We chat with debut author Wallis Kinney about A Dark and Secret Magic, which is a warm, spellbinding tale about a witch and the secrets her coven has been keeping from her, with echoes of the classic Hades and Persephone story, in the tradition of Practical Magic and Witch of Wild Things.
Hi, Wallis! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi Nerd Daily! I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas but currently reside among the Front Range mountains of Colorado. If I’m not writing, I’m either cooking, making YouTube videos, or immersing myself in anything related to Dungeons & Dragons.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My mother fostered a love of reading in me from a very young age and so many of my childhood heroes were authors. In the 4th grade, I had just read A Wrinkle in Time and was inspired to write my own story called Emerald Isle. It was about a young girl whose father disappeared and she had to traverse all the layers of a rainbow in order to rescue him. If I remember correctly, I outlined the entire story but only wrote up to her beating the challenges of the Yellow layer. I wish I could say I didn’t make a habit of creating entire stories in my head only to abandon them after 10,000 words but I would be lying.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw. That was my go to bed time story until about the 1st
- The one that made you want to become an author: I’d never thought about this before but given my previous anecdote, I suppose the truth is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It is my favorite book of all time. I have always admired Adams’ sense of humor and his ability to make light of the heaviest possible subject matter (the end of the world.)
Your debut novel, A Dark and Secret Magic, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
A love letter to October
What can readers expect?
A mostly cozy yet tiny-bit spooky celebration of the week leading up to Halloween. I like to think it’s a book you can just curl up with and fall right into. There are lots of easter eggs to Halloween media of the nineties and aughts. References riddle the pages with little homages to Hocus Pocus, the Halloweentown movies, Practical Magic, and everything in between. There are also recipes at the back of the book based on several dishes that are cooked within the pages of the story. I spent so much time writing about the food in this novel, I wanted readers to have the chance to taste the recipes for themselves! For romance fans, there is a forbidden romance that is central to the plot. It is sweet and sensual rather than spicy.
Where did the inspiration for A Dark and Secret Magic come from?
My sister and I were watching a Hallmark Christmas movie and she commented how she wished similar stories existed that celebrated Halloween. I decided to write her one as a gift. It started off as a novella but eventually grew into something bigger. The story was originally titled This Book is for October because I wanted to write my sister a story that would be the perfect annual tradition to read before Halloween. Just as watching Hallmark is one of our annual Christmas traditions.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
A late edition to the story was a character named Laurie. She is a time witch and only appears in two scenes. However, she came into my head fully formed in her oddity. Her mannerisms and pattern of speech were so distinct to me and I found her endlessly amusing to write. Overall, I enjoyed creating my own little universe within our world. It was a delightful task, figuring out the structures of the witch covens across the United States and all the different types of magic that exist within the story.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
I completed my first manuscript in 2015. It was a YA paranormal romance about a teenage boy falling in love with a ghost haunting the halls of his boarding school. It took a few years before I was confident to show it to anyone but I ended up connecting with my agent in 2020 when Dark Academia stories were having their moment. That book ended up dying on submission — which ultimately was for the best. She was very messy! But, I started working on A Dark and Secret Magic as a fun passion project to distract myself from the submission process. I made youtube videos all about the writing process for ADASM because I honestly never thought I would publish it and so felt free to discuss it openly with other writers. I had a few friends read the third draft of the book to make sure I wouldn’t present my sister with an utter disaster. One of those friends, who never sugarcoats, told me it was one of her favorite books she’d ever read. That stopped me in my tracks. For the first time, I realized this fun passion project might be appealing to more than just the one person I wrote it for. I pitched it to my agent, did some more revisions, went on submission in the fall of 2023, and had an offer from Alcove in under a month!
What’s next for you?
I am going on a booktour to celebrate the release of A Dark and Secret Magic! I am doing events in New York, Massechuesetts, Rhode Island, D.C., Texas, and Colorado. Details can be found on my website walliskinney.com. Once my booktour is over, I will go all out to celebrate Halloween and then I fully intend to lock myself in my apartment and decompress from everything by playing Bauldur’s Gate 3 uninterupted for the entire first week of November.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
I have read a lot of books by Tessa Dare this year. Her humor is fabulous and I love the romantic dynamics that she writes. My TBR is woefully large but I have been eyeing Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree for my next cozy read. Similarly, What Doesn’t Break by Cassandra Khaw from Critical Role comes out this month and I am looking forward to reading that. My author friend, M.G. Ellison, hosts a readathon everytime a book comes out from CR and I am really excited for this year’s reading prompts! All the prompts can be found over on the Voxmachinathon Instagram account.
Will you be picking up
