Spotlight & Giveaway: Witch of the Wolves by Kelley Armstrong

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Kelley Armstrong to HJ!

Hi Kelley and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Haunting of Paynes Hollow!

 
Hello, readers! Thanks so much for popping in!
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Victorian London has a hidden supernatural underworld, and that’s where Cordelia lives, working for her aunt’s dark magic apothecary business. When a handsome stranger insists that her life is in danger and she must come with him immediately, she refuses, as any sensible woman would. Then her aunt’s house is invaded by supernatural mercenaries and she’s rescued by that stranger, Bishop, who turns out to be a werewolf, working for the Alpha of the English Pack. That Alpha is also, apparently, her father. He’s taken her into protective custody and assigns Bishop to look after her. Cordelia doesn’t like any of it—well, except for Bishop; she might like Bishop. The rest, though, is worrying, and she soon realizes she has good reason to be suspicious.
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

” I don’t get enough opportunities to see nearly naked men, and when I do, glimpsed by accident at brothels, it’s usually a disappointment. This isn’t.”

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• The working title for this one was Chosen, which is perfect thematically (Cordelia is treated like a “chosen one” but also dealing with having her power of choice ripped away.) It really doesn’t convey what the book is about, though, and Witch of the Wolves does.
• I love the Victorian era, and I could go on at length with the history…but I chose not to for this book. It just didn’t feel right for the story. I even went through the whole book and made the dialogue more casual and modern to show that I was aiming for the vibes of Victoriana rather than a historical novel.
• There may be a “red wedding” in this book, and I may have listened to Bruno Mars very sweet and upbeat “Marry Me” on repeat while writing it because I have a twisted sense of humor.

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Bishop has no idea what initially attracts him to Cordelia, and it drives him crazy. He’s a very rational guy, completely focused on his ambitions. He was tasked—by his Alpha, Cordelia’s father—with following Cordelia before he met her, and he found himself wanting to keep following her, learn more about her, find an excuse to talk to her. Once he does get to know her, he’s all the more fascinated by her—and all the more driven crazy by her.
When Cordelia first meet Bishop, he orders her to go with him—a total stranger—for her own safety. Which is not happening, but it’s also oddly intriguing. That sums up Cordelia’s initial attraction. Bishop is commanding with a dangerous edge, and yet he’s also smart enough not to try to make her do anything she doesn’t want to do (Bishop’s note to self: bring chloroform next time…)

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

I can’t share the ones that had me tearing up. They’d be spoilers. I always love the banter scenes, and the best are the sexy banter ones, which can make me smile even when I’m reading them again in edits. Here’s a snippet of a much longer banter scene, with Cordelia taking a bath:

“You are determined to undo me,” Bishop says.
“If I wanted to do that, I’d stand up.” I slide deeper under the water. “There, does that help?”
His gaze goes to my chest, my nipples poking above the surface. “Not at all.”
“There is a distinct lack of water,” I say.
“No, there is a distinct abundance of breast.”
“One can be remedied. The other cannot.”

Readers should read this book….

I’m guessing this is for a book I recommend, right? I hope so, because I’m so much better at telling readers about other author’s books that they should read.
My recommendation would be The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow. I recently finished this and absolutely adored it. I’ve read several of Harrow’s excellent works, but this is my favorite…so far. It’s set in almost exactly the same year as Witch of the Wolves, but set in the United States, in an alternate reality where witches were real and the American witch hunts were a much bigger thing. It’s a wonderful story about reclaiming power in a time when women didn’t have much of it.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I’m actually plotting book 3 of this series. Yes, book 1 isn’t even out yet but book 2 is done and edited, and I’m working on the third. As for book 2, that’s The Wolf Queen’s Curse and will be out in September 2026. One advantage to writing so far ahead is that you’ll even get a sneak peek of it in Witch of the Wolves.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: A copy of WITCH OF THE WOLVES by Kaylee Archer

To enter Giveaway: Please leave a comment to this Q: A handsome stranger says your life is in danger and you must go with him. What else can he say to convince you to go? (Feel free to have fun with your answer!)

 
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Excerpt from The Haunting of Paynes Hollow:

He turns just as I hear light footsteps. “And here is
your lady’s maid. Good evening, Marjorie.”
A woman appears. She’s in her late twenties, slight of build,
with light brown skin, raven-black
hair, amber eyes, and a face
lovely enough to make any man look twice. Unlike the maid at my father’s London house, Marjorie meets my gaze with a con- fident smile.
“Good evening, m’lady.” A half curtsy. “I’m Marjorie, and I’ll be taking care of you.”
She has a faint French accent, and I reply with “Bonne soire.”
She laughs. “I’m afraid I don’t know much French, miss. My mother brought me across the channel when I was three.”
“Well, then, I’ll pretend that I’m disappointed we can’t con- verse in French, rather than admitting that was just about the only phrase I know.”
“I’ll take my leave,” Bishop says. “Good evening to you both.” “Oh, Mr. Bishop?” Marjorie says. “I know you asked whether Tabitha should help me with Miss Cordelia. I’ve thought about it, and I think she should. She was very excited to hear that Miss
Cordelia is a witch.”
Bishop’s expression grows grave as he nods. “I wondered about that. I wasn’t sure whether she’d appreciate it or find it an unwelcome reminder.”
“She’d appreciate it.” Marjorie looks at me. “Tabitha is only twelve, and a witch, but she’s mute, so . . .” She shrugs. “Her magic is useless. She can’t cast spells or incantations.”
I struggle for words, trying not to appear too horrified at the thought. “I’m sorry to hear that. But yes, I’d love to meet her. Thank you.”
Marjorie glances over at Bishop. “You asked about Ann. I de- cided to give her the choice. She said yes, she’d like to help with Miss Cordelia.”
“If that’s her wish.” “It is.”
With a nod, Bishop takes his leave.
Marjorie moves to the wardrobe and opens it to reveal hang- ing clothing and a tower of small drawers. She tugs one of the drawers.

“I hope I’m not too bold,” I say, “but if Tabitha is a witch, may I ask whether any of the other women here are supernaturals as well?”
Marjorie chuckles. “The Alpha’s daughter doesn’t need to worry about being too bold with the servants. But you’re kind to ask, miss. Yes, we’re all supernaturals. It makes things easier, since we know what our employers are. I’m a half-demon.”
“What type?”
“Fire. Ann is a necromancer. Together with Tabitha, we’re the only three who’ll work with you, so the others don’t matter.” She turns and holds up a nightgown. “Ooh, this is pretty.”
It is indeed pretty—white cotton for the warmer weather, with ruffles and lace trim.
“It probably won’t fit,” I say wistfully. “My body isn’t the standard size.”
Marjorie’s grin sparks. “Oh, I believe there are many men who think that should be the standard size.” The smile vanishes in a grimace. “And now I’m being too bold. And too coarse.”
“My aunt sold salves and prophylactics to brothels, and I always volunteered to make the deliveries. I appreciated frank discussions of things I’d never hear in a London drawing room.”
She laughs. “Then we’ll get along splendidly, Miss Cordelia, and I’ll be relieved if I don’t need to pretend my dressing skills come from being a proper lady’s maid, rather than helping my colleagues dress for the evening.”
Her sidelong glance gauges my reaction, and I try not to look surprised. I prattled on to Bishop about how I was accustomed to brothels, and now my maid is telling me she used to work at one, and I don’t want to look naive, even if, in this moment, I suddenly feel exactly that.
“Then I won’t need to pretend I’ve ever had a proper lady’s maid,” I say. “The only person who helps me is my aunt. She’s excellent at fixing my hair but always pulls my corset strings too tight.”
“No need of that here, miss. No one would know how tight or loose a corset should be. That’s one advantage to being in a house full of men.”
She helps me out of my dress, corset, corset cover, and pet- ticoats. I keep my drawers and chemise on, and when I put the nightgown over my head, I expect it to get stuck halfway down. Instead, it falls over me, neither tight nor overly roomy.
I catch a glimpse of myself in the looking glass. The night- gown fits me perfectly, and that isn’t possible. There’s no magic that does such a thing, only a seamstress with a set of measure- ments.
Wordlessly, I walk to the wardrobe. Three dresses hang in- side, all of them beautiful and very clearly new, in exactly the colors and styles I wear.
I take one down and hold it out. It’ll fit. It’ll fit perfectly.
“Do you want that one for tomorrow, miss?” Marjorie asks. “No, I just . . . I wanted to see what’s here. I didn’t expect
men to know what a woman needs.”
“True, but your father is very thorough.”
I open one drawer and then another. Everything is there. Each undergarment I might want or need.
All in my size. “Miss Cordelia?”
I disguise my confusion by stifling a fake yawn. “Sorry. I’m keeping you up, and I can’t imagine the hour.”
“Nearly three, miss. But I napped earlier. If you’re hungry or want to talk, I’m here.”
“I’d love to talk, but what I need to do is sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow? And meet Ann and Tabitha?”
“Of course, miss. I expect you’ll want a late breakfast, so we’ll come by at noon to dress you and bring you a tray. If you wake up earlier, you only need to speak to Mr. Oliver.”
“Noon will be fine. Thank you.”

I don’t sleep for hours. I’m too unsettled.
What have I gotten myself into?
I can’t think of it that way. I got myself out of something— with help. The problem is that the help came from strangers, and now I’m in their home, and I am not prepared.
I made mistakes at the town house. I endangered Audrey, and I . . . I killed Henrietta. But I didn’t mean to kill her, and I got Audrey to safety, and I avoided being caught by that half-demon. Considering my lack of real fighting experience, I did fine.
But now I’m here, among werewolves. If anything goes wrong, I’m trapped. I’m deep in their lair, in a guarded, windowless room, and my father might call me a guest, but how quickly might he decide I’m a captive instead?
Stop that. I’m anxious and overreacting.
My father has been nothing but kind and considerate. I imag- ine him compiling that wardrobe for me, in the hopes he could convince Lenora to let me get to know him, spend time here, and I’m touched. Everything is perfect. Just enough pieces for a visit . . . a visit that might never have come if Lenora had her way.
If only she’d talked to me.
If only she’d trusted me enough—thought me mature enough—to tell me about my father and let me make choices.
But she didn’t . . . and I don’t know how to feel about that.
I take deep breaths. I’ll fix this. I’ll let my father handle this threat against me, and then I’ll go home and speak to Lenora.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Cordelia Levine, a twenty-three-year-old witch hidden in the human world, leads a quiet life in London with her aunt, managing an apothecary for the supernatural. But her life is upended when a brooding and handsome werewolf, Bishop Danvers, kidnaps her on her estranged father’s orders—the Alpha of the Albion Pack.

It is at Trevelyan, her father’s estate, that Cordelia learns she comes from a long line of witches with secondary werewolf traits—a powerful and unique bloodline that must be protected from foreign packs.

Not everyone in the pack is happy about Cordelia’s arrival, and as danger closes in, she wonders if the man who ripped her from her life could be the one to save it.
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Meet the Author:

KAYLEE ARCHER grew up on tales of legend and lore, myth and magic. Her favorites were always werewolves and witches, and when she ran out of stories to read about them, she started writing her own. As she got older, the werewolves and witches stopped killing each other and started kissing. Okay, no, they still kill each other…but they also find plenty of time for kissing.
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