We chat with author Molly Harper about Big Witch Energy, which is a wickedly charming second chance at love between a sassy restaurant server-turned witch and the newest resident of Starfall Point, her high school sweetheart (now a sexy single dad).
Hi, Molly! Welcome back! How has the past year been since we last spoke?
I’ve been up to my ears in witch-y stuff, which has been pretty freaking magical. WITCHES GET STUFF DONE became my debut on the USA TODAY Bestsellers list. I’ve started doing book signings/appearances again – check out my web site for details. And I have spent some time amassing as many pink-oriented promotional giveaways as possible to recognize the magenta majesty of BIG WITCH ENERGY’S cover. I really love living with these characters and I’m excited to share another story from them with the world.
Your latest novel, Big Witch Energy, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Sexy, snarky banter for days.
What can readers expect?
BIG WITCH ENERGY is a continuation of the Starfall Point series with the same beloved characters (living and dead), with new additions, a twisty, scary mystery and more Denton family intrigue. Ben Hoult, Caroline Wilton’s former sweetheart, returns to Starfall Point a doctor, with two teenagers in tow. Caroline must wade through her own regrets and the weight of a family curse, while finding a second chance with Ben and helping her coven contain the ghostly residents of Shaddow House. I honestly think the main “villain” ghost I’ve introduced in this book is one of the scariest characters I’ve ever written. I can’t wait to see what readers think of her.
Where did the inspiration for Big Witch Energy come from?
The inspiration for the series came from moving to my new hometown in Michigan and buying a 90+ year old house. The first night we lived there we realized EVERYTHING creaked, all through the night, and it was really nerve-wracking. I’ve discovered tiny doors in closets that shouldn’t be there – and I will not open them, because I know they probably lead to pocket-dimension full of demon squid. The experience definitely put me in the right frame of mind to write about a haunted house. (I’m MOSTLY sure my house isn’t haunted… probably.) I don’t write a lot of second-chance romance stories, but I felt so much yearning in Caroline, to get back what she’d given up. She has very good reason to believe she’s cursed and she’s trying to protect Ben and her family, even if it means sacrificing her happiness. It’s a bit of a theme with her, which she outgrows over the course of the story. I want only good things for the Starfall Point cast of characters – even if I do put them through the emotional gauntlet.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Josh and Mina are largely based on my children. Their personalities, their dynamic, the way they talk to each other. It’s so highly entertaining. Josh getting so much taller than Mina, who had that oldest child’s confidence that she would perpetually be superior in all ways, is a plot point because that has been my daughter’s life for three years. It has reset their whole relationship. They eventually figured out I was taking notes on their conversations and they started clarifying, “this is not for your books!”
Did you face any challenges whilst writing Big Witch Energy?
So, I have no medical experience and Ben is a doctor. I had no idea what happens to a person when they are struck by a moped. Fortunately, I have a friend who has worked as an EMT for years and told me the sort injuries would be expected. (Thanks, Jenn!) I think it makes Mina’s “introduction” to Caroline all the more real.
What a stunning cover! Did you have a vision in mind before you saw the final cover?
I had no idea it would be so stunningly pink, but I love it. It’s so eye-catching and I have a whole fall wardrobe planned around it, including a custom witch hat covered in matching pink butterflies.
What led you to the romance genre?
I’m a third-generation romance reader. My mom stole my grandma’s romance novels and read them in secret. I stole my mom’s romance novels and read them in secret. Honestly, Mom should have seen this coming. She could not be more thrilled that I became a romance author, and if you stand still long enough, she will try to sell you one of my books.
What’s next for you?
NEVER BEEN WITCHED, the third book in the Starfall Point series will come out in September in audio and follow in print and eBook next year, from the wonderful people at Sourcebooks Casablanca. My first-ever murder mystery, A PROPOSAL TO DIE FOR, comes out in April 2025, from Berkley Prime Crime. And I’m working on a trilogy of spin-offs set in the same world as Starfall Point, the Moonshadow Cove series.
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 am fully involved in my weird research phase in several projects. So I’m reading books on renovating RVs, botanical poisons, and mermaid lore. So… that may not be what your readers are looking for! Fiction-wise, I’m really looking forward to DEJA BREW from Celestine Martin, IN WANT OF A SUSPECT from Tirzah Price, and THE CRESCENT MOON TEA ROOM by Stacy Sivinski.
