We chat with author April Asher about A Simple Twist of Fate, which follows a witch and a shifter who get a second chance at love in this new paranormal romantic comedy.
Hi, April! Welcome back! How has the past year been since we last spoke?
Thank you for having me! This past year has been a lot, lol. A lot of writing, a lot bookish reader events, and a lot of big family changes. I think I’m ready for a nap (just kidding…maybe).
Your latest novel, A Simple Twist of Fate, is out May 13th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Gilmore Girls meets Halloweentown shenanigans
What can readers expect?
Feeling all the feels. It’s a story about second chances (both romantic and with female friendships), and about FATE. About the choice we have to either follow what Fate has planned for us, or create our own.
But of course there’s magical shenanigans, small mountain town secrets, underwear-stealing garden gnomes, and a magical town that’s basically alive and has a really twisted sense of humor. And did I mention that in addition to the plus size witchy heroine and grumpy mountain lion shifter hero, there’s also a bevy of secondary characters such as a guardian angel on disciplinary leave, a demon former assassin turned MMA fighter, a tattooed Seer who’s talents are on the fritz, a vampire librarian, and a snarky teenager. (AND MORE…)
Where did the inspiration for A Simple Twist of Fate come from?
I (may) have just watched an episode of Gilmore Girls and thought to myself, what if Lorelei was a witch who came back home with a goddaughter in tow, and Luke was a grumpy shifter she’d left behind? And then kind of like what happens in Fates Havens, things got out of hand quickly and my imagination went a little…rogue, turning Stars Hallow into Fates Haven, Colorado, a town known for having the highest Fated Mates Percentage in the world, and for helping people from all over the world find their Fated mates…until they suddenly couldn’t.
Can you tell us a bit about your process in plotting and building out A Simple Twist of Fate?
Every book I write starts different. Sometimes it starts with a character, or the conflict that they need to overcome. For A Simple Twist of Fate, the idea started with the town of Fates Haven itself, a town that’s basically the third main character. As the book starts, Fates Haven is in turmoil with dwindling magics and temperamental shenanigans, and where there is shenanigans, chaos ensues, lol.
Next, came the main characters, Harlow and Jax. I felt a little bad putting them through the ringer (but not that bad because I knew they’d come out on top all the stronger, lol). And once I start adding the secondary characters, a real community flourished, and things just clicked. It’s almost magical how things happen that way.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Obviously, I love writing the unhinged, magical shenanigans, and probably some of my favorite humorous scenes to write were the ones dealing with the underwear stealing garden gnomes. But I love intermixing humor and comedy with a more serious underlying message (and sometimes I don’t even realize what that message is until I’m halfway done with the book b/c it surprises even me, lol).
With A Simple Twist of Fate, I knew before writing the first word that it would revolve around Fate, and whether we follow it or create it for ourselves. But it became so much more. Not only a second chance romance, but a second chance at friendship. Not only will Harry and Jax find their way to their happily ever after, but you’ll see—and feel—the others in the book stumble to find their own Fate as well.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Challenges? Absolutely not. Everything went perfect! (snorts)
But it’s funny now that I think about it, but I do remember at some point saying to myself ‘I’m not sure this book will actually get written’, but now I can’t recall what that reason was. I think I mentally blocked it, lol.
Three tips on making a cosy fantasy nice and cosy?
- SETTING is key! I wanted Fates Haven to be a place where people longed to pack up their bags and escape, and do just as the town slogan says and “Become Fated in Fates Haven…”
- Quirky CHARACTERS. Love. My. Secondary. Characters. Obviously, a writer’s main focus will always be on the main protagonists, but secondary characters are just as important—their quirks, their struggles, their interactions not only with the main characters, but with each other. I would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite secondary character in Fates Haven because I honestly love them all.
- Cozy Fantasy doesn’t mean it’s without struggle. When I started in publishing, I wrote very steamy, very action-packed romantic suspense. Explosions. Bullets. An evil villain that needed to be defeated. A good cozy fantasy can still get your heart pumping, but instead of reading it while sitting on the EDGE of the sofa and biting your nails, you’re tucked in the corner with your favorite reading blanket and your warm drink of choice.
What’s next for you?
I actually just turned in my 2026 paranormal rom-com release to my editor, so we’re officially in the editing stage and we’re now talking COVERS (whispers: it’s NOT witches….)
And I jumped back into working on a Sekrit Project that has been living in my brain, rent-free, for years.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
I’m salivating to get my hands on Jayci’s Lee’s King Foretold (the 2nd book in her Realms of the Four Kingdom series), and I’m just about ready to read an ARC of Mia Sosa’s When Javi Dumped Mari. All of Mia’s rom-com are *chef’s kiss*. But honestly, there are SO MANY incredible books being released this year that it makes this book hoarder very happy.
