A.L. Hawke – Candy Crone | Maggie Blackbird

Today, I have author A.L. Hawke in the interview chair. We’re discussing her latest release Candy Crone, a standalone, short Christmas story in the bestselling Hawthorne University Witch Series. Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

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1. What inspired you to write this book?

A.L.: I always wanted to write a Christmas story. And one of the themes I’ve been playing with in my witch series is gluttony. The ice cream parlor that’s front and center in Candy Crone appeared first in my earlier book, Ravens. So the idea behind this book was to work with gluttony as a sin. Then I thought of Hansel and Gretel meets the Hawthorne Witch. The evil witch uses candy and treats to fight the Hawthorne Witch. And all that candy and snow fits in well with the holiday backdrop. So I mixed in actual yuletide, or Christmas, occultism with candy and ice cream to fit the holiday season.

2. What can we expect from you in the future?

A.L.: I’m releasing an epic fantasy young adult novel, Princess Sojourn, connected to my Azure series. This is a complete departure from my paranormal romance. But, at the same time, I’m also working on a ghost romance and a possible sequel to Alondra.

3. Can you tell us a little about Candy Crone’s characters?

A.L.: In Candy Crone, the Hawthorne Witch (Cadence) is pregnant with a child. An evil Christmas witch, Grýla, uses Cadence’s pregnancy to weaken her and to attack the town by tempting children with treats. The evil witch also attacks Cadence’s young friend, Cat. It’s all about saving kids in a hallucinatory magic Hansel and Gretel candy house in the forests around Hawthorne University.

4. What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

A.L.: I enjoyed the fantasy scenes with the wicked witch’s candy house.

5. Who designed your book covers?

A.L.: I’ve been so lucky working with really awesome cover artists. The initial books, Alondra, I, II, and III, were created by Regina Wamba. All other books in the series were designed by Bookrosedesignz.

6. Did you learn anything new while writing your recent book?

A.L.: I do a lot of occult research when writing these books. I also studied Christmas traditions in Europe. Particularly, the new wicked witch in this story is Grýla, the Icelandic witch.

7. How did you come up with the book’s title?

A.L.: I thought two “c’s” had a nice ring to it. Candy and Crone.

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Title: Candy Crone
Series: The Hawthorne University Witch Series, Book 8
Author: A.L. Hawke
Genre: Paranormal Holiday Fantasy

Candy Crone is a Christmas Short Story standalone following Shadow Cast in the Hawthorne University Witch Series.

Blurb: While I’m enjoying a spicy caramel apple surprise at our local ice cream parlor, an old lady in rags rambles nonsense about candy canes to children waiting for Santa. That distracts me from prepping my young friend Cat for her college interview at Hawthorne University.

Christmas turns into creepy Halloween when all the local children, including Cat, disappear in the woods. Bryce and I search our forest but become spellbound. All this voracious casting heralds the arrival of a new witch in town. The Candy Crone.

As the Hawthorne Witch, I hold great power, but with my unborn baby kicking, the witch exploits my sins and vices through gluttony. Am I nothing more than my appetites and power as the Hawthorne Witch? Or can I accomplish something greater? If I can’t sort my stuff out, Cat, my unborn baby, Chandra, and all these innocent kids living in Hawthorne are toast.

Cadence Hawthorne returns in this Christmas novella taking place after Shadow Cast, book 6, in The Hawthorne University Witch Series. Candy Crone is a complete self-contained novella not ending in cliffhangers. Some spoilers cannot be avoided, but the story is a STANDALONE book that can be enjoyed without reading the preceding novels.

Content Warning: Candy Crone contains profanity, adult situations and, of course, witchcraft.

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A.L. Hawke is the author of the bestselling Hawthorne University Witch series. The author lives in Southern California torching the midnight candle over lovers against a backdrop of machines, nymphs, magic, spice and mayhem. A.L. Hawke writes fantasy and romance spanning four thousand years, from pre-civilization to contemporary and beyond.

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