What is the title of your latest release?
A TIME OF WITCHES, which releases on September 1 – it’s perfect for lovers of dual-timeline historical fiction with magical realism and female empowerment
What's the "elevator pitch" for your new book?
Lilith Legare has spent years dreaming she is being burned alive at the stake. Fate brings her to an abandoned manor in England where she discovers that the woman in her dreams was real, and the past is not finished with either of them.
In 1645 England, another woman is fighting to survive one of the country’s most notorious witch hunts. Bound across centuries by blood, betrayal, and a magic that refuses to remain silent, these two women have one chance to rewrite history before they are both erased.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Bury St. Edmunds, England, because it was the site of one of the largest witch trial executions in English history under the self-proclaimed Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins. I wanted to tell the story of the women whose voices were silenced during that time.
For the contemporary timeline, I set it in Savannah, Georgia. I love how much history is there and how Southern magic it feels with the Spanish moss dripping from the trees and the beautiful squares. I also had fun basing the bookstore Lilith works at after E. Shaver Booksellers on Bull Street.
Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Absolutely! I love both Lilith and Sybil. Lilith is sarcastic, bookish, and a cat lover who has always felt the pull of nature and its gifts. But also, Sybil is fiercely loyal and has extensive knowledge of herbs and healing, which is fascinating.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Asher is: compassionate, loyal, and an animal lover
What's something you learned while writing this book?
I learned that while Matthew Hopkins didn’t count what he did to people as “torture,” they certainly are by today’s standards: sleep deprivation, starvation, and relentless interrogation. It reinforced how easily fear and misinformation can spiral into tragedy.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I don’t edit until the book is written. Once I've finished the draft, I go back and fully read and edit the book.
What's your favorite foodie indulgence?
Popcorn! I love my salty snacks
Describe your writing space/office!
I love natural light, so my office has big windows that make it feel bright and inviting. It's filled with books, research materials, and little reminders of the stories I've written. I usually have a cat lounging in the window hammock or on the back of my chair, and one in my lap.
Who is an author you admire?
Eliza Knight is my real-life best friend – not only do I think the world of her, but I also admire her so much. She is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met and is always finding ways to improve herself, her writing, and her life. She’s one of those inspirational people that is so driven. I think of her all the time when I get tired or fall behind and use bestie power to keep going!
Is there a book that changed your life?
Reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series is what got me writing in the first place. I loved the dichotomy of the brawny Scotsman and the feisty Sassenach and used it as an inspiration to start writing my own historical romance, starting with DECEPTION OF A HIGHLANDER and resulting in over 30 romances.
Tell us about when you got "the call.”
I was in the middle of a workout and doing a plank hold. I held it for what felt like forever and then I realized it’s because someone called me and it kicked me out of my workout app. I saw that it was my agent and immediately called her back, because you never want to miss a call from your agent! She told me that DECEPTION OF A HIGHLANDER had sold in a three-book series. It was so exciting! And also, probably the longest plank hold I’ve ever done in my life!
What's your favorite genre to read?
Of course, I do love reading historical fiction, but I also really enjoy thrillers. With all of the travel that I do, they keep me riveted to audiobooks while I’m driving hours and hours. And nothing says “feeling safe” when you’re sleeping in hotels by yourself than having just finished a thriller. ROFL!
What's your favorite movie?
I love Dangerous Beauty, a period piece about a 16th century Venetian poet, Veronica Franco. I’ve always loved historical fiction, especially with strong female characters. This movie is everything: gorgeous costumes, the beauty of Venice, romance, and – at its core – female empowerment.
What is your favorite season?
Autumn! Cooler weather, cozy sweaters and fuzzy socks, the best candle scents, curling up with a good book and a hot drink – and it’s the perfect witchy season too!
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
We do birthdays big in our house. My family decorates the entire house, buys me Parlor Donuts (my FAVORITE!), then I get to open a bunch of thoughtful gifts and we order in something yummy and then eat cake. I spend the entire day with my family, reading, eating delicious food, and napping with the cats. I love it!
What's a recent TV show, movie, book, or podcast you highly recommend?
I love Castle Impossible on Netflix. It's about a young couple who inherited a French chateau from the wife’s grandfather. Rather than sell it, they decided to fix it up. I love seeing the deteriorating rooms come to life with the past, and the couple is just so adorable. It’s a wholesome, feel-good show that always leaves me smiling.
For my favorite books, I recently read WINTER OF THE BRIDE by Jane Yang, which comes out in February 2027 and it was SO good! It’s a historical gothic about two women a hundred years apart and a family curse in China – it was so good and one part absolutely gave me chills! Loved it!
What's your favorite type of cuisine?
Italian is probably my favorite. I absolutely love pasta and cheese! One of my favorite meals of all time was when a friend’s husband made me truffle alfredo with pappardelle pasta.
What do you do when you have free time?
I love spending time with my family, reading, working out, napping with the cats, and brainstorming book ideas. I also probably spend WAY too much time texting my friends.
What can readers expect from you next?
I'm currently writing my next historical fiction, THE FORGOTTEN PAGES inspired by my research in Yorkshire and the women who lived in Victorian reformatories. This is the women history wants you to forget, the magical books that record their memories, and the adult fairy tale you didn’t know you needed. You can add it to your Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243264788-the-forgotten-pages
I'm also excited to begin book coaching. I recently got my MFA in Creative Writing from Drexel University and have spent the last twenty years of my writing career actively learning. I am excited to get to share that knowledge with other authors as they pursue their own publishing dreams. I’ll be announcing more information on this in November this year.
Two women, bound by blood and betrayal, must break silence across centuries—or be silenced forever, in the dazzling new novel by New York Times bestselling author Madeline Martin.
Lilith Legare’s life is unraveling. Since her mother’s death, strange things have been happening - plants turn toward her touch, animals linger in her path, and the birthmark on her arm has started tingling. Worse still is her recurring nightmare of being burned alive at the stake.
Her search for answers brings her from Savannah to England, to the decaying Brackenmere Manor where the past blurs with the present. There, Lilith discovers a legacy she never asked for and along with it, the threat of peril. History must be rewritten, or she too will die.
In 1645 Suffolk, Sybil Brantham stands accused as a witch. An educated, wealthy widow, she is branded a threat by men who fear her independence. As arrests begin and suspicion abounds, Sybil must protect her younger sister, even as betrayal takes root within her household.
Across centuries, Lilith and Sybil are bound by blood and by danger. To save themselves, and each other, they must confront the silence that has stolen women’s power for generations—and dare to claim their voices before it’s too late.
Paranormal | Fiction Adventure | Fantasy Magical Realism [ Hanover Square Press, On Sale: September 1, 2026, Trade Paperback / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9781335002679 / eISBN: 9780369781116 ]
Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, Publisher Weekly, and international bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty different languages. She lives in St. Augustine, Florida with her family.
Visit Madeline on her website, Instagram and X, on Facebook.
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