Behind the Book with Alyssa Goodnight

My upcoming release, JUST SAY YES, has been through a lot of iterations. I started it before my last book came out in January 2013 and have been writing and editing it steadily, right up through April of this year. A LOT of iterations. But it all started with a curiosity. I liked the idea of writing a book centered around a kitchen witch—or a family of kitchen witches. Using food and flowers and tone of voice, and intent to effect a little magic. Good magic, the best. Magic that inspired, strengthened, or nurtured love. Because, ROMANCE!

So I came up with the idea of a grown woman just learning about her family’s tradition of kitchen witchery. She either had to embrace it, or let it fizzle out, because she was the only child of an only child. She could learn fromSadie Trevalyn’s Book of Kitchen Witchery, left to her by her grandmother, or she could choose to not believe and go on with her normal life. By golly, she chose magic!

I decided to center the story around a supper club, devised and organized by Opal Trevalyn, newbie kitchen witch, with the intent of pairing up her dinner guests two by two. Nudging and encouraging them on their romantic way with a little food magic.

The meet cute for couple number one, Jade Moran and Max Gianopoulis, dynamic duo of JUST SAY YES, was likely inspired by the lengthy (and quite tedious) renovation project my husband and I recently tackled with another couple. (The finished product is now a beautiful vacation rental in Asheville, NC.) Jade got a hideous 70s kitchen, and Max became a skilled, hunky contractor. And Opal waited in the wings, ready to ply them both with magic treats. A novel was born.

Jade and Max are the guinea pigs, but Opal isn’t done match-making, and she has plenty more magical mojo treats to go around.