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People often ask what I’ve learned from my characters and their stories. The truth is, I’ve learned so much, it’s impossible to summarize. There’s no character I’ve learned more from than Tess Lee, the protagonist in the Celestial Bodies novels. Tess is a world-famous novelist. She uses her pen to grapple with tough subjects—the stuff that hurts us in life—and to guide readers through it, to a place of hope. It’s not surprising that the excerpts from Tess’s novels, embedded in this collection, are among my greatest source of learning. I’ll share an example.
I think one of the things many of us suffer from is doubt—even just a small seed of doubt—doubt that we are good enough, loveable, worthy. Tess tackles this in a novel in which the protagonist is depressed. One summer night, she goes to her favorite lake, jumps into the freezing water, and swims out to an old dock. As she’s swimming, she’s trying to decide whether she’ll ever swim back, or if she’ll drown herself. Here’s the excerpt from Tess’s book. When I doubt, these are the words I replay. Then I breathe. I just breathe.
“She pulled herself up onto the old wooden dock, her body cold and dripping. ‘Damn it,’ she muttered at the splinter lodged in the palm of her hand. Crawling to the middle of the dock, she collapsed on her back, trying to catch her breath. She rubbed her fingers across the sore spot in her hand, knowing there was no way to remove the shard in the dark night. How is it, she wondered, that something so small could hurt so much? If she removed the splinter, would she always feel its absence? It was something that was inside of her that will forever be missing, like that piece of herself she had lost long before she got to know it, or that other piece that was stolen, or that other piece she sacrificed for reasons she no longer remembers. Her mind flooded with things she didn’t yet understand: the relationship of the small part to the whole, the haunting nature of the one out of one hundred, the loudness of the single voice that did not praise us amid the sea of those that did, our obsession with the one love we lost and not the boundless possibilities for love we might find. Above all, she wondered about the nature of doubt, how it creeps in and casts a shadow over the light, causing us to ask: Does he truly love me? Do I deserve love? Am I worthy? Perhaps these questions would never be answered. On this night, there was only one question that mattered: Will I swim to shore or will I suffocate in the ghostly waters? Until she had an answer, she would stay there. She looked up at the night sky, bursting with stars. One twinkling star caught her eye. It drew her gaze as if it were the light at the end of the proverbial dark tunnel. The twinkle pulsed like her heartbeat. Mesmerized, she blocked out all the others and watched her lone star twinkle. Was it a lifeline, an anchor, or a distraction? She wondered: If she could lasso that one star and pull it to her, would the entire sky crumple like a piece of paper? Would it give her a paper cut that would then be all she felt? Overwhelmed, she squeezed her eyelids shut and opened them again. This time, she saw all the stars lighting up the sky. She inhaled deeply, oxygen filling her lungs. Breathe, she told herself, just breathe.”
Heart-warming and wonderfully romantic, written with the sharp wit of Candace Bushnell and the sensitivity of Meg Donahue, comes best-selling author Patricia Leavy’s tour de force about learning to balance darkness and light in our lives.
Celestial Bodies is a series of six novels that follow the epic romance of Tess and Jack: Shooting Stars, Twinkle, Constellations, Supernova, North Star, and Stardust. An exploration of the power of love, each novel focuses on love at the intersection of another topic: healing, doubt, intimacy, trust, commitment, and faith. While external threats occur in each book, this is ultimately a story about internal threats—the audio playing in our own heads.
Tess Lee is a world-famous novelist. Her inspirational books explore people’s innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Despite her extraordinary success, she’s been unable to find happiness in her personal life. Jack Miller is a federal agent who specializes in counterterrorism. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. He’s dedicated everything to his job, leaving nothing for himself. The night Tess and Jack meet, their connection is palpable. She examines the scars on his body and says, “I’ve never seen anyone whose outsides match my insides.” The two embark on a beautiful love story that asks the questions: What happens when people truly see each other? Can unconditional love change the way we see ourselves? Their friends are along for the ride: Omar, Tess’s sarcastic best friend who calls her Butterfly; Joe, Jack’s friend from the Bureau who understands the sacrifices he’s made; and Bobby and Gina, Jack’s younger friends who never fail to lighten the mood. Along the way, others join their journey: the female president of the United States, with whom Tess bakes cookies and talks politics; the Millers, Jack’s childhood family; and many others. Celestial Bodies is about walking through our past traumas, moving from darkness to light, learning to live in color, and the ways in which love—from lovers, friends, or the art we experience—can heal us. Written as unfolding action, this collection moves fluidly between melancholy, humor, and joy. It can be read for pleasure or selected for book clubs.
Read an Excerpt
Tess removed her coat and shoes as Jack locked the door. He kicked off his shoes and threw his jacket on the countertop. He came up behind Tess, put his hands around her waist, and she turned to face him. Without a word, they started to kiss passionately. He picked her up, carried her to the bedroom, and put her down on the edge of the bed. They both pulled their shirts off. Jack grabbed a pillow and placed it behind Tess. He lay her down, pulled off the rest of her clothes, and took off his own. Starting at her feet, he gently kissed her, and worked his way up her body. Soon, they were making love, screaming in bliss. After, they lay beside each other, kissing. Jack pulled a blanket over them.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I couldn’t wait another minute.”
“I’m so happy. I’ve never felt anything like this before.”
“Me either.”
“Why don’t you move in with me? I want to wake up each morning with you and fall asleep in your arms each night.”
“Marry me, Tess.”
“Are you serious?”
“I’ve never been more serious in my life. I love you with my whole heart. Marry me.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’ll marry you.”
About the Author:
Website: http://www.patricialeavy.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WomenWhoWrite/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patricialeavy
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Celestial-Bodies-Tess-Miller-Novels-ebook/dp/B09WZGRGML/
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ReplyDeleteThis sounds like something I'd really enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds fantastic. I love the cover.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the guest post and the excerpt, Celestial Bodies sounds like a book that I will really enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing it with me and have an awesome weekend!