Barb Hendee talks to us about To Kill a Kettle Witch, her fourth book in The Mist-Torn Witches series.
Tell us about To Kill a Kettle Witch. What is a Kettle Witch?
To Kill a Kettle Witch is the fourth book of a medieval murder mystery series staring two sisters: Céline, who can read the futures of other people and Amelie, who can read their pasts. Céline, is also an apothecary and a healer. The sisters end up in service to a warlord prince and use their abilities to solve mysteries.
Both of their abilities are natural, passed down through their family line. Their “people” are a group of travelers known as the Móndyalítko, but due to the circumstances of the sisters’ birth, they’ve never met this extended family.
A kettle witch is someone without natural magical abilities, but who has made a study of spell craft and is able to “cast” via knowledge and spell components.
In this fourth novel, the sisters learn that a group of their extended family has been accused of cursing a vast area of land in the south eastern part of the nation—and are now being held prisoner. Céline and Amelie travel south to try and learn the truth.
What sort of place is the world of the Mist Torn Witches? How does magic work there?
This series is set in the same world as the Noble Dead Saga. Céline and Amelie live on the eastern continent, which is a dark, dripping sort of place filled with superstition.
Magic is varied. In this world, we have a number of educated characters who practice conjury, alchemy, thaumaturgy, and even sorcery. The Móndyalítko are a little different in that their people often have natural abilities like shape shifting.
Can you pinpoint an initial moment of inspiration that brought the Mist-Torn Witches to life?
Gosh, that’s tough. I was most drawn to the murder mystery element, but I do love writing medieval fantasy. I also have an interest in herbology and the historical uses of herbs in medicine.
One night, two new characters began running around inside my head: two sisters who are as different as night and day . . . and a story was born.
You also write stories with you partner J.C. Hendee. How do you manage doing that? Who does what?
Yes, J.C. and I have been collaborating since 2003 when Dhampir was published. When working with J.C., my process is very different from when I’m writing an independent project. He and I outline extensively. Before I start writing, we both know the beginning, middle, and end.
Then I write the first draft. He comes behind me, and he revises and adds. Since I wrote the first draft, he’s allowed to change anything he wants.
When he’s finished, I go through the book for cleanup (as he leaves a real mess in his wake) and I also check for consistency, and I get “the last word.” This process has worked well for us through fifteen collaborative novels.
What’s your writing process? Do you start at the beginning, middle or end? Do you throw a lot away?
My process is quite different when I’m working alone. I outline the first three chapters, and I outline the end of the book. Then set up Chapter One, and I start writing. By the time I reach Chapter Four, I can just keep going. I write chronologically, from the beginning to the end. I throw very little—almost nothing—away because I tend to write tightly.
Normally, when I revise, I tend to add and develop more than I cut.
Do you write every day? Are you a planner or do you fly by the seat of the pants?
Oh, I’m a terrible “binge writer.” I need to completely immerse myself in a project and write all day, every day. I teach college for part of my living, so most of my books get written on breaks between terms and the first two weeks of a new term before essays start coming in. I can draft a novel in six weeks.
Do you spend much time on social media?
Yes and no . . . I do have a website, and I blog occasionally. I enjoy Facebook. I have a personal and “official” Facebook page. But . . . I never got the hang of Twitter. Hah!
What are you working on next?
J.C. and I have the first book of a new series, The Dead Seekers, coming out in January (Ace/Roc). We’re excited about this novel involving a medieval ghost hunter and his shape-shifting, tenuous partner. This is a dark but fun novel, and we hope to continue this series.
I’m also just signing on to do a fantasy/romance series for Kensington. The first novel is complete and should be published in the fall of 2017.
This first book is called Through a Dark Glass, and the premise of the series involves a heroine facing three difficult choices. An ornate, three-paneled mirror appears, and she is given the “gift” of living through the outcome of each choice–in turn. The novel is then divided into: Choice One, Choice Two, Choice Three as the reader lives the outcomes with her. In the end, she makes her choice. Each book will involve a different main character and a quite different set of choices.
The first book is pretty straightforward . . . she has to choose between three different men. Bahahahahahahahahaha! I’m shameless.
I’m just starting the second book, but it will involve a choice between three different actions.
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Interview by Jane Routley – SFFWorld.com © 2016
