Returned
Pendle Hill Series
Book One
By Keeley Smith
17 year old Cora Hunt has one wish, to live the life of a normal teenager. Her wish never comes true.
After her reluctant move to a sleepy village in the middle of Lancashire Cora's life is turned upside down when she discovers she is a witch. Cora is not just any old witch, she is the daughter of Alizon Device who was one of the most powerful witches of her time.
Dealing with her new found powers is quite a challenge, but when the past she didn't know about unearths new complications in the form of Jack Thomas, her life becomes increasingly dangerous with each waking minute. Jack also has a secret past, a past that clashes with Cora's.
A confrontation between the two results in a life or death situation. The brutal events of 1612 happened hundreds of years ago, but what Jack and Cora face is a definite déjà vu.
The only question is, will their fate be the same as those who perished in 1612?
Before
A Pendle Hill Novella
By Keeley Smith
Cora and Jack are childhood friends who have always lived next door to each other in a beautiful, idyllic part of Lancashire. What binds them as lifelong friends are their powers.
As young witches, life is hard. If the commoners find out their secret, they will be killed. But Cora is lucky, she has her best friend Jack by her side.
Having grown up together they know each other, they trust each other, they love each other. However their blossoming relationship is cut short by the events of one day. A date that will bring their perfect worlds crashing down around them.
20th August 1612
Cora and Jack are forced to face the reality of being a witch during these turbulent times, however they don’t know that their lives will become part of one of the most famous witch trials to have ever hit England.
The Pendle Hill witch trials of 1612.
Can you please share with us a little about yourself?
I live in Yorkshire in the UK with my husband and my lovely little dog, Darby. I’m quirky, up for a laugh, caring and strange LOL
Have you always wanted to be an author?
I’ve always loved to write and I used this love when I had to do work experience at school, choosing to spend two weeks at a publishing house rather than follow my friends to the many primary schools in the area. So, I’ve always been an author, I’m just published now J
Can you share with us your typical writing day. Is there anything you have to have while writing?
I work full time so I write on a night and mostly at the weekend. The one thing I need without a doubt is my music. I cannot write without music and the emotions and thoughts it brings with a certain song. Chocolate cake on tap would also be good! J
What would you say is the most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
The most challenging part is getting the first draft down, Once you have that you have the bare bones so you can always build J Rewarding part is the enjoyment people get from something you have written. That is all I have ever wanted.
Can you please tell us about your latest book?
Before is my latest book and it is a novella to accompany Returned, my YA witch book. Before goes back in time to the 1612 witch trials and really describes what happened. Some important questions will be answered from Returned J
How did you come with the idea for this story?
I was in a post Harry Potter funk and needed a new witch fix. I couldn’t find any books that fit so I planned one and wrote it. I researched the Pendle Hill witch trials, not too much as I didn’t want that to be the main focus and I started Cora and Jack’s story.
Can you share with us your current work in progress?
I’m currently in the final edits of Change, the second book in the Pendle Hill series. I’m also writing the second book to the Soul Keeper trilogy, another series which follows a group of friends and their quests to save three souls.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
I usually judge this on whether I would pick up the book without reading the blurb, they are without a doubt a much loved author if and when they get to this stage. So the authors I do this with are:
Nora Roberts/J.D Robb
Harlan Coben
J.R Ward
Gena Showalter
Derek Landy
Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?
I think that as a whole writers are always inspired by who they read. Without reading you can’t possibly be a writer. The two go hand in hand. I like to think I have my own writing style but if someone was to say it was like theirs, I would be honoured! J
Open your book to a random page and please reads us a few lines.
Okay, I have Before, open and ready J
‘She held her breath as his mouth covered hers making the edges of her mind blur. She responded immediately. She’d yearned for the taste of his lips since the heat between them, the connection, became so strong she couldn’t sleep at night for thinking of him. She’d worried that if they’d taken their friendship further it would risk ruining it. Her stomach quivered with pure lust as she felt his toned body lean into hers. How could this ruin anything? This kiss felt so right, so perfect, that they should have been doing this before now.’
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
J.D Robb’s next In Death book is always one I can’t wait for. Harlan Coben has a new one coming next year so can’t wait for that. But Derek Landy’s final Skulduggery Pleasant book releasing in September 2014 is one on my list. I need that book like yesterday!
Have you ever used anyone from your real life encounters in any of your books?
Yeah, I have J Especially in First Soul. The characters in those books are named after my brothers and sisters. I think with my Pendle Hill books Cora has managed to adopt quite a bit of my sarcasm and my strength J
What was the most surprising thing you learned about yourself while you were writing?
Doubt is a horrible thing and I’ve learnt to push it aside and just believe in my stories. Some will love them, some will hate them, like marmite. But the whole experience is one hell of a ride J
Thank you for having me! J
I've always loved reading, it is a common known fact that I pretty much demolish a book a day. Expensive hobby, but a great one! I've dabbled with writing since the day I could actually write. So, it was only fitting that I had my first book published when I was 15.
If I'm not writing you would generally find me reading, creating jewellery, trawling social networking sites and listening to music. I will pretty much listen to any kind of music but I have two favourites, country music which has been with me since I was a little toddler and I also love to listen to movie scores, especially when I'm writing!
I currently live in Yorkshire with my husband.
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