Jessica Penot is a therapist who lives in Alabama with her 2 corgis, cat, sons, husband and other strange creatures. She is the author of Haunted North Alabama, Haunted Chattanooga, and Circe.
www.jessicapenot.net
www.ghoststoriesandhauntedplaces.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/jessica.penot
www.ghoststoriesandhauntedplaces.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/jessica.penot
Phaedra Michaels is a small town psychologist who is beginning to lose hope. Two of her patients at the local hospital in Dismal, Alabama have just killed themselves, she’s still reeling from her divorce and what turned out to be a disastrous marriage, and her father has died, leaving her without any notion of who her real mother is.
Just as Phaedra decides to commit herself to a serious drinking problem and an eating disorder, or two, a mysterious spell book arrives in the mail. Feeling desperate, Phaedra uses it to cast spells to save her fading patients. Suddenly, good things start happening. Phaedra’s patients begin to get better and she even starts dating the sexy doctor from the hospital.
Phaedra is so happy she doesn't notice the small things that start to go wrong in Dismal, or the dark creatures slithering out of the shadows near her house. When Phaedra finally realizes her spells have attracted every card-carrying demon from hell, she has no choice but to accept help from a slightly nerdy, 500 year-old warlock with a penchant for wearing super hero T-shirts and a knack for getting under Phaedra’s skin. Now, if only she could get the hang of this witch thing, she might be able to save her town.
Q) What inspired you to write this story?
I was inspired by my work. I work in mental health and it is often hard to find the resources patients need. Sometimes I would wish that there was some kind of magic that could help my patients. In The Accidental Witch, clinical psychologist Phaedra Michaels finds that magic.
Q) How long did it take you to write?
Q) How long did it take you to write?
It only took me six months to write. I had so much fun writing it, I worked nonstop on it.
Q) What is your favorite thing about writing?
Q) What is your favorite thing about writing?
I love telling stories.
Q) What is your least favorite thing about writing?
Q) What is your least favorite thing about writing?
I’m not a huge fan of marketing. I’m not that good at it.
Q) If you could be any famous person for one day, who would you be and why?
Q) If you could be any famous person for one day, who would you be and why?
I don’t know. I guess I would be someone really rich so I could donate a lot to charity and give money to the people I love.
Q) What is the oldest thing in your fridge and how old is it?
Q) What is the oldest thing in your fridge and how old is it?
You may not want to know the answer to this. I still have leftovers from Thanksgiving in my fridge.
Q) What can readers expect from you in the future?
Q) What can readers expect from you in the future?
I’m working on the second book in The Dark Arts series. The Accidental Witch is the first book. The next book will be called Waking the Witch. I also have a middle grade book called The Monster Hunter’s Manual coming out this spring.
