Author of Ella’s Dominion
This week I am chatting to Christine Priestly about her debut novel, Ella’s Dominion, which released on April 1st, 2024.
Helen: Welcome Christine. Congratulations on your new series. I am very excited to learn more about your books. That cover. It’s absolutely gorgeous!! Tell us a little about your book.
Christine: Book One of The Lost Warriors, Ella’s Dominion, is a dark mediaeval fantasy about forbidden magic, dark desires, and a woman’s struggle for power.
Born into a world that hates and fears what she is, Princess Ella of Erldan’s life has never been her own. A mere pawn in her family’s political machinations, she’s forced to hide her magic at the risk of enslavement—or worse. Against a backdrop of political intrigue and heresy, Ella finds herself torn between two brothers—lust for one and love for the other—and must confront the unintended consequences of using her powers to navigate the dangerous world she inhabits, lest she burn for it.
Helen: Your cover is gorgeous. What were your thoughts behind the cover design?
Christine: JV Arts (https://www.justventurearts.com/) did an incredible job representing the story’s iconography with this cover. The sword in the centre holds the Sacred Stone, once the source of magic (represented by blue mist), while the Sun and Moon (opposing religions) struggle for dominion.
Helen: It is always great to understand the author’s thoughts behind the cover design. Is there any special meaning behind the title?
Christine: The book explores various kinds of power, including magical, political, religious, sexual, and interpersonal, and the myriad ways people use, control, and suppress power. Navigating this world, the central character, Ella, born with powerful magic, yet rendered powerless, struggles for dominion over herself and her life.
Helen: What a great theme and plenty of content for you to work with. What made you write this particular book?
Christine: I didn’t intend to explore a particular idea or theme, but one emerged as the characters interacted with each other and their world. I studied mediaeval history at university and became fascinated with the various ways power and religion intersect. The story explores what it might be like to navigate a world where something you are born with and can’t change defies religious rule. The story follows several main characters, navigating power and privilege which sometimes conflicts with their own beliefs (themes very present in today’s world).
Helen: Who is the protagonist in Ella’s Domninon, and why did you write them?
Christine: Ella of Erldan was originally a minor character in a prequel for a book I wrote while in my teens. I became immersed in her story and started the series with her, a generation earlier, instead. She doesn’t follow the ‘chosen one’ archetype or trope of the ‘hero’s journey’ but is born into power and privilege. Yet, her situation renders her powerless, and she must navigate using the tools she has available—with some unintended and tragic consequences. While she starts out quite young and naïve, we see her grow across the series in a very adult world.
Helen: Which character was your favourite to write?
Christine: This is hard to answer. I enjoy writing so many characters. I love writing the villain, Gohran. He’s complex and broken, riddled with self-loathing and internalised hatred, and it’s fascinating to get inside his head, but he’s not someone I would ever want to meet.
My most likeable character would be Amber, Ella’s magic tutor, and my most fun character is Lynden, who becomes Ella’s friend and confidante. She’s someone I’d love to hang out with.
Helen: Congratulations again on publishing your book, such a great acheivement. When did you realise you had a passion for writing?
Christine: I can’t recall a time when I didn’t. I wrote stories in primary school, loved any class involving reading or writing, and studied writing and literature at university. I’m always immersed in stories.
My parents told me to ‘get a real job’ so I kept my writing as a hobby, with long hiatuses of ‘real life’ in between. Now, in my late 40s, I have found my way back to my passion.
When I reflect on my earlier work, I don’t begrudge the delay, because my writing benefited. My characters are stronger, more complex and fully realised now, and my stories are more mature and believable.
Helen: I agree, I think there is a time to write and a time to publish, and they are not necessarily the same. I started writing very late in life, though I have always been a huge reader. Who inspired you to write?
Christine: We always had books in our house growing up. My grandparents read to us, we read books in school, and I just loved immersing myself in different worlds. My sister and I read stories aloud to fall asleep to, and I remember loving any chance to write something creative in school.
Helen: Having now published your first novel, which part of the writing process did you find most difficult?
Christine: Writing the logistical elements of a story, whether that’s action in a scene, or larger plot elements involving lots of moving parts (in real life, I need to rotate maps to know which direction I’m facing!).
Helen: What are you working on next?
Christine: I’m currently working on Book Two in my debut series, Ella’s Curse. Ella’s Curse explores the consequences of the choices and actions that occurred in Ella’s Dominion.
Ella’s Dominion started relatively slowly, and built up with the sense, as one reader described, of ‘running towards the edge of a cliff’. That tension continues in Ella’s Curse, and shares heartbreaking and darker moments.
While Ella’s Dominion involved a love story, the series is definitely not a romance, so don’t go into it expecting a happy-ever-after!
As in Ella’s Dominion, Ella’s Curse follows multiple third person points of view, so we get to know the characters intimately, through the twists of their tangled webs.
I’m in the editing process now and can’t wait to deliver the final version to my readers!
Helen: So exciting that you have another book in the works! It has been wonderful chatting to you. Thank you so much for joining me today. Just before we finish, what advice do you have for aspiring authors.
Christine: Block out the noise of the ‘shoulds’ and enjoy your journey. Allow the story to evolve, hone your skills, and make the story as strong as it can be. If it connects with readers, and makes them feel invested, you’re doing a great job.
Thank you for having me.
About the Author
Christine Priestly
Christine Priestly is an Australian author with a penchant for sipping tea, cuddling cats, and spinning stories (and poles!) in her spare time. By day, she’s unravelling the mysteries of human desire as a sexologist and hypnotherapist, but by night, she’s weaving tales that will leave you breathless and entertained. Her work has appeared in magazines and anthologies over the years, adding a dash of darkness and a pinch of spice to the literary world. So, grab a cuppa, pet your feline friend, and get ready to dive into Christine’s world of words—it’s one wild ride!
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Purchase Christine’s book, Ella’s Dominion
Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook | Paperback
Link to book on Amazon US: eBook | Paperback
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If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
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