Housewitch - Tor/Forge Blog

Housewitch eBook is Now on Sale for $2.99!

May 3, 2016May 13, 2024torforge

The ebook for Katie Schickel’s Housewitch is on sale for only $2.99!*

About Housewitch: Allison Darling, former foster child, now a stay-at-home mom of three, desperately wants to fit in with the organic latte drinking, hundred-dollar-yoga-pants-wearing moms who run Monrovia, her charming seaside village. Constantly feeling like an outsider, Allison dreams of more for her children.

When the Glamour Girls, a soap-selling company run by the most charismatic and powerful women in town, recruits Allison, she jumps at the invitation. The Glamor Girls have a hand in everything in Monrovia, from bake sales to business deals. This is what Allison’s wanted her whole life—to be liked. To be popular. To belong.

After Allison’s estranged mother passes away, she learns her family’s heartbreaking legacy and the secret Allison’s been fighting to suppress all her life emerges: she’s a witch. What’s more, she’s not the only one in town. There’s more to the Glamour Girls then it seems… and once you’re a Glamour Girl, there’s no going back.

Allison must use her rediscovered magic to defend Monrovia, protect her marriage and her children, and reclaim her legacy. Fighting tooth and nail for her family is easy, but what about for herself? Is it too late to confront her own demons and become the woman she dreams of being?

Buy Housewitch today:

Sale ends June 3rd.

Events / What's New

On the Road: Tor/Forge Author Events in February

February 5, 2015May 10, 2024torforge

Tor/Forge authors are on the road in February! Once a month, we’re collecting info about all of our upcoming author events. Check and see who’ll be coming to a city near you:

Elizabeth Bear, Karen Memory

Thursday, February 12
Pandemonium Books and Games
Also with Scott Lynch
Cambridge, MA
7:00 PM

James Grady, Last Days of the Condor

Wednesday, February 18
Politics and Prose
Washington, D.C.
7:00 PM

Thursday, February 19
Mysterious Bookshop
New York, NY
6:30 PM

Randy Henderson, Finn Fancy Necromancy

Tuesday, February 10
University Bookstore
Seattle, WA
7:00 PM

Wednesday, February 11
Liberty Bay Books
Poulsbo, WA
6:30 PM

Thursday, February 12
Eagle Harbor Book Co.
Bainbridge Island, WA
7:30 PM

Tuesday, February 17
The Wilde Rover
Also with Mark Teppo and Scott James Magner. Books provided by University Bookstore.
Kirkland, WA
7:00 PM

Wednesday, February 18
McMenamins Kennedy School
Also with Mark Teppo and Scott James Magner.
Portland, OR
7:00 PM

Thursday, February 19
Powell’s Books
Beaverton, OR
7:00 PM

Saturday, February 21
Avid Reader
Sacramento, CA
7:30 PM

Monday, February 23
Books Inc.
Mountain View, CA
7:00 PM

Wednesday, February 25
Mysterious Galaxy
San Diego, CA
7:30 PM

Friday, February 27
The Last Bookstore
Los Angeles, CA
7:00 PM

Leanna Renee Hieber, The Eterna Files

Wednesday, February 11
Word Brooklyn
Brooklyn, NY
7:00 PM

Friday, February 13
Barnes & Noble
Also with Alethea Kontis.
West Melbourne, FL
7:00 PM

Monday, February 16
Barnes & Noble
Also with Alethea Kontis.
Tampa, FL
6:00 PM

Tuesday, February 17
Barnes & Noble
Also with Alethea Kontis.
Orlando, FL
7:00 PM

Saturday, February 21
Barnes & Noble
Also with Alethea Kontis.
Tallahassee, FL
1:00 PM

Mary Pat Kelly, Of Irish Blood

Wednesday, February 4
Barnes & Noble
Upper West Side
New York, NY
7:00 PM

Saturday, February 7
Neil Shanahan Educators Seminar: Irish and Irish American Women in the Development of the Modern World
Panel Discussion with Irish Consul General Barbara Jones
991 5th Ave
New York, NY
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Wednesday, February 11
Brookline Booksmith
Boston, MA
7:00 PM

Saturday, February 14
Titcomb’s Bookshop
East Sandwich, MA
2:00 PM

Sunday, February 15
South Yarmouth Library
South Yarmouth, MA
2:00 PM

Monday, February 16
Blue Bunny Books
Dedham, MA
3:00 PM

Thursday, February 19
Chester County Books
West Chester, PA
7:00 PM

Saturday, February 21
Books & Co.
Beavercreek, OH
2:00 PM

Sunday, February 22
Irish Heritage Center of Greater Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH
1:30 PM

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Truth Be Told

Wednesday, February 18
Marlborough Public Library
Marlborough, MA
7:00 PM

Katie Schickel, Housewitch

Tuesday, February 17
The Harvard Coop
Cambridge, MA
7:00 PM

Monday, February 23
Books-A-Million
South Portland, ME
7:00 PM

Friday, February 27
Jabberwocky Bookshop
Newburyport, MA
7:00 PM

Kristen Simmons, The Glass Arrow

Tuesday, February 10
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
Cincinnati, OH
7:00 PM

Wednesday, February 11
Carmichael’s Bookstore
Louisville, KY
6:00 PM

Saturday, February 14
Barnes & Noble
Happy Valentine’s Day! Also with Jules Bennett, Lori Foster, Toni Blake, Jessica Lemmon, Jennifer McGowan, Donna MacMeans, and Patricia Sargeant.
West Chester, OH
1:00 PM

Tuesday, February 17
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
Lexington, KY
7:00 PM

Saturday, February 21
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
Crestview Hills, KY
2:00 PM

Carrie Vaughn, Low Midnight

Thursday, February 5
The Book Bin
Salem, OR
7:00 PM

Thursday, February 12
The Harvard Coop
Cambridge, MA
7:00 PM

What's New

Starred Review: Housewitch by Katie Schickel

February 3, 2015May 15, 2024torforge

“…Schickel makes a clever statement about the illusion of popularity and the power of trusting yourself.”

Katie Schickel’s Housewitch got a starred review in Booklist!

Here’s the full review, from the January 1 issue:

In this enchanting debut novel, Schickel tells a tale of family and community with a magical twist. Allison Darling spent most of her childhood in foster care and still has a difficult time fitting in as a wife and mother. The idyllic seaside town where her family lives is run by a clique of seemingly perfect women led by Astrid, the founder of Glamour, an all-natural soap and cosmetics company. Most of Monrovia’s residents sell or use the products, and Astrid and the Glamour Girls control the town’s school, businesses, and even its city council. When Allison begins to make inroads with the group, she discovers the secret to their influence: witchcraft.

At the same time, Allison’s estranged mother dies in a mental institution, and by seeking out her remaining relatives, Allison learns that she’s descended from a long line of real witches. And she finds that beyond superficial spells for beauty, Astrid is practicing dark magic. What ensues is a classic, page-turning battle between good and evil set among the trappings of suburban motherhood. By transforming a clique into a coven, Schickel makes a clever statement about the illusion of popularity and the power of trusting yourself.

Housewitch will be published on February 17.