1--What is the title of your latest release?
THE HEDGE WITCH (The Witches of Star Island, #1)
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
The Hedge Witch is for anyone who loves witches, sisters, past lives, generational curses, and soul mates. If you want a book that meshes modern witches, 18th Century ghosts, and Medieval healers, you’ve found it.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
This is a weird answer! When I first thought of this world, I was driving in my car during a summer thunderstorm and an image of a witch standing on the edge of the ocean appeared to me. From there I came up with the idea of creating a fictional island so I could play with the setting more than if it had been a real place, but I did do a quite a bit of research on Nantucket since it’s supposed to be close by. I wanted Star Island to feel rooted in the real world.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
100%. I would get monthly tarot readings from Laurel.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Confident, magical, loyal
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
That if your tongue is cut out you can’t scream. Eeek.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I usually write an entire first draft before doing any editing but occasionally I will tweak a particular scene if it comes to me. Mainly so I don’t forget.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
A mountain of Japanese food to share with my husband.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I have a desk in the corner of our living room. On the wall above it, I have a map of the United States, an award I won in elementary school for writing, an embroidery hoop one of my friends made with a quote from one of my books, an illustration of the Slavic goddess Morana, a wheel of the year, a photograph of women from the 1920’s frolicking, and a poster of the quote “And miles to go before I sleep” by Robert Frost. It’s a nice gallery wall of inspiration and motivation.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Alice Hoffman. Everyone loves Practical Magic (and so do I) but I think Blackbird House, The Red Garden, and The Dove Keepers are some of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. I also look at Lisa Kleypas’ body of work in complete awe. She can craft a romance like a goddess.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley changed the way I think about the world. It’s hard to grapple with this choice as postmortem a lot of terrible things have come out about her, but reading that book changed what I studied in college and how I approached both reading and writing.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I am a combo author—I have an indie series and a traditional series. For my traditional series—which The Hedge Witch is a part of—I’d been having a truly terrible day. My kids were all sick, we were in the pandemic and I was losing my mind when I got “the email.” It really turned that day around. For my other series, the books are shorter in length and I knew a traditional publisher wouldn’t want them, so I sort of just did it. I have indie published under a different name in past years, so it wasn’t a giant leap for me.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Broad: Romance Narrower: Fantasy or Paranormal Romance Niche: Historical Fantasy Romance
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Tie between Romeo + Juliet and The Fellowship of the Ring
15--What is your favorite season?
It used to be autumn but now that I have four kids, summer. I love not keeping track of coats and hats. I also love that I can sit in the backyard and read my book while my kids run around and leave me in my peace.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I go to as many bookstores as I have the stamina for (about 5 usually) and buy my entire summer TBR. My birthday is in May, so I love going crazy and picking out everything I’m going to read for the next few months.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Podcast: Wildly Tarot. When I decided to make Laurel a tarot card reader, I listened to a bunch of episodes to brush up on my tarot knowledge and have become completely hooked.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I’m very much a mood eater but either Japanese or Mexican
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Read, knit, or garden. I grow tomatoes, pumpkins, tons of herbs, and a lot of flowers.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
The second book in The Witches of Star Island will be out in autumn 2024! If you are interested in my other series, check out my website for more info!
A Beltane spell reveals a prophecy that will change their lives…
Laurel Bay is the third of five witchy sisters living a sweet life on Star Island; she runs a tarot reading business, depends on her sisters to pay her bills, and spends her free time jumping into the Hedge World, a realm few witches can access. But when a great love from a past life comes to her, Laurel is blinded by her need to find him—she throws all caution to the wind and ends up stalked by a vengeful witch she can’t remember.
Owen Davies is stuck. His powers as a son of a witch are minimal, he’s surrounded by morally gray water witches, and he’s aching to find his soulmate—so much so that he has a storage unit full of furniture he’s built for the mystery woman. Then a fateful vacation lands him in Laurel’s garden and their paths are finally intertwined.
With witches after Laurel’s powers and buried secrets unearthed, circumstances begin to mirror their heartbreaking past life. But this time around, Laurel and Owen refuse to be separated—not by time, not by a witch, not by death.
Mystery | Romance Paranormal [City Owl Press, On Sale: May 14, 2024, Paperback, ISBN: 9781648984549 / eISBN: 9781648984532]
Colleen Delaney is an author, librarian, gardener, and occasional baker. She likes being outside in every season except winter, which she prefers to enjoy from a window. She currently lives in the northern midwest with her husband and four time-consuming children.
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