Anyone who knows Jaime and I know that we love the Cahill Witch Chronicles series. Â Because of that love, we are excited to have Jessica Spotswood participate in our December feature and be able to share this series with you! Â Cate is a wonderful main character who struggles with doing the right thing for her sisters and being happy. Â There are some definite bad guys and Finn is absolutely swoon-worthy….I almost have no words. Â Jessica herself stated she hopes Star Cursed lives up to her goal of being “brutal + awesome, with kissing.” Â It definitely does and if you haven’t started this series, now is the time to do it!
We had the chance to ask Finn a couple questions for today… but first, a little about the books!Â
Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word… especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.
With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate’s friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.
Cate doesn’t want to be a weapon, and she doesn’t want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood’s schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she’ll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.
In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess’s quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England.
A fever ravages New London, but with the Brotherhood sending suspected witches straight to the gallows, the Sisters are powerless against the disease. They can’t help without revealing their powers—as Cate learns when a potent display of magic turns her into the most wanted witch in all of New England.Â
To make matters worse, Cate has been erased from the memory of her beloved Finn. While she’s torn between protecting him from further attacks and encouraging him to fall for her all over again, she’s certain she can never forgive Maura’s betrayal. And now that Tess’s visions have taken a deadly turn, the prophecy that one Cahill sister will murder another looms ever closer to its fulfillment.
Finn wanted us to note that for certain reasons, he’s answering these questions as if we’re midway through STAR CURSED. REASONS PEOPLE.Â
What is it that drew you to Cate to begin with? She looked like she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. It could have been because she had to look after her sisters when her mother died, but it seemed there was a bit more to it. She came off quite prim, but there was a rebellious streak there, too. She was a mystery, I suppose. Also, I (he flushes and clears his throat) — I rather wanted to kiss her.
What is the best thing about running a bookstore? Getting to read all the books I wanted, whenever I wanted. Well, whenever we didn’t have customers. Which was most of the time, toward the end.
Tell us what you really think of Cate’s sisters. Tess is terribly clever for her age. Er, scratch that – clever for any age. We get on very well. Maura – she drives Cate mad, but I know underneath all that they love each other. I hope someday we might be friends, too. A girl who loves books can’t be all bad, can she?
We know what was going through Cate’s mind when she left the church but what was going through your mind? I knew that Sister Elena had done something to her. She must have, for Cate to change her mind and go off to New London like that. Threatened her sisters, maybe. I wanted to stop it, but there was no way I could have managed it. I had to trust that Cate would get herself out.
What was your first thought when you saw Cate in the square after she moved to New London? I was glad to see with my own eyes that she was all right. A little too thin and pale, unhappy-looking – but she was alive and she didn’t look like they were torturing her. I knew Tess had gotten letters, but I hadn’t heard from Cate myself. Once I saw she was all right, then I was furious. Six weeks and not a single word. I couldn’t understand it.
What was it like working for the Brotherhood? (Finn looks solemn) Horrible. I hope you never have to witness that kind of hate and do nothing.
What were the best and worst parts about being a spy? The worst was having to just stand there when the Brothers arrested and beat innocent girls. I couldn’t stop it. Couldn’t say a word in their defense. The best part was hoping that somehow I could help make New England safer for Cate and girls like her. (he grins) And sneaking out to meet Cate at night wasn’t so bad.
Speed Round (answering as Finn)
Coffee or Tea – Tea
Cake or Pie – Pie – apple
Chocolate or Vanilla – Vanilla
Biggest pet peeve– The subjugation of witches and women. Narrow-mindedness in all forms, really. Ah, those are a bit stronger than a pet peeve, though. People who put books back on the shelf in the wrong order?
Favorite word – Sesquipedalian
Dream job – Head Librarian of the National Archives. While also doing my own translations of the classics.
Favorite book – Ovid’s Metamorphoses
ABOUT JESSICAÂ 
I grew up in a tiny one-stoplight town in Pennsylvania, where I could be found swimming, playing clarinet, memorizing lines for the school play, or—most often—with my nose in a book. I’ve been writing since I was little but studied theatre in college and grad school. Now I live in Washington, DC with my brilliant playwright husband and a cuddly cat named Monkey.
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