Light Sci-Fi / New Adult / Romance
Word Count: 80118
Word Count: 80118
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.
About this Project:
Before writing this novel, I illustrated more than 60 circus characters using AI and Photoshop for my own entertainment, a project that took me over a year to finish. These characters, with their Victorian flair, were inspired by the golden age of the circus when it was exotic, mysterious, and captivating. The more I worked on them, the more I wanted to tell their stories, but I could only pick a few for this project.
As much as I love the idea of the Victorian circus, and even though I’ve admired novels like Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen and movies like Dumbo, I knew my story had to be different. I researched circus life and read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and The Dreaming Jewels by Theodore Sturgeon—both wonderful. But setting the story in the past didn’t feel right.
Then, I stumbled upon a story 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 like Roman Emperors used spectacles to seduce the masses, my aliens could use the same tactic.
Characters on the Cover:
Shani Flanagan, 18, grew up in America’s largest traveling circus, dreaming of captivating audiences as an aerial silk artist, only to be disappointed when the circus shut down. For two years, she’s been working a job she despises to support her family of clowns. One evening, a poster for a new circus reignites her hopes, and Shani decides to audition. She suspects the opportunity might be too good to be true, but not that her new employers are aliens from another planet hiding from immigration authorities. As Shani fights for a second chance at her dream, she is thrust into a world of secrets that could shatter everything and must make tough choices about her future.
Lyric Stargaze, 18, is a violinist from the planet Stellethnos. He comes to Earth with his family to fulfill his father’s dream of running a circus. They arrive in El Paso, Texas, by accident and are mistaken for illegal immigrants. Lyric is charming, analytical, and curious. He experiences everything with wonder and makes funny observations about his discoveries. Lyric falls in love with Earth and humans but fears being discovered as an alien, failing to adapt to human life, losing his loved ones, and the unpredictability of Earth’s challenges.
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.
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.
Senene Nightfall is Lyric’s and Melody’s grandmother—a brilliant master schemer behind all her family’s drama and development.