Interview with Kate Williams for The Babysitters Coven

The Babysitters Coven (The Babysitters Coven #1)

by Kate Williams
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: September 17th 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Witches

Synopsis:

Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil. 

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it's kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she's good at it.

And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let's just say she owes some people a new tree.

Enter Cassandra Heaven. She's Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria food. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme's babysitters club?

The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra's mother left her: "Find the babysitters. Love, Mom."

Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they're about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home.

Can you briefly describe THE BABYSITTERS COVEN and the characters? 

THE BABYSITTERS COVEN is a YA novel is about Esme Pearl, a teenage babysitter with superpowered spells, a pit bull, and a killer wardrobe. When one of Esme’s babysitting charges gets kidnapped on Halloween, she has to call on her best friend Janis, her dog Pig, and the new girl Cassandra to help her find the missing kid, save the world, and get home before the parents do. Esme and Janis love fashion and pop culture, while Cassandra loves fighting and her bad attitude, but what they have in common is that they’re all pretty brave and know their way around the mall. 

Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why? 

Pig, the dog. She’s actually based off my dog, whose real name is Rosie but who we call ‘the pig.’ Much like fictional Pig, real-life Rosie has a farting problem, a head like a cement block, and the biggest, purest heart on the planet. 

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere? 

Ok, so this is a long story, but I will try not to meander (too much): Many years ago, Rookie magazine (RIP) published a story by Hazel Cills called “Don’t be a babysitter,” and it was all about horror movies where, to put it gently, not nice things happen to the babysitter. I read that article and thought, “Ha! I should write a YA novel called The Babysitters Coven, where the babysitters fight back because they’re witches.” The idea just seemed really funny to me, plus I’m a pop culture junkie, so I loved the thought of writing something that put a new twist on a referential trope. 

However, for a long time, TBC just stayed as my joke book as I labored under the false pretense that I needed to write something “serious” so that I would be taken “seriously” because writing is “serious business.” I kept trying to write all these different things that weren’t fun to write and that didn’t feel like me and it felt like banging my head against a wall. It was super frustrating, and I got really down on myself because I kept starting projects and not finishing them. I thought that maybe I wasn’t really capable of doing this thing that I’d always said I wanted to do, which was to write a YA novel. 

Then, in 2014, I went to Mexico City, and on Día De Los Muertos, met up with a friend to take a boat through the Xochimilcan canals. We stopped at Isla de Los Munecas, which is this strange little island where the trees are filled with dismembered dolls that are supposedly possessed with the spirit of a little girl who drowned nearby. When the boat stopped, we all put on masks before we climbed out, so that that the ghosts couldn’t identify us and follow us home. (For some reason, I made the decision to use the bathroom there, and it was the most terrifying pee of my entire life because I had to take off my mask to find the toilet in the dark.) After that, we went to a cemetery. It was 3am, but the place was packed with entire families, vendors and mariachi bands. We drank tequila and set off fireworks, and the whole graveyard was filled with incense and smoke and singing. It was one of the most magical nights of my life, and on the boat ride out, I started talking to my friend, who is a director, about writing. He told me that he had learned to go with the ideas that seemed to choose him, instead of chasing the ones that always seemed just out of reach. Right then and there, I decided that I was going to start working on The Babysitters Coven as soon as I got home. I did just that, and five years later, here we are! 

Also, as a I can tell, none of the ghosts followed me home, thank god. 

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be? 

“Just a Girl” by No Doubt 

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?

Esme would be played by Heathers-era Winona Ryder, Janis would be played by The Cosby Show-era Lisa Bonet, and Cassandra would be played by Girlfight-era Michelle Rodriguez. Brian would be played by Ludacris, Dion would be played by Bobby from Twin Peaks, and Pig would be played by Rosie. 

Fall is here or almost here, and we love to go out and find our perfect cosy spot. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

Iced coffee, because Esme drinks iced all year round. And this book is best enjoyed at the mall food court, or while sitting on the curb outside of your favorite thrift store. 

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish THE BABYSITTERS COVEN?

My all time favorite book is “Witch Baby” by Francesca Lia Block. It is ‘90s perfectness. 

What’s next for you? 

Book 2! It has a title and a first draft, and plus new characters and a lot more Pig!

I'm a YA write or die, originally from Kansas but now living in California. 

I've written for Cosmopolitan, NYLON and Seventeen, amongst other magazines, and worked with brands including Urban Outfitters, Vans and Calvin Klein. 

The Babysitters Coven is my first novel, but fingers crossed it won't be my last.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FFBC: Welcome to the club, Marked by Laura Williams McCaffrey

Marked
by Laura Williams McCaffrey
Publisher: Clarion Books
Release Date: February 16th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Lyla lives in a bleak, controlling society where only the brightest and most favored students succeed. When she is caught buying cheats in an underground shadow market, she is tattooed—marked—as a criminal. Then she is offered redemption and she jumps at the chance . . . but it comes at a cost. Doing what is right means betraying the boy she has come to love, and, perhaps, losing even more than she thought possible. Graphic novel–style vignettes revealing the history of this world provide Lyla with guidance and clues to a possible way out of the double bind she finds herself in.

Hello Laura! We are super excited to have you in our FFBC tours.

Favorite Book?

I always dread this question because I have so many, and my favorites shift over time. Today I'll say The Arrival by Shaun Tan.

Favorite TV show?

Right now, it's Jessica Jones. Agent Carter is a close second. 

Favorite movie?

I used to be a huge movie watcher, but I haven't kept up recently. I love this strange movie called Mirrormask. The Princess Bride is, of course, a classic favorite. One of my recent favorites is Away We Go.

Your Favorite Song?

Another tough one. A recent favorite is "The Story" by Brandi Carlile. 

Favorite Food?

I love dark chocolate, especially with ginger, caramel, orange, or something spicy. 

Name 3 fictional places you would move to in a heartbeat.

Thisby from The Scorpio Races. I’ve always wanted to visit Earthsea. I love worlds in which magic and hidden worlds are just around the corner, the way they are in Holly Black's faerie books. 

Who is your perfect fictional boyfriend?

Hmmm….Let’s see. When I was a teen, I had a huge crush on Calvin O’Keefe from Wrinkle in Time. Even now, he seems a pretty decent fictional boyfriend. I don’t know that my adult self currently has a crush on a potential fictional boyfriend. I tend to have crushes on books themselves. 

Favorite Quote?

My favorite quote is actually an altered quote or a misquote that Neil Gaiman put in Coraline. He attributed it to C.K. Chesterton, but the statements is essentially his re-write of some lines by Chesterton: "Fairy tales are more than true — not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten."

What do you find yourself “Fangirling” over?

I've definitely been "fangirling" over Jessica Jones. Our culture has a bad habit of using a stalker narrative as a romantic narrative, which is essentially the stalker's perspective not the perspective of the target of his obsession. In Jessica Jones, we see her perspective, her disgust and fear, her pain and her fury.

What I have been fangirling over as far as books are concerned? I recently re-read The House on Mango Street, and as soon as I finished, I started it again. It offers such lovely writing and such ferocity. Also, I've been recommending Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to everyone.

If you could meet one author, dead or alive, who would it be?

I’d love to meet Ursula Le Guin.

Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about Marked and its world?

In Marked, if you aren't wealthy, you can only earn your way into university if you perform well in advanced classes in school and if you behave yourself so that you catch the attention of a patron. Only by going to university can you end up studying alchemyks and inventing. Otherwise, your job options are pretty poor. You end up digging in the mines or serving in clubs. If you break any laws, even small ones, you become one of the Marked — you’re tattooed and you have no chance to go to university. Lyla and her sister Hope intend to earn their way into university, but Lyla isn't great at following the kinds of rules she has to follow. 

What can you tell us about Lyla? What would you say is the best thing about her?

Lyla is someone who cares passionately about her family. She also has desires she doesn't fully understand. She's flawed, but she doesn't allow her flaws to define her. I think my favorite thing about Lyla is that even when she really falls on her ass, she gets back up. 

How did you come up with the story? Did you find inspiration in any other story/movie/show and how has this affected your writing?

This story has a number of disparate influences. When I started it, I thought I was going to write an "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" retelling. This shifted as I came to know Lyla and Gill better. Also, at the time, I was reading Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, which inspired me to read comics. I read Maus, Persepolis, American Born Chinese, Fun Home, and Blankets, which transformed my ideas about what comics were and could be. I started to think about stories Lyla and Gill might care about, which lead me to write the "Pirate Jackman" episodes. Originally these were in prose, but when I showed my editor the manuscript, we decided they should be illustrated. 

Tell us your favorite quote from Marked.

I have a few, but I'll pick one from early in the novel. "Something was leaking out of her chest: the old Gill who'd lain next to her in the fields, head touching hers, and pointed out shapes in the stars. His hand above her, and the glimmering points of light — Bear, North Wind, Flying Heron — all leaking away."

Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun to write?

I really loved writing the "Pirate Jackman" sections of the story, as well as the illustrated sections later in the novel. I also particularly loved writing the scenes in the hidden wood. 

If you had to pick one song to be the Theme Song for Marked – Which one would you pick? 

I'm going to leave this to readers. I'm curious what they'd come up with. 

Imagine that we get to see your book on the big screen (how awesome would that be?). Who would you pick to play your characters?

I had to answer this for another blog, so I'll put down what I wrote there. 

Lyla: Amandla Stenberg could make a great Lyla

Gill: Avan Jogia maybe? Or Dylan Minnette?

Hope: The actresses I keep thinking of are a little old to play the part, like Zoe Kravitz or Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Daisy Ridley would also make a great Hope or Lyla. 

Riverton: Maybe Logan Lerman? Tyler Posey?

Ma and Da: Maya Rudolph and Chris O'Dowd. This might be because I loved them so much as a couple in Friends with Kids.

Is there any recommendations you could give your readers to be in the “perfect mood” to read Marked (specific music, snacks…)? 

I'm a tea snob, I must confess. I drink different teas depending on whether I'm working, reading, or taking a bath. 

Pick the tea you drink when you're about to sit by the fire and go on a journey through a wardrobe or a doorway in a hillside, down a forgotten alleyway or toward an abandoned warehouse. Maybe hot chocolate is more to your taste? Something in a mug that will keep your hands warm despite the cold. 

What’s next for you? 

YAReview.net will publish one of my short stories in March. 

As far as writing goes, I have a number of works-in-progress. I'm trying to finish a YA novel that's a fantastical mystery told through a series of mysteries. I have a fantasy novel-in-progress inspired by the experiences of nurses during WWI. I have another novel-in-progress that might not be a fantasy, and is set in an odd town not so different from the one I live near. I’m also working on a couple of short stories set in the same odd town. I could use more time to write!

Something to say to our Book Addicts?

I often complain about the Internet, the way it distracts, the way it allows people to treat each other poorly, but one of the very wonderful things about the Internet is the way it has allowed readers to come together to passionately t discuss ideas, characters, and stories. They write fan fiction and share their own original stories. I find all of this so hopeful and inspiring. 

Thank you so much for everything, Laura!

Follow the Marked by Laura Williams McCaffrey Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

I read, I write, I teach. I've published short stories in Cicada, YA Review Network, Solstice Literary Magazine, and Soundings Review. Clarion Books will release Marked, my YA dystopian fantasy, in February 2016. My other fantasy novels are WATER SHAPER and ALIA WAKING (both published by Clarion Books). For more information, it's best to visit my website: http://www.laurawilliamsmccaffrey.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Three Brothers by Nicole Williams

Three Brothers
by Nicole Williams
Release Date: January 20th 2015
Rate: Enjoyed it (4 stars)

Synopsis:

I grew up with three brothers. They weren’t tied to me by blood, but our connection went beyond genetics or bearing the same last name. Our connection was forged the summer I turned thirteen, the summer my mom ended her life and left me in the custody of John Armstrong, a man I’d never met. Packing all I owned in a couple of boxes, I left the familiarity of the big city and headed west to Red Mountain Ranch, set in a lonely valley outside of Jackson Hole.

Nothing was as it seemed at Red Mountain—it didn’t take long for me to figure that out. John was kind to me but distant, as if he was afraid to let anyone get too close. His three teenage sons had their own devices for keeping love as far away as they could. The eldest distracted himself with cheap relationships that had a shelf-life of one night. The middle son threw himself into the rigor of running a ranch, and the third wielded cruelty and mind-games in his quest to keep people from getting close.

Time has gone by, and I’ve spent those years trying to forget the brother I’d fallen for—the biggest mistake of my life.

Finally, I’ve moved on. Finally, I’m back. But what I didn’t realize was that running away from the wrong brother meant I’d also run away from the right one. The one who’d been there for me all along, waiting in his brother’s shadow for the day I either would or could move on.

But a decade is a long time to wait. Has the brother I should have chosen all of those years ago moved on too? Am I about to discover that my biggest mistake wasn’t falling in love with the wrong brother, but failing to return the love of the right one sooner?

Does unrequited love have an expiration date?

I’m about to find out.

Author’s Note: This book is a “sweet” romance that isn’t overly sexy. Fans of Lost & Found will be interested in Three Brothers.

Three Brothers is one of those intense reads that every New Adult reader needs to read. It goes far beyond a simple romance. It's simply much more and this "sweet" romance, as the author describes it, has the power to emotionally wreck your reader heart.

The synopsis explains perfectly what to expect from this book. I don't want to spoil the "secrecy" in which the story starts, so I'm going to limit my explanations. I loved that the author kept her promise of keeping the "right" brother for the main character hidden until the exact moment that needed to be revealed. Throughout the story we get signs until it's pretty obvious who's going to be the one who Scout should've chosen all those years back, but it build up is pretty intense.

The relationship these four have going on is an intense one. I felt vulnerable at some scenes, by reading Scout's point of view. Specially in the scenes when she finds the little wolf and tries to save him and everyone told her she couldn't save everyone. WHY?! I didn't see why they had to make her chance that side of her. Well, I kind of understood due to her history with the brothers, but even the lost causes can be saved. I instantly liked Scout for her character and for being one of those girls always trying to make everyone better, to try saving all the lost souls. I loved her personality.

However, what this story has that makes it a pretty amazing read is that the events start to pile up and the story starts to escalate to a level that you are not even aware of until they drop you the big bomb that will lead to an emotional and heart-breaking ending where truths are also revealed and the relationship between the four characters will change forever. And you finish the book with: "I didn't see that coming".

I can easily categorize this read as moving, emotional and a definitely a must read one is you are drawn by the synopsis of the book. I highly recommend you to give Three Brothers a chance and make your choice of which one of the three brother is the best fictional book boyfriend for you.

I’m the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the CRASH series (HarperTeen, S&S UK), LOST & FOUND series, UP IN FLAMES (S&S UK), The EDEN TRILOGY, and a handful of others. I write stories about everyday kinds of people who find themselves in extraordinary kinds of situations. I tell love stories with happy endings because I believe in making the world a better place, and that’s one tiny way I can make it so. I’m one of those people who still believe in true love and soul mates, and would rather keep my head in the clouds any day over having my feet firmly on the ground.