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Witchcraft Blog Tour: Researching Vampires & Witches Part One – Witches by Emma Mills

June 16, 2012

As the debut author of ‘Witchblood’ releasing the sequel, ‘Witchcraft’ this week, I thought I’d write this post on research, seeing as it seems to be the question that has cropped up most over the last few months. Only last night at my local book group (discussing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which is an amazing book, by the way) we found ourselves discussing how writing research has changed over the last ten years. As I have only been writing for a couple of years I have had it easy. There is only one word I need to use…Google!

Before the internet people must have spent their lives in city libraries, spending hours trying to find two lines facts and information to support a single paragraph of their novel.  Sure I do have several really good informative books on Wicca, Witchcraft and even a book on the history of vampires, but the majority of research I do consists of me typing my question into Google and seeing what comes up. Of course a lot of vampire and witch lore is also found in reading novels in the same genre… and this part is easy, I love YA supernatural fiction!


Witches
Compared to writing about vampires, I find writing about witches a little more tricky, mainly because there are two types. There are fictional, broomstick flying witches and there are real Wiccan and witchcraft practising witches, and by writing about one, you need to be careful you don’t offend the other. I have to say personally I love all things witchy. I have read many books on Wicca and witchcraft and find it very interesting. I love my collection of crystals and am not averse to the odd candle/herb room cleansing.

 
My ‘Witchblood’ witches are a fun mix of both plausible and fantastical. I have tried to weave plausible spells and chants into the writing and I did a lot of internet research on ley lines and Wiccan practices such as grounding. Having said that, I then used artistic license and a dash of imagination to stretch those boundaries. My ley lines are used to travel in, a super highway for supernaturals! Spells go wrong, windows explode and fingers are broken one by one with dark magic. 

Unlike vampires, I have not read many fictional books about witches, naturally I have read Harry Potter, but then who hasn’t? And only a couple of months ago I came across a great new series by Dianna Hardy, throwing witches, demons and angels into the mix. I haven’t read L.J.Smith’s ‘Secret Circle’ books, but I do adore the TV series, and I grew up watching ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’ and ‘The Craft’.    

I love my vampires, but I think I may just be coming to love my witches even more! Read my guest post at Susan K Mann blog to read about my vampires. Then decide, which do you prefer?

***

Emma’s new book, Witchcraft is the second in the Witchblood series. the blurb is as follows: 
Jess is no ordinary vampire. Protected by the Manchester vampire clan, and initiated by her family’s east coast American coven, she is sought after by every dark witch and warring vampire faction. Jess must fight if she wants to keep hold of her friends, her sanity and finally her existence.
As the dead bodies of human girls begin to stack up, and her recently accepted vampire boyfriend, Daniel, finds himself in prison, Jess goes on a crazy, forbidden trip to London, racing against time to save an old friend and solve the mystery behind Daniel’s incarceration. In battling new enemies and finding new friends, Jess’s confidence finds room to grow, but who will she lose along the way?

To find out more about the book visit goodreads or the Witchblood website. The book is out now and can be purchased from Amazon or Smashword. 

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