Dance With Me by Livia J. Elliot
Launching on Kickstarter on May 6th, 2025.
Today is an extra exciting day, because I don’t just have the honour of revealing the cover of the upcoming novella Dance With Me by Livia J. Elliot, but we’ve got a Kickstarter launch to go along with it as well! Doesn’t that just sound like music to your ears?!
Dance With Me was first published as an interactive short story on the Unearthed Stories app (where it will always remain available in its original form), but to celebrate the second anniversary of the app, Livia is now launching the expanded novelised version of this special tale via Kickstarter (links below)!
What is it all about? I am glad you asked. It’s a deceptively enchanting and intimately vulnerable coming-of-age fantasy tale that explores emotional trauma, identity, depression, trust, and love in all its devastating beauty.
Now, if that didn’t immediately pique your curiosity, then get ready for this alluring blurb to pull you in and dance with your emotions.
In a world of beauty, a ceramic-made ballerina awakens atop her music box. She must dance for her elven owners, and so her ballet goes on and on. They praise her elegance, her poise and balance, until one day she falls and her ceramic fractures—but the ballerina dances again, ignoring her ever-increasing fissures. The music plays, captivating and demanding… but should she dance? Even when what she once loved becomes a trap?
Sold yet? Just wait till you see the cover… let’s just stop stalling and reveal the beauty already. Be prepared for your eyes to be blessed in 3, 2, 1….
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Dance With Me, a Tales of the Bookshelves standalone novella
Aaaah, my excitement is through the roof! Whether you choose the stunning illustrated paperback designed by Livia herself (the endless talent of this woman is just astounding!) or the gorgeous naked illustrated hardcover, with the original cover art and internal illustrations by the brilliant José Arturo Bustamante, this beautiful book will be a showstopper on your bookshelves!
Now, enough gushing here, just hop over to the KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN PRE-LAUNCH PAGE, and make sure to save it so you get notified when it launches on May 6th, 2025. I promise you, you’re not going to want to miss out on all the exciting goodies that Livia has in store for you!
What’s more, I had the honour of reading an eARC of this beautiful story and it absolutely wrecked and healed me all at once, so please just trust my word for it when I say YOU NEED THIS IN YOUR LIFE! I will be your enabler, you’re welcome.
Cheers friends!
About the author:
Livia J. Elliot is an Australian-based author of psychological, dark fantasy fiction with heavy theme work. She writes books, and also books-with-choices available through the app Unearthed Stories. She hosts the podcast Books Undone, specialised in deep-dives and thematic analyses of speculative fiction.
Download Unearthed Stories on Android or in the Apple Store.
And check out Livia’s author website to subscribe to her newsletter and follow all her socials to keep up to date on her writing and reading life!
