January 8, 2013

Witch Hunt: Of the Blood…

By Anne Michaud
WHotbSmallWEBFive novellas based on Devin O’Branagan’s bestselling novel, Witch Hunt!
You’ve closed the cover on Witch Hunt, but the story isn’t over … yet! Devin O’Branagan has handpicked writers to take up her characters’ stories and explore what happens next.
The anthology begins with O’Branagan’s own novella about Hawthorne matriarch, Vivian. Vivian and her fellow British witches work together to prevent a Nazi invasion during World War II. Then there is Colonial maiden, Bridget, who struggles with the guilt of failing her family in Salem, 1692. Her younger sister, Prissy, mysteriously disappears and finds another magical world. Julia, torn by family loyalties, love, and her spiritual quest, pays a huge price to continue the bloodline. And Miranda uses her powers against the great influenza outbreak of 1918—but finds the ultimate foe is prejudice against her kind.
Discover what was left out of Witch Hunt and revisit your favorite characters with these exciting novellas. The story isn’t done until the battle’s lost and won. This anthology contains novellas by Devin O’Branagan, Suzanne Hayes Campbell, Keri Lake, K.L. Schwengel, and Krista Walsh. All five authors of the anthology are available for discussion at Devin’s writers’ forum. This is the link to chat with them: Chat With The Authors!
Witch Hunt: Of the Blood is available in both print and eBook formats and may be found at Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords. It is also available internationally via Amazon worldwide!

My Review: When I began reading Witch Hunt: Of the Blood, I never expected to be thrown into such a realistic world of love, betrayal, acceptance and rejection. Not only was I amazed at how each story portrayed a different aspect of the Hawthorne clan by depicting one of its character, but the overall anthology feels more like a complete novel than a multiple authors book.The witches world is pretty much ours, albeit their fright to be discovered, judged and killed, for the most part.

I never thought it’d be that easy to identify with witches, but the one that stood out the most was Krista Walsh’s Circle Unbroken. Well-written, poetic and unique, this tale strike me not only in originality but for its compelling plot – my favorite of the lot.

Anyone who’s a fan of witches, historical elements or just a book rich in flavors, pick this one now.

Chatting with… Krista Walsh

It must have been a treat to work with characters of someone else to tell your own story – how did it come about and how did it change your own approach to writing?

KW: I first read Devin O’Branagan’s original Witch Hunt novel last year and loved it – especially the story set during the Salem witch trials. When Devin and I started talking about a possible anthology sequel, I was honoured to be asked to participate and grabbed Bridget’s character right away. It was only when I started writing  that I realised how tricky diving into someone else’s world can be. In order to maintain consistency and a seamless continuation from the original, I had to find the balance between recreating the voice of Devin’s Bridget and exploring the voice of my own. The difference of 9 years between the stories gave lots of freedom to create my own story, but it was definitely a new way of working with characters.

How did the research process go – did you already know about witches, Salem and all that jazz, or did you have to dig to find out about it?

KW: For this story I lucked out. Witch trials of all kinds are my passion subject, so I’ve been reading up on them for years. It was a relief to finally have a chance to put that reading to use. For the sorts of magic I used throughout the story, I have Devin to thank because of how well she set it up in Witch Hunt. My research focused more on the smaller details of the setting and era, which was good fun.

Will you be writing about witches in the future?

KW: Witches always have a place in my writing. I have three completed novels in the editing stages and they’ve all involve historical witchcraft or modern day sorcery. I love the possibilities that witchcraft can offer a story, something that has limits and doesn’t just solve problems, something they have to work with, and sometimes against. The novel I’m working on editing now is called Evensong, which is a story about an author who gets trapped in his own fantasy novel (and yes, there’s an enchantress in this one as well).

KSW

Krista Walsh enjoys writing literary fiction, as well as historical and dark fantasy. Publications include contributions in the Day of Demons and Bleeding Ink anthologies.  She currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Learn more about her at www.theravensquill.com

Follow her on Twitter at @krista_walsh

About Anne Michaud

Author of Dark Tendency View all posts by Anne Michaud
This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 8th, 2013 at 8:34 am and tagged with , , and posted in Good Book, Highly recommended. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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