We chat with author April Asher about Not Your Crush’s Cauldron, which sees a witch takes a stroll on the wild-ish side, sparking an alert that saddles her with her very own Guardian Angel…who happens to be her secret crush―and new roommate.
Hi, April! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Thank you so much for having me! I am a registered nurse by day, an author or romance by night, and a mom, wife, and all-around circus-ringmaster twenty-four-seven. I live with my college-sweetheart husband (we have endured ALL the romance tropes in real life, lol), my two feral children (now teens), and a cat who doesn’t quite realize she’s not human.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve always loved writing stories, so much so that when I was little, my mother bought me a working kids typewriter and I used it A LOT. I’d write stories, and then force my mother and sisters to read them. Writing was always in the cards for me.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Oh, um…I don’t remember the title, but I do remember my elementary school music teacher reading us a book about these singing kittens. I was so obsessed with it that she let me take it home and I kept it under my pillow after reading it each night.
- The one that made you want to become an author: When I hit my teens is when I really started writing stories, and it was because of reading books by authors like Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine. I loved the mashup of spooky and sweet, and of course, it made it even better when there was romance slipped in.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: TO THIS DAY and every day since reading it when it was first published, Shadow Kissed by Richelle Mead lives rent-free in my heart. It was the first real time I remember actually FEELING my chest ache for bookish characters. (If you know why, you KNOW). But there I was, a wife and mother of two, sobbing as I turned the page. It’s definitely left an impression in the best way.
Your latest novel, Not Your Crush’s Cauldron, is out February 13th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Angels. Tattoos. Naked collisions.
What can readers expect?
In Not Your Crush’s Cauldron, Olive is happy with her life, her job, and her single status (somewhat), but feels compelled to participate in the assignment she gave her college students about stepping out of comfort zones. This switch-up puts her on the Angel Affairs radar and lands her her own guardian angel (her secret crush and new roommate), Bax. As they both check off all the items on Olive’s Dare I Docket List, they eventually realize that it’s not WHAT you do that is so important, but the people you have at your side when you do them.
There’s plenty of spice, sass, banter, and a cast of secondary characters that you’ll fall in love with (I know I have).
Where did the inspiration for Not Your Crush’s Cauldron come from?
As I wrote Not the Witch You Wed & Not Your Ex’s Hexes, Cauldron’s story kind of just popped into my head. I knew I wanted Olive and Bax to end up being together, the last hold-out of the sister trio and I’ve always wanted to write a roommates story (more chances for accidental run-ins if you know what I mean). Once I had the scenario, the plot just kind of formed itself. I mean, if you’re going to have an guardian angel hero, they NEED to be guarding someone, right?
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Is it cheating if I say all of them? But honestly, with each book, those characters are always my fave, but I will say that Grandma Edie will always hold a special place in my heart. So much wisdom & mischief wrapped up in one octogenarian package.
This is your second novel! Were there any key lessons learned between writing the two?
Not Your Crush’s Cauldron is actually my tenth pulished book, which I cannot believe! (I wrote romantic suspense with another pen name). But regardless of the number of books I write, the characters always surprise me. I think I’m leading them in one direction, and then they veer off and lead me in another. It’s usually for the best though, so I just go with it, LOL.
With it being Valentine’s Day, what’s your top romance movies?
- Pride & Prejudice (Keira Knightley version)…can we just talk about that hand-stretch, please?
- The Princess Bride
What’s next for you?
I have two additional paranormal rom-coms coming up in 2025 & 2026, the first being Fated In Fates Haven (tentatively titled), about a magical town known for helping people find their Fated matches…until they experience a 15-year-long magical hiccup.
And then I’m also working on something special for fans of Grandma Edie (winky emoji), as well as adult fantasy I’m super excited to find a home for soon.
Lastly, are there any 2024 book releases that you’re looking forward to?
I can’t wait to get my hands on Girls with Bad Reputations by Xio Axelrod and I’m just about to plug in my earbuds to listen to Mia Sosa’s The Starter Ex!
