Welcome back to Jen’s Jewels, your go-to destination for the hottest new releases in fiction. Today’s book pick is A TIME OF WITCHES by Madeline Martin, a haunting gothic historical mystery filled with family secrets, witchcraft, and a story that spans centuries. From Savannah to England, Madeline weaves together two timelines, a centuries-old mystery, and a touch of magic into a spellbinding tale that will have you turning pages late into the night.
LIGHTNING ROUND
What’s your favorite way to spend a crisp September afternoon?
I love to brew a fresh cup of tea or coffee and settle into my favorite reading chair with a good book and one of my cats snuggled up at my side.
What’s your go-to fall drink, snack, or sweet treat while writing?
If it’s daytime, definitely coffee, but if it’s the evening, I love a good herbal tea.
What simple ritual helps you settle into a productive writing day?
I light a candle and pop on my headphones with gothic library playlists in the background.
THE FALL INSPIRATION
September often feels like a fresh start. Did writing this book mark a new beginning or challenge for you as an author?
This was absolutely a challenge as I have never done a dual timeline before. In the 40+ books that I’ve written between my historical romance and historical fiction, all of my timelines have been historical. It was a fascinating challenge and I really did enjoy the process, even if it was a little scary at first. In the end though, I am really happy with how everything turned out.
What was the very first spark that inspired this story?
When I was in high school, I kept having a recurring dream, but I was being burned alive at the stake. Being a very dramatic teenager with an overactive imagination, I assumed it was either a memory from a past life or possibly an ancestor. So, this is a book that I have wanted to write for over 25 years
Tell us about a scene that changed dramatically between your first draft and the final manuscript. What led to the revision?
Since I have had this idea for so long, my original version of the introduction scene with someone being burned alive at the stake was a lot more gritty and dark. But that was before I had a whole world built to let the reader experience. When I had more to focus on than the burning itself, it evolved into a scene that revealed some clues and foreshadowing for what was to come while also illustrating more emotion, which made for a stronger, more complete scene.
Your setting feels like a character in its own right. What inspired you to choose it, and how does it shape the story?
I specifically chose Bury St. Edmunds, England for the location of the witch trials because it was the one with the largest number of executions for accused witchcraft. On August 27, 1645, 18 people were hanged, 16 women and two men. The catalyst for their deaths and their accusations was Matthew Hopkins, the self-proclaimed Witchfinder General. It definitely helped shape the story because of how much was happening in the backdrop of England at that time. They were only a few years out of the plague that had decimated the country, the profitable wool industry had dried up, leading to excessive poverty, and the country was at war with itself. Given the Civil War, the traveling court system was not traveling, which pretty much left the country in a state of anarchy. In other words, it was the perfect storm for hate, fear, and suspicion of neighbors.
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
Can you share a behind-the-scenes fact about writing this book that readers may find surprising?
I wrote the book in one month. I spent 10 months researching this book and used over 100 nonfiction books to do so. I also did on-site research in Bury St. Edmunds England and in Savannah, Georgia. I am very thorough with character creation and plotting. In fact, every single one of my characters has a whole dossier on them. So when I do go to write my book, the entire story just pours out of me.
Fall is the perfect season to curl up with a great book. What’s currently at the top of your TBR pile?
I’m really looking forward to reading THE WHITECHAPEL FULL MOON SOCIETY by Elizabeth DeLozier set during the time of Jack the Ripper where a woman enters a household as a maid to replace the previous one who was murdered. But then other murders begin to happen, and she realizes not all as it appears in this historical fiction with a magical realism twist. It feels like the perfect kind of book to kick off the spooky season!
If readers could step into one scene from your book for a day, which would you choose and why?
When Lilith first steps into the clearing on a moonlit night, it’s framed with honeysuckle and bracken and practically hums with magic. It’s a place hidden away from the rest of the world, where nature concentrates her magic. Not only is it beautiful, but the enchantment of the area settles into the soul. I don’t know about readers, but I’d sure love to go there!
LOOKING AHEAD
Can you give readers a sneak peek at what you’re working on next—without giving away any spoilers?
I just turned in my Fall 2027 book, THE FORGOTTEN PAGES. It’s THE SECRET GARDEN meets A LITTLE PRINCESS, but for grown-ups. It’s set in the Victorian era on the moors in a reformation home. The tagline I’ve been using is: The women history wants you to forget, the magical books that remember their stories – it’s the adult fairy tale you didn’t know you needed.
I don’t have an exact release date yet, but I do have a Goodreads link where readers can add it to their Want to Read shelf and follow along in my publishing journey: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243264788-the-forgotten-pages
Where can readers connect with you and stay up to date on your latest books? Please share your website, newsletter, and social media links.
Thank you for asking! I love to connect with readers! And I do love to meet with book clubs and have reader’s guides available:
The best way is definitely my newsletter: https://brave-feather-80909.myflodesk.com/madelinemartinwelcome
But readers can also follow me through my website and on various social media platforms.
The Author’s Playlist
Share three songs that captured the mood of your book or inspired you while writing.
“Lilith” — Kiki Rockwell
“Labour” — Paris Paloma
“The Flood” — AURORA
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.
Jennifer Vido is the award-winning author of the Gull Island series, a collection of sweet Lowcountry romances inspired by her love of coastal living and small-town charm. Her debut novel, Serendipity by the Sea, won Best First Book from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. Jennifer has been named Baltimore Magazine’s Best Local Author for three consecutive years (2024–2026) and was named The Baltimore Sun’s Best Author in its 2026 Best of Readers’ Choice Awards. When she’s not writing romance, Jennifer shares her love of books through her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, where she spotlights exciting new releases and talented authors.
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