We chat with author Kayla Cottingham about Extraordinary Quests For Amateur Witches, which follows a reluctant hero, who after accidentally cursing his ex-boyfriend, must complete a dangerous quest to undo his spell . . . all while falling for a brooding new crewmate with dark secrets.
Hi. Kayla! What inspired you to write these two romantasy novels that blend witch/vampire fantasy seamlessly with LGBTQ+ representation?
When I was a teenager, I was obsessed with YA paranormal romance novels. Especially ones with witches and vampires. I loved the high-stakes quests, the magical action sequences, and the promise of forbidden love. But the thing is, they were always straight. I never got to see queer folks like me starring in those novels. When I decided to start writing my own books, I thought, Why not take those stories I loved and tailor them to a queer audience instead? Let us be the heroes in these. PRACTICAL RULES and EXTRAORDINARY QUESTS are the result of that.
Knowing that this is a sequel to PRACTICAL RULES FOR CURSED WITCHES but that the two books can be read in either order, is there one you’d recommend reading first?
Chronologically, the events of PRACTICAL RULES happen first, so I’d say start with that one!
How did you continue developing Kieran’s character in this book, as well as his relationship with his twin sister, Briar?
In PRACTICAL RULES, Kieran’s big character arc is realizing that he can be his own person outside of the selfless martyr persona that his family ascribed to him. In EXTRAORDINARY QUESTS, it’s more centered around Kieran discovering who exactly that person is. In the process, he’s also able to deepen his relationship with Briar, who he met for the first time six months before the book begins. Now that their curse is broken, the twins finally have a chance to build the more traditional sibling relationship they were robbed of by their family. Their progression from wary strangers to close siblings was a key part of Kieran’s character growth.
As a former YA librarian, did you catch on to the romantasy trend among teens long before it hit TikTok?
Oh, definitely. I remember having teens asking me for read-alikes for A Court of Thorns and Roses all the way back in 2018/2019. As soon as I started seeing more deal announcements for titles comparing themselves to ACOTAR, I knew it wasn’t going to be long before the genre took off. Then 2020 rolled around and more people joined TikTok, and romantasy really exploded.
What was the writing process like for EXTRAORDINARY QUESTS FOR AMATEUR WITCHES? Was it similar to or different from PRACTICAL RULES FOR CURSED WITCHES?
The main difference between the two was that, when I went to write EXTRAORDINARY QUESTS, I already knew all the characters well. I didn’t have to come up with personalities from scratch the same way I did for PRACTICAL RULES, so it let me focus a little more on the plot. I think that’s why this one is more action-heavy than the first book. I also got to focus on developing Sebastian, Kieran’s new love interest, in the context of a cast that had existing character dynamics. It was fun to see how he turned some of those dynamics on their heads, specifically Kieran and Delilah’s friendship.
Who is your favorite character in the book, and why?
Oh, definitely Sebastian. When I sat down to invent a love interest for Kieran, I thought about all the brooding YA heroes I loved as a teenager and challenged myself to create my own version of them. I mean, come on, Sebastian is an angsty assassin with a heart of gold and a thirst for blood—what more could you ask for in a boyfriend?
Can you discuss a few titles in the fantasy/romance genre that you drew inspiration from to write your own? (Or just a few of your favorite books!)
There are so many fantastic romance, fantasy, and romantasy YA books that have come out in the last few years that it’s hard to choose! A few of my favorites are F. T. Lukens’s books, specifically So This Is Ever After, as well as Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher, and The Legendborn Cycle by Tracy Deonn.
Do you think you will write another book in this series?
Now that Delilah and Kieran both have their own books, I’d love to write one from Briar’s POV—specifically a prequel that takes place in the months leading up to PRACTICAL RULES. There are a few references to that time period in both books, so it’d be fun to explore that more!
What is your favorite thing to do when not writing?
I’m a big fan of live music, so I go to concerts and music festivals whenever I can. At home, though, I’m usually reading romance novels or playing story-based RPGs.
What do you hope readers take away from this book?
I think there are two main takeaways. First, it’s okay to not know exactly what you want out of life. Part of growing up is getting to explore that, and teens shouldn’t feel rushed to make big decisions about their future before they’re ready. And second, the importance of chosen family, specifically for people who grew up in less-than-ideal blood family situations. Even if the family you’re born into doesn’t give you the love you deserve, that doesn’t mean there aren’t people out there who will—you just have to find them.
