Isla Jewell is a pseudonym of Delilah S. Dawson, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 35 books for kids, teens, and adults. Find her online at delilahsdawson.com and islajewell.com and on Instagram, Bluesky, and Threads, @delilahsdawson.

Hi Isla and welcome back to the Hive – although you were here last time as Delilah S. Dawson!

Books and Bewitchment is your upcoming cosy fantasy romance. What can you tell our readers about it?

Books and Bewitchment is a cozy, witchy Romance set in the north Georgia mountains. The heroine, Rhea Wolfe, suffers from major Eldest Daughter syndrome and has spent her entire life taking care of everyone else, including her boss’s destructive cockatoo, Doris. But when Rhea learns of an inheritance in her mother’s hometown, she sees a new beginning and the chance to actually choose her own destiny. Basically, I was trying to write a very Southern, very bookish, very sweet Romance set in an area I know well with a quirky community. It’s like Stars Hollow, but with boiled peanuts and witches.

At the beginning of your novel our main character, Rhea, has a series of bad luck that sets her off on a journey of self discovery. How did you find shaping her character? Did her journey happen organically as you were writing or was there a plan from the beginning? 

I have over 35 traditionally published titles in print, but this one might’ve been the hardest to write! My first series (which began with Wicked as They Come), was Urban Fantasy, and my brain kept accidentally adding stress and threat to B&B, which was supposed to be cozy. I really had to focus on removing the darkness and bumping up the brightness. Rhea was pretty much herself from the beginning, though. I wanted her to be a woman who tries so hard and gives so much, who pours all of herself into helping her friends and family. It was really fun to watch her discover what she truly wanted for herself and go for it– and to see her friends and family, in turn, support her. Oh, and when she mentions pulling over to save a turtle and discovering it was actually a kneepad? That totally happened to me when I lived in the north Georgia mountains.

Speaking of characters, Books and Bewitchment has a great cast of supporting characters! Did you have a favourite to write?

Doris, for sure. She actually began as a white silkie chicken named Kitty who pooped all over the place, which my editor didn’t deem particularly ‘cozy’. As she became Doris, I loved the thought of a bird who was totally obsessed with musicals after being raised by an eccentric old woman. In college, I worked at a pet store where we had an umbrella cockatoo who was basically unsellable. Her favorite caretaker was my coworker Doris, and whenever the cockatoo got mad, she would scream, “DORIS!!!”–so that’s where the name came from. If you like the chatty familiars of Arcadia Falls, you can also read The Bartender and the Beast in the Canines & Cocktails anthology from Horned Lark Press and A Midsummer Night’s Scheming in the upcoming Paranormal Payback anthology from Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes. And of course there will be a new familiar in Arcadia Falls #2, Coffee & Conjuring…

If you could spend a day in Arcadia Falls, who would you choose to spend the day with and what would you both do?

I would definitely stay with Nick and Nathan at the Magnolia Inn. Once I was settled, I would visit the bookstore (and maybe find copies of my work there?) and stop by Shelby’s bakery, hoping that her magic could somehow create some gluten free treats for me. I would want to see the waterfall, and if I could convince Keelie to take me for a trail ride, it would be an ideal day, especially if it ended with Trivia Night at MacGillicuddy’s, where I would spend most of my time petting Peach Pit.

We had a lot of fun in our review imagining ourselves as witches in Arcadia Falls, so if you were also a witch, what do you think your knack would be?

Oh, that’s a tough one! The most helpful one would be if I never made any spelling or grammar mistakes, but I would also love something involving good luck. 

And who or what would be your familiar?

The practical side of me would want a cat, but the Southern side of me is 100% down for a possum.

Speaking of familiars, a cockatoo was a hilarious if unusual choice – what made you choose this bird for Rhea?

Once it was decided that Rhea’s familiar needed to be a typical ‘pet’ bird instead of a chicken, I did a deep dive into parrots. I needed to find something that wasn’t horribly large but was still intelligent and playful. So, no macaws or bigger cockatoos, but something bigger than a conure or cockatiel. I spent a *lot* of time reading Reddit threads on parrots. The rose-breasted cockatoo ticked all the boxes and has very ‘romance’ colors. And I have a Doris stamp for all my signings, too!

As Delilah S. Dawson, you’re known for your horror, what made you want to branch out into cosy fantasy?

So far, I’ve written YA Romance, Urban Fantasy Romance, Weird West Fantasy, Cozy Fantasy, literary fiction, space opera, Thrillers, and Horror for adults, teens, and tweens–plus comics and short stories. I have ADHD and get bored easily, so I’m always bouncing around and don’t really feel beholden to any one genre. After reading a lot of Rom-Coms, I felt like maybe there was a niche for something set in Georgia, and after living in Dahlonega, it seemed like the perfect setting for something witchy. And, let’s be honest–we need all the coziness we can get these days.

And how did you find the transition between the genres? Did you ever feel you needed to rein yourself in?

Much like a runaway horse, I do not rein myself; that’s why agents and editors exist! I tend to write what I’m passionate about, let my agent sell it, and let my editor guide me toward the best possible end result. The first draft of B&B leaned more toward Urban Fantasy– there was a villain and a definite threat of life. Ultimately we decided that, for the sake of coziness, the overall conflict needed to be something less violent and more uplifting. I don’t generally get asked to rewrite books, and it was definitely a struggle, but I really hope that this version of the story gives readers that warm and fuzzy feeling.

Books and Bewitchment is the first in the Arcadia Falls series, can you give us a sneak peek into where you’re intending to take this series? What can we expect next?

Arcadia Falls #2 is already written and follows one of Rhea’s sisters on her own journey to love and happiness. If folks connect with the series, I would love to find romantic partners for Rhea’s second sister, for Shelby and Edie, and for all the various characters who pop up with each new story. You can currently read The Bartender and the Beast in the Canines & Cocktails anthology, which centers on Cash King, and in April you can read A Midsummer Night’s Scheming in the Paranormal Payback anthology, which covers Keelie King, who has the most ridiculous familiar of all.

Are you planning anything fun to celebrate your new release? Do you have any upcoming virtual or in person events our readers may be interested in?

I am so excited to be embarking on a driving book tour of the South starting February 3 in Atlanta at All the Tropes Bookstore. I’ll hit Birmingham, AL; Nashville and Knoxville, TN; Lexington, KY; Greenville, SC; and Asheville, NC at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe. When I started writing this book, it was important to me that I got the bookstore aspect of it correct, and the wonderful staff of Malaprop’s allowed me to come shadow them for a couple of days and absorb as much as I could about bookstore life. Oh! And I’ll end the tour at Love Y’all, a Romance festival in Decatur, GA over Valentine’s weekend. For the tour, I plan to wear all jumpsuits and cute headbands, and I’ll have lots of stickers and a Doris stamp. I might even bring my taxidermy squirrel.

Finally, what is the one thing you hope readers take away from your writing?

Right now especially, the world can feel dark and oppressive. I hope that my stories can give readers the gift of a little escape, of cozy feelings and community and hope. This series especially is about found family, and the relationships are based on consent and respect. Love is love.

Thank you so much for joining us today!

Thanks so much for reading and chatting!

Books and Bewitchment is out today (3rd February) from Titan Books – you can order your copy on Bookshop.org