We chat with author Taylor Hartley about Song of the Hell Witch, which sees a rekindled romance spreads new wings in this atmospheric romantic fantasy, where magic empowers women trapped inside an oppressive patriarchy. PLUS we have the first chapter to share with you at the end of the interview!
Hi, Taylor! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’ve been a storyteller since I was nine years old, and from the minute I became a free-thinking human being, I’ve done everything in my power to make stories an integral part of my life. While I’d love to say I’m a full-time writer, I actually work as an English teacher in a public high school in Charlotte, North Carolina, where I live with my partner and my two familiars masquerading as tubby kitty cats. My favorite place in the world is Edinburgh, Scotland, the setting that inspired Song of the Hell Witch. I’m a non-binary author, and writing helped me not only to find my identity but to flesh it out and explore various sides of my gender fluidity, which is part of the reason I write so often in dual points of view.
When I’m not writing, you can find me on the rowing machine, out for a run, or on my couch, immersed in one of my comfort dramas.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
If you ask my parents, I’ve been fascinated with stories and writing since I could crawl. I actually memorized the entire children’s book Abi-Yo-Yo when I was three and convinced my father I could read for at least a month. If you ask me, I fell in love with writing and stories in third grade, when my teacher gave us a short story assignment. I’m a little fuzzy on the story’s details, but I know it involved a down-on-his-luck German Shepherd detective determined to rescue his puppy deputy from an evil rat villain.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
- The one that made you want to become an author: ALSO Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, but Catherine, Called Birdy is pretty up there as well, as is Anthony Horowitz’s The Devil and His Boy
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell is my obsession.
Your debut novel, Song of the Hell Witch, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Fierce, feminist, queer, romantic, and provocative
What can readers expect?
I’ll be honest and say that Song of the Hell Witch is not an escapist romantasy, and I’m fairly proud of that fact. While it takes place in a fictional world, it explores the patriarchal structures that continue to impact our society and explores the kind of solidarity women need in order to topple those structures. But amidst some provocative commentary about current events, readers can also expect a playful, kind-hearted, green flag girl dad of a male love interest and a fierce, unapologetically independent female main character who takes what she wants, and damn the consequences. Let’s see, what else? A coven of queer female assassins. A stylish hotelier with a monocle. Oh, and conversations on classism and toxic masculinity!
Where did the inspiration for Song of the Hell Witch come from?
The day that Roe vs. Wade was overturned, my male boss wanted to host a forum where the “women could air their feelings.” He then proceeded to speak for the entire hour and a half of that forum. It made me want to turn into some sort of mythical beast and roar him down, not only for taking up all the air in the room, but for so blatantly misunderstanding why reproductive rights are so important for women throughout the world. I’d drafted a vampire novel that I couldn’t quite work into a story I loved…and then I thought, “What if we lived in a world where women who experienced trauma transformed into mythological creatures capable of fighting against the men who consistently make decisions that negatively impact their own mothers, daughters, and sisters?”
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
My male main character, Puck Reed, was (and still is) my favorite character to write. I know there is a lot of love for the broody, “burn-the-world-to-the-ground-for-her” guys, and I can respect that, but I wanted to write a truly good man who does not realize how limiting the patriarchy is for women until he has a daughter and has to witness it and feel it firsthand. Puck is sarcastic and impulsive. He loves fiercely, which is part of the reason why he starts off so incredibly angry at Pru; she abandoned him twelve years ago in search of a wealthier lifestyle. However, that anger isn’t rooted in sheer desire. Rather, it comes from the deep love he had/still has for her and the grief over losing the woman he considered to be “the one.” I really enjoyed exploring his attempts to be an ally and his discomfort when he encounters the Ladies of Leora, my coven of monstrous assassins, and has to face what it truly means to surrender power for the first time in his life.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I really had to overcome the reticence to write a woman who pursued what she wanted regardless of whether she hurt people or not. You read so many reviews and hear so many people say, “Oh, that heroine is so unlikable. She’s so selfish. She’s so demanding.” But you also see those same qualities applied to men in stories, and they’re considered bold, sexy, and desirable. So I first had to overcome the fear of writing a woman who might be perceived as unlikable.
There were also so many times throughout the storywriting process where I was tempted to speed up the action or cut out little character moments to keep the pace “breathless.” I’m glad I resisted that urge. The stories I love most are the stories that give the characters time to truly interact and reflect, and it’s my hope that, in the quiet moments, people will fall in love with Pru and Puck in the same way that I did.
What’s next for you?
LOTS of things! I’ve finished up a draft of book two, and I have all sorts of exciting secret projects waiting in the wings! I write almost every day, and it’s my intention to keep my readers well-fed! Just hoping the publishing gods will smile on me.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
Allison Epstein has been my go-to author this year. I first purchased Fagin the Thief because of my love of Victorian England and my desire to see Fagin reimagined as a living, breathing human being rather than an anti-Semitic caricature. I also read her novel A Tip for the Hangman and wept at the beauty of that ending. I just finished her novel Let the Dead Bury the Dead, and both the historical flourishes and flesh-and-blood characters kept me captivated from start to finish.
In terms of new releases, I cannot WAIT to get my hands on The Hearth Witch’s Guide to Magic and Murder by my agent sibling, Kiri Callaghan, I am eagerly awaiting Mick Herron’s next installment in the Slow Horses series, Clown Town, and I am excited to finally sit down and devour S.A. Crosby’s King of Ashes.
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