Let's welcome my guest author, Judy Molland
My guest today is Judy Molland. Judy began her career as a high school teacher of French, English, and Spanish, and soon added freelance writer to her job description. Her articles and blog posts have appeared in numerous publications, including Parents, New York Newsday, and Care2.Com. She has published two nonfiction books, Straight Talk about Schools Today and Get Out! 150 Easy Ways For Kids and Grown-Ups to Get into Nature and Build a Greener Future. The Making of a Witch is her first work of fiction. She grew up in England before moving to California. She now lives in Missoula, Montana.
You can connect with Judy via her website, Instagram and Facebook.
You can buy The Making of a Witch via Amazon or Simon & Schuster.
What or who inspired you to first write? Which authors have influenced you?
I grew up in England but began traveling as a teenager and I delighted in writing letters to my mother detailing my journeys to France, Spain and Japan, to name a few. My favorite English authors were D.H. Lawrence and Jane Austen.
What is the inspiration for your current book? Is there a particular theme you wished to explore?
My novel, The Making of a Witch, was inspired by my discovery, years ago, that the last person to be sentenced to death for witchcraft in England, in 1685, was Alice Molland. This is my last name and I believe Alice is my ancestor. I set out to tell the story of 17th century witch hunts in England from the point of view of a so-called witch. My book turned into the story of a strong woman, determined to stay true to herself, to question authority, and to protect her family.
What period of history particularly inspires or interests you? Why?
My novel is set in 17th century England; in 1649 King Charles 1 was beheaded, the only time an English king has been executed. Oliver Cromwell took over as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, the only time the British Isles became a republic. So it was an extraordinary time.
Also I became increasingly aware that in the history textbooks I studied in high school women were rarely mentioned. Why was this?
What resources do you use to research your book? How long did it take to finish the novel?
I used too many sources to name them all individually. Here are a few: the Exeter City 17th Century Record Books U.K., the National Archives in Kew, London, U.K., Religion and the Decline of Magic by Keith Thomas, Culpepper’s Complete Herbal, Two Thousand Years in Exeter by W.G. Hoskins, A Witch’s Mirror by Levannah Morgan, Diary of a Witch by Sybil Leek, The Witch by Ronald Hutton, Witchcraft in Exeter by Mark Stoyle. It took me close to ten years to finish my novel.
What do you do if stuck for a word or a phrase?
I used to search Google for synonyms but wasn’t satisfied with the results. Now, I just let myself stay stuck and go for a walk or hike to see what comes to me.
Is there anything unusual or even quirky that you would like to share about your writing?
Like many writers, I have a ritual to start my day. I am a morning person and once I’ve made my coffee, I go to my office and prepare myself to write. Number one rule is to not to do any scrolling on my phone or my computer. Instead, I go to my altar, light candles, and use my athame to summon the four elements to protect me: first the power of Air, in the East, followed by the South (Fire), West (Water) and North (Earth). Then I am ready to begin writing.
Do you use a program like Scrivener to create your novel? Do you ever write in long hand?
Some fellow authors have told me how much they like Scrivener, but I did not find it helpful. I am fine with using Microsoft Word and being sure to always back up. I occasionally write in long hand; if I want to explore a character’s dreams or inner thoughts, I prefer to use my favorite pen and paper. Here I am following in the tradition of Muriel Spark, who liked to write first drafts of her novels by hand, for which she only used special spiral-bound, lined notebooks sold by Edinburgh stationer James Thin. I learned this when I heard her speak at the Edinburgh Book Festival in 2004. She was amazing!
Is there a particular photo or piece of art that strikes a chord with you? Why?
I am a hiker, mountaineer and climber. Getting outdoors every day is very important to me and I love the work of Brian Christianson, a Missoula photographer who creates exquisite, detailed, and original images of nature in Montana and around the United States.
What advice would you give an aspiring author?
First, hold on to your dream. That sounds like a cliché but you should never write what you think might sell but rather stick to your truth.
Don’t bore your readers! Give them only what they need to drive your story and be sure to surprise them. Keep suspense in your writing. And remember that detail is the lifeblood of fiction.
Tell us about your next book
I don’t want to give away too much, but my next book will be a sequel to The Making of a Witch, as I continue to explore how the women of 17th century England deal with the unjust society they find themselves living in. In doing this, I will keep many of the characters from my first novel. I am so excited to keep writing about strong women and about everyday life in the England of the late 1600s.
Inspired by true events, this novel tells the tale of young Alice Molland, who must grapple with accusations of witchcraft and the persecution of women with mysterious gifts in turbulent seventeenth-century England.
In the tumultuous era of seventeenth-century Exeter, England, Alice Molland, age ten, is forced to attend the brutal execution of her mentor in the healing arts, Goody Luscombe, who has been condemned to death for witchcraft. In the years that follow, with her use of herbs such as mugwort, slippery elm, and comfrey, Alice becomes well known as a magical healer. But such gifts come accompanied by danger in the times she lives in.
At fifteen, Alice becomes captivated by Richard Greenway, the son of a local merchant. Determined to make him hers, she draws him to her by anointing a red candle with rose oil and casting a love spell. But when she becomes pregnant, Richard abandons her and his father raises suspicion that Alice is a witch. Powerless against the mighty Sir William Greenway, Alice must leave Exeter for the village of Ivycombe, where she raises her son, Tommy.
When she is gifted a magic wand, Alice becomes the leader of the Full Moon Worshippers and her reputation as a healer grows—but can she survive in an age of misogyny?
Thanks so much for sharing your inspiration for your book. How intriguing that Alice may have been your ancestor. Such perilous times for young intelligent women.
You can buy The Making of a Witch via Amazon or Simon & Schuster.
