Publisher: Alcove Press
Format: $29.99 hardcover | $19.99 paperback | $13.99 ebook | $26 audiobook
Genre: Romantic fantasy
Released: October 8, 2024
Wallis Kinney studied planetary science and molecular biology at the University of Colorado and has a master’s degree in economics from Purdue University. She is president of the Jane Bosart Foundation, her family’s private foundation, which focuses on granting high school and college scholarships to underprivileged students. A Dark and Secret Magic is her debut novel.
In the novel, Kate has curated the perfect life as a hedge witch, living in a secluded cottage with only a black cat for company. She spends her days foraging herbs from the Ipswich forest, gardening, and creating tinctures to sell at the apothecary she owns. Most evenings pass without her speaking to another human being, an arrangement she quite prefers. Kate’s solitude is thrown into disarray when her older sister, Miranda, reaches out and asks her to host their coven’s annual Halloween gathering. The day marks the beginning of the new year for witches and is also Kate’s birthday. The pressure from her coven to make the evening memorable mounts as the event draws near. To complicate things further, a handsome man from Kate’s past turns up at her cottage, asking for sanctuary. It is Kate’s duty as a hedge witch to honor this request, much to her dismay. But this handsome man is no ordinary lost soul—he’s a practitioner of forbidden magic who’s tricked Kate once before, and her guard is up.
When asked what contributed to the book landing on the USA Today bestseller list, Kinney said: “I honestly did not expect my book to be a bestseller and am still processing that amazing fact.” However, she believed three elements helped the book’s success. The first was a well-timed release. “A Dark and Secret Magic is my love letter to October. It dives into all the cozy traditions that take place the week before Halloween.” The second element was influencer engagement. “I have a teeny tiny audience online, so I know my own marketing was not doing much to move the needle. But Bookstagramers and YouTubers with tens of thousands of followers kept highlighting my book in the weeks leading up to Halloween.” Third, she credited a great cover design. “So many readers have reached out to me to say they picked up the book simply for its gorgeous cover. Alcove gave me a cover that captures the soul of my story and is a piece of art in its own right.”
Asked what she would tell other authors, Kinney said, “My most honest piece of advice … is to write a book that you yearn for. I first started writing A Dark and Secret Magic in 2019, before witchy books became really popular, all because my sister said she wished a book existed that felt like a Hallmark movie but for Halloween instead of Christmas. If you, or someone you know, wish a certain kind of book exists, that is a good sign that others probably wish it exists as well!”
Emily Wenstrom is a freelance writer and platforming expert and writes award-winning speculative fiction for teens and adults as E. J. Wenstrom.
E. J. Wenstrom believes in complicated heroes, horrifying monsters, purple hair dye and standing to the right on escalators so the left side can walk. She writes dark speculative fiction for adults and teens, including her new release, a young adult dystopian novel titled Departures (August 10, 2021). When she isn’t writing fiction, E. J. Wenstrom is a regular contributor to DIY MFA and BookRiot, and co-hosts the Fantasy+Girl Podcast. Learn more at her website.
