Today’s special guest is author K.T. Anglehart to chat about her young adult novels in The Scottish Scrolls series, The Wise One and The Twin Flame (available for pre-order for a November release!).
Bio:
Katrina Tortorici Anglehart is an award-winning author from Montreal, with a multilingual prowess in English, French, Italian, and “Spanglish”. A dedicated academic, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, a graduate certificate in Scriptwriting, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.
Inspired by the wizarding world, the land of Narnia, and parallel planes, she penned The Wise One, inviting readers to connect with nature and its ever-present magic. Her exploration of the landscapes and folklore of Ireland and Scotland greatly influenced her debut YA urban fantasy, marking the inception of The Scottish Scrolls series.
K.T. Anglehart is a passionate advocate for bunnies, thanks to her late Netherland Dwarf, Magic—the inspiration behind her imprint, The Magic Dwarf Press. When she’s not writing or diving into magical reads, she revels in hiking, antiquing, and Netflix binges alongside her high
school-sweetheart-turned-husband, Andy. They currently live in Toronto with their three pets: Nessie, a mysterious rescue dog from Puerto Rico, and their whimsical bunnies, Onyx and Stirling.
Welcome, Katrina. Please tell us about your current release.
The Twin Flame—the second book in The Scottish Scrolls series—is up for pre-order. Release date: November 16, 2023.
In The Wise One (book 1), Mckenna’s dormant abilities awaken through a stake-burning nightmare, plunging her into a world of real faeries, grudge-bearing spirits, and a prophecy-obsessed High Priestess. Learning her true lineage from her overprotective dads, she journeys to Ireland and Northern Ireland, amid the ‘90s Troubles, to find her mystic mother and hone her innate magic.
Alongside an insistent wren and a new friend, Mckenna’s path crosses with the enigmatic Cillian, challenging her instincts. Only her mother can guide her against a looming darkness.
In book 2, Mckenna arrives in Scotland, and with her mother’s help, focuses on honing her elemental powers… but she’s tempted by magical shortcuts, endorsed by Cillian. Meanwhile, the imminent threat of the High Priestess propels Mckenna’s choices, with the fate of billions of souls at stake. The prophecy raises an ethical dilemma that has Mckenna questioning which is the lesser evil.
With enthralling twists, Mckenna’s magical journey continues, exploring the intricacies of power, morality, and destiny.
What inspired you to write this book?
A combination of the things I loved most growing up! Harry Potter, Charmed, faeries, myths, and all the teen books I swallowed up in one go. The Wise One was originally a TV script I wrote in my screenwriting class during my Master’s in Creative Writing. I got so obsessed immersed that I wanted to see it through, and I desperately wanted to share it with other witchy-story-loving readers. My biggest fear was to have it buried for years in a slush pile on an agent’s assistant’s desk. So, I adapted it into a book and declared it my thesis project!
Speaking of the story itself, I knew it had to be witchy, and I knew I wanted to ground it in the enchanting landscapes of Ireland and the UK. Synchronistically, Andy and I were planning our Ireland and Scotland honeymoon just as I was outlining The Wise One. Actually being there, diving into the history, soaking in the culture, delving into the folklore, and being surrounded by those jaw-dropping, almost unreal landscapes, well, that’s what really brought it all together… It was the driving force behind much of the storyline. Those places have always had a certain inexplicable tug on me—which you can label as you please, but I like to think it’s a whisper from a previous life or two. And considering my belief that magic is intertwined with nature, the book’s core theme naturally revolves around how we treat our planet, which syncs with the prophecy I wove into the narrative.
Lastly, historical figures played a big role in inspiring me—particularly three accused witches whose tales struck a chord in the most peculiar way. Ignoring them would have been absolutely out of the question.
Excerpt from book 2, The Twin Flame:
Feeling an immense weight being lifted, Mckenna let out another long, drawn-out breath. Like Esme taught her, she imagined herself as a tree, roots sprouting from the soles of her shoes—it was much too cold out to be barefoot—and into the grassy hill. She was the very earth she stood on, as well as the Earth she lived on; her core was its core. She was here for a purpose, and as the top of her head grazed the clouds above her, she knew her place. Not as the wondrous tree she embodied in this transcendent moment, but as an ancient soul being who would change the course of history.
The wind picked up, as though in acknowledgement of her truth, a truth she was no longer afraid to embrace, and she opened her eyes. Her senses heightened, she intuited that each tombstone held its own vibration—some high, perhaps visited frequently, and others much lower, possibly neglected for years or unseen in the shadow of some of the more extravagant designs. Which probably wouldn’t sit well with any spirits that returned to visit their graves…
As the thought entered her mind, the hairs along her neck prickled. There was someone here.
What exciting project are you working on next?
Book three of The Scottish Scrolls, of course! And then possibly a standalone novel, more in the realm of magical realism—I’ve got a weird Gilmore Girls meets Downton Abbey idea I can’t get out of my head. When the time is right, I also plan on dipping my toe in nonfiction.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Stories were my number-one obsession for as long as I can remember. As for knowing when I was a “writer”, I think it was in the fourth or fifth grade, when my oral presentation on why Friends was the best TV show on the planet (I was mature for my age) was voted by the class to move on in a storytelling competition. Being a pretty shy kid, I apparently surprised everyone by how entertaining it was. I declined—because that meant I had to present in front of the entire school. That’s when I knew I was a writer and definitely not a performer.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I freelanced for years as a content writer and editor, and while writing the first book, I transitioned to book editing because I wanted to leave the corporate marketing world. In the end, neither book editing nor content writing was for me. I realized in both cases, using my writing brain as a day job was more draining than it was fulfilling. I’m now a freelance Associate Director at CBC-Radio Canada for the English and French Ontario news, and it’s exhilarating and satisfying in the most terrifying way.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I love me some flashbacks—which I know is not for everyone! I think it’s because I studied televisionand film structure, so that’s how I see it unfolding in my mind; i.e., cutting back and forth between scenes and perspectives. What else…? Ah, yes, I’m an Oxford comma defender, and to my editor’s annoyance, I use “but” a tad too often and think parentheses are quirky. (I kept most of them in, sorry, Rachel!)
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an architect, mainly because my aunt was in that field. She used to work from home, hunched over a drawing table, and I thought that was just the epitome of cool. Going to an office every day seemed like the worst possible fate. But once I realized I needed math, I shifted my aspirations to becoming an actor. It felt like the only route to being a storyteller that made sense to my kid self.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
The realm of The Scottish Scrolls offers, for me, the ultimate escape—an avenue to self-discovery and embracing instincts, even if it entails chasing a bird across the seas to Ireland. It embodies the pure essence of love and unearths magic and equilibrium within nature. It’s a mystical blend of folklore, history, and a touch of the ’90s, all woven together.
And I’m told it’s hella fun.
Links:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Amazon – The Wise One | Amazon pre-order – The Twin Flame