RELEASE DAY: SUNG BY CANDLELIGHT by JENNIE MARIE RYAN!

 Hey everyone! I'm thrilled to wish Jennie Marie Ryan the happiest release day for Sung by Candlelight, the next book to release in The Candlelit Tales! This is a classic reimagining of Phantom of the Opera. This book will keep you turning pages from start to finish and will hit you broadside with plot twists! I also had the privilege of interviewing her. Stay tuned!

ABOUT THE BOOK

When the curtain rises…so must she.

Celeste Perrin is a music school drop out who thinks she'll never sing again. But when the royal family announces a magical singing competition to choose the crown prince's bride, Celeste realizes this is her ticket to save her sister from the same disease that took their mother.

Pitted against famous opera divas, Celeste is thrust into the dangerous world of melodia, a magical form of music so powerful that singing one wrong note could kill her. Celeste realizes she has no chance of winning…until a mysterious underground composer offers to tutor her, promising to help her win on one condition: she assassinates the prince she is supposed to wed. Confused by her conflicting feelings for both the charismatic crown prince and the brooding composer, Celeste soon discovers a secret so big that the fate of the entire kingdom hangs in the balance.

Can Celeste become the diva she never was at school and win the competition to save her sister—and the kingdom? One wrong note could end her life before the curtain falls….

Release Date: Oct. 27, 2026

The Candlelit Tales series is a collection of seasonal historical fantasy novellas. Each story is written by a different author and can be enjoyed in any order.

Order Link: https://books2read.com/u/4EGyDY

Check out The Candlelit Tales in full: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HHQXSDZV

Thanks so much for taking the time to interview with me, Jennie! 

1. Why did you choose to write a story based on The Phantom of the Opera? 

Jennie:  I adored The Phantom of the Opera movie as a teenager. My friends and I would argue over whether we liked Raoul or the Phantom more. I even got to live out my dreams singing opera in college as a Vocal Performance major, and I miss the world of opera very much, so after trying and failing with numerous retelling ideas (Hamlet and Mansfield Park, to name a few) Phantom seemed like a great choice given my musical background. Sung by Candlelight is my love letter to both The Phantom of the Opera and opera in general itself.

2. What was your favorite part about integrating the fall season in your novella? 

Jennie: Phantom is such an atmospheric story, and I loved adding details like dead leaves and gray skies to its already spooky, candlelit aesthetic. I envision a lush, decaying, opulent setting for my world, which just felt so perfect for autumn.

3. What is the heart, the core, behind your story? What do you want readers to remember?

Jennie: I want readers to know that they can rise above their insecurities and carry out their dreams. We've all been criticized and judged harshly. It's easy to let those judgements weigh us down and hold us back. I struggled with confidence so much in music school as every performance of mine was picked apart and critiqued by my teachers and peers. But we shouldn't let our insecurities overshadow our love for our passions. “Do it for your art,” as Manon would say.