If you read To Rescue a Witch, you noticed it was historical fiction with magical elements that could technically be explained away. For this prequel, I went all in on fantasy: Ghosts! Witches! Spells! Because every time I watched the news I wanted to escape into a different world for a time, and nothing does that better than fantasy fiction. Thank you, readers, for travelling this expanded story path with me.Matilda was inspired by a real woman, Alison Dick, accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake along with her husband in 1633. Known for cursing her neighbors, sinking men’s ships over financial disputes, and an uncanny knack for accurately predicting the future, she had a reputation as a troublesome woman. In court testimony it was apparent that the villagers were terrified of her. Today we understand that magic isn’t real, and we view all accused witches as innocent victims. Her contemporaries had a different opinion. They believed witches had the power to harm or heal and feared for their lives if they were cursed. I thought it would be interesting to explore this idea of a witch having agency and having to face her own deeds to reach redemption.To Rescue a Witch, was a love letter to all the father figures in my life. To Condemn a Witch celebrates the wonderfully messy relationships of women – mothers, daughters, grandmas, friends and frenemies.