Q&A with Alexis Powell

  

 

 

Alexis Powell is the author of the new middle grade book A Coven of Witches: Spellbinding Tales of Magic and Myth. She lives in San Diego. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write A Coven of Witches?

 

A: I've always loved witches. I grew up watching Hocus Pocus, The Craft, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and more. Those stories piqued my interest in witchcraft, so I wanted to try my hand at creating my own witch stories.

Q: How did you choose the mythological witches on which to base your stories?

 

A: It was difficult to narrow down the list because there are so many interesting witch figures from cultures around the world.

 

Some (Baba Yaga and Circe, for example) were no-brainers because they're so iconic. Others, such as La Lechuza or Isis, were chosen after a lot of research. Once I learned about their unique powers, like transforming into an owl the size of a human or reassembling a dismembered body, I knew they had to be part of the collection.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book called it “deliciously terrifying.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: It's a stellar compliment, and I love that contrast.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: I want readers to feel spooked by the end and maybe sleep with the lights on. But beyond frights, I hope the stories make readers curious. The world of the witch is vast and if readers come away wanting to learn more about them, or even feel inspired to write witch stories of their own, I'd be thrilled!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I'm currently working on a YA horror novel set in Utah.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I want to give Marina Vidal her flowers. A Coven of Witches would only be half as magical without her illustrations.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb