Welcome to our weekly special feature post, Author Of The Week!!
Each week we will be interviewing a different YA author and highlighting their upcoming release!
We will also be hosting a giveaway of the book we are highlighting!!
Introducing Adriana Mather, YABC’s Author of the Week!!
Adriana Mather is the 14th generation of Mathers in America, with family roots stretching back to the first Thanksgiving, the Salem Witch Trials, the Revolutionary War, and the Titanic. Adriana co-owns Zombot Pictures, a production company that makes feature films. In addition to producing, Adriana is also an actress. She lives in Los Angeles where she has a life full of awesome, cats, and coffee.
Meet, How To Hang A Witch!
For fans of Conversion and Mean Girls, comes a debut novel where the trials of high school start to feel like a modern day witch hunt for a teen with all the wrong connections to Salem’s past.
Salem, Massachusetts is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those trials and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?
If dealing with that weren’t enough, Sam also comes face to face with a real live (well technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries old curse affecting anyone with ties to the trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and find a way to work with the Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it’s Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself.
Amazon * B & N * Indiebound
Check out YABC’s awesome interview with Adriana Mather,
Author of How To Hang A Witch
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I’ve always been super curious about my ancestor, Cotton Mather, who instigated the Salem Witch Trials. And modern Salem, MA is just too amazing not to set a story there…preferably in autumn. Throw in a handsome ghost and some spiced apple cider and I was typing with reckless abandon.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
Elijah. I like good-hearted, challenging people who aren’t afraid to tell you what they think and make fun of you. Wait, that’s my entire family.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
The atmosphere. That’s technically a scene, right? Salem is one of the most atmospheric places I’ve ever visited in my life. I really wanted to capture the mysterious curses, the old houses with secret passageways, and the feeling that magic just might be real there.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
That other writers/literary people are the kindest and most generous kids on the block. They’re smart, want to talk about books endlessly, and are the first people to help you when you’re struggling. I’m truly proud and honored to be part of this community.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
The rain on the window effect. It completely captures the feeling of my book even though there is technically no rain in the narrative. Which is just so cool. Also, the blue. Such great blues. I would wear my book if I could.
YABC: What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2016?
2016 books I love – The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter, The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner, Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace, and Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst. The first two are Contemporary and the second two are Fantasy. They are a great mixture of drama, heart, adventure, and princess romance. But the thing that binds them all together is that all these authors have amazing senses of humor and awesome prose.
YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
All of them; squirrely little rascals. I work and work to get my characters into given situations and then when they finally arrive they give my plot organization the finger.
YABC: Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?
Drafting – a happy delusional state where I throw in a hundred sub plots, a thousand motivations, and a million plot twists, believing that I am surely a genius and that it will all make sense in the end. Cue evil cackle. Then reality sets in and I wonder if someone spiked my punch.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
Cat whispering. Gourmet donut scouting. Laughing when nothing is funny.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
All things animal related, anti-bullying, and diversity promoting.
How To Hang A Witch
By: Adriana Mather
Release Date: July 26,2016
*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*
One winner will recieve a copy of How To Hang A Witch. (US only)
This article makes me 100 times more interested in this book, it seems like an amazing read!
I can’t think of any questions — only what a delectable guilty pleasure this story will be when I read it! 🙂 Many thanks, Kara S
I love the cover of this book! Very spooky and interesting.
Question – have you ever visited Williamsburg, VA? There was a fascinating witch trial re-enactment there.
Hello Adriana, How to hang a witch sounds great ♡ I love the cover! Thank you
I love The Crucible so I know this will be interesting. How many generations are you separated from Mather?
I Loved your interview. It had me laughing like a crazy person, especially “[i]Then reality sets in and I wonder if someone spiked my punch.[/i]” I nearly died!
I can’t wait to read this book, I have a slight obsession with the Salem witch trials. When I finally got to go to Salem I was too happy for my own good.
Great post !
I was excited to read this book before…now? [i]”It’s the Salem Witch Hunt meets Mean Girls”[/i] …. 😀 I absolutely HAVE to read this!!!!
The fact that you’re related to Cotton Mather has me like 😮 !!! I love the Salem Witch Trials and had so much fun when I visited there. My question is, did you find out more about your ancestry and have you ever visited Salem? Side note, I wish I knew that far back in my family ancestry. 🙂
Salem witch trials!!! Yay!!! I want to read so bad!
I want to know: what kinds of details did you have to research to make your writing authentic?