Laura Sibson is the acclaimed author of The Art of Breaking Things and the upcoming Edie in Between, a modern-day Practical Magic story about love, loss, and embracing the mystical. We got to ask Laura all about her favourite magical movies, tough topics to explore in fiction and so much more!
Hi, Laura! Thanks so much for joining us! Why don’t you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi, Mimi! Thanks so much for having me. About me – I grew up in Maryland and we camped on a tributary to the Chesapeake Bay which is the fictionalized setting for Edie In Between. But before I ever started writing books, I was a career counselor in higher education. After guiding so many students to follow their dreams, I followed my own. My first manuscript was about sisters who find out they’re witches. Seeds of that story are in Edie as well. In 2012, I obtained an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts where I found my people. I live with my husband (and sometimes my two adult children) in a part of Philadelphia that looks like Hogsmeade and I love taking walks with my dog in the nearby woods. My debut young adult contemporary novel The Art of Breaking Things came out in 2019 to critical acclaim and now Edie in Between will be out soon! I love writing about girls finding their power and taking up space in the world.
Lightning round! What is your favourite book cover ever, your reading pet peeve and a trope you’re always on board with?
Favorite book cover ever? How can you do that to a girl? There are so many gorgeous covers. And mine are some of them! I mean, the cover of Edie In Between with Lisa Sterle’s fabulous art is drop dead amazing. But I’ve got to say the cover for The Firekeeper’s Daughter is absolutely mesmerizing.
Reading pet peeve is when someone interrupts me while I’m reading. I have a book open in front of me. Isn’t that essentially a Do Not Disturb sign?
As for tropes, I’m a serious sucker for a specific version of Friends-to-Lovers which is They’ve-Been-In-Love-With-You-The-Whole-Time.
Now, onto Edie in Between! What can readers expect?
At the opening of the story, Edie is a reluctant witch living on a houseboat on the Chesapeake Bay with her eccentric grandmother and the ghosts of all their ancestors – including Edie’s mom, who had been Edie’s best friend. Fortunately, Edie’s made new friends in the tiny town of Cedar Branch — including the wonderful Tess and maybe more than a friendship with Rhia. Together, the three of them embark on a scavenger hunt to eradicate the corrupted magic that has hold of her family. Edie must learn to accept her whole self – and her power — before it’s too late. Through magic and the ever-present ghosts, Edie In Between explores the power of family, first love and discovering who you are and what you’re capable of in the wake of a devastating loss. I hope readers love these girls as much as I loved writing them.
Edie in Between is pitched as the modern-day Practical Magic. What magical movies did you grow up with and which ones would you recommend?
There have never been enough movies with witches imho. I adored Practical Magic, obviously, and The Craft, of course. Also, the TV show Charmed, Sabrina the Teenage Witch on Netflix and Discovery of Witches. Hocus Pocus feels like a must at Halloween (though I prefer my witches at heroes, not villains.) And Kiki’s Delivery Service is pure delight.
Edie in Between combines magic, loss, and love. What was your favourite part of writing this story and what turned out to be a challenge?
My favorite part to write was the magic. Also, the flirting between Edie and Rhia. And Tess. I really loved writing this book! It got me through the pandemic. The most challenging part was weaving Kat’s diary entries in such a way that Edie learned new information when it made sense for the story.
The dead of the Mitchell family linger with Edie and her GG. If you had the chance to have someone you lost be with you every day, would you want it?
Who wouldn’t love to live like GG and have their ancestors floating around and silently commenting on everything that they’re doing wrong? In all seriousness, I love that whenever I touch an item that belonged to my grandmother, she’s brought back to me instantly. In this story, I’d hoped to convey the ways that physical items can be repositories for our memories.
You expertly depict grief and loss in this novel. What do you want readers to take away from Edie in Between when it comes to losing someone?
We never get over a loss. We learn to live alongside it. Eventually, we learn the new shape of a life that holds that loss. And most importantly, we love again.
If Edie in Between were to be adapted as a movie, which scenes would you love to see transformed on the big screen?
I’d love to see how a director manifests the scene where Edie is fighting the fire in the tree. And – because I’m a romantic at heart – I would swoon to see Edie and Rhia together.
With Edie in Between releasing soon, are you already working on another project? If so, can you share a tidbit about it with us?
I’m working on a new YA where a group of friends summons an urban legend connected to their old Philadelphia private school in hopes that the legend will grant them wishes. Naturally, things go terribly wrong. Also, there is a ghost hunter. And kissing. There is always kissing.
Last but not least, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I have a million book recommendations! But I’ll try to keep it short. There’s another contemporary witchy YA coming out the same day as Edie In Between! Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis is getting great early reviews and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. I’m currently reading Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey, and I love this fish out of water rom-com. (Sidenote: it makes me very hungry for Cuban pastries!) I just received an advance copy of All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman. Amanda is joining me for my virtual book launch on August 25th and I can’t wait to talk books with her!
You can find me on Instagram @lauraosibson and Twitter @laurasibson. My website is www.laurasibson.com. My virtual book launch on August 25 @ 7pm EDT will be hosted by Children’s Book World in Haverford, PA and I’ll be in conversation with Amanda Foody!
