Article contributed by Madalena Daleziou
Paige McKenzie, New York Times bestselling author and YouTuber in the successful haunted house story channel ‘The Haunting of Sunshine Girl’, and Nancy Ohlin, author, collaborator, and ghostwriter of numerous children’s and Young Adult books have teamed up to bring us an enchanting story about two rival covens threatened by what appears to be a contemporary witch-hunt. B*Witch explores issues of belonging, identity, and girls supporting one another.
We asked Paige and Nancy a few questions about their upcoming release, their co-writing experience and of course, witches.
For more information about the authors and their projects you can find Paige on Twitter , Instagram, Goodreads and, of course, YouTube and Nancy on her own website, Twitter and Goodreads.
Hi, Paige and Nancy. Thanks for chatting with us! Can you tell us a bit about yourselves?
PAIGE: I have always been a storyteller but I didn’t grow up dreaming of being an author, that came later. I had a passion for fashion even though the tiny town I grew up in was more known for Carharts and camo. I started a YouTube channel while still in high school and that journey took me all the way to a trilogy of books called The Haunting of Sunshine Girl. That is where I discovered my love for the literary world. This love has only continued to grow with B*Witch. These days you can usually find me in my art studio working on stuff to sell on my Etsy or conjuring new spells for our favorite coven.
NANCY: I was raised in Tokyo, Japan and then Akron, Ohio after my mom immigrated to the U.S. with my brother and me. I loved books and writing from an early age—in fourth grade after I moved to America, I binge-read Nancy Drews to help me with my English, and in sixth grade, I started writing secret love poems to random crushes because I was too shy to talk to them. I’ve written over a hundred books either on my own or as collaborations. I live in Ithaca, NY with my family, which includes three actual cats (Baxter, Tiger, and Kimchi) and many more imaginary/potential cats (because I may have a habit of surfing cat adoption websites a LOT).
Can you describe B*Witch in 5 words?
Rival covens solve a mystery!
What came first? The concept or the characters?
It was a bit of a chicken-and-egg process. In the beginning, we agreed that we wanted to write a book about witches. We then started coming up with the characters … or, we should say, they started showing up in our conversations, like uninvited guests who crash your party but who end up being awesome. Once we had our characters, the plot happened pretty organically. It was, like, OF COURSE Greta’s coven and Div’s coven are forced to solve a murder together. OF COURSE witches are in danger in the world of Sorrow Point.
In the past few years, teenage witches have often been used to explore issues of identity, feminism and agency in a socio-political climate that is tough for many women. Did this inform your own writing?
Yes, definitely … although again, that happened organically. Our concept was originally lighter and bubblier, but then the current socio-political climate began seeping into the story, and we found our witches dealing with bigotry and intolerance in multiple ways – not just against witches but against women, against the LGBTQ community, against communities of color, etc.
Your witch characters are beautifully diverse. Is it important to you that teen readers see themselves represented in your work?
Absolutely. We wanted to represent the real world in our writing. Also, our characters’ identities, orientations, backgrounds, etc. are an essential part of their stories.
Tell us a bit about your co-writing process. Did you meet and write together, or preferred to write separately and share afterwards? Did you split the point of view characters or just wrote what felt right?
Because we live on opposite coasts, we tended to write separately and share afterwards, and also talk a lot on Skype (with her dog and my various cats assisting). We didn’t split the POVs; we just wrote what felt right.
Which of your characters do you identify with the most?
NANCY: There is a little bit of me in all of them, I think. But if I had to single out one or two, I would have to say Binx and Iris. Like Binx, I’m Japanese American and the daughter of an immigrant, and I’ve had to deal with a lot of anti-Asian American prejudice throughout my life. And like Iris, I suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and when I’m nervous, I talk way too much.
PAIGE: The character I identify with the most changes on a daily basis but right now while we are all #safeathome, I am feeling the love for Greta. She enjoys spending her time alone in her garden, Bloomsbury and is content with only the company of her familiar. Really feeling that right now!
And a little crossover; how would you sort your characters in Hogwarts houses?
- Greta is a combination of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor because she loves harmony, she’s kind, she’s protective, and she wants to do good.
- Ridley is Ravenclaw because she’s super-smart.
- Iris is Ravenclaw plus Hufflepuff because she’s smart plus sweet.
- Binx is Slytherin because she’s into power and excellence.
- Div is Slytherin plus Gryffindor because she’s into power and excellence, plus she’s protective of her witches and also justice-minded.
- Aysha is Gryffindor and has some similarities with the prank-loving Fred and George Weasley.
- Mira is Gryffindor and has some similarities with Lavender Brown (and, to evoke another crossover, Cordelia in Buffy).
I loved the fact that each of your main characters practices her magic in a different style, according to her personality and interests! Have you thought what your own style would be? What about your familiars?
PAIGE: Love this question! My personal magic style (because I totally am a witch!) is as eclectic as my personality. Just like I am an outgoing introvert, I am a casual daily witch. It’s less of a practice and more of a lifestyle for me.
NANCY: My own style would be similar to Greta’s, I think. Even though I’m not the greatest gardener IRL, I love plants and herbs and flowers. When I was little, I used to take random dried herbs from the kitchen cupboard and random leaves from outside and boil them in a big pot to create “potions.” Also, like Greta, I have multiple cat familiars. I’m obsessed (understatement!) with my cats.
The ending of B*Witch is quite open, leaving room for speculation about the characters’ futures. Would you consider returning to Sorrow Point High for some more magic?
Funny you should mention that! We are hard at work on the B*witch sequel right now!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
NANCY: At the moment, I’m reading and loving Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen and Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens, edited by Marieke Nijkamp.
PAIGE: I am very into graphic novels right now (low attention span!). Some of my favorites are Sheets by Brenna Thummler and The Lunch Witch by Deb Lucke. I also like The Encyclopedia of Early Earth by Isabel Greenberg. Highly recommend all!!
