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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 2d

yeah, worldbuilding is my thing. I actually recently wrote a blog post about it! I'm a bit behind on posting content.
ellenstarsmore.com/evolution-ba...

Evolution of Baljehni and a fantasy world ~ Ellen Starsmore

The evolution of Baljehni, meaning the ‘wild humming land’ in the old Fiugreh tongue, took place over decades.

ellenstarsmore.com

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 2d

The amazing Helen Stubbs interviewed me for her blog a short while ago. We're celebrating the launch of Beyond the Humming Downs in paperback!

🌟 High fantasy with a dash of hopepunk, earth magic, forbidden love & all the feels. 🌟

#indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

Helen Stubbs @hkstubbs.bsky.social · 3d

To celebrate the arrival of the paperback version of Beyond the Humming Downs, I’m delighted to host the fabulous Ellen Starsmore on my blog, to talk about the launch of her debut novel. She talks about process, world building and more!

Debut novellist Ellen Starsmore Interview

To celebrate the arrival of the paperback version of Beyond the Humming Downs, I’m delighted to host the fabulous Ellen Starsmore on my blog, to talk about the launch of her debut novel. I had the pleasure of reading an ARC (advance reader copy) of this novel, and I really enjoyed it, and posted the review to Goodreads and on this very blog.

helenstubbs.wordpress.com

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 2d

Hi, I’m an 🇦🇺 indie fantasy author whose debut fantasy novel, Beyond the Humming Downs, is now available in PAPERBACK (wide) and Amazon KU.

It’s character-driven fantasy with a dash of adventure and all the feels. Huzzah!

Get it here: books2read.com/hummingdowns

#indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

On a background of wild flowers and grass, an image montage containing:
Top left — photo of the author (Ellen Starsmore)
Bottom left — the words: Sparks fly and secrets unravel when the heartstorm binds two souls…
Top right — the words high fantasy, hopepunk, forbidden love earth magic
Middle right — reader quote: "This story will pull your heart and emotions up, down, and spinning in wild circles."
Bottom right — a mockup of the book, Beyond the Humming Downs by Ellen Starsmore, on tablet and in paperback ~ now available in paperback!

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 14d

#wipsnips - ‘river’

... it wasn’t a safe pace. The road descended steeply, following the contours of the headland as it dipped towards the river and the town. Adehl concentrated on riding: best not cut this escape short by tumbling headfirst off the cliff.

#writesky #indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

On a background of meadow flowers:
An e-reader mockup of the book, Beyond the Humming Downs by Ellen Starsmore.
Sparks fly and secrets unravel when the heartstorm binds two souls...
“A lyrical adventure full of humanity.”
high fantasy hopepunk
forbidden love earth magic
ebook on Amazon & KU

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Reposted by Ellen Starsmore

Fantasy Indies @fantasyindies.bsky.social · 16d

🎃 #FantasyIndiesSpooktober 🎃

All genres welcome! You can use the prompts for WIPs or published books.
Feel free to ask the hosts questions!

Love,
Faeries at Fantasy Indies
@lvrussell.bsky.social @chesneyinfalt.bsky.social

Fantasy Indies October prompts by @ChesneyInfalt & @LydiaVRussell

1. Introduce yourself & WIP
2. Do you/your characters like scary things?
3. Free Friday or share something you are proud of
4. Saturday Snippet
5. What are your characters afraid of?
6. Monsters in WIP
7. Villain’s goals
8. Spooky month book recs
9. Favourite paranormal creatures
10. Free Friday or explain your WIP with emojis/gifs
11. Saturday Snippet
12. What do your MC and villain think of each other?
13. Spooky Shelfie
14. Villain’s henchmen and/or followers
15. What would you/your characters wear to a Halloween ball?
16. Tricks and/or treats in WIP
17. Free Friday or share a photo of autumn decorations
18. Saturday Snippet
19. Scary moment in WIP
20. Morally grey character(s)
21. Scary movie/tv show recs
22. Creepy poem or flash fiction
23. Who would your characters dress up as for Halloween?
24. Free Friday or share your Halloween plans
25. Saturday Snippet
26. How would your MC react to a haunted house?
27. Goosebumps or Point Horror?
28. Guilt or regret in WIP
29. MC’s worst nightmare
30. Is your MC brave?
31. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 15d

#wipsnips - ‘paw’ (vibes — claws are near paws, right?)

Chanti’s brow wrinkled as the little tortoiseshell cat dug her claws into his bare leg. He sat cross-legged in the straw, knee to knee with Adehl, holding his llirah steady as a shield against the heartstorm.

#writesky #indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 15d

This month has been all about wrangling the paperback of my debut fantasy, Beyond the Humming Downs.

Back cover design… rookie mistakes… a gazillion interior PDFs… Proofs received…

Later today I will hit go. Yesss!

#FantasyIndiesSeptember — 30
#indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 16d

#wipsnips - ‘bear’ (alas, no ursines)

Muttering under his breath, Frahto pulled out a pouch from the front fold of his mahgan and dug around inside. After withdrawing a tangle of leather and beads, he thrust the mess at Adehl as though he couldn’t bear to touch her.

#writesky #indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 16d

This will be interesting.... 😆

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 17d

#wipsnips - ‘ink’

found the relevant box sandwiched between two others, but the sanded-and-oiled timber helped it slide out. Inside lay a pile of loose parchments, all different thicknesses and sizes, some pinned together. The inked writing on all was thin and faded.

#writesky #indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 17d

My debut fantasy book, Beyond the Humming Downs, is available in Amazon KU and will sooooon be out in paperback wide. Received proofs yesterday!

My current WIP is a bonus epilogue. Then there’s a part-written novel I’m keen to get back to.

#FantasyIndiesSeptember — 28
#indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 17d

Thank you so much. Surreal! ☺️

Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 17d

Thank you! I’m a bit excited! 😆

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 17d

All the excitement! Today, I received my first proof copies of the paperback of Beyond the Humming Downs. Squee!

It’s pretty surreal having the actual physical copies, even if they do have “not for resale” plastered across them. Not long to go now, folks…

#indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 18d

#wipsnips - ‘swift’

It was the fear he tried to hide that seared Adehl. She’d always known the Vuusah must never learn her true lineage. Their retaliation against her would be swift and brutal. To her shame, she hadn’t considered what they might do to her family.

#writesky #indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 18d

Happy weekend! Here’s a short snippet from my fantasy book, Beyond the Humming Downs.

It’s a moment of retail therapy after they’ve fled their homeland to a foreign city.

#FridaySpark ~ “match”
#FantasyIndiesSeptember — 27
#indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

BEYOND THE HUMMING DOWNS by Ellen Starsmore
(snippet)
Then Adehl, who had looked beautiful in everything she tried on, emerged wearing a long garment in muted tones of purple, deep green and gold. It flowed from her shoulders down to her calves, with a matching sash at her waist, and made her look like a forest queen.
Roh cleared his throat. "That looks nice.

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 19d

#wipsnips - ‘mire’ (vibes)

The resonant mesh engulfed Adehl’s llirah, swamping her rhythm. She took a sharp breath. Her sense of self was flattened, overwhelmed by the artificial rhythm enforced by the zehla. It was like drowning without knowing which way was up.

#writesky #indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 19d

Something I’m *really* looking forward to is the paperback edition of my debut fantasy novel, Beyond the Humming Downs, being available.

Not long to go, now… I’m expecting proofs on Monday. It’s been a journey, that’s for sure!

#FantasyIndiesSeptember — 26
#indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · Sep 2

Back for #FantasyIndiesSeptember – huzzah!

Hi, I’m an 🇦🇺 indie fantasy author who released my debut novel, Beyond the Humming Downs in July — character-driven fantasy with a dash of adventure.

Available now from Amazon & KU. Paperback pending.
books2read.com/u/mlgWrP

#indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

On a background of meadow flowers:
An e-reader mockup of the book, Beyond the Humming Downs by Ellen Starsmore.
high fantasy hopepunk
forbidden love earth magic
Top left is a picture of the author with a coffee.
Also, a green highlight box with the words: Sparks fly and secrets unravel when the heartstorm binds two souls...
And a reader quote: "This story will pull your heart and emotions up, down, and spinning in wild circles."
ebook on Amazon & KU

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 20d

Now available for pre-order: Son of Osivirius, a science-fantasy novella from Cathryn deVries @eclecta-perennial.bsky.social

books2read.com/son-of-osivi...

Giant flying cats! Avatar vibes.

📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

SCIENCE-FANTASY NOVELLA
Giant flying cats
Protective siblings
Enemies to lovers (no spice) .
Mind-linking
Dystopian world
Switching sides Feb 2026 Pre-order now!

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 21d

I wrote 1000 years of history (at least 20k words) for the fantasy world I’m writing in.

It covers the colonisation of indigenous peoples, the rise and fall of various powers and dozens of named historical figures.

#FantasyIndiesSeptember — 24
#indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 21d

#wipsnips - ‘leave’

The tepid welcome and reluctant hospitality made her wonder what was going on.

She told herself to ignore it. Best to keep her head down and leave first thing in the morning. She’d betrayed too much of herself already.

#writesky #indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 22d

#wipsnips - ‘skill’

Wide, terrified eyes found Roh. “I can’t — I need Sapling!”

Roh’s empathiser skills were not as honed as Adehl’s, but he wove ellir and attempted to head off the boy’s panic. “Deep breaths, now. In… out…”

#writesky #indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 23d

Depending on where you are in the world, I wish you a joyous Wintersmorn or Summersdawn, aka the Autumn/Spring equinox in my fantasy world.

Downunder where I am, it’s Summersdawn today. Our sunlight hours are extending, plants are blooming, weather is warming. It’s wonderful.

#indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

Summersdawn: when light overcomes dark and the world blooms
On a background of wild spring blooms and a yellow-dawn sky.

Wintersmorn: when the long days tip into long nights and descend into cold
On a background of delicate autumnal foliage

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 23d

#wipsnips - ‘flurry’

She writhed and twisted like a mad thing, rolling into the doyen’s withered leg. Palvemah toppled, cursing, in a pile of bones and braids. There followed a flurry of kicks and blows and bellows. A zehli flung himself across Adehl’s legs…

#writesky #indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

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Ellen Starsmore @ellenstarsmore.bsky.social · 24d

#wipsnips - ‘disagree’

“We need the Vuusah precepts to guide behaviour, or people could get hurt. But…” She caught his gaze in hers, challenging him to disagree with her. “But I don’t think it’s fair or valid to exclude me — or anyone — because of lineage.”

#writesky #indiefantasy 📚🪐💙🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️

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