lettering by @isabeldaviswrites!) . How to enter: send your proof of purchase + mailing address to ask.kristen.questions@gmail.com before September 24th at 11:59pm EST. (Click the link in my profile for the official deets.) Open internationally while supplies last. 🌍🌏🌎 Hardcover, paperback, or ebook count. English, Dutch, and German editions all count! Not affiliated with Instagram. . Stay tuned for the last 3 items, coming tomorrow... . #thecagedqueen #thelastnamsara #iskari #kristenciccarelli #preordercampaign #yafantasy #roa #fiercewomen #illustrated #juliairedale
Readers have been asking about The Caged Queen pre-order campaign for quite a while now, and I’m here to say the time has *finally* come! HOWEVER: I’m drawing things out a bit just to torture you guys. 😉🙈 . Over the next three days, I’ll reveal the 5 items you get when you pre-order The Caged Queen. (There’s a link in my profile to the official deets, so if you’ve already pre-ordered, you can go there now and get ‘er done if you want.) . The first item is this 8.5x11 poster print of Asha, illustrated by the super fantastic @julia_iredale. Julia made the illustrations for last year’s pre-order campaign too and she has this elegant, fierce, beautiful style that I just can’t get enough of! I feel so incredibly lucky that she does these for me. I’m completely in love with Julia’s depiction of Asha, especially her armour and her axe! 💕💕💕 . To enter: send your proof of purchase + mailing address to ask.kristen.questions@gmail.com before September 24th at 11:59pm EST. (Click the link in my profile for official deets.) Open internationally while supplies last. 🌎🌍🌏 Not affiliated with Instagram. . Stay tuned for the second item, coming tomorrow…. . #thecagedqueen #thelastnamsara #iskari #kristenciccarelli #preordercampaign #illustrated #dragonslayer #fiercewomen #yafantasy #asha #readersofinstagram #readersofig