A Q&A WITH SHARON IBBOTSON
Can you introduce readers to your new series and what they can expect from Augustine’s story?
Augustine’s story is the first in a series following the four Pepperday sisters, a family of witches. In a world where witch hunters are a very real threat and their mother vanished years ago, the sisters have spent their lives hiding among ordinary people, careful never to draw attention to themselves.
For Augustine, keeping a low profile has always been easier than it is for her sisters. She’s the only Pepperday born without any magic — or so she believes!
Everything changes however when Theo walks into her shop in Greenwich. Augustine suddenly discovers she can see ghosts, and before she knows it, she’s swept into a supernatural mystery, teaming up with Theo to uncover the truth about his death and the woman he’s certain he’s left behind.
What was your favourite scene or moment to write between Augustine and Theo?
It was the first one, actually! I love writing first moments, and their first moment, where he walks into her shop and she can’t decide if he’s a shoplifter or customer, was so much fun. Of course, it turns out he’s neither and is actually so much more . . .
If you could spend the day with one character from the book, who would it be and why?
I’d love to say one of Augustine’s three sisters, but I have three sisters of my own and can hardly keep up with them as it is :)
I’d also love to say Bird, Augustine’s black cat familiar, but I have a black of my own too :)
So, 100% it would have to be Roy, Augustine’s 90s obsessed flatmate. I’d love to spend the day in their Greenwich attic flat, listening to Madonna and Kylie albums on repeat while karaoke-singing the time away.
What did you enjoy most about creating this magical world of witches, ghosts and romance?
As a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Haunted Mansion fan, dreaming up this series was ridiculously fun. Every new idea became an excuse to ask, “Should I throw in a vampire? Absolutely. A Demon Management Service? Why not?” That’s one of the things I love most about writing fantasy — there’s always room for one more wonderfully weird idea. And the best part is that Augustine’s story is where it all starts. Also, I loved bringing tarot lore into the story - my IRL sister reads the cards, and they all have a special meaning you can really incorporate into a story.
Can you tease what’s coming next in the series without giving too much away?
Yes! The next book belongs to Maddy, Augustine’s baby sister, a charms witch and personal assistant to Mr B., who runs London’s largest Demon Management Service.
Every Halloween for the past few years, Maddy has accidentally-on-purpose hooked up with a man dressed as the devil. What she doesn’t realise is that her mysterious Halloween fling is Lucifer himself. When she discovers she’s pregnant, she finds herself plunged into a whole new world of trouble.
As if carrying the Devil’s baby wasn’t enough, a witch hunter has started following her, and he’s getting dangerously close to discovering exactly who she is — and what she can do . . .