Juliana Swenson

New Adult fiction • Light Sci-Fi / Romance • Word Count: 81,000

Pitch:

When aerial silk artist Shani Flanagan auditions for a new circus in Lexington, Kentucky, she falls in love with violinist Lyric Stargaze, who she doesn’t know is an alien from another planet hiding from American immigration authorities. Meanwhile, Lyric’s human tutor and best friend, Felix Jones, falls for Lyric’s sister, Melody, who longs to return to her planet. As love and dreams hang in the balance, two young couples from different worlds fight for acceptance and a future under the big top.

About this Project:

Before writing Orbiting Hearts, I spent some time illustrating more than 60 circus characters using AI and Photoshop for my own entertainment. The more I worked on them, the more I felt compelled to tell their stories. But there were too many characters for one novel, so I picked my favorites.

The illustrations were inspired by the golden age of circus history when it was exotic and mysterious. But as much as I love the idea of past circuses and admire novels like Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and The Dreaming Jewels by Theodore Sturgeon, setting my story in the past didn’t feel right. I wanted it to be unique.

Then I stumbled upon an article in Forbes about Lexington, Kentucky, inviting aliens from TRAPPIST-1 to visit. That’s when it hit me: what if aliens intercepted that message and decided to start a circus in Lexington? A circus could be the perfect platform for them to prove they meant no harm. Just as Roman Emperors used spectacles to win over the masses, my aliens could use the same tactic. I became obsessed with the idea, researching and writing incessantly, pausing only for life's unavoidable interruptions, and completed the novel 11 months later.

Unfortunately, we live in an age where we must address the AI elephant in the room. As a technology tutor, I am obligated and curious to try new technologies. Although AI provided me with okay illustrations, they would be far superior if done by a professional illustrator. The bot-made illustrations are biased in depicting perfect humans, so although they inspired my characters, I question the concept of beauty in my novel.

As for writing with AI, I agree with Steve Almond that "Bots do not possess a mind or heart or soul. They do not dream up stories. They generate content—mindlessly, heartlessly, soullessly—by looking for patterns in huge troves of language and predicting the next word." Chat GPT is a tool, just as Photoshop and Lightroom are tools for editing images. I've used it to research certain topics, find mistakes in my writing, and suggest improvements, but I wrote my novel.

The Characters

Shani Flanagan, 18, grew up in America’s largest traveling circus, dreaming of captivating audiences as an aerial silk artist. But after the circus shut down, she had to work a job she despised to support her family of clowns. One evening, a poster for a new circus reignites her hopes, and she leaps at the chance to audition. Though she suspects the offer might be too good to be true, she never imagines her new employers are aliens on the run from immigration authorities. As Shani fights for a second chance at her dream, she’s drawn into a world of secrets that could upend everything, forcing her to confront difficult choices about her future.

Inspiration: Shani's determination and resilience were inspired by my favorite heroines: Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, Tris Prior from Divergent, and Feyre Archeron from A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR). However, her background stemmed from the countless YouTube videos and documentaries I watched about the lives of circus performers. And her attitude resembles Norah’s from Nick & Norah by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.

Lyric Stargaze, 18, is a violinist from the planet Stellethnos who arrives on Earth with his family to fulfill his father’s dream of running a circus. Their accidental landing in El Paso, Texas, leads to their mistaken identity as illegal immigrants. Curious, analytical, and charmingly humorous, Lyric explores Earth with wonder, making quirky observations about his new world. But as he grows to love both the planet and Shani, a human, he becomes terrified of being exposed as an alien—and of losing her in the process.

Inspiration: Lyric and I share the same birthday and are both Libras—artists, idealists, romantics, and naturally curious. As immigrants, we pay close attention to everything we experience, including new cuisines, human behavior, and the inconsistencies of cultural norms. We love nature and care deeply about the environment. Our shared zest for life and eagerness to experience new things can sometimes lead us to become so absorbed in our pursuits that we forget about those around us, making us appear self-centered. We have a go-with-the-flow attitude and tend to overlook inconvenient obligations when we're having fun or madly in love with someone, which can lead to desperation when our avoidances become problematic.

Melody Stargaze, 17, is Lyric's sister. She's a talented cellist, sensitive, and observant. As an introvert, she often grapples with her identity and her Grandmother's idea of what she should be like. She fears what might happen if humans discover her family's origins and longs for the safety and familiarity of her home planet.

Inspiration: Melody was inspired by Nesta Archeron from ACOTAR. Like Nesta, Melody was thrust into a new life against her will, is more sensitive and observant than others realize, and feels uncomfortable in her new body despite enjoying her sexuality.

Felix Jones, 19, is outgoing, patient, understanding, and supportive. He’s been a good boy all his life, following his parent’s footsteps in pursuing a career in gymnastics until Lyric’s grandmother recruited him to be a trapeze artist in her family’s circus and Lyric’s tutor in human affairs. By accepting the job, Felix vows to keep the aliens’ identities a secret without realizing the implications behind his decision to become an accomplice in their illegal status.

Inspiration: Felix was inspired by a combination of all the 'good boy next door' characters with loving parents from the many movies I've seen over the years—those characters who are not afraid to bend the rules to help those in need, even if it could get them into trouble. Additionally, many Cirque du Soleil trapeze artists have a background in gymnastics, so it made sense for Felix to have one too.

Senene Nightfall is Lyric’s and Melody’s grandmother—a brilliant scientist and master schemer behind all her family’s drama and development. She has the wisdom of a seasoned professor and the sharp wit of an aristocratic matriarch.

Inspiration: Senene is one of those characters who reveal themselves to the author as the story develops. She wasn't part of my initial plans, but she made herself known and demanded her presence. I suppose, subconsciously, she is a blend of the evil queens and fairy godmothers from the fairy tales I read as a child. But to my delight, she turned out as witty and blunt as Minerva McGonagall from Harry Potter and Violet Crawley from Downton Abbey, both played by the wonderful late Maggie Smith.

Asher Mercury, 19, (picture below) is one of Felix's best friends and a flying trapeze artist on Felix's team. Asher is a daredevil and adrenaline junkie from California whose parents are often traveling abroad. They left him in Lexington after he decided he was tired of not having a stable home and wanted to attend the local circus school.

Inspiration: My teenage years were the best of my life. Unlike Asher’s parents, mine were present, though I enjoyed nearly as much freedom as he did. Leblon Beach in Rio de Janeiro was my backyard. I spent my days bodyboarding while my friends surfed—we all talked and acted like Asher. He would've been one of my best friends.

Additional Characters

Inspired by their illustrations (Hover over them to see their names.)