Hi, I’m Cecelia.
If you looked around my house, you’d probably wonder why it took me so long to start In Other Words…
I have little signs tucked into my bookshelves, jewelry I’ve brought home from my travels and more than a few things I bought because I loved what they said. Some remind me of something important. Others just make me laugh.
I’ve always been fascinated by words and the effect they have on us. I studied language, earned a PhD in Language & Literacy and spent twenty years teaching. Eventually, I made a career out of writing romance novels.
But even before the books, there was Ispiri.
Years ago, I started a lip gloss company that featured inspirational quotes on every box. It was a fun business, and although I eventually moved on, I never quite let go of the idea behind it.
Looking back, I can see that I’ve been coming back to this same fascination for most of my life. Suddenly, In Other Words… feels as if it was inevitable.
The words I carry with me
I mean that pretty literally.
I have several tattoos, including Fearless, Memento Mori, Alis Volat Propriis (She flies with her own wings) and No Apologies, which I had written in Elvish.
Yes, Elvish.
They each mean something different to me. I chose them at different points in my life, but I still love having those reminders with me every day.
That became the inspiration for Founder’s Words, a collection I’m developing around those very same expressions.
I’m still figuring out exactly what each one will become, which is part of the fun.
And about those romance novels...
I’m still writing them!
In Other Words… isn’t a departure from my writing career.
Take Cassia, the heroine of Ruthless, But for Her. She’s spent much of her life with other people making decisions for her. Watching her find her own voice is one of the things I love about her story.
When I think about Cassia, I think of Alis Volat Propriis. She flies with her own wings.
That connection gave me the idea for Beyond the Words, where I’ll occasionally pair a product with one of my novels when they share something meaningful. Not every book needs a matching product, but some connections are too good to pass up.
So, why In Other Words...?
I love discovering a clever saying on an unexpected object. I love finding something in a little boutique that I didn’t know I needed until I saw it. And I especially love when a few words capture exactly how I feel.
Now I get to create some of those things myself with help from talented makers who can bring the ideas to life.
For now, I’m just excited to finally bring it all together.
Thanks for being here.
Cecelia