I’ve been sitting on this news for an unbearably long time, but now I’m finally able to shout it from the rooftops. My debut novel, The Book of Gothel, the secret history of the Rapunzel folktale as told by the witch, will be published in 2022 by Hachette Orbit/Redhook in the United States and Orbit UK in the United Kingdom!
My dream agent, Sam Farkas at JGLM, sold the book to the brilliant Brit Hvide at Orbit in a two-book deal. The novel tells the story of how the medieval German peasant woman who would become known as the witch, Haelewise, discovers the legendary tower and becomes caught in a dangerous web of intrigue woven by royals and the Church. Some of the characters Haelewise encounters are Beatrice of Burgundy, St. Hildegard of Bingen, and Frederick Barbarossa! You can learn more about the novel in this post on the Orbit blog.
I’ve been working with Brit on editing the book for a few weeks now, and I’m excited to turn it in soon. I also can’t wait to get to work on my second novel, which will be another historical reimagining!
MARY MCMYNE 