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She’s A Witch!
Toil and Trouble follows an eccentric witch, her daughter, and her grandchildren coping with the death of their father, who set out to visit her new home and encounter humorous adventures and a chance at healing. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
First and foremost, I wanted to entertain. I didn’t have a fun, loving, or even nice grandmother. She was quite mean. In fact, my daughter pulled my wife aside one day and said to her (very seriously), “I know why dad’s grandma is the way she is … it’s because she’s a witch!” And so I had to write a story about it. I actually based the villainous Lady Bishop on my own grandmother.
I loved how charismatic and compassionate Martha is. When creating her character, did you have a plan for her development and character traits, or did it grow organically as you were writing the story?
It was a little bit of both. Martha is based on the shared quirks between my daughter and me. I imagined, as best I could, the grandmother I would have liked to have had, magic or not, and then I took her to the extreme (in the best way), because let’s face it, grandmothers should be extreme in all that they do.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Kindness! To me, it is the most important and powerful gift every person can and should give. It’s free, for one, and just a smile can change someone’s day and even their life for the better. I also explored dealing with death and the way a loss can affect everyone differently, and the power of forgiveness and love, truth and support, and the bonds of family. I lost a dear friend at a young age without a good support system at home, and sometimes, unfortunately, that’s just how it goes. But I had other family members who impacted my life greatly, and still do to this day.
I loved following Martha May McKenzie and her adventures. Do you have more stories planned for her?
Yes! As of now, Toil and Trouble is unpublished, but even so, I am currently working on book 2, Boil and Bubble, which follows the witch on an even more chaotic adventure, not through time, but through a portal to another realm—the witches’ realm—where more secrets unfold, and the stakes are even greater.
Toil and Trouble
Toil and Trouble follows Martha May McKenzie, a wildly eccentric witch who hides her magic behind a tangle of snowy hair, a questionable eye patch, and a whole lot of chaotic charm. The story kicks off with her zipping across the countryside using a lavender broom she refuses to ride in the traditional way. Soon, her daughter Jamie and grandchildren arrive at Martha’s strange new home, still grieving the loss of Scott, their father and husband. From there, the book tumbles into a mix of heartfelt family struggles, magical mishaps, an unforgettable goat named Bubbles, and a dangerous witch’s council with secrets of its own. It blends grief, humor, and adventure in a story that keeps shifting between tender moments and absolute mayhem.
As I read, I kept catching myself laughing at the sheer weirdness of Martha’s world. The sparkly helper who explodes into sand, the nose-summoning magic, the whistling fish in business suits, even the awful but lovable goat, Bubbles. The writing leans fully into its own silliness, and honestly, I enjoyed that. The author knows how to paint a scene in bright colors. Sometimes the descriptions get a little long, yet I never felt bored because the voice stays playful. It felt like listening to a great storyteller who waves their hands a lot and grins at their own jokes. Beneath all the glitter and goop, though, you can feel the weight of the family’s grief. Scott’s death hangs over everything, and the moments where Martha tries to lift her family’s spirits hit surprisingly hard. I didn’t expect that blend to work, but it does.
The humor comes fast, sometimes so fast it interrupts the emotion. There were somes scenes that would leap into another gag or magical mishap before the emotions of the previous scene can settle in. Still, the characters won me over. Martha is ridiculous in the best way, and Jamie’s frustration feels painfully real. Their clashing personalities create a lot of the book’s energy. The kids bring softness to the story, too. They are grieving but curious, scared but hopeful, and watching them slowly open up again gave the book heart. Even the villains have flair. The witches’ council is both frightening and funny, and their magical poker games made me laugh more than I expected.
Toil and Trouble struck me as a warm and quirky story about family, healing, and the messy ways we try to take care of each other. It is silly, loud, and full of wild imagination. It is also gentle where it needs to be. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy whimsical fantasy with strong character voices. It is perfect for anyone who likes heartfelt stories wrapped in humor, magic, and a touch of chaos.
Pages: 200
The Power to Forge On
The Missing Children of Blackwood follows a sharp, quirky, and self-assured girl who gets swept up in the town’s haunted and dark past and needs to solve the mystery of the missing children to save her parents. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My daughter was the inspiration for the setup of my story. She inspires everything I do. I’m a bit of a nervous dad, so if we are walking together in a grocery store or a restaurant or whatever, and I turn to grab something or look away for just a moment—and when I look back I don’t see her, even if it’s only a split-second, I panic. I mean, I really do. I swallow my throat into my stomach every time. She thinks it’s hilarious, but it scares the living shrimp out of me! I’m not a helicopter parent, (not fully) but I couldn’t imagine being separated from her for even a day, especially under circumstances like in my book where I have no control over it. Just the thought is scary. So, when writing the book, I tried to imagine what it might be like for her to feel the same way, and then tell it from her point of view. Obviously, there are some really terrible ways in which a parent and child could be separated in real life that may be more serious and less fun for a kid to read compared to something a bit far-fetched and fantastical, so I decided to go more supernaturally with it and keep it fun, for the most part. I wrote DaPhne to be brave and kept the focus of the story on her conquering whatever obstacles were thrown at her—be it the sadness of separating from her parents and eventually Sparrow, giant rocks of falling death landing razor close to her human body as she watched in her ghost form helpless to do anything about it, or the ground opening up like a monstrous mouth to swallow her whole. I wanted her to be strong and capable through it all and to keep moving forward, no matter what.
When creating DaPhne, did you have a plan for development and character traits, or did it grow organically as you were writing the story?
I never had a solid plan when writing this story. I started in the middle and worked backward. I knew, more or less, where I wanted to go with it, I just needed to find the right path. But I always had a clear vision of how I wanted to write DaPhne. I wrote her based 100% on the personality and style of my twelve-year-old daughter. I simply toned down the snark, and the sass (not kidding). One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed when writing the character, was feeling like a kid again, myself, and getting the stamp of approval from my wife and daughter about making sure not to sound too much like a “dude,” when writing the female characters. I got it wrong a few times, I’ll admit—even the editor called me out on it—but it all came together in the end and I’m pleased with how it turned out.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
One of the most important themes for me, when writing this book, was perseverance. I never wanted DaPhne to give in, even when it seemed like all hope was lost. I wanted her to be a little fighter, just like my own DaPhne. I also wanted kids who read the book to feel like they can be little fighters—mighty, just like DaPhne —and that if they ever find themselves in a tough situation like DaPhne (whether it’s a ghost town possessed by a witch or something else), I want them to know they have the power to forge on and keep fighting, no matter what the odds are—because they do! We all do. Aside from that, I didn’t want the reader to become too settled. I took a few chapters in the beginning to plant the seed and get the story growing, but afterward, I wanted something happening (or about to happen) in each chapter. I have severe ADHD (three extra scoops of ADHD in a cone made of ADHD), and so does my daughter, so my main goal was to keep the suspense gripping as well as a fast-paced story told by a relatable character so as not to lose her attention. I figured if I could get her to read it, and she enjoyed it, I might have a chance with others her age. And of course, the humor. There needs to be humor in everything. The more humor the better. Thor 1 and 2 were good (anything with Chris Hemsworth is a winner), but Thor Ragnarok was GREAT : ) because it had more humor.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
I don’t think I have fans just yet, but I like the idea : )
As far as the book goes, it was actually written to be a stand-alone book. I personally like the cliffhanger ending, I always have. The editor is the one who introduced the idea of a series. If I do decide to make it into a series, I have a few ways in which direction I could take it. All I can say for now is that the trucker lady would definitely be returning as one of the main characters—transporting some precious museum cargo that is more than just cargo—along with DaPhne and her parents and a few new characters, (DaPhne’s friends) for a new adventure. But like the weather, that could all change.
Fun fact, that bit in the book with the gum actually happened … to me : (
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
LITERARY TITAN 