The Witches of White Willow: A Witch Hospital Romance
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You set this in Salem, which I know you recently travelled to for a book signing. Any particular reason why you chose that location?
I love travelling to Salem. I went there for my honeymoon and it inspired my first witch novel (one that will likely never see the light of day, EVER). I set up the book signing to celebrate the rerelease of my Order of the Wolf and The Dark War series and while I was there, ideas started really taking shape for the setting of The Witches of White Willow. Salem has such a rich history when it comes to witches and witchcraft. A terrifying history in a lot of ways but it’s also a place that I find infused with creative energy, both dark and light. I did take some fictional liberties with the locations in the story because it’s a world of magic and alternate dimensions in some ways but I did capture the essence of my experience when I go there.
You’ve written a complete werewolf (sexy werewolf and badass hunters) series but this is the second series featuring witches, (The Dark War would be the first, which we are all waiting on a sequel for, hint, hint). Do you like writing witches more than other paranormal creatures?
First things first, the sequel to The Dark War has been written, praise chocolate, and I know it’s been a long time coming. It’s tentatively called Fortune’s Fool and it takes place ten years after The Dark War ends. I’m not going to go into too much detail about it here but keep an eye out for some news soon (signing up for my newsletter would be a good way to keep in the loop).
Writing about witches is totally a passion of mine. If I could choose a paranormal creature to be, I’d have to go with witch. The power and magic that comes in a seemingly innocuous form is most appealing to me. Witches can blend in with society and hide tremendous power to heal or harm. They can walk in daylight and don’t rely on blood to stay alive and powerful. They aren’t governed by the changes of the moon and don’t transform into beasts (unless they want to) and much of their power is not only innate but also skill-based that can be honed and manipulated. I also feel very drawn to the persecution side of things. The fear that actually still exists surrounding the idea of witchcraft fascinates me. Being an outcast or other is something I identify with and often strive for in a lot of ways so writing about witches feels like a natural thing to me.
Will there be any crossover between The Dark War and The Witches of White Willow?
No. These are two very separate worlds despite the fact that they are both about witches. The Dark War series is definitely darker, grittier and more in the vein of urban fantasy where The Witches of White Willow is straight up paranormal romance, complete with the promise of happily ever after.
Let’s talk about themes. I noticed that you tackle the idea of identity, discrimination, and self-sacrifice in this book. It always amazes me how a sexy paranormal romance can hold such deep explorations.
Paranormal romance isn’t just about hot sex (I mean, don’t get me wrong, I always enjoy the opportunity to write some super sexy scenes.) Often, in paranormal romance, there’s a lot of topics that parallel things we deal with in our real world. In The Witches of White Willow, there’s a lot of racial discrimination happening between the old school pure witches and their feelings toward the human witches. Hazel has a different view of humans than her mother and is more open to working with them because she knows they have a lot of natural power and honed skill that the “pure” witches don’t understand. She sees value there where her mother, and some of the other interns, don’t. So this book attempts to tackle some of those issues. Hazel also struggles with her own identity and the role she must place in the future of her people. She has to learn that sometimes self-sacrifice isn’t about giving all the parts of yourself away in order to be the hero—sometimes it involves keeping a lot of those parts for yourself so that you can be strong for your people.
What are your plans for this series? Any hints of things to come?
Oh, I have big plans for this series. The next book is underway already and it’s going to feature bad boy Bas Frank and his quest for redemption. He’s got a dark history that’s going to be explored in his book, as well as a really naughty sexual appetite. After that I have plans to continue the series by following the interns as they make their way through their Healer training. They’ve got years ahead of them and many things to learn along the way.
About the Author
Every day is Halloween for author Angela Addams. Enthralled by the paranormal at an early age, Angela spends most of her time thinking up new story ideas that involve supernatural creatures in everyday situations. She believes that the written word is an amazing tool for crafting the most erotic of scenarios and has recently started down a dark path to disturbing thrillers and erotic horror.
Her Order of the Wolf series, featuring kick ass Amazon warriors and their mates, and her Dark War series, set in a world of witchcraft and war, are available from Entangled Publishing.
She is an avid tattoo collector, a total book hoarder, and loves anything covered in chocolate…except for bugs.
She lives in Ontario, Canada in an old, creaky house, with her husband, children, three cats and a couple weird guinea pigs.
Visit her website or sign up for her newsletter for more information!
Also by Angela Addams
Witch Hospital Romance
The Witches of White Willow
The Dark War Series
The Dark War
The Order of the Wolf
Cursed
Wolves’ Bane
Spell-Weaver
Valiant Heart
Beast Rising
Single Titles
Burning Kiss
The Temptress
Assassin
Ghost Bride
Coming Soon
Feral Heart