Back in a Spell (The Witches of Thistle Grove, #3)(85)
“I would also call on you to serve as counsel to the Victor and Voice,” Emmy went on, that fierce blue glow around her subsiding a little. “An advisor in a formal role, to me as well as the new Elder Blackmoore. I’ve found your perspective enlightening, and I suspect we would both benefit from each other’s . . . lived experience, moving forward.”
“Shit, I think you just got a promotion,” Jessa murmured, with a little nudge. “That, and she wants a former demigoddess on her team.”
“That will be all,” Emmy concluded, the swarming blue light around her winking out entirely. “Have a blessed Yule—and may this solstice mark a new era for us all!”
As she stepped down from the podium, I smiled to myself, because, ironically, my grandmother and mother had been righter than they knew. This would be a new age for the Blackmoores, and for the whole of Thistle Grove, but not the kind the two of them had been envisioning.
The kind, instead, that would let us all step into power without trampling anybody else.
The kind that was going to let me be both Nina and Nineve, secure in my own skin, cherished by those who really mattered. Advisor to Emmy and my brother; lover and teacher to Morty; forever best friend to Jessa, no secrets lurking between us to undermine. Neither demigoddess nor mere witch, but everything I’d ever willed and wanted for myself, and would in days to come—because what we wanted for ourselves was ever subject to change.
What I wanted for myself now was all the light I could imagine, starting with the end of this longest night.
And I knew that somewhere, deep beneath the water of some very far-flung lake, a sleeping goddess stirred a little in her slumber. Her perfect lips curving with the suggestion of a smile.
Acknowledgments
One of the many beautiful things about writing a series—especially a witchy one—is that each book not only allows you to explore a new facet of a magical town and its community, but also gives you the chance to lean into a totally different emotional experience. While Payback’s a Witch was my safe and sparkly happy-place book, and From Bad to Cursed my opportunity to explore the darker side of Thistle Grove, Nina’s almost-villain origin story was closer to therapy. It let me dive deeper into a more ponderous (and very adult) emotional journey than I’d ever done before, and gave me a lovely, healing outlet for personal trauma I was working through myself. That being the case, I’m even more grateful to have had the chance to write this particular book.
As ever, I’m indebted to my editor, Cindy Hwang, for her loving care and brilliant shaping of this story. To the entire team at Berkley—Stephanie, Elisha, Bridget, Angela, Katie, Julie, and everyone else so reliably making the magic happen behind the scenes—thank you so much for everything you do for me and Thistle Grove.
Taylor, Jasmine, Holly, and everyone else in the Root Literary coven, thank you for your attention, wisdom, and hand-holding. Where/what would I be without you?! Quite weepy and messy, probably.
More than with either of the previous books, I leaned on my fabulous critique group crew (Jilly, Chelsea, and Adriana) to reassure me that the heavier subject matter, more intense magic, and predominantly Blackmoore narrative featured in Back in a Spell was hitting right. And massive thanks to my mother, my beloved OG beta reader, who loved Nineve Cliodhna Blackmoore so much that it gave me permission to love Nina like I wanted to.
As always, thank you to my family for the safety net you’ve always provided, and for the herculean efforts and sacrifice that allowed me to reach this relatively charmed writing life. It still feels like an impossible dream on many days; please know I never take it for granted.
Finally, to the Thistle Grove readers who’ve stuck by me book after book—you are the true heart of these stories. Thank you for your time, your money, your love for these characters, and every single Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok post celebrating these books (in visually creative ways I could never hope to mimic myself, because my photos/videos are . . . what they are!). You never fail to make my day, and I hope I get to keep surprising you with ancient spells and sleeping goddesses for many books to come.
READERS GUIDE
Back in a Spell
LANA HARPER
Questions for Discussion
When we first meet Nina Blackmoore, she feels powerless and downtrodden, stuck in an “emotional fugue state” after having been all but ditched at the altar by her fiancée a year ago. Did her feelings resonate with you and if so, how?
Right before her first date with Morty, Nina has a very unusual experience at Lady’s Lake. Did you have any thoughts about what might be happening beneath the water’s surface, and how did your expectations fit with what we later discover about the lake?
Nina and her brothers have a deeply damaging and complicated relationship with their mother and grandmother. Can you identify with or recognize any of these destructive patterns, or are you more familiar with loving and supportive families like Morty’s?
Did learning more about the Blackmoores and their toxic background shed a different light on Nina’s brothers, Gareth and Gawain, for you? Did you find that your perspective on the Blackmoores shifted over the course of the story, or did it stay the same?