What is the title of your latest release?
LABYRINTHINE
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
A cursed princess. A deadly magical labyrinth. A dangerously devoted commander and a charming prince who might be too golden to be true.
Labyrinthine is a dark romantasy about power, sacrifice, feminine rage, impossible choices, and the kind of love that can either save a kingdom or destroy it.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I wanted the setting to feel beautiful, ancient, and claustrophobic. Starsfall is a kingdom of gilded cages, blood-soaked rituals, old magic, and divine bargains, so the palace, the city, and the labyrinth all grew out of that tension. I loved the idea of a world where everything looks ceremonial and sacred on the surface, but underneath it is rotten, hungry, and full of secrets.
Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Absolutely, although I’d probably be a little scared of her. Azhara is sharp, guarded, furious, and far more dangerous than people realize, but she’s also deeply loyal and desperate to make her own choices. I think she’d be hard work at first, but worth it.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Devoted. Dangerous. Unyielding.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
That a heroine doesn’t have to become softer to be healed. Sometimes the arc is about letting her become more herself: more powerful, more honest, more willing to want things. Writing LABYRINTHINE reminded me how much I love stories where love does not tame the monster, but recognizes it.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I’ve learned to edit as I draft, probably more than I should. I like to refine the emotional beats, the atmosphere, and the rhythm of the prose as I go, because those things shape how I understand the characters. But I also do a proper edit once the full story is down, because some things only become clear once I can see the whole book.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Dark chocolate, preferably the kind that’s rich, slightly bitter, and melts slowly. Perfect for late-night writing sessions.
Describe your writing space/office!
A mix of cozy and chaotic. I have a desk with stacks of notebooks, a constantly refilled cup of tea or coffee, and soft lighting to set the mood. There’s usually a candle burning and a playlist humming in the background. It’s a space where I can sink into the world I’m creating and forget everything else.
Who is an author you admire?
Ursula K. Le Guin. Her ability to blend philosophy, sociology, and deeply human storytelling is unmatched. She didn’t just tell stories; she reshaped how we think about power, identity, and the nature of truth.
Is there a book that changed your life?
Probably THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS. It completely changed the way I thought about fantasy, character, and what speculative fiction could do emotionally – and for me, it’s a book that should be on everyone’s TBR if they haven’t read it.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published). Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
Getting the offer for LABYRINTHINE was surreal. It’s being traditionally published by City Owl Press, and seeing this dark, ambitious story find a home with a publisher that genuinely loved the world and characters meant everything to me. After spending so long living inside these characters’ heads, finally knowing they were going to reach readers was both terrifying and incredibly exciting.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Fantasy romance and romantasy, always. But I also love mythology, classics, thrillers, gothic fiction, and historical fiction.
What’s your favorite movie?
I genuinely don’t know, but some that come to mind are LABYRINTH, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THE SHAPE OF WATER and PAN’s LABYRINTH.
What is your favorite season?
Winter. Long dark evenings, frost, storms, candlelight, oversized jumpers, and the feeling that the world has gone a little quieter and more magical.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Good food, good wine, books, and spending time with the people I love. Preferably somewhere cozy.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE. It’s gorgeous, emotional, dramatic, toxic, romantic, and exactly the kind of storytelling I adore.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
All of it. Food is an experience, and I love trying new things.
What do you do when you have free time?
Read, write, and wander. Whether it’s exploring a new place, getting lost in a book, or diving into a story I’m working on, I love anything that takes me somewhere else, even just for a little while.
What can readers expect from you next?
Next up is BLOOD AND BELLS, a paranormal rom com co-written with Michael Ashwood, releasing on September 15th. It’s chaotic, funny, supernatural, and very different in tone from LABYRINTHINE.
Then next year I have three more releases coming, including another paranormal rom com, the second book in THE THRONES OF THE FORSAKEN series, and another new project I’m very excited about. Readers can definitely expect more magic, romance, morally gray characters, and emotional damage.
Thrones of the Forsaken #1
Every generation, the gods take their due. This time, they might take her.
Princess Azhara was born cursed. Marked by ancient magic. Promised to an unholy bargain sealed in blood. When the Reaping begins, suitors will descend into the labyrinth beneath the palace—each one fighting to win her hand or die trying.
She’s never had a choice. Not in the Reaping. Not in her future. Not even in the power buried beneath her skin.
Until now.
The golden prince arrives with charm too slick to trust and eyes that gleam with secrets. Her quiet guardian—once her only constant—has begun to keep dangerous truths from her. And as the labyrinth trials unfold, Azhara realizes the maze isn’t her only trap.
It’s the men.
One lies. One loves. One kills. And she’s not sure which is which.
As suitors fall and secrets surface, Azhara must choose what’s worth saving—her kingdom, her heart, or herself.
Labyrinthine is a seductive, myth-woven romantasy of deadly trials, cursed bloodlines, and a love born in shadows.
You
Romance Fantasy | Action | Fiction Adventure [ City Owl Press, On Sale: May 12, 2026, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781648985478 / eISBN: 9781648985461 ]
CJ Holmes writes paranormal and fantasy romances with sizzlingly hot heroes and strong, sassy women. Her first two series have reached the top ten category bestseller lists on Amazon and she has recently signed a four-book deal with City Owl Press. You can expect a strong dash of dry British humor, enough action and adventure to keep you turning the pages, and spice that might be too hot to read in public.
You’ll find CJ hanging out in one of her local cafes or walking somewhere in the UK countryside, invariably inappropriately dressed for the weather. If she isn’t there, she’ll be in a bookshop adding to her TBR list and book collection, and she considers herself fortunate that her husband is also an avid reader.
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