That Magic Mischief by Susanna Allen - Paranormal contemporary romance - A heartbroken amateur witch is in over her head after casting a spell that actually works—will the handsome Irish artist she fancies come to her rescue?
by Susanna Allen
Genre: Paranormal contemporary romance
Publisher: Ally Press
Date of Publication: October 01, 2021
ISBN Print: 978-1-953290-12-0
ISBN eBook: 978-1-953290-13-7
ASIN: B09G97RGZF
Number of pages: 326 pages
Word Count: 82,000
Cover Artist: Tamara DeStefano
A heartbroken amateur witch is in over her head after casting a spell that actually works—will the handsome Irish artist she fancies come to her rescue?
What was the point of being a witch if Annabelle Walsh couldn’t manage a spell to fix her broken heart? As a dedicated dabbler in all things esoteric, she figured she could speed up her healing process when she’s dumped out of the blue by her boyfriend... but nothing’s working.
An idle wander into an unfamiliar new age shop adds the bit of magic in her life that she’d been looking for: an interfering, mischievous Pooka called Callie who’s determined to turn Annabelle’s life around— mostly by turning it upside down.
Suddenly, Annabelle’s too busy to brood, and her writing career begins to take off; in fact, it’s during a brainstorming session for an off-off-off-off Broadway theatre production that she meets tall, dark, and handsome Jamie Flynn, an Irishman in New York who seems to be keen at first sight, if not in love quite yet. As Annabelle gets her life back on track, she starts to see the difference between a real life, a real career, and a real man… and all it took was a little magic mischief.
Interview with Susanna Allen
Welcome to JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder. Tell us about your newest book.
That Magic Mischief is a paranormal romantic comedy set in Brookyn. Annabelle Walsh is an over-the-counter witch, taking from a variety of disciplines as she finds her way to her identity as a serious practitioner. She has yet to successfully cast a spell. When her long-term boyfriend dumps her, she finds herself mixed up with a Celtic mythohlogical creature called a Pooka, who helps Annabelle turn her life around... by turning it upside down.
Writing isn’t easy. What was the most difficult thing you dealt with when writing That Magic Mischief?
Scheduling! It's a wonderful complaint to have, but I had the third book of my Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde (A Duke at the Door) to write and turn in, as well as the final proofs on the second book in the series (A Most Unusual Duke). For That Magic Mischief, there was cover copy to write, copy editing to review, and then the proofs to comb through. I had no idea I'd have three books on the go this year, above and beyond the April release of A Wolf in Duke's Clothing, the first book in that three book series.
Tell us a little bit about your writing career.
I started out writing plays and short films, and produced several of both. I did my masters in Irish Theatre Studies at Trinity College, Dublin (where I still live; I was born in New Jersey) and that turned into more than a decade of working as a theatre critic for a number of Irish publications. I also wrote about other art forms as well as writing features for magazines. Everything was short-form, and I didn't think I had the patience to write a novel. I found I did, once I figured out I didn't have to write the whole thing in one sitting (lol). I have six novels to my credit, as well as a memoir. Many Brave Fools: A Story of Addiction, Dysfunction, Codependency... And Horses, which recounts my experiences and growth taking up horseback riding as an adult, after leaving my marriage to a substance misuser.
They say Hind-sight is 20/20. If you could give advice to the writer you were the first time you sat down to write, what would it be?
I'd refer back to the above in terms of not having to write anything one sitting, much less an entire novel. I've yet to see any real, practical advice about developing one's process, possibly because it is so personal and factors in so many things: the day job and how much energy it takes; family and children; physical and mental health; ability to carve out quiet time. I have been very fortunate, and while the biggest portion of my time goes to the day job, I've figured out loads of work-arounds, namely using my lunch hours to really focus and write. I use public transport to commute and gets so much thinking done. So I would tell past-Susanna not to worry so much about daily word counts and to keep enjoying those daydreams, because it is actually work.
What was your most difficult scene to write?
In That Magic Mischief, there's a very cinematic sequence towards the end between Annabelle, Jamie The Irish Guy/Love Interest and Callie the Pooka. It played out like a movie in my head, but with the constantly switching POVs it was an absolute bear to get down on paper.
Are themes a big part of your stories, or not so much?
They are, in hindsight. For example, I didn't know how important friendship would end up being in That Magic Mischief. Contemporary novels centered on women's stories always have best pals in them, but Annabelle and her friends Lorna and Maria Grazia have work to do on their relationships with one another, as much as Annabelle has to do with the new guy she fancies. So, prior to starting the book, I wouldn't have said 'Let's address female friendships as a theme”; it organically evolved.
What are you working on now?
I am waiting on editor's notes for A Duke at the Door; A Most Unusual Duke debuts on December 28th, so I'm organizing my pre-launching and launching. I'm also developing a new Shapeshifter series, still set in the Regency era.
I am also contributing to an SFF anthology. It's my first anthology and I am very excited. The story connects to That Magic Mischief — it's a sort of bonus backstory piece.
Is there a release date planned?
A Duke at the Door is due out in August 2022; keep an eye on my social media for updates on the anthology. I'm on Twitter and Insta @SusannaAWriter, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Susanna-Allen-104736772001426
Who is your favorite character from your own stories, and why?
Oh, no, this is like a parent picking a favorite child! In A Wolf in Duke's Clothing, wolves are not the only Shapeshifters featured, and Alfred, Duke of Lowell is the Alpha of a mixed pack. A little maid called Mary Mossett seemed to come out of nowhere, full of sass and ambition to move beyond emptying chamberpots, and I adore her. I'm very interested in writing her love story!
In That Magic Mischief, I found myself charmed by grouchy, grumpy Dan Minnehan, who is a revered Irish rock star Annabelle interviews for a magazine. He was pretty rude to start but because Annabelle stood up to him, he tuned into the epitome of 'gruffly charming'.
Most writers were readers as children. What was your favorite book in grade school?
I can't call out one book, but I will tell a story: one day in kindergarten, we left our room to find the corridor lined with tables covered in books. I had no idea what was going on, and somehow managed to order ten books from what transpired to be a book fair. Needless to say, it wasn't like I had any money of my own, so there was a bit of a drama when the bill came due!
Is there anything you would like to add before we finish?
I would add that reviews are so important to both traditionally published and independent authors. It doesn't have to be an old-fashioned book report — even a few lines makes a difference. The algorithm demands to be fed and whether or not a book was ultimately to your liking, even a few words of constructive criticism helps keep a book in front of potential readers.
Indeed. Good luck with That Magic Mischief, and thank you for being with us today.
Thank you! It was my pleasure.
Excerpt:
Her breathing hitched. Yeah, definitely not that. “Okay. The issue is… Wilson. Um. Do we have a future together?”
She turned over a card. The Knight of Pentacles, reversed.
“Damn it.” Reversed, this Knight meant carelessness, a standstill in affairs. “Okay, so if things are at a standstill, that means they can move forward again, right?” She turned another card.
Three of Swords. Sorrow due to loss. Well, duh, Annabelle thought, and then winced, as if she’d said it out loud. As if the cards could hear.
She turned over the next card. The Wheel of Fortune. Not always a good sign, though, as it could mean an unexpected loss rather than a gain, even when in the upright position as it was now. “I don’t know what any of this means,” Annabelle mumbled, knowing full well what it meant. This was all about the now, and she didn’t like the now.
At moments like these, Annabelle found it was usually a good thing to stop pulling cards.
Queen of Cups. She shivered. That was her court card. Good natured, intuitive, a loving female figure, one whose imagination often outweighed her good sense.
Strength. The beautiful woman grasped the lion by the jaws, symbolizing the power of the human spirit to overcome any obstacle. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
The Sun. “Summertime? Two months from now? I’ll be better in two months?”
Annabelle gathered up the reading and returned the deck to its box.
She continued to sit. She tried to go back to the deep breathing but got bored. She thought about how she’d never had much luck reading Wilson’s cards. Maybe it never worked because it was almost always post-coital, the only time he was ever mellow enough to entertain the idea. She could never make sense of his configurations, none of the images seemed to relate to the others, she’d pull card after card and make a spread that was meaningless, confused. He would lose interest and patience. She would feel as though she’d failed. Ugh.
She’d like to blame it all on him, but she supposed her own muddled thinking got in the way as well; always hoping he was asking about the future of their relationship, whether she would marry him, whether she would like an emerald-cut diamond in a platinum setting, as opposed to a three carat marquis-cut in white gold.
Someday, maybe, she’d find that remotely amusing.
But not today. Rising, she left the candles burning and got some incense going as well.
Lavender: soothing, healing. She wanted healing. She wanted that fistful of pain out of her chest. She wanted all her lessons learned in a six-week correspondence course, she wanted a whole, strong heart, she wanted Wilson back, she wanted all the sadness to leak out of her pores, she wanted her life back. Herself back. Now.
About the Author:
Susanna is a graduate of Pratt Institute with a BFA in Communication Design and counts The Village Voice, New York Magazine, and Entertainment Weekly as past design experiences. Born in New Jersey, she moved to Ireland for twelve months—in 1998. She is the author of the Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde series, published by Sourcebooks: A Wolf in Duke’s Clothing, an Amazon Editor’s Best Book of the Month, is available now; A Most Unusual Duke debuts in December 2021.
Writing as Susan Conley, she is the author of Drama Queen and The Fidelity Project, both published by Headline UK; Many Brave Fools: A Story of Addiction, Dysfunction, Codependency…and Horses is available from Trafalgar Square Books. Susanna is living her life by the three Rs—reading, writing, and horseback riding—and can generally be found on her sofa with her e-reader, gazing out a window and thinking about made-up people, or cantering around in circles. She loves every minute of it.
I love the cover. The colors and graphics are great.
ReplyDelete