Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chroicles #1) by Jessica Spotswood
February 7th, 2012 from Putnum Juvenille
Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship–or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word…especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood–not even from each other.
UPDATE! Below my ramblings is a mini interview about this awesome cover with author Jessica Spotswood! She answers some of those awesome questions you guys left below:
Just when I was poking around my wishlist for ALA, this little beauty pops up on Twitter! Thanks, Jodi Meadows! So here we have a cover reveal - and what a cover it is! - and also my Waiting On post.... So, what do you all think? Yes, yes, I know...unbelievable beautiful! The premise sounds amazing as well. You had me at "shocking marriage proposals!"
WELCOME Jessica!
I read that Jaclyn Dolamore (Magic Under Glass) is your critique partner. How did that come about?
Jackie & I were friends on LiveJournal & commented on each other's blogs for awhile. Then we met in person last summer at ALA and traipsed around together talking about our WIPs. We discovered we both love stories about artists and underdogs, and we decided to see if we were a good fit as CPs. We've been roomies on two writing retreats this year and we email all the time. I think her strength in writing is creating these rich, full, fascinating worlds, and world-building is something I really have to work at, so she's a great person to give me feedback on that. If I can pimp her upcoming release for a sec: you should all read Between the Sea & Sky! It's lovely--like a fantasy L.M. Montgomery.
Today was your big cover reveal. How nervous were you last night about putting Born Wicked out into the world?
I was super-nervous! But I gave the Apocalypsies a sneak peek, and the response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, so that helped. Also, I flat-out adore it. That bright blue direct gaze! The pink and red flowers! The fonts! I'm really happy with it.
Can you tell us who designed the cover art and have they worked on other books?
Sure! It was designed by the brilliant Elizabeth Woods. She also did Maureen Johnson's Name of the Star.
Where and when does Born Wicked take place?
It takes place in an alternate 1895 in a New England run by a patriarchal group of priests called the Brotherhood. The Brothers create addendums to the morality codes, govern trials of girls accused for witchery, and choose husbands for girls if they don't have a prospective suitor before their seventeenth birthdays.
Not everything can fit in the synopsis, what else would you like to tell us about Born Wicked?
Cate is a heroine who knows her own mind. That was important to me. She knows what she wants, but she's not sure whether it's possible to have it. She's working against a society that expects her to be quiet and submissive, and the repercussions for being herself could be very serious.
Also there's a kiss in a secret closet that is pretty much everybody's favorite scene in the book, including mine. I can't wait to share it with all of you!
Thank you, Jessica!
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You can find Jessica on her blog and on Twitter
