Category: Book News

• Interview with Monica from Spells and Tomes about Rotting Trees

  Hello, I was interviewed by the lovely Monica over at Spells and Tomes, as part of her Indie-R-Views series. If you fancy five minutes of chat about the inspiration behind the Bezzina’s Emporium world, Rotting Trees and the sequel (soooooon), check it out! If you’d like to read Rotting Trees, you can find the sampler…

  Francesca

  1 July, 2025

  Book News

  author interview, Bezzina’s Emporium of Magical Artefacts and Antiquities, Francesca Astraea, Francesca’s Words, indie author interview, Indie-R-Views blog, Smashwords ebook sale, Spells and Tomes, Spells and Tomes book blog

• Half Price Ebook for Read an Ebook Week (until 8th March)

  Hello, As part of the Smashwords Read an Ebook week, you can get the Rotting Trees ebook at a 50% discount until 8th March, with the code EBW50. That’s less than $4! You can find Rotting Trees here, and browse the entire sale catalogue – hundreds of books! – here. As always, if you’re interested…

  Francesca

  5 March, 2025

  Book News

  Bezzina’s Emporium of Magical Artefacts and Antiquities, bookish, ebook discount, ebook sale, Francesca’s Words, read more books, Rotting Trees, Smashwords Read an Ebook Week, YA contemporary fantasy, YA contemporary fantasy fiction

• New Short Story & ‘Rotting Trees’ is out!

  Hello lovely readers, Two good things in a week? It must mean January is finally over. Firstly, my newest short story, Embracing Tradition, is on Patreon for the No. 1 Readers’ Club now. It will be on my stories blog on 17th February, but with 50% off your first month’s membership throughout Feb, why wait…

  Francesca

  3 February, 2025

  Book News, Patreon News

  Books-on-Sea, Carpe Noctem Frome, flash fiction, Francesca’s Words, No. 1 Readers’ Club on Patreon, Patreon creator, Rotting Trees by Francesca Astraea, short story, witchy story, YA novel, young adult book, young adult book series, young adult novel

• Signed Copies of ‘Rotting Trees’ in Carpe Noctem, Frome

  Hello everyone, I’m chuffed to announce that you can find signed copies of Rotting Trees in Carpe Noctem in Frome, Somerset. Carpe Noctem is a fabulous new small business specialising in all things magical – if you tend towards paganism or herbalism, it is an absolute treasure trove (it feels a little bit Bezzina’s Emporium…

  Francesca

  27 January, 2025

  Book News

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• Signed copies of ‘Rotting Trees’ at Books-on-Sea

  Hello and happy solstice, You can now find limited numbers of signed Rotting Trees paperbacks in Books-on-Sea, which is the only indie bookshop in central Southend-on-Sea and, since you’re asking, one of the city’s best hidden gems. Also, Sophey Cartwright would love it. So next time you’re in Southend high street, pop along to Alexandra…

  Francesca

  21 December, 2024

  Book News

  Alexandra Street Southend-on-Sea, Books-on-Sea, Essex, Essex bookshop, indie bookshop, local independent bookshop, Rotting Trees by Francesca Astraea, second hand bookshop, Southend-on-Sea, young adult book, young adult book series

• Pre-Order ‘Rotting Trees’ in ebook and paperback!

  Hello lovely readers, I’m so pleased to announce that Rotting Trees, the first book in the Bezzina’s Emporium of Magical Artefacts and Antiquities trilogy, will release on 31st January 2025. It will be available as an ebook and a paperback from all major retailers. Ask your local bookshop to order it in! It’s available through…

  Francesca

  3 November, 2024

  Book News

  Bezzina’s Emporium of Magical Artefacts and Antiquities, book pre-order, ebook pre-order, Francesca Astraea, Francesca’s Words, No. 1 Readers’ Club on Patreon, Rotting Trees, Rotting Trees on GoodReads, Rotting Trees on StoryGraph, YA author, YA book, YA contemporary fantasy fiction, YA contemporary fantasy novel, YA fantasy ebook, YA fantasy novel, young adult book, young adult book series, young adult contemporary fantasy, young adult ebook, young adult fantasy novel

• Read the Prologue & First Three Chapters of Rotting Trees Here (free!)

  Hello lovelies, Here are the prologue and first three chapters of Rotting Trees, the first instalment of the Bezzina’s Emporium of Magical Artefacts and Antiquities trilogy! You can find the whole novel, in ebook or paperback, at various retailers and libraries globally here. Join my newsletter here and support me via the No. 1 Readers’…

  Francesca

  10 July, 2024

  Book News

  Bezzina’s Emporium of Magical Artefacts and Antiquities, book recommendations, Francesca Astraea, Francesca’s Words, free book chapters, indie author, indie book, Patreon author, Patreon creator, Rotting Trees, YA book sample, YA contemporary fantasy fiction, YA contemporary fantasy novel, YA novel, young adult book, young adult book series

• ‘The Princess and the Dragon and Other Stories’ just 99p on Google Books!

  Hello lovelies, Happy new year and thank you for all your support in 2022. I can’t wait to show you what I’ve been working on in 2023! In the meantime, The Princess and the Dragon and Other Stories About Unlikely Heroes is only 99p on Google Books until the 3rd of January. ENJOY. See you…

  Francesca

  27 December, 2022

  Book News

  99p ebook, cheap ebook, Francesca’s Words, Google Books, Google Play Store ebook, The Princess and the Dragon and Other Stories About Unlikely Heroes, YA fairy tale, ya fantasy, YA fantasy ebook, young adult ebook, young adult fantasy novel

• ‘The Princess and the Dragon and Other Stories About Unlikely Heroes’ Discounted on Google Play!

  Hello hello. If you like ebooks and YA fantasy, I have good news: The Princess and the Dragon and Other Stories About Unlikely Heroes is discounted on Google Play now! It’s just £4.99. As always, it’s available on most ebook platforms, or on Amazon as a paperback. Look after yourselves, Francesca

  Francesca

  15 April, 2022

  Book News, Writing

  'The Princess and the Dragon and Other Stories About Unlikely Heroes' by Francesca Astraea, diverse fairy tales, diverse reads, ebook, fairy tale, Francesca Astraea, Google Books, Google Play, LGBT fiction, YA ebook, ya fantasy, YA fiction, young adult fairy tale, young adult fantasy, young adult fantasy novel

• New Art for ‘The Princess and the Dragon and Other Stories About Unlikely Heroes’ by Gabrielle Rose

  Hi! I’m so pleased to show you a new piece of art for The Princess and the Dragon and Other Stories About Unlikely Heroes. It’s by Gabrielle Rose, a fantastic Canadian artist who specialises in horror and the occult. Which scene do you think it’s from? If you haven’t read the book, here’s a list…

  Francesca

  30 December, 2021

  Book News, The Princess and the Dragon and Other Stories About Unlikely Heroes

  'The Princess and the Dragon and Other Stories About Unlikely Heroes' by Francesca Astraea, dark fairy tales, fairy tale novel, Francesca’s Words, The Dark Arts of Gabrielle Rose, YA novel, young adult fantasy novel, young adult novel