We chat with author Sarah Hawley about A Demon’s Guide To Wooing A Witch, which follows a witch who despises the demon that orchestrated a soul bargain on her best friend…but then ends up falling for the person he becomes after he’s cursed to lose his memories.
Hi, Sarah! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a former archaeologist and current writer of romance and fantasy novels. I live in the Pacific Northwest with my cats Coco and Starbuck, who are as beautiful as they are demanding. My debut novel, A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon, came out from Berkley Romance in March 2023, and there are more books in the works!
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Very young! I’ve always been a voracious reader, and thanks to my mother I discovered science fiction and fantasy early. In terms of writing, I remember learning the term “Great American Novel” in first grade and deciding that was something I obviously had to do, so I started drafting a tragedy about the ants my mother vacuumed up in the kitchen. It’s probably for the best that that epic remains unfinished. In fifth grade I wrote a 25 page “book” about an orphan girl who learns she’s a princess and sets out to reclaim her throne. I’ve been writing consistently ever since, and a love of stories has been part of me for as long as I can remember.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: I read picture books and some short chapter books before this, but the first “big” book I remember loving was Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Probably the Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce. That series was everything to me as a child and made me desperately want both magic and a sword.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: This is an incredibly hard question!!! I’ve read so many books at this point that it pains me to try to pick favorites, but one book series that had a massive effect on me and contributed to my love of both history and antiheroes was the Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett. It’s smart, dense, dramatic, compelling, heartbreaking, romantic, and so heavily researched that there’s a companion book dedicated to all the poetry and references Lymond makes. (I own this and tried a re-read using it, but I was referencing the companion book about 20 times a page!)
Your latest novel, A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Enemies, amnesia, road trip, spicy
What can readers expect?
It’s the second book in the Glimmer Falls fantasy romance series, but it can be read as a standalone. The book follows the demon Astaroth of the Nine (the villain of book one) and the witch Calladia Cunnington (the best friend of book one’s heroine). After being defeated in book one, Astaroth faces consequences back in the demon plane. He’s stripped of his position on the high council and banished to Earth, where he hits his head and develops a case of amnesia. Calladia, an aggressive witch who loves getting in bar brawls and hates Astaroth with a passion, rescues him from an attack by the evil demon Moloch before realizing she accidentally saved her nemesis. Soon Moloch goes after her too, and Calladia and Astaroth end up on a quest in search of a witch who can salvage Astaroth’s memory and help them defeat Moloch for good. Obviously the two fall in love on the way. It’s steamy, funny, and action-packed, and this book expands the world to show what life is like outside Glimmer Falls.
Where did the inspiration for A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch come from?
The book picks up immediately after the events of A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon. I knew when I started drafting the Glimmer Falls series that the villain of book one would be the hero of book two. I love a villain redemption arc! The idea came all at once, really—I knew I needed to redeem Astaroth and get him in close proximity with Calladia. Amnesia was the perfect trope to facilitate his redemption, essentially pressing the reset button on his character, and the road trip seemed like the best way to force Calladia to spend time with Astaroth so she can learn to forgive him.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really enjoy Calladia and Astaroth’s banter and bickering. Their antagonism mixed with smoldering attraction was so fun to write. I also loved writing Lilith, Astaroth’s ancient, insane demon mother—she brings incredible chaos to every scene she’s in. Other than that, the worldbuilding was so much fun to luxuriate in. I enjoyed imagining how magic would integrate with our modern world in terms of architecture, restaurants, local politics, and more, and there were so many fun puns to make (I’m particularly proud of the werewolf-run furniture store LYKEA).
This is your second published novel! What are some of the key lessons you have learned between writing the two?
I feel like I’m constantly learning new things and also like I know nothing at all, which is probably the standard author experience. I’m definitely much more aware of how the publishing process works—major milestones and what to expect. I’m also learning how to balance the workload, because there’s way more going on in my writing life this time around—I’m promoting the second book while editing two other books and drafting a new book. It’s overwhelming sometimes, but I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to live this dream.
What’s next for you?
I’m hard at work editing A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire, the third book in the Glimmer Falls trilogy. This one is about a mild-mannered werewolf and the feral vampire succubus assassin he accidentally purchases on eBay, and it comes out August 2024. I also have another paranormal series in the works and a secret project I’ll hopefully be able to discuss soon.
Lastly, what 2024 book releases are you looking forward to reading?
I have so many on my list! A few I’m particularly looking forward to are Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe, The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava, Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne, The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton, Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung, and The Spy and I by Tiana Smith.
