Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis:
A young witch emerges from a curse to find her world upended in this gripping fantasy of betrayal, vengeance, and self-discovery set in turn-of-the-century France.
For centuries, the vineyards at Château Renard have depended on the talent of their vine witches, whose spells help create the world-renowned wine of the Chanceaux Valley. Then the skill of divining harvests fell into ruin when sorcière Elena Boureanu was blindsided by a curse. Now, after breaking the spell that confined her to the shallows of a marshland and weakened her magic, Elena is struggling to return to her former life. And the vineyard she was destined to inherit is now in the possession of a handsome stranger.
Vigneron Jean-Paul Martel naively favors science over superstition, and he certainly doesn’t endorse the locals’ belief in witches. But Elena knows a hex when she sees one, and the vineyard is covered in them. To stay on and help the vines recover, she’ll have to hide her true identity, along with her plans for revenge against whoever stole seven winters of her life. And she won’t rest until she can defy the evil powers that are still a threat to herself, Jean-Paul, and the ancient vine-witch legacy in the rolling hills of the Chanceaux Valley.
Can you briefly describe THE VINE WITCH and its characters?
The Vine Witch takes place in a fictional winemaking region called the Chanceaux Valley. Elena Boureanu is a vine witch, someone who nurtures and protects the grapevine, often against spells and jinxes from other witches, until the harvest. In the opening chapter, Elena has just recovered from a seven-year curse that left her...changed. Afterward, she returns to her vineyard, eager to recover so she can take revenge on whoever hexed her. But she soon discovers the vineyard was sold while she was gone to a (handsome) former lawyer from the city, Jean-Paul Martel. Now she must find a way to get her revenge and also keep her vineyard, all while hiding her recovering magic from the science-loving new owner who disavows anything to do with the supernatural.
Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?
Yvette, while not the main character, is an irreverent rebel sidekick who knows how to fight for what she wants. She's absolute shit at magic, but it doesn't stop her going toe-to-toe with other witches. She's a little brash and unpolished, but that's why I love her.
How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?
Honestly, I was in a writing slump. Still reeling from having three previous manuscripts rejected by agents, I parked myself on the couch and started binge-watching Netflix, as one does. I settled first on a documentary about winemaking in France, which I only had a passing interest in, being an avid wine drinker. But then the women they featured began talking about the moon and the vines and the importance of nurturing each plant to get them to harvest. It sounded like witchcraft. So, zing! I already had a story going about a witch waking from a curse, but the wine angle was the kick I needed to get the story written so it could stand out a little from all the other witch novels out there.
If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?
While it doesn't describe the entire novel, I definitely took inspiration from Kate Bush's Waking the Witch and The Jig of Life off her Hounds of Love album. Love.
If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?
Generally, I'm not one of those people who visualizes actors when I write. I still can't think of anyone to play the two main characters. But for this novel there was one character who I had a definite actor in mind as I wrote: Toby Jones IS Inspector Aubrey Nettles.
Fall is here, and we love to find a cosy place to read our favorite books. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?
For The Vine Witch, you'd do well to sip a glass of pinot noir by the fireplace, while sunk deep in a soft chair. If you're lucky, you'll also have a dog curled up at your feet.
Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish THE VINE WITCH?
I'm not sure there are many left who haven't read Circe by Madeline Miller, but that book is a treasure. Another good one is The Witches of New York by Ami McKay.
What's next for you?
I'm just wrapping up edits for The Glamourist, book two in The Vine Witch series, due out in June 2020. After that, I will be diving head first into writing untitled book three. And then I have a little side novel I'm working on called The Raven Sisters, that I hope to finish next year.
Luanne G. Smith is the author of THE VINE WITCH, a fantasy novel about witches, wine, and revenge set in early 20th century France, and the forthcoming second book in the series, THE GLAMOURIST. She’s lucky enough to live in Colorado at the base of the beautiful Rocky Mountains, where she enjoys reading, gardening, hiking, a glass of wine at the end of the day, and finding the magic in everyday life.
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