We chat with author Rachel Greenlaw about The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells, which is an evocative and mysterious story about lost love and the magic of coming home, for readers of Adrienne Young and Breanne Randall.
Hi, Rachel! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! I’m a full time author living on a tiny island off the south coast of the UK. My books included One Christmas Morning, the Compass and Blade series and now, The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells. I live on the island with my husband and two wildlings, and when I’m not writing I love taking long clifftop walks, sea swimming and reading.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
When I was very little, I used to make books out of pieces of folded up paper, write out a story on all the little folded up pages and draw pictures to go with the story!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: a really spooky ghost story that I made myself read from cover to cover because I was determined to finish a full length book.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman – something about the adventure, scope of the world and feisty female main character inspired me to imagine my own stories being actual published books one day.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven – it’s out in 2025, and I had the privilege of reading an early copy. It’s magnificent and epic in scope – a truly beautiful love story.
Your latest novel, The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells, is out October 22nd! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Witchy, mystery, small town, romance
What can readers expect?
A story set in a town that feels like Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls, for fans of Practical Magic and Spells for Forgetting, perfect for the autumn and winter months!
Where did the inspiration for The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells come from?
After a trip to the snowy mountains in Colorado, I pictured a woman staring out at a vast, snow covered mountain sipping tea in a house she had renovated. I wanted to know more about her, why she was there, and why she seemed so at peace. It turned out that was the main character, Carrie Morgan, and this is her story of returning to her small hometown of Woodsmoke after ten years drifting around Europe.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Cora Morgan was an absolute delight to write – she’s eighty years old, says exactly what she thinks and is a true meddler! I loved writing such a feisty character who has lived a long life exactly on her terms.
What was your process in bringing the story to life?
I began writing the story more as a contemporary without the speculative element and realised it wasn’t Carrie’s story at all! So I went back to the setting itself, the characters surrounding her, and slowly peeled back the layers of secrets to reveal a generations deep history of the Morgan women and their relationship to the mountains surrounding Woodsmoke. From there, three main points of view emerged to tell this story; Carrie, Cora and Jess.
What’s next for you?
Next up for me is the second installment in my YA fantasy series, Shadow and Tide, which is out in March 2025. After that I have more books, but for now I’m afraid they’re a secret…
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 really enjoyed Cecelia Ahern’s latest novel, Into the Storm, M L Wang’s Blood Over Bright Haven, as well as The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott. I’m very much looking forward to Gillian McAllister’s next novel, Famous Last Words and Katabasis by R F Kuang.
