August Author of the Month
August 21, 2024
The free short story for August is an exciting one. Witches! And my Author of the Month, Paula Brackston, is a New York Times bestselling author.
In The Witches of the Blue Well (historical fiction), this story grows into a lovely tale of dark ambiance and a thought-provoking narrative. Ceridwen lives in the wild and steep moorlands of Wales. She is a young woman who desires to believe, but doubts, that she is endowed with family magic in her blood. A family of witches? Hmmmm.
Discovering her magic—from her endearing Mamgi—becomes a test of her beliefs, confidence, and will. This story is steeped in sisterly affection. If you look at any relationship between two sisters, there is often a wealth of insights, conflict, and drama. And these two, Gwynnie and Ceri, have their share of that and then some. Is magic real for Ceri? Will it fail her at her most desperate time of need? What will save these two sisters from their hardships, grief, and certain disasters?
I read this story in one sitting—folklore, witchcraft, and highly imaginative. Much like a Grimm fairy tale but more propulsive with just enough darkness to captivate the reader. Quite fine writing here. Dive in and discover this author if you’ve not read Paula Brackston.
You can download the Witches of the Blue Well, free, on Paula Brackston’s website: https://www.paulabrackston.com/free-book/
PAULA BRACKSTON is the author of The Witch’s Daughter and The Little Shop of Found Things, The Winter Witch, The Silver Witch, and The Midnight Witch, among others. She was short-listed in the Creme de la Crime search for new writers in 2007, and also for the Mind Book Award. Paula has an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University and is a Visiting Lecturer for the University of Wales, Newport. She lives with her family in Wales.
Here is a quick video of her books.
Paula was kind enough to give me a quick Q&A interview.
Tell us about witchcraft. Because you write so prolifically about witches in your fiction, do you practice witchcraft for first-hand experience or is witchcraft in your ancestry? Any fascinating anecdotes about witchcraft during your research?
Paula: “I cannot claim to be a witch, alas, but writing fiction has allowed me to investigate the fascinating world of witchcraft and the many different types that exist. For me, this research began when I wrote The Witch’s Daughter. As the main character has lived over three hundred years, she has gained knowledge and skills from many different kinds of magic. I was inspired then to give all my subsequent witches their own gifts and talents. If reading grants our wish to be someone else, then writing does so to an even greater extent. The joy of fashioning stories around strong women with abilities and qualities I would love to have myself is one of the things that keeps me writing!”
What is the most difficult part of writing stories for you? Which scenes or subject matter really challenges you creatively?
Paula: “This is an interesting question! I’m not sure there is one particular aspect that challenges me. I think it’s more that each book presents its own challenges. For example, when I was writing The Witch’s Daughter and its sequel, The Return of the Witch, I needed to know about the history of medicine and surgery, particularly in the Victorian era. This is a period about which SO much has been written I was swamped with information, and had to pick only the relevant and most interesting pieces so that the research did not overwhelm the story. In contrast, when I was researching Wales in the 800s, there was very little information to be found! I kept reaching dead ends or failing to find answers to questions. This led me to write far more fiction and fantasy in this particular book than I might otherwise have done. I do find choreographing a large cast challenging. For instance, The City of Time and Magic is a cross over book where characters from the Found Things series meet some from The Return of the Witch. Making sure everyone had enough page time, remained in character in dialogue, and moved the story forwards, was quite the dance!”
When you read novels for pleasure, what genres do you read? Do you have a favorite author and why?
Paula: “I read widely and sporadically. I find it almost impossible to read other people’s work when I am deep in the manuscript of one of my own books. My head is already full of imaginary people! In between working on my own stories, however, I love to read. Some of my favourite authors are Rose Tremain (Restoration), David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas) and Andrew Miller (Pure). I read and reread their books and am always moved and entertained and left astonished at the beauty and power of their writing.”
My next read of Paula’s is The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish, which just released July 23, 2024, currently #21 on US Amazon Best Seller list in Historical Fantasy Fiction.
Paula talks about Hecate Cavendish on her Facebook page:
Visit her website for more about Paula and to sign up for her newsletter for Sneaky Peeks at new projects; Alerts of upcoming offers, competitions and giveaways; glimpses into her writing process and research information of all things historical in her books.
https://www.paulabrackston.com/
Visit Paula Brackston’s Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B004AN2ZVU
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