Michelle Harrison

The Widdershins sisters are back in their fourth frosty adventure, A Storm of Sisters. The beautiful cover is illustrated by Melissa Castrillón and it will be published in the UK on February 2022.

Here’s the blurb:

When the Widdershins sisters and Granny are called away in deepest winter to look after cousin Clarissa, it doesn’t take long for adventure – or trouble – to find them. Far away Wilderness has plenty to explore with its frozen lake and winter market, as well as the ghostly legend of a doomed highwayman and his servant sweetheart.

But the haunting tale is closer than the girls know, and seeing a phantom figure one night, the girls fear that Granny is in terrible danger. As an icy storm rages, the sisters must summon all their bravery to save a life…

Waterstones will be stocking an exclusive special edition with blue sprayed edges, you can pre-order your copy here. Be quick – once they’re gone, they’re gone!

You can also pre-order from:

Amazon

Waterstones (unsprayed edges)

Hive

A Tangle of Spells is OUT NOW! The Widdershins are back in their third adventure, and this time it’s a story of secret rooms, spells and of course, SISTERS. Betty, Fliss and Charlie are finally moving away from gloomy Crowstone to the pretty village of Pendlewick: a place of cosy tea rooms, golden meadows and postcard perfect cottages. But is the village really as perfect as it seems? When they stumble upon a hidden room in their new home the three sisters are catapulted into danger as one of them becomes dangerously bewitched.

Can the sisters use their own pinch of magic to overcome the evil spell that holds Pendlewick in its grip? Or have they met their match this time?

Wowsers – this book was a struggle to write during the lockdown! My son Jack was only at school for about eight weeks over the entire year, and my deadlines kept getting extended, and extended and I was missing them all. The book finally got finished and went to print in December, which is crazily late in the publishing world, but the fantastic team at Simon & Schuster somehow made it happen. As for the story itself, I think it’s possibly my favourite of the three and the witchiest one yet.

Sadly events are on hold right now for obvious reasons. It feels really strange not to have school events and bookshop signings lined up as I normally would, but I hope that the next few months will look brighter and that I might be able to get out and about and meet some of you. With book shops currently closed you might not be able to buy the book as you would normally, but don’t worry, there are plenty of options. Many book shops (such as Chicken and Frog, my favourite independent book shop in Brentwood) are still taking orders over the phone or online and will post books out to customers. I’m delighted to say that Tesco and Sainsbury are both stocking A Tangle of Spells, so look out for them there, too. And finally, Waterstones are stocking these gorgeous exclusive editions with green sprayed edges for those of you who like your books a little fancier, and which you can order here.

Support independent book stores by ordering with Hive.

Order from Amazon.

Please do also check your local library for copies. Even if your library is closed there may be an app you can use to borrow ebooks (such as BorrowBox). Don’t be afraid to ask if it’s not there – librarians can often order books in for you.

Enjoy the adventure, everyone!

*PRE-ORDER WATERSTONES EXCLUSIVE GREEN SPRAYED EDGES EDITION*

Jumping jackdaws! I am SO excited to reveal the incredible cover for the third book in the Widdershins Adventures: A Tangle of Spells, illustrated by the phenomenal Melissa Castrillòn.

Everyone knows that magic and trouble go hand in hand…

A dangerous spell cast over an unsuspecting village.
An enchanted painting locked in a hidden room.
A desperate race against time to break the spell before it’s too late…

It should have been a fresh start for the Widdershins. Finally free from the misty gloom of Crowstone and beginning a new life. But all is not as it seems in their postcard-pretty village. Their neighbours are acting strangely, and why do they flinch at the mere mention of magic?

The Widdershins sisters have their own secret: a set of enchanted nesting dolls with the power to render their user invisible. The sisters must use their wits – and their magic – if they’re to break the dark hold over the village, and save one of their own . . . but have they met their match this time?

Published by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd. Out 4th February 2020.

Pre-order from Waterstones

Pre-order from Amazon

If you’re one of my readers in North America, the wait is finally over. The Widdershins sisters have made their way over the Atlantic in their first adventure. A Pinch of Magic is out now!

All Betty Widdershins wants is an adventure—one that takes her far away from Crowstone, the gloomy island where she’s always lived. But instead of an adventure, Betty and her sisters, Fliss and Charlie, are given of a set of magical objects, each with its own powers: a scruffy carpet bag, a set of wooden nesting dolls, and a gilt-framed mirror. And these magical objects come with their own terrible secret: the sisters’ family is haunted by a generations-long curse that prevents them from ever leaving their island—at the cost of death.

The sisters set out to break the curse and free their family forever. But after stumbling upon a mysterious prisoner who claims to be able to help them, they find themselves in great danger. And in order to break the curse—and stay alive—they must unravel a mystery that goes back centuries, one that involves shipwrecks, smugglers, and sorcery of the most perilous kind.

BUY from Barnes & Noble

BUY from Amazon

WIN!

My publisher has kindly provided two copies to give away to readers in the USA.

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment below telling me which of the three Widdershins’ magical objects you’d most like to own: a carpet bag that can take you anywhere in an instant, a set of nesting dolls that can turn you invisible, or a magic mirror to spy on others.

RULES:
• Open to all ages, USA ONLY
• One entry per person

CLOSING DATE: 18TH AUGUST 2020

Winners will be contacted by email no later than 20th August 2020. Comments from people outside of the USA are welcome but will not be entered into the competition.

Cover artwork © Celine Kim

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED.

Hello there, Pinch Posse.

I’m currently busy writing the Widdershins’ third adventure (A Tangle of Spells) as well as wrangling a six year old through the summer holidays, but I had to pop online to share one of my favourite recipes with you. Those of you who have read A Sprinkle of Sorcery might remember the mention of lavender jam, and with lavender at its best right now there’s no better time to make it.

Makes 4-6 jars of mixed sizes

You’ll need:

40g lavender flowers (rinsed from the garden, or culinary lavender)

700g sugar

550ml apple juice

130ml liquid pectin

An adult helper

Method:

1. Sterilise your jam jars by washing in hot soapy water, then rinse and put in a preheated oven on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 160°C. Switch off oven and leave jars inside until jam is ready. Soak lids in boiling water for a few minutes.

2. Place lavender flowers and apple juice into a pan and bring to the boil. Cover with lid, remove from the heat, and leave for 15 minutes.

3. Strain out the flowers and return to the heat. Stir in sugar and bring to the boil again.

4. Add the pectin and boil for 4-5 minutes.

5. Remove from heat, carefully ladle into jars and seal with lids. Don’t be alarmed if the jam seems very runny, it won’t set until it’s completely cool.

6. Decorate with pretty labels, or even sprigs of dried lavender and ribbon.

Delicious with scones, as a sponge cake filling, or simply on toast! (Or you could do a Charlie and spoon it straight out of the jar…)

Notes:

• For a looser, more spreadable jam stick to the lower end of the boiling stage (about 4 minutes)
• The jam pictured is from a batch I made with culinary lavender, which gave it this pretty pink colour. However, when I’ve made it previously with lavender from my garden, the end product retained the colour of the apple juice.

You can download and print the recipe here: Lavender Jam Recipe

Happy jamming!