Today, I’m thrilled to host this Q&A with the author of Witches of Ash and Ruin. To celebrate her upcoming book release, E. Latimer is answering a few questions about her writing, the book, and her creative process.

Her young adult fantasy novel was released on March 3, 2020. Published by Little, Brown books for Young Readers, this Q&A is part of her Blog Tour hosted by FFBC Tour. Thank you so much for gifting me an e-copy!

Now, let me introduce you to E. Latimer.

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What do you enjoy most about writing?

One of my favourite parts of writing is the blank page. Metaphorically I mean. I know it terrifies some writers, but I get really excited about the potential. There are new worlds full of fascinating characters to be discovered! I really enjoy that discovery process, when a new idea is being revealed to me in little bits and pieces, and I begin the process of brainstorming and writing it all down.

How did you find inspiration for this book?

I often steal shiny bits and pieces from around me. I love witchy women, which means I hang out with a lot of them. A lot of the witches’ mannerisms, practices and character traits, their strong friendships and their interactions, are influenced by the women in my life.

Also, the coven house is something I reached back and snatched right out of my past. I “borrowed” it from a family that my own family was very close with, back when I was a small, strange homeschooled child.

It really did survive my imagination remarkably intact. A lot of the details stayed the same. It was on a farm, it had a long, winding dirt driveway, there was a ramshackle kitchen table that looked a little like it had been roughly hewn out of several large trees, and the fridge was probably several centuries old. It was truly a wonderful place. In fact, it reminds me a bit of the Weasley’s kitchen from Harry Potter.

Is there something you can tell us (without spoilers) about this book that is not on the blurb?

Hmmm, excellent question. I think I can safely tell you that there is one coven in this book (the very Slytherin one) and every character in it has their own, deeper motivations. One of them is in way over her head in a major way.

What is your last five star read and what made you rate it this way?

Sawkill Girls, by Claire Legrand. It’s eerie, beautifully written, and full of characters that linger in your mind for ages after you’re finished reading. Also it’s wlw which is a bonus.

If you could live in a bookish world, which one would you pick and why?

I think I’m going to have to be basic and say I would be happy to go to school at Hogwarts. But as much as I love Hermione, I think I’d curl up in the Slytherin common room by the fire and hang out with my spell books. I wouldn’t get involved with that Potter guy and his friends, because he’s always in the middle of nearly being murdered. No thank you.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, E. LATIMER, FOR ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS!

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Modern witchcraft blends with ancient Celtic mythology in an epic clash of witches and gods, perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy and A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES.

Seventeen-year-old Dayna Walsh is struggling to cope with her somatic OCD; the aftermath of being outed as bisexual in her conservative Irish town; and the return of her long-absent mother, who barely seems like a parent. But all that really matters to her is ascending and finally, finally becoming a full witch-plans that are complicated when another coven, rumored to have a sordid history with black magic, arrives in town with premonitions of death. Dayna immediately finds herself at odds with the bewitchingly frustrating Meiner King, the granddaughter of their coven leader.

And then a witch turns up murdered at a local sacred site, along with the blood symbol of the Butcher of Manchester-an infamous serial killer whose trail has long gone cold. The killer’s motives are enmeshed in a complex web of witches and gods, and Dayna and Meiner soon find themselves at the center of it all. If they don’t stop the Butcher, one of them will be next.

With razor-sharp prose and achingly real characters, E. Latimer crafts a sweeping, mesmerizing story of dark magic and brutal mythology set against a backdrop of contemporary Ireland that’s impossible to put down.

BOOK DETAILS

• Author: E. Latimer
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Release Date: March 3, 2020
• Book Length: 384 pages
• Genre: YA Fantasy, LGBT, Queer

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About the Author – E. Latimer

E. Latimer is a fantasy writer from Victoria, BC. Her middle grade novel, The Strange and Deadly Portraits of Bryony Gray was published by Tundra Books, and was recently nominated for the Red Maple Fiction Award.

In her spare time, she writes books, makes silly vlogs with the Word Nerds about writing, and reads excessively.
Her latest novel, Witches of Ash and Ruin, will be released Spring/Summer 2020 from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

GOODREADS | WEBSITE | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE

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US GIVEAWAY – Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer

PRIZE: Win (1) copy of WITCHES OF ASH AND RUIN by E. Latimer (US Only)

STARTS: March 16, 2020 – ENDS: March 30, 2020

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