Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Aislinn Brophy!
Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Aislinn Brophy
Aislinn Brophy (she/they) is an actor, writer, and the author of How to Succeed in Witchcraft. She was born and raised in South Florida, but made her way up to the frigid northeast for college. Their hobbies include pawning off their baking on anybody nearby, doing funny voices, and dismantling the patriarchy. Aislinn has a degree in Theater, Dance & Media, and her experiences as a performer consistently wiggle their way into her writing. In all aspects of her work as an artist, she is passionate about exploring identity and social justice issues.
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About the Book: Spells to Forget Us
A witch and a non-magical girl get stuck in an endless cycle of meet-cutes and breakups in this heart-stopping romantic young adult fantasy.
“A seamless, mind-bending exploration of love and identity that manages to completely re-invent the time-loop story….You’ll never read a book quite like this again.” —Mark Oshiro, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Into the Light
Luna is a powerful witch. Known for her skills and feared for her temper, she’s set to preserve her family’s legacy by becoming the head of Boston’s Witch Council—a job she does not want.
Aoife is a non-magical girl. Raised under the lens of her influencer family, she’s grown up in the public eye. Now she yearns for privacy—but knows her parents won’t oblige.
Just when they are at their lowest, Aoife and Luna find each other and start dating. As decreed by magic law, Luna casts a spell that will erase Aoife’s memories of their history together if they ever break up. But when Aoife and Luna end things, it’s both of them who forget . . . that is, until they meet again, fall for each other, and recover all the memories of their last attempt at dating.
So begins the story of two star-crossed lovers who keep finding their way into each other’s orbits, even as the universe pulls them apart. When they set out to break the cycle, will they be strangers forever or together at last?
“A whirlwind of whimsical romance and examinations of autonomy and familial duty.” —Jas Hammonds, award-winning author of We Deserve Monuments
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
As I was developing the idea for this book, I was trying to figure out what kind of world I wanted to set it in, and I was watching a lot of D&D actual play shows at the time. I specifically loved the magical city setting of The Unsleeping City and the teen shenanigans of Fantasy High, which are both Dimension 20 shows. Some of my major inspirations for this book ended up coming from those shows.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
Aoife and Luna have a meet-cute at a café that’s probably the scene I’m proudest of! It was one of those rare scenes where it was both exciting for me to write and it turned out well in the first draft. The first meet-cute we see between the two is from Aoife’s perspective, whereas this one is a little bit later in the book, and it’s from Luna’s perspective. I loved getting to work in little details in this later scene at the café that mirrored the first meet-cute—after all, they don’t remember each other, so of course they would react similarly to meeting each other again! It was also really fun to explore the differences between my two main characters and how each of them reacts to meeting a super cool and attractive girl.
YABC: What came first, the concept, landscape, characters, or something else?
The concept! This book grew originally out of the core question of “what would happen if two girls kept dating and breaking up over and over because of a memory spell?” After I had that concept, I started trying to figure out what characters would be in that type of situation and what worldbuilding would support it.
YABC: If you could only write one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Fantasy for sure. Speculative worlds are my first and greatest love when it comes to story settings; even when I was a kid, my favorite books were always about magic. To me, fantasy is the most interesting way to explore real-world issues and themes! I think that getting to create your own rules for the world also allows for a lot of creativity as a writer. If I do a good enough job with my worldbuilding and plot development, I can make the reader buy into the most ludicrous concept and narrative in the world, because realism often isn’t the point. That aspect of fantasy makes it endlessly fascinating to me.
YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?
I write in first person, which I find very helpful for making sure my teens sound age appropriate. Writing in first person forces me to quickly develop a strong sense of tone and voice for each of my characters as I’m drafting. What kinds of phrases do they commonly use? How do they express themselves when they’re upset? What details do they focus on in the world around them? I need to answer those kinds of questions to write from a character’s POV, and I always try to keep in mind how old they are when I’m figuring out those answers.
I also generally keep a fairly conversational tone for my teen characters, and I read my work out loud a lot as I go to make sure that everything sounds like something an actual person could say. That has worked well for me in helping pinpoint a voice that feels true to the age category for each character.
YABC: What can readers expect to find in your books?
Readers can expect to find queer Black teens navigating worlds that feel both magically fun and deeply flawed! I also have a particular fondness for balancing darkness with humor and lightness, showcasing BIPOC characters in love, and exploring how family dynamics can shape who you are.
YABC: What is your favorite snack when writing?
I love to have a chocolate chip cookie with tea! (I know that tea is not technically a “snack,” but it is an essential part of the chocolate chip cookie experience, in my opinion.)
YABC: What do you do when you procrastinate?
I play a lot of single player board games. I’ve played a kind of embarrassing number of games of single-player Wingspan and Barrage, because I find it really meditative to play them by myself. When I’m deep in drafting hell, I also play a lot of Tetris. I find myself toggling over to my Tetris tab when my draft gets too frustrating.
Title: Spells to Forget Us
Author: Aislinn Brophy
Release Date: September 17, 2024
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons BFYR
ISBN-10: 9780593354551
Genre: LGBTQ+, Fantasy, Wizards & Witches, African American & Black Fantasy, Love & Romance, Growing Up, Relationships, Magic
Age Range: 12 and up
~ Giveaway Details ~
Five (5) winners will receive a copy of Spells to Forget Us (Aislinn Brophy) ~US Only!
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
