November 7, 2025 at 1:44 PM

Celebrating Celeste Barclay

This month, we’re thrilled to spotlight Celeste Barclay! A former educator turned bestselling historical romance author, Celeste’s journey into publishing began as a simple whim and transformed into a thriving career. Blending her love of history, travel, and strong, independent heroines, Celeste has built a body of work that transports readers from the medieval Highlands to Regency England and beyond. Her writing reflects a deep appreciation for both the past and the power of imagination to shape new worlds.

In her own words, Celeste shares how a love of books, history, and storytelling led her to an unexpected new chapter as a full-time author.

My Writing Journey

A Guest Post by Celeste Barclay

I think of my writing career as a story much like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Similar to the titular character, I’m perhaps a bit eccentric and have hopped on a joyous ride. Rather than being a motorcar enthusiast like Mr. Toad, I’m a storytelling enthusiast. He wasn’t certain where his adventure would end, and neither am I, but I’m certainly enjoying it.

I never aspired to be an author. It wasn’t a lifelong dream but a whim that’s worked out. I’ve always been an avid reader. As an only child who traveled a lot well before anyone imagined “screen time,” I always had a book with me. I discovered historical romance by accident in my late thirties when I thought I’d found a medieval historical fiction. I sat on the edge of my seat wondering if the couple would or wouldn’t get together. And I did the same thing with at least another five books before I realized that—spoiler alert—in romance, there’s always a Happily Ever After (or at least a Happy for Now). There’s certainly no guarantee of that in the broader historical fiction. I fell in love with the genre.

I also taught history, composition, and literature throughout my career as an educator. When I combined that with my love of reading historical romance, I decided I wanted to try it. In 2013, I started a story that didn’t get beyond the first four pages. It wasn’t the right time or the right story. Fast forward to August 2017, and it was the right time and right story.

From the Classroom to the Highlands

I penned half of His Highland Lass in two weeks … Then school started again, and life just got too busy. I returned to the manuscript in January 2018. Writing was cathartic after my husband’s emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix led to two weeks in the hospital. He came out fine, but I was emotionally wrecked, having to juggle his illness, work, and kids.

His Highland Lass

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I published His Highland Lass on April 15, 2018—much better to celebrate that than Tax Day—and a new and unexpected career launched. After a year-and-a-half and 15 books, I left teaching to become a full-time author. I haven’t looked back. What better place is there than in your imagination all day?

I spend my days crafting stories with women who are nobody’s fool and not perpetual damsels in distress. They’re intelligent, independent, resourceful, and fierce heroines. Their men know they’re better for having these heroines by their sides. The heroes may be protective alphas, but not alpha-holes. These aren’t the stories of yore steeped in patriarchy and misogyny. They’re diverse and inclusive with themes that still resonate today.

Indie Publishing: A whim turned into a job

I had no idea what I was getting into when I published that first book. And I didn’t know up from down, in from out. I just knew I had a story to tell and a series brewing in my mind. I didn’t understand how any of it worked. However, I knew I had an aversion to rejection. I figured rather than have someone in traditional publishing turn me down, I’d know if my books were no good if no one bought them.

That presented the challenge of figuring out how to let people know they existed. Between books two and three, I devoured everything I could on indie publishing. I immersed myself in the business. This included self-publishing eBooks and physical books through Barnes & Noble Press. I discovered how truly independent I could be by going direct through retailers rather than a large traditional publisher.

Success took me in yet another direction

Not long after I left teaching to become a full-time author, a small house publisher, Oliver Heber Books, approached me with a proposal that was too good to turn down. I could have all the creative autonomy of an indie author while having the support a publisher offers. That includes connecting with B&N Press to expand my books availability across multiple formats. It also enabled this opportunity to share my writing journey, along with my stories, with more people.

Book Deals and Releases

Thanks to Barnes & Noble, readers can escape into the medieval Highlands with my BOGO books. With nearly 30 Scottish medieval stories (plus Regency, Vikings, and pirates), I have plenty of historical romances to escape with. These couples live and breathe love, honor, duty, loyalty, and family. It’s “us against the world” in all my books.

My latest releases are Mafia romances under my Sabine Barclay pen name.

You can enjoy my stories as eBooks, paperbacks, and hardbacks on Barnes & Noble.

Celeste’s journey proves that inspiration can strike at any time and that with passion and persistence, a simple whim can become a lifelong calling. We’re proud to celebrate her success and the many unforgettable love stories she’s brought to life with Barnes & Noble Press!

About Celeste Barclay

Celeste Barclay, a nom de plume, was born overseas and immigrated to the United States as a baby. An only child who spent her summers in England and traveled throughout Europe, she developed an enduring love of history—especially the English monarchy and medieval Scotland. After growing up in the Midwest and studying on the East Coast, she now lives in Southern California with her husband and two sons. When she’s not writing or driving along the coast, she’s likely reading, enjoying time outdoors, or planning her next visit back East.