Love and reality clash - Review of 'Celeste' by Michelle Devon

Author Michelle Devon puts a new twist on the age-old question, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear, does it still make a noise?” in her novella, “Celeste.” She does it with style and an intense atmosphere that will bring classic Alfred Hitchcock to mind.

Protagonist Kyle McRoy has a lot going for him: nice job in the accounting department of a big company, nice apartment, a beautiful girlfriend. He also has a brother who tries to keep tabs on him and a psychiatrist that he’s been seeing since a breakdown following his parents’ deaths. 

McRoy faces a lot of questions from his brother and the doctor. Mark wants to meet Kyle’s girlfriend, but Kyle resists. His relationship with Celeste is something personal and treasured, not for public consumption. Dr. Lower wonders why Kyle keeps coming back for sessions when he seems to be doing so well. And Kyle just wants to enjoy the gift of his life with Celeste.

So the new twist on the old question: “If a man falls in love with a beautiful woman but doesn’t bring her home to meet the family, does she exist?” Devon explores the nature of reality as she pursues the answer to the question. She presents a likeable protagonist surrounded by not-always-so likeable characters. Kyle’s gentle, logical approach to the rest of life doesn’t lessen the passionate relationship he shares with Celeste. Which world is the reality? Which Kyle is the reality?

Devon presents Kyle’s situation from all sides. The balanced story has some very sexy scenes, as Kyle and Celeste explore their relationship. It delivers a look at the working environment and the world of psychotherapy. Primarily, “Celeste” provides a thought-provoking examination of the nature of reality and how human beings judge it.

Readers who enjoy noir overtones will find plenty of them. Mystery and intrigue lurk in the story, as well as romance. The novella is available for purchase as an eBook here.

“Celeste” by Michelle Devon

Disclosure: This review is based on a review copy provided by the author with no constraints placed on its content. All opinions are my own.

An Interview with Author/Publisher Michelle Devon

The next time you’re feeling as though life has put roadblocks in the way of your writing career, think about Michelle ‘Michy’ Devon. Through near-fatal illness and chronic invalidism, she still manages to write and publish. Devon keeps a positive outlook in the face of her circumstances and just won’t quit.

“If anything, nearly dying—twice—has brought back into focus all the things that matter most, and writing is one of those things. I’ve definitely rededicated myself to the craft and nothing is going to stop me from achieving the success I seek for myself,” says Devon. She has used her experiences as story inspiration, as she learns to deal with the restrictions her diastolic heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension have placed on her life.

With all that she’s been through, her interest in the nature of reality may seem quite natural. Many of her stories deal with how the characters deal with their perceptions of reality, juxtaposed against how the other characters perceive the same situation. Her recent novella “Celeste” presents a prime example of conflicting perceptions, leading the reader to see both sides.

Empathy, another facet of reality that fascinates her as a character attribute, takes center stage in the short story “Empath.” 

“I do think there are people who are empathic, who can sense and read others thoughts, body language and feelings as easily as if they felt it themselves…” Devon explains. 

Several of her works deal with infidelity, including three short stories written to help a publisher who needed to fill an anthology on the subject of ‘justified endings to bad exes.’ Although working as a contracted editor at the time, Devon submitted her stories and they were accepted.

 

Current projects in the works include “Abduction,” a novella, fantasy novel “Firestorm,” the lighthearted novel “Accepting Aimee” (part of the “Covington Confessions” series) and “The Nature of the Universe”-the working title. She admits to having at least seven novels is some stage of development.

Michy (the “ch” is pronounced as “k”) makes her home in Texas, but don’t expect laid-back, down-home in her works. She tackles cosmopolitan topics with a sharp wit that no ailment can dull and a sense of gratitude honed to razor sharpness by what she’s gone through. 

“I believe love and gratitude are the two most powerful emotions and energies in the world, in the entire universe. I want people to know that when you live in a state of gratitude, absolutely nothing is impossible. I am so grateful for my life, grateful for my gifts and talents, grateful for just being. I try to live in that abundance, in that place of gratitude and love all the time. I often fail, but I do try.”

 

So the next time you feel as though circumstances are conspiring to keep you from writing, remember Michelle Devon. Change your perception of reality and get back to work!