Twelve-year-old Izzy has been haunted by the shadow of her ten-times-great grandmother for as long as she can remember.
Welcome to one of the September 11th stops on the blog tour for Izzy Hoffman is Not a Witch by Alyssa Alessi with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
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Author Guest Post
Where do you find inspiration?
Inspiration can be found in everyday surroundings. Believe it or not, my home office is a place I find constant inspiration. I started by painting the walls a color that makes me feel calm and creative, which is a deep green. It reminds me of the forest, a secret garden, or a library in a mysterious castle. I light fall scented candles to help conjure the feeling of walking through the leaves on a damp New England evening. I have bottles of red wine on a bar cart, because it reminds me of crimson blood a count would have in his den. I often go to thrift stores and collect items that once belonged to someone else. Sometimes I can almost imagine their previous owner and their backstory. I hang art that speaks to my inner creative and often find myself staring off at the different paintings in wonder.
If the darkness of my office loses its hold on me, I will venture out for a walk in the neighborhood. I am lucky enough to live in a city with historical sites almost everywhere I turn. There are a few streets nearby that have Victorian mansions from the 1700’s that just take my breath away. The detail in the architecture can be seen from a block away. The antique lanterns hang high above the solid wood front doors, which are usually painted a unique color. The trees cover the large windows on the second and third floors and I can’t help but wonder what they’ve heard over their long existence standing next to the homes. No wonder The Addams Family was inspired by an old Victorian on the east coast.
If you couldn’t tell by now, I’m drawn to the spookier side of things. I live in New England, the birthplace of Edgar Allen Poe, Stephan King and Lovecraft. When you walk these streets the history stares back you; through original homes, ocean breezes and the tingling sensation on the back of your neck when you are alone. Something about the energy here excites me as it did them.
For my middle grade debut, Izzy Hoffman is Not a Witch, I took inspiration from the streets of Salem, MA. I spent a lot of time there as a child and often wondered why the dark history seemed to be a form of entertainment. When I visit the town now as an adult, I acknowledge the people who lost their lives and wish they could see what the town has become because of them. It is a place that people flock to in celebration of being your true self. A place where magic is completely normal and part of almost every conversation. The crowds buzz with a contagious excitement that I wish I could bottle up. I take note of these sensations in everyday life, so I will never be out of ideas.
About the Book
Izzy Hoffman is Not a Witch
by Alyssa Alessi
Published 5 September 2023
Cinnabar Moth Publishing LLC
Genre: Middle Grade Horror
Page Count: 109
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Twelve-year-old Izzy has been haunted by the shadow of her ten-times-great grandmother for as long as she can remember. This is no ordinary ancestral ghost: This great granny was the first woman to be hung for witchcraft in Izzy’s small New England town.
Every October first, tourists flood the streets of Marblehead. Unfortunately, this year so do a mysterious man and a possessed town psychic. When the man shows up at Izzy’s family-run bookstore, making odd demands and threatening her mom, she must find the connection between this creep and her ghostly visions.
Trying to make sense of this chaos, Izzy roams into secret rooms, holds seances at the local tarot parlor, and digs through the old family cookbooks that sit on her shelves. When she discovers that she may be a part of a once-in-a-century ritual, Izzy must decide whether it’s going to take baking magic or blood magic to protect herself and her parents from the return of the witch hunt.
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Excerpt
The tarot reader is only a few blocks down. The cheesiness of her storefront makes me second guess coming here. A neon crystal ball flickers in the window. I open the door and I’m hit in the face with the scent of incense. She has floral tapestry hanging from literally everywhere. It’s so dark in here I’m surprised she can even see her cards.
“Hello?” No answer. What am I doing? I turn to leave but hear the faint sound of a woman talking from a distance. Miss Clara is walking a client out of her back room.
“Thank you so much.” A young woman sniffles while wiping away tears.
“You are very welcome, love and light.” The client leaves and Miss Clara stops when she sees me. The old woman wears a pair of small rectangular purple sunglasses. They match her black-and-lilac colored robe, which flows freely around her frail ancient body. Her white fluffy hair gives her a frazzled appearance that doesn’t match her sudden robotic tone.
“Izzy, I’m so happy you came to see me. That crystal looks great on you.”
“Yeah, well it doesn’t work. You should give my friend her money back,” I snap.
“Well, I think you know it isn’t instant magic. You must believe in things for them to work.”
I had a really hard day so far and I’m not in the mood to play her games.
“Oh my god! Will you stop? What is with you? Why did you tell my friend I’m a witch?” I get made fun of enough by kids my own age and don’t need some crazy old lady spreading rumors about me.
“Well, aren’t you?” she asks.
About the Author
Alyssa Alessi is a writer of middle grade, young adult and short stories all inspired by the unsettling macabre aesthetic of New England. As a child she was on a constant hunt for ghosts, vampires, and her own powers as a witch. When she couldn’t find them, she settled for writing them into existence. You can find her hiking any trail in the Northeast said to be haunted, roaming old cemeteries with a camera in hand, or thrift shopping anywhere antiques are sold. She resides in Boston, MA with her husband, three children and their mini dachshund.
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Giveaway Alert!
Alyssa Alessi will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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Thank you so much for hosting today and featuring this guest post.
Alyssa Alessi is a new author to me, but I look forward to reading this book.
I liked the excerpt.
Do you prefer to do your writing early in the day or later?
Who influenced you to be a writer!