Guest Post by Celeste Fenton ( From Barbie to Breakdown:Writing About Complex Women.) Author of Lost Heart in King Manor

 

I want to welcome Celeste Fenton to Books R Us. Celeste is the author of "Lost Heart in King Manor." The author has provided a guest post just for my readers. Thanks for stopping by.

 

Lost Heart in King Manor

By Celeste Fenton

Publisher: Independently Published (April 15, 2025)

ISBN: 979-8280071773

ASIN: B0F2ZML3M9

Print length:  347 pages (also available as ebook)

 Book Summary:

 

Some secrets are worth killing for.

And some hearts don’t break quietly.

At 45, Gabby Heart isn’t looking for drama—just quiet days on Dost Island
running her village gift shop, teaching art, and keeping her past tucked safely
away. But when her mother suffers a sudden health crisis, Gabby is pulled into a storm of family secrets, betrayal, and a dark legacy buried within the walls of the once-grand King Manor. 

What was supposed to be a safe place for her mother’s recovery becomes the backdrop for a chilling mystery. Strange incidents begin to unfold, and it becomes clear: someone inside King Manor has a deadly agenda. 

As a hurricane traps Gabby inside the sprawling estate, she’s forced to work alongside two very different men—her maddeningly attractive officemate and a charming new neighbor, both hiding dark secrets. One man may want her heart. The other may want her dead.

But can she trust her instincts before it's too late?

Publisher: Independently Published (April 15, 2025)

ISBN: 979-8280071773

ASIN: B0F2ZML3M9

Print length:  347 pages (also available as ebook)

 

GUEST POST: 

 From Barbie to Breakdown: Writing About Complex Women

By Celeste Fenton

When I was little, Barbie ruled the world. She was a gorgeous fashionista with impossible measurements (seriously—who could get a waist like that, even with a corset?). As the years rolled by, Barbie proved she could be anything: astronaut, teacher, veterinarian, rock star, tennis pro. But what she could never be was messy. Barbie didn’t have to figure out how to pay the mortgage, juggle a job and parenting, wrestle with guilt, or worry that her Spanx might roll at a dinner party.

When I began writing Lost Heart in King Manor, I knew my women weren’t going to be plastic-perfect dolls. They were going to be loving, sometimes mean, complicated, contradictory—in one word: real.

Take Gabby Heart, my protagonist. At forty-five, she’s endured heartbreak, carries both visible and invisible scars, and still manages to laugh, fight, and stumble her way through danger. She’s strong, but not “Hollywood strong.” Hers is the kind of strength that comes with being a single parent paying bills, holding her mother’s hand in the hospital, comforting a sick daughter at two in the morning, and realizing the handsome man across the room may not be as charming as he seems.

Then there’s Lola. If Barbie had a wild, sharp-tongued cousin who smoked with an opera holder and sold adult toys out of the trunk of a pink convertible while wearing leopard print, that would be Lola. She’ll cut you down with a quip and then slip you her last dollar. She’s flamboyant, loyal, and yes—she has tantrums. But don’t we all? Except Barbie.

Anna is the scholar. On the surface she’s got it all together—degrees, research, and a reputation for brains. But perfection comes at a cost, and Anna’s quiet cracks show in the choices she avoids, the relationships she sidesteps, and the fears she hides behind footnotes. Barbie never warned us about academic burnout. Or loneliness. Anna could write the book.

Abe may be a bestselling children’s author, but her success conceals scars from a brutally abusive childhood. She still battles panic attacks, though she keeps them tucked behind her polished smile. As the group’s moral compass, Abe has an unshakable sense of right and wrong, yet layers of insecurity hum beneath her calm surface. Her strength isn’t about never faltering—it’s about faltering and moving forward anyway.

Gabby’s daughter, Valentine, struggles to carve out her own identity, separate from the shadows of both her mother and grandmother. Composed and seemingly serene, Connie, Gabby’s mother, is no saint. Beneath her polish lie secrets and regrets. And then there’s Gail, who manages to hold power and vulnerability in the same body. Her daughter, Beth is the caretaker, steady on the outside but stretched thin within. Rosa Morales juggles her no-nonsense role in law enforcement with the chaos and loyalty of navigating life alongside her

two sisters. Lavanda projects the wild, lush temptress, but beneath the surface she wrestles with deep insecurities that drive her choices.

Writing these women has reminded me that female characters don’t have to be flawless. They don’t even have to be likable all the time (I can hear Barbie gasping). What they must be is real. They have to carry contradictions, make mistakes, and sometimes fall apart—because that’s where readers see themselves.

So from Barbie to breakdown, from glossy perfection to glorious imperfection, the women of the Mysteries of a Heart novels are a celebration of resilience, humor, and the beautiful mess of being alive. And honestly—would you want them any other way?

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About the Author

Celeste Fenton holds an M.Ed. and Ph.D. in education and has over thirty years’ experience in higher education. Her writing is fueled by a lifelong love of mystery, a fascination with the complexities of the human heart, and just enough
real-world experience to keep things interesting. A widow, mother of adult twin sons, proud grandmother, dog lover, and semi-retired professor living in Florida, she weaves imagination with insight to create stories that are both emotionally rich and laced with suspense.

When she’s not writing, reading, or plotting her next twist, she’s often off exploring small towns across America—setting out solo for month-long adventures, much to the awe (and occasional alarm) of friends and family. Her latest obsessions include escape rooms, mastering the perfect miter cut for a DIY bathroom remodel, and making the impossible decision of where to travel next.

You can follow the author at: 

Website: https://celestefenton.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/people/Celeste-Fenton-Mysteries-of-a-Heart

IG: @cherylgreybostrom  https://www.instagram.com/cherylgreybostrom