The bold font are the questions I asked, the regular font are her answers, and the bold italic font are my comments about her answers.
Would you please describe your book, The Nature of Witches, in seven words?
It’s a love letter to the Earth.
The summary mentions the main character Clara’s magic is tied to all four seasons. What season do you think you would be?
I was born on the vernal equinox, so I would be a spring witch! Which is very fitting for me. Spring is a patient, hopeful season that loves the rain as much as the sun. And living in the Pacific Northwest, that’s very true for me.
Random Question! What is your favorite kind of weather?
I absolutely LOVE thunderstorms. They’re so powerful and beautiful, and I could watch them for hours (and have, on many occasions)! Thunderstorms are also the perfect reading and writing weather—I love making myself a pot of tea and listening to the storms outside as I’m curled up and cozy indoors.
Yes! It's perfect reading weather. :)
What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
Two things! The first is to read as much as you can, and read widely. We can learn so much from the books we read—we start to take note of the things we love and the things that don’t land for us for whatever reason. I’ve never taken a writing class, but I’m an avid reader, and I believe a lot of what I know about craft I learned from reading.
The second is that the best way to write a book is the way the works for you. I’ve always loved hearing about other writers’ processes, and when I first started writing, I spent hours researching authors I admired to see how they worked. But I’d get discouraged if my process didn’t line up with theirs—it made me believe I was doing something wrong. There’s no wrong way to write a book, though, and the best process is the one that works for you. So definitely read about how other writers work and try out new things—that’s great!—but at the end of the day, what works well for one person might not work for another, so do what works for you.
Excellent advice! :)
What are some books you’re looking forward to reading in 2021? And if you’ve already read some ‘21 books, would you like to mention them?
Oh my gosh, so many! I haven’t read these ones yet, but I can’t wait for them: Sweet & Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley, Made in Korea by Sarah Suk, Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart, Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey, Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson, and Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone.
I’ve already read We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon (which comes out the same day as my book!), and it had me laughing the whole way through. It’s an utter delight.
I'm looking forward to a bunch of the books you mentioned! :)
Thank you to Rachel Griffin for participating in this event! :)
Author Bio: Rachel Griffin writes young adult novels inspired by the magic of the world around her. She is the author of the upcoming The Nature of Witches, releasing from Sourcebooks Fire on June 1, 2021, with a second standalone novel to follow in 2022.
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Rachel has a deep love of nature, from the mountains to the ocean and all the towering evergreens in between. She adores moody skies and thunderstorms, and hopes more vampires settle down in her beloved state of Washington.
On her path to writing novels, Rachel graduated from Seattle University with a Bachelor of Science in diagnostic ultrasound. She worked in healthcare for five years and taught ultrasound at her alma mater before making the switch to a small startup. She has been mentoring in Pitch Wars since 2017 and now writes full-time from her home in the Seattle area.
When she isn’t writing, you can find her wandering the PNW, reading by the fire, or drinking copious amounts of coffee and tea. She lives with her husband, small dog, and growing collection of houseplants.
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