North of Tomboy by Julie A. Swanson ~ My Thoughts #NorthOfTomboy @GoSparkPress

North of Tomboy by Julie A. Swanson

Middle Grade, Queer, Fiction, 376 pages

Published September 2, 2025, by SparkPress

For fans of Kacen Callender, Lin Thompson, and Kyle Lukoff, comes a middle grade novel set in 1973 about a child who feels more boy than girl and is frustrated that people act blind to that when—aside for her stupid hair and clothes—it should be obvious!

Shy fourth grader Jess Jezowski turns the tables on her mom when she’s given yet another girly baby doll for Christmas. This time, instead of ignoring or destroying it, she transforms it into the boy she’s always wanted to be—a brave, funny little guy named Mickey. Making him talk, Jess finally lets the boy in her express himself.

But when Mickey evolves to become something more like an alter ego whose voice drowns out her own and the secret of him escapes the safety of her family, Jess realizes Mickey’s too limited and doesn’t allow the boy part of her a big enough presence in the world. She must find a way to blend him into her—so she can be that side of herself anywhere, around anyone.

Jess tries to wean herself from the crutch of Mickey’s loud, comical persona, and to get her family to forget about him, but she struggles to do both. What will it take for her to stop hiding behind Mickey and get people to see her for who she truly is? Based on the author’s experience growing up on Michigan’s rural Leelanau Peninsula in the ’70s, North of Tomboy includes artwork throughout.

My thoughts about North of Tomboy ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"On the day I was born, God made a mistake."

North of Tomboy gives the reader interesting and enlightening insight to the confusion experienced by most young people in their pre-teen and teen years. Trying to figure out their bodies, minds, and the hormones during that turbulent time isn't easy.

Jess sees herself differently from the way others around her perceive her. When she creates another persona in Mickey, she becomes very comfortable using his personality for a lot of the situations she finds herself in. Will she be able to move past this shield that she has created with Mickey to discover her own true self? 

North of Tomboy is the perfect read for young people who might be struggling with their identity and may help them realize that they are not alone in their struggles.

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Praise for North of Tomboy

". . . a powerful, tender portrait of early gender exploration and self-acceptance, interwoven with charming illustrations."—Readers' Favorite, 5-star review

"North of Tomboy is an engaging novel that reveals the inner world of a creative child who explores and learns to express her nonconforming gender identity."—Foreword Reviews

"An adolescent's struggle with identity makes for a smart, fascinating read."—Kirkus Reviews

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About the author

Julie Swanson grew up on Michigan's "Little Finger", the Leelanau Peninsula, where many of her stories are set, but has lived in Wisconsin, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, California, and Virginia. 

For the past twenty-five years she's lived in Charlottesville, VA. Julie writes middle grade and young adult novels and enjoys sports, the outdoors, "making things" (almost any type of art or craft, woodworking), reading, writing, eating, planting trees, and spending time with family. She suddenly has 6 grandchildren! Good thing she loves kids. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Julie

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

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Release Day! Tell Me Why by Kay Bratt ~ My Thoughts #TellMeWhy

Happy Release Day!

Congrats Kay

on the release today of

Tell Me Why!

Tell Me Why by Kay Bratt

(Hart's Ridge #14)

Saga Fiction, 283 pages

Published November 24, 2025 by Red Thread Publishing Group

In Hart’s Ridge, secrets don’t stay buried. They burn.

When a charred vehicle is found abandoned on the outskirts of town—with a body too damaged to identify inside—private investigator Taylor Gray is called to the scene. But nothing prepares her for the possibility that the victim might be someone she once called family.

As rumors swirl and grief ripples through Hart’s Ridge, Taylor digs deep into the investigation, uncovering ties to a shady local business, a trail of hidden cash, and a growing list of people with something to hide. Every lead pulls her further into a dark web of corruption, addiction, and betrayal—and closer to a truth that someone is desperate to keep buried.

With her instincts sharp and her heart on the line, Taylor must race to connect the dots before another life is lost. Because in this town, justice isn't just personal—it's dangerous.

From Kay Bratt, bestselling author of the Hart’s Ridge series, comes a gripping small-town mystery full of unforgettable characters, shocking twists, and emotional depth. Tell Me Why is perfect for fans of crime fiction, women sleuths, Southern suspense, and stories where family ties cut both ways.

My thoughts about Tell Me Why ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First lines—"Fear is the moment before reality hits. Dread is knowing something is coming and being powerless to stop it."

This book in this wonderful series starts off pretty intense! Taylor is racing to the scene of a horrible car accident, not knowing who was involved. As she ticks off all of her family members and their whereabouts to determine if they are safe, she speeds to the location of the wrecked car. How frightening!

The intensity during Taylor's investigation doesn't wan much at all as she tries to figure out what happened and why. The corruption and the secrets that she uncovers puts everyone around her in danger. I flew through the pages to try to unravel the mystery myself. 

I love this series and I love each adventure that Kay Bratt takes me on with her new book. I love the cases that Taylor gets wrapped up in as well as the personal family happenings that are a part of every episode. I get the mystery right along with the family drama. The best of both worlds. 

The Hart's Ridge series is an amazing set of stories, with memorable characters and interesting plots. I highly recommend Tell Me Why, along with this whole series—it just keeps getting better and better. 

And the author just keeps writing this series. Yay for us!! 

Book #15, Ticket to Ride, is expected to be released on March 19, 2026!

I received an ARC of Tell Me Why from the author and this is my honest opinion.

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Read my thoughts about Hart's Ridge, Lucy in the Sky, In My Life, Borrowed Time, Instant Karma, Nobody Told Me, Hello Goodbye, Starting Over, Blackbird, Hello Little Girl, So This is Christmas, Every Little Thing, and Now and Then

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About the author

Kay Bratt; Writer, Rescuer, Wanderer

As a writer, Kay used writing to help her navigate a tumultuous childhood, followed by a decade of abuse as an adult. After working her way through the hard years, Kay emerged a survivor and a pursuer of peace--and finally found the courage to share her stories. She is the author of more than a dozen full length books, with ten of those published by Lake Union Publishing. Kay writes women's fiction and historical fiction, and her books have fueled many exciting book club discussions. Her works have been translated into German, Korean, Chinese, Czechoslovakian, and Estonian.

As a rescuer, Kay currently focuses her efforts on animal rescue and is the Director of Advocacy for Yorkie Rescue of the Carolinas. As a child advocate, she spent a number of years volunteering in a Chinese orphanage, as well as provided assistance for several nonprofit organizations that support children in China, including An Orphan's Wish (AOW), Pearl River Outreach, and Love Without Boundaries. In the USA, she actively served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children in Georgia, and spear-headed numerous outreach programs for underprivileged children in the South Carolina area.

As a wanderer, Kay has lived in nearly three dozen different homes, on two continents and in states from coast to coast in the USA. She's traveled to Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Philippines, Central America, Bahamas, and Australia. Currently she and her soulmate of more than 25 years enjoy life in their forever home on the banks of Lake Hartwell in Georgia, USA.

Kay has been described as southern, spicy, and a little sassy. Social media forces her to overshare and you don't want to miss some of the antics that goes on with her and the Bratt Pack. 

Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and then buckle up and enjoy the ride. You can find a full list of her published works at www.kaybratt.com -- To be notified when new books are released, please sign up for my monthly email newsletter at www.kaybratt.com ~ Goodreads

Connect with Kay

Website |  Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? November 24, 2025 #IMWAYR

       

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

The First Last Kiss: A Holiday Rom-Com Short Read

(When Sparks Fly Series)

by Ashley Farley

eARC for review

Pub date ~ December 2

Three Days in June

by Anne Tyler

print for review

Published February 2025

The Palest Ink: Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters

(Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters #0)

by Kay Bratt

audio-book from my TBR collection

Published October 2015

What I recently finished

The Time Hop Coffee Shop
by Phaedra Patrick
eARC for review
Pub date ~ December 9

A Crimson Heart: A Thanksgiving and Christmas Novella
by Grace Greene
eARC for review
Published November 20, 2025

Read my thoughts here


Nowhere Girl
by Susan Strecker
paperback from my TBR shelf for a challenge
Published March 2016

What I am going to read next

Class Action: What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You

by Gail Ward Olmsted

print arc for review

Pub date ~ December 11

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Release Day! A Crimson Heart by Grace Greene ~ My Thoughts #ACrimsonHeart @Grace_Greene

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Grace

on the release today of

A Crimson Heart!

A Crimson Heart: A Thanksgiving and Christmas Novella by Grace Greene

Holiday Fiction, 148 pages
Published November 20, 2025 by Kersey Creek Books

She lost her husband years ago. Now, she may lose the one person—and the one place—that still holds his memory.

Amelia Hennipen has spent years quietly mourning her husband, Simon, while doing her duty, as she sees it. But grief doesn’t offer rest—not when the past lingers in every room of Hennipen House, and not while caring for Simon’s aging grandmother, Henny, whose mind is slowly slipping away.

This Thanksgiving, new neighbors, Nathan Shaw and his young nephew, bring fresh laughter and the warm aromas of a holiday meal back into the house. For the first time in years, Hennipen House feels alive. Plans for a memorable Christmas are underway… until Henny’s daughter, Lisa, delivers news that will break the promises she made to Henny, and change everything.

She intends to change Henny's current living arrangements.

What is best for Henny? Amelia doesn’t know for sure, but she does know this will break the promise they made to Henny. Amelia must decide: will she walk away from the home and the challenge of the increasingly difficult obligations to Henny, the woman who is more like her mother than her own?

Or will she fight for one more Christmas at Hennipen House, and maybe even a chance at more to come?

A heartwarming holiday novella about love, the memories we cherish, difficult decisions, and the strength it takes to choose one’s path.

My thoughts about A Crimson Heart ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Red is the color of love and sometimes romance."

Grace Greene's books are always filled with wonderful, kind characters and warm, inviting settings. A Crimson Heart was no different because I immediately felt comfortable in this world, surrounded by captivating people. 

Amelia has her hands full taking care of Henny. New neighbors and upcoming changes put her world in a tailspin when all she wants is what's best for Henny. The holidays are coming up but will they be able to celebrate the way that they want or will things be out of their control?

A Crimson Heart is the perfect escape read for everyone right now. Escape into this short, entertaining read before the craziness of the holidays take over all of our worlds. I have loved all of Grace Greene's stories and this one is just as wonderful as all of the rest of her books. I highly recommend it!

I received an ARC of A Crimson Heart and this is my honest opinion of the book. 

About the author

Grace Greene writes fiction with romance, suspense and inspiration ~ The Emerald Isle, NC Stories Series includes Beach Rental, Beach Winds, Beach Wedding, along with the Christmas novellas, Beach Christmas and Beach Walk. 

Her Virginia books are Women's Fiction with romance, suspense and mystery. Most are set in rural Cub Creek and include her bestselling The Memory of Butterflies and The Happiness In Between which were released in 2017. Three new Cub Creek books were released in 2019 - The Wildflower House Series: Wildflower Heart, Wildflower Hope and Wildflower Christmas, and Wildflower Wedding, A Light Last Seen was released in Feb. 2020. 

A Barefoot Tide and A Dancing Tide brought a new character from Cub Creek to the beach at Emerald Isle with beloved crossover characters from both settings. Beach Heart and Emerald Heart are single titles set in Emerald Isle, NC. Grace's newest, A Heart Beyond, will be released on September 3rd, 2024.

Grace is also an artist and photographer and these interests show up on the pages of the stories. She lives in central Virginia. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Grace

Website | X | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways! 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? November 17, 2025 #IMWAYR

      

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

**************************************

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

A Crimson Heart: A Thanksgiving and Christmas Novella

by Grace Greene

eARC for review

Pub date ~ November 20

The Time Hop Coffee Shop

by Phaedra Patrick

eARC for review

Pub date ~ December 9

Nowhere Girl

by Susan Strecker

paperback from my TBR shelf for a challenge

Published March 2016

The Palest Ink: Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters

(Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters #0)

by Kay Bratt

audio-book from my TBR collection

Published October 2015

What I recently finished


Tell Me Why
(Hart's Ridge #14)
by Kay Bratt
eARC for review
Pub date ~ November 24


Red Skies
(Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters #4)
by Kay Bratt
audio-book from my TBR collection
Published January 2014

What I am going to read next

Three Days in June

by Anne Tyler

print for review

Published February 2025

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Book Blitz! Can't Hurry Christmas by Melissa Baldwin ~ Excerpt and#Giveaway #CantHurryChristmas @XpressoTours

Can’t Hurry Christmas by Melissa Baldwin

Publication date: November 13th 2025

Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

The holiday spirit is the last thing on my mind, and he’s focused on his new beginning. But one mistletoe moment might change everything.

Callie

Spending the holidays alone for the first time in four years wasn’t exactly on my wish list. But with a major shake-up at work and more changes than I ever saw coming, embracing my new reality seems like the only option.

And then there’s Travis—charming, handsome, and a Texas drawl that could make any woman weak in the knees. But is it too soon to start something new? I’ve been out of the dating game for a while, and maybe this season is meant for family, friends, and finding joy in my new season.

One thing’s for sure—I’m in no hurry for Christmas to arrive.

Travis

Christmas in the Northeast? In the freezing cold? Yeah, not exactly my idea of home. But turning down this job offer wasn’t an option—it’s the kind of opportunity that doesn’t come around every day.

Still, spending the holidays away from everything and everyone I love is tougher than I expected. And then there’s Callie. I never planned to meet someone like her, let alone work so closely with her.

Now I’m left wondering… is taking this risk worth everything I’ve worked for?

Have you read the award-winning UnLucky Christmas? Don’t miss the chance to catch up with your favorite characters in Can’t Hurry Christmas from USA Today Bestselling Author Melissa Baldwin.

Goodreads | Amazon

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EXCERPT

“Callie, I know this isn’t a typical holiday season for you. I can’t imagine how you are feeling now that…things are different without …”

“You can say his name, Hannah.”

“Joey,” she says softly. “I’m sorry. I know this is a difficult time.”

I shake my head. “Don’t be sorry. I asked him to set a wedding date, and he said he wasn’t ready and didn’t know when he would be. That pretty much told me everything I needed to know. Our goals were not exactly as aligned as I thought they were.”

She places a hand on my shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze. “I’m really proud of you.”

“Proud? For getting dumped?”

“No. For not settling,” she explains. “And for letting me drag you into crazy holiday chaos instead of spending the night alone, binge-watching TV shows you’ve seen a hundred times.”

I laugh under my breath. “You’re not wrong. This is good for me—I always do better when I’m busy.”

“You might even enjoy yourself at the festive family night,” she says, tying another bow in less than two seconds.

“Oh, I’m sure it’ll be a blast,” I say flatly. “Hundreds of children, awkward small talk, and tacky decor. I’m all in.”

She giggles. “By the way, Anna’s new friend is coming with us. Her name’s Mia. She’s such a sweetheart.”

“Cool,” I say, biting my lip as I attempt another bow.

“And her dad’s meeting us there.”

I glance up. “Okay?”

“He’s a very nice guy…”

I narrow my eyes at her. “That’s great. Is there a reason you’re telling me this?”

She conveniently avoids making eye contact with me.

“Hannah…”

“Yes?”

“What are you up to?”

“I’m not up to anything,” she says, innocently. “I just thought it might be nice for you to meet a new friend.”

I stare at her. I should’ve known she was up to something. She was very insistent that I go to the festive family night.

She shrugs. “Anyway, he’s single. And nice. He has a good job. And he’s very—”

“Stop right there,” I interrupt. “No setups. You promised.”

“I didn’t set you up,” she says. “I merely mentioned that a single, employed man who also happens to be a devoted father will be in the same vicinity as you.”

“Oh, well in that case,” I say, rolling my eyes again.

She smirks and reaches over to take the mangled ribbon from my hands. “Here, let me help. You’re not exactly grasping the bow tying process here.”

“I didn’t get Mom’s crafty gene like you,” I mutter.

She laughs. “No. But you certainly inherited the moody gene from her.”

“I’m not the only one,” I tell her.

She holds up a perfectly wrapped box, complete with an elaborate gold bow. “See? We make a good team.”

“Always,” I say. “You do the work, and I’m here for moral support.”

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About the author

USA Today bestselling author Melissa Baldwin always dreamed of sharing her stories with the world. She brought this vision to life, becoming an award-winning, bestselling author of over thirty romantic comedies and cozy mysteries. Melissa is also a wife, mother, new empty-nester, and travel advisor.

Her books feature charming, ambitious, and real women, whom she considers part of her tribe. Although she rarely takes a day off, when she's not writing, she enjoys quality time with her family, traveling, attempting yoga poses, and booking Disney vacations. Melissa still uses a paper planner, and her guilty pleasures include Beverly Hills 90210 reruns and General Hospital.

Visit authormelissabaldwin .com to sign up for her newsletter.

Fans of Melissa's books, join her Reader Tribe on Facebook

Connect with Melissa

Website | Goodreads | Facebook Page | Facebook Group

Instagram | TikTok

Can’t Hurry Christmas Blitz Giveaway

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Book Tour! One Foot in the Ether by Kayleigh Kavanagh ~ Excerpt and Guest Post #OneFootInTheEther

Powerful bloodlines tied by Fate,

who can’t be free even in death...

One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches by Kayleigh Kavanagh

Published September 29, 2025 by Oriana Neomar

Historical/Paranormal/Fantasy

Format: Kindle, 400 pages

Demdike and Chattox, famed witches of Pendle Forest, might be dead, but they’re not gone. Bound to their bloodline, they’ve spent the past two and a half centuries watching over their descendants, waiting for when they’ll be needed.

When 14 year old Yana comes into her psychic abilities and inherits the ‘eyes of the Chattox family’, she can see the long-dead witches, as well as an encroaching evil. But even with this foreknowledge, she’s trapped by marriage interviews and being unable to see her own future, and more importantly, whoever her future husband will be.

Demdike’s healing gifts are alive and working in Claire, a mid-30s midwife well renowned for her skills and holding her tongue. The Secrets of Pendle are safe with her and her midwives. However, when surgeons looking to make standardisation the norm encroach on her territory, she soon realises how, even a respected woman is vulnerable in a patriarchal system.

The two descendants must come together to protect the ones they love from an ancient evil, all whilst balancing their lives and the cruelties of being a woman in a man’s world. Set in late 1800s NW England, this book has all the elements of the area: strong, hardy people, atmospheric horror and days as unpredictable as the weather.

One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches is available at Amazon.

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Excerpt

She hadn’t known what to expect from death. No one did. Still, none of her previous thoughts could have come close. This, and she was definitely having an atypical experience. For most souls, death was a release from the mortal coil. Complete separation from the life they’d once lived. She hadn't been so lucky.

Some parts of the system had been the same. Her soul had been scooped up. Taken somewhere. She vaguely recalled going over her life and having events explained. Gaining an understanding of the why; to the point she was no longer angry about things which had once made her furious. However, the entire encounter was now a blur.

The powers that be had done this on purpose, but the awareness lingered instinctively. Either way, she knew she'd died, gone to the other place, and then thrown back. Before they could send her along to wherever she should have gone next. There'd been an issue. A snag. One which stopped her from moving along to the happy, bliss-filled world of the nether realm. Said snag bore one name: Chattox. Even in death, her frenemy was still causing her bloody issues.

“Hey, Demdike, how’s non-life treating you?”

Demdike didn’t answer, suddenly filled with the desire to bludgeon the other woman. However, she knew from experience it would be pointless. They weren’t physical beings any longer—even if they were still tied to the physical world. Unless she was willing to destroy the other's soul, the spirit could reform. A tempting idea some days; this non-life was enough to make even the most patient saint a little homicidal. However, even in her worse moments, she wasn't willing to land the final blow.

“The same way it’s been treating me for the past two and a half hundred years,” she eventually returned. Still not looking at the other, less she finally indulged her violent impulses.

“They’re having a bake sale soon, at the local church. Gods, I miss cake.”

Demdike sighed. The sad part was she couldn’t even get rid of the other. Without Chattox, she would be entirely alone in this exhausting existence.

“Their cake isn’t anything like the one we used to have. They have more access to sugar, for starters.”

Demdike wasn’t even going to comment on the reasons why. King James I's and his ilk had done more than destroy her life. Stretching his greedy grip across the world. From the supposed lands of gold to the continent of darkness, James I's influence had impacted many. She couldn't help but feel for the poor souls stolen from these other countries. Their plights differed from the witch trials, but suffering was a universal language.

She would've liked to aid them, but she couldn't even help herself. There was no one to hear her, anyway. Well, other than Chattox, but as she was in the exact same situation. It was no different than voicing her words to the void. Except the void didn’t reply.

“Aye, I know, but it doesn’t mean I don’t miss the little pleasures. Few and far between, though they were.”

Demdike hummed. This was a conversation they’d had many times. When their new existence was mostly just the two of them, they often spoke of their past. Their past life, to be specific. A lot of it seemed funny now. Maybe it was their time in the decompression zone post life—or maybe it was simply the effect of being so removed from what they’d once been—but matters of life and death were suddenly much less dramatic and far funnier when you were already dead. Fighting over coin, linens, and food were memories they could now look back on and find humour in.

Though she also missed cake, death was a lot simpler. Mostly. There was no fighting for survival when you simply just were. No hunger to push you forward or pain to keep you still. As much as she’d once lived with one foot in the ether, having both on death's side was much simpler. If you ignored the limited company. Or how she feared her own mind and sense of self were slowly eroding over time. As though, without a physical body, she was slowly dispersing into nothingness; it was just taking a little longer.

– Excerpted from One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches by Kayleigh Kavanagh, Kayleigh Kavanagh, 2025. Reprinted with permission.

Guest Post

The Inspiration Behind One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches

By Kayleigh Kavanagh

I wrote the first book in the series “Whispers of the Pendle Witches” because it always annoyed me how, even 400 years later, the people who died in those trials were being portrayed as villains. In our supposedly enlightened era, we were still besmirching these individuals as though they were evil. It annoyed me, especially growing up in Lancaster, where they died. I always felt a kinship with them and wanted to put out another narrative. One where they were real people. Ones who today would be considered alternative healers and maybe Wiccans (or the modern interpretation of the word witch), but not devil worshippers, making pacts with the devil and killing their neighbours through malicious magics. 

After I completed the first book, I wanted to do more with the characters, but the only option for following the history was to cover the trials, and I just did not want to do that. After many months of deliberation, the idea of reincarnation came to mind. Then I remembered the spell Demdike and Chattox had done at the end of the first book and thought, “What if it went wrong or had unintended consequences?” And I went from there. 

I initially wanted to set the book in 1812, exactly two hundred years later (and for the 3rd to be in 2012). However, whilst researching the 1800s, I realised just how much changed in the latter half of the century, and there was a huge potential to build on this. My books have a recurring theme of women’s issues—those which are still relevant today. The 19th century had a lot of advancements, but it also saw the rise of a rhetoric which we’re still impacted by today, even though it isn’t as old as people believe it to be; the notion that women are weak and dainty. 

This ideal rose out of a belief that women could lose children doing strenuous work, which is true for the first trimester, but the initial idea went from “women shouldn’t be doing heavy lifting whilst pregnant” to “women's wombs will fall out if they do anything remotely strenuous, and these frail creatures need to be controlled and protected”. Ideals we’re still fighting even now.

From this, the character of Claire, a well-informed midwife, was born. A woman in a position of power in a man's world, something many men do not like—especially in the 1860s. She finds herself fighting against the standardisation of medical practices. Not because she opposes it in principle, but because she fears what men will do to women. 

In contrast, Yana is a young woman who has grown up with this new mentality and doesn’t know to question many things, despite how she senses things aren’t quite right. Though she does have some wiles, taught to her by women who learnt to hide their strengths in plain sight. She’s in the process of going through marriage interviews, and is caught between wants, needs and the demands of society.

Things become even more chaotic when the two women start to remember who they once were, and the trappings and dangers of the spiritual world. 

This is where Demdike and Chattox, the original Pendle Witches, come in. They’ve been watching over their family all this time and are now needed to protect them. But how much can earthbound spirits do? Especially against an ancient force. 

The four women must come together, despite their limitations, to do what the cunning folk (the UK equivalent of shamanic healers) have always done: protect the physical world from the dangers lying in the ether.

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About the author

Kayleigh Kavanagh is a disabled writer from the North-West of England. Growing up in the area, she learnt a lot about the Pendle Witches and launched her debut novel around their life story. 

Her main writing genres are fantasy and romance, but she loves stories in all formats and genres. Kayleigh hopes to one day be able to share the many ideas dancing around in her head with the world.

Her latest book is the historical fantasy, One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches

Connect with Kayleigh

Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Tiktok

 

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