Magical Misfits Mystery, Book 1
(Cozy) Mystery
Date Published: 1 July 2020
Publisher: Literary Wanderlust, Denver, Colorado
Myrtle’s aunt is dead—murdered—and she has inherited the Witch’s Retreat, a Bed and Breakfast in the idyllic village of Avebury. Filled with outrageous characters, the old house hides a mystery under its eaves. Everybody is a suspect: Alan, the blue-eyed police constable; Chris, the proverbial dark and handsome stranger; Myrtle’s curvy cousin Daisy; and even Tiddles, the flatulent cat. As Myrtle takes on the mantle of amateur sleuth, she bumbles along in search of answers, digging deeper and deeper among the tangled roots of her family’s history. The secrets she uncovers are more shocking than death: a hidden magical relic, a coven of amateur witches eager to gather her into the fold, and modern witch hunters on the prowl.
Interview with Lina Hansen
For those
interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book, where
should they start?
"In My
Attic" is first and foremost a cozy mystery, and I would start
with the Grande Dame of the genre – Agatha Christie. To the best of
my knowledge, Christie never wrote paranormal, so reading another
witch cozy might get you in the right mood. I would suggest choosing
one with a good sense of humor, my favorite being Juliet Blackwell.
Now, there's bit
more to my story, and if you want to dig deeper, you can explore the
history of the witch trials. Start with Salem, but don't forget, a
lot happened in Europe. The history is incredible – and incredibly
sinister. But, as I said, you don't have to dig that deep, and you
certainly don't need that type of knowledge to enjoy my novel, which
isn't sinister at all, I made sure of that.
How did you
become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
I was about 14
years when I was given a book about a young woman in the 17th
century, living in Germany. She wasn't a true witch, just one scared
teenager, caught up in the terrible things happening back then. I was
hooked, read more books on the subject, both fiction and non-fiction,
and eventually ended up reading a lot of fantasy novels featuring
witches. From there to Harry Potter was only a short step. These
days, I mostly read mysteries. It was great fun to weave my passion
for witches into a mystery novel.
What were your
goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you
achieved them?
Having read a lot
of fantasy, which seems to be buzzing with super-heros, people with
strong powers, and all that jazz, I wondered what would happen if
there were a group of magical beings NOT good at their magic. I
wanted to present my witches as likeable human beings, with very
human flaws.
Secondly, quite a
few cozies these days are rather shallow, written formula-style. I
wanted a lot more; wanted an engaging, gripping story of a young
woman getting to grips with herself. To be honest – I'm quite proud
of what I achieved.
Anything you
would like to say to your readers and fans?
Keep reading. A
reader can live a thousand (and more!) different lives just by
reading books. Plus, reading is a very creative past-time. You're not
just watching films; you are creating your unique movie in your head.
Books are great escapes, and boy do we need them, especially right
now.
The best thing a
reader once said to me was
"I've got
three kids and three jobs. I have no time and little money. But I can
read during my jobs, and by writing, you have given me a way out."
I nearly cried
when I read that.
What did you
enjoy most about writing this book?
Putting magic
into our world. Avebury is a real place, not an imagined one. It
might well be magical; I love it that much. It was so much fun to
take what is there and create another reality from it. "In My
Attic" isn't about fantastic places. It's about something that
could be true if we twisted reality just a little bit. At first, my
protagonist doesn't at all believe in magic. Well, would you?
Can you tell
us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for
the future?
"In My
Attic" is the debut novel. I'm currently editing "Down the
Hatch", and there's "Out of Body", the third in the
series, waiting to get polished. More is to come, but I've also got
the LiteraTours cozy mysteries and, more recently, I have written two
standalone Romantic Mysteries. I'm working on all of them and plan to
release them in the coming years. There are so many ideas; I only
need more time to write!
How long have
you been writing? All my life!
Well, I'm a communication specialist, which means my texts were
mostly written for PR or Marketing purposes. Novel writing I only
started six years ago, but I've already won two international author
awards.
Can you tell
us a little bit about the characters in In My Attic
Myrtle, the
protagonist, is my favourite. She's grounded; she's determined; she's
a very likeable character, grappling with the death of a beloved
aunt, flawed romances, her love for food, and many other things all
at once. At times I felt sorry for her, for flinging all these
problems into her face. But I knew her well enough to be sure she
could cope. Even with the magic she doesn't believe in.
Protagonists are
easy to write, as they tend to be well mapped out. I think it's in
the secondary characters where an author's skill can shine. In my
case, I try to keep these folks in check, but very often they break
out and dance all over the stage. The Simpkins sisters are one great
example, they were meant to provide some very low-level housekeeping
support, and they became integral to the plot. Myrtle's ditzy (is she
really?) cousin Daisy is another great example (well, I think so).
And Tiddles the
cat. Cats always steal
the show, and she was padding around putting her whiskers in a lot of
places where they didn't belong.
As to the zombie
primula, she was an afterthought in the first draft, and she becomes
a veritable life-saver at the end (ah, must not say more).
And, of course,
there's some romance going on, even if Myrtle doesn't want it to
happen. Can't have a mystery without a dash of romance! So, Chris,
the stereotype (is he really?) black stranger and Alan his blond
counterpart also were real fun to write.
If you
could spend the day with one of the characters from (Please insert
name of book here), who would it be? Please tell us why you chose
this particular character, where you would go and what you would do.
Hmm, I
very much like Aunt Eve, but she's dead, so that won't work. Sarah,
the sympathetic police sergeant, is perhaps a tick to realistic for
me, so I would say I'd go with Myrtle and join her on her journey of
self-discovery.
To find out that
one has magical powers is scary – but what a gift to have! I also
like how she accepts the curveball life throws at her and deals with
them in a down-to-earth fashion. For me, Myrtle signifies compassion,
competence—and a quirky sense of realistic humor that helps her
survive.
I would like to
know more about her life in Avebury, running the B&B and working
with her new-found powers. But that's a topic for the sequels.
About the Author
LINA HANSEN has been a freelance travel journalist, teacher, bellydancer, postal clerk and science communication specialist stranded in the space sector. Numbed by factoid technical texts, she set out to write the stories she loves to read— cozy and romantic mysteries with a dollop of humour and a magical twist. After living and working in the UK, Lina, her husband, and their feline companion now share a home in the foothills of Castle Frankenstein. Lina is a double Watty Award Winner, Featured Author, and a Wattpad Star.
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