It’s my tour stop with MTMC Tours to talk about Garden of Witches by Salem Sinclair!
This is the book for lovers of all things witchy and romantic and tackles topics like grief and betrayal as Ezra discovers what it is to be a powerful witch. It’s a romance-focused paranormal with a mystery to unravel as Ezra realises kids are going missing from the school and…no one cares. Ezra has a big heart, though she’s full of sharp edges too, and her guilt at not being able to help or save her mother plays out in her needs to discover what dark things are at play on the school’s property. The story also delves into the discussion of if magic can truly be good or bad, or is it just how you choose to use it. There’s also a lot of steamy romance and a queer love triangle, as Ezra gets tangled up with two of the school’s top students, Asa and Alder (who are more than just friends themselves). The finale is full of twists too, to keep you on your toes 👀👌🏻.
So if you’re looking for witches, magic schools, mystery and romance — this is the book for your TBR. Read on below for my Q&A with the author!! And you can enter the giveaway on my instagram!
Title: Garden of Witches
Author: Salem Sinclair
Publication Date: November 2nd, 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal
Purchase a copy: Amazon
Add on Goodreads
Hidden in the wild forests of the Appalachian Mountains is a school of magic…and mystery.
Ezra Bishop’s life crumbles apart after a devastating loss, sending her and her twin sister across the country to a prestigious boarding school for bloodline witches.
Atwood Preparatory Academy seems like an ideal place for the sisters to attempt to restart their lives, but it isn’t long before peace at the school is broken when one of the students goes missing.
One of many…
When someone close to her is threatened, Ezra is forced to face a mystery that has haunted the school for centuries. Unraveling the truth of the disappearances goes deeper than Ezra is prepared for, until she finds herself digging the grave of a terrorizing secret.
Forging a tense alliance with the Headmaster’s sons, Ezra may be better off on her own as she discovers the boys are harboring dangerous secrets of their own. But the enemy is already here, and as children continue to go missing, Ezra realizes that she has to lay everything on the line to protect those she cares about…even her life.
Hi Salem! Thanks for chatting with me today about your novel, Garden of Witches! Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey and how your book went from idea to finished novel?
Hi! Thank you so much for having me! Publishing was such a whirlwind! It all started in 2020 when I slid into a stranger’s DM’s—I think this is also how horror movies start sometimes? Haha—to ask her about her published process as she was also an indie author on the journey to publishing.
She was unbelievably helpful. Broke it all down into a Publishing for Dummies-esque text chat and made it sound not nearly as overwhelming as it had been in my head. Originally, I’d plan to release GoW in October of 2020, but…best laid plans and all that.
Life got in the way. My mental health got in the way.
Because at the base of this story you had me, who was in the darkest spot I had even been in, wondering how my child would feel if I left them behind. And that’s how GoW was born. From the perspective of a child that, in the aftermath of losing a parent, has to learn how to navigate the world.
I regularly had to take *month* long breaks in order to get my mental health back on track while I was writing this because there is so much of me in Ezra. Her darkness, her rage, her grief. It all comes from a very real place and those emotions are the ones that the world teachers us to hide and shy away. So bringing them to the forefront and confronting them? So difficult, but so necessary in the process of healing.
This book must have been both empowering and cathartic to write for sure. So glad you’re here to share y our stories with the world! What’s your favourite thing about writing fantasy?
The ability to create whatever I want. I can create whole worlds in a fantasy setting and no one can tell me I’m wrong because it’s *my* make believe world.
That is my favourite thing about writing too 😂👌🏻 Do you prefer writing the beginning, middle, or end of a book?
The beginning, definitely.
So much to explore when it starts!! Now can you introduce us to your main characters?
So we have Ezra and Noa, our twins. They have a super close bond and has Ezra has taken on the role of protector for Noa.
Asa and Alder, the “Diabolical A’s” as Ezra calls them. Alder is the headmaster’s biological son while Asa is the headmaster’s ward. Alder is more flirtatious and easy going, while Asa is dark and mysterious.
And then my personal favorite: Eunoia. She is Ezra’s room mate and quickly becomes her best friend. I adore Eunoia’s steadfast nature and her ability to always see the silver lining.
Eunoia is a GEM 🥺 Love how she welcomed Ezra into the school and looked out for her. Can we beg for a sneaky teaser about your next project? 👀👀👀
Okay, so I’m working on multiple projects right now. Haha. If dark romance is your thing, then The Anatomy of Death might be something you’re interested in. It’s a reverse age gap with a patient/psychologist romance. Still situated in the Appalachias, still spooky, not contemporary this time, not fantasy.
My NA book that I’m working on IS fantasy. I haven’t revealed ANYTHING about this one yet on any platform, so you’re the first to hear about it. Not releasing the title yet, BUT I can tell you it’s a world with six different countries, split in half into the Fae realm and human realm. It’s a war against humans and Fae and the fate of the world is in the hand’s of a black market grifter, an assassin, a thief, and a prince. This will be a trilogy.
Exclusive sneak peeks here!! 😱😍 Honoured!! Wishing you all the best with these epic projects. Okay now lastly!!! Was any chocolate harmed in the making of this novel? 😉
So, so much chocolate.
About Salem Sinclair
Salem Sinclair drinks too much coffee, swears like a sailor, and survives on slasher films and true crime podcasts. She has a full-time desk job on top of being an author + she’s the mom of a pretty rad pre-teen. She also really hates talking about herself and doesn’t know what to say in these things.
Instagram | Goodreads
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