LUCY BURDETTE: I'm delighted to welcome Ivy aka Melissa Bourbon to the blog today! Aside from writing cozy mysteries, she teaches many wonderful online classes and is a whiz at explaining Pinterest to writers. Welcome Ivy!
IVY CASSIDY: First, let me just say how happy I am to be here with the Jungle Red Writers. Truly. If you’d told me years ago that I’d be talking about magical houses and ancestral secrets on this blog, I would have said, “Heck yeah! Sign me up!”
When I started writing House of Spells and Secrets, I thought I was writing a story about three sisters coming home after their mother’s death. And I was. But I also knew I wanted a house that had almost equal billing and opinions of its own because I love an old house with history.
Swallow Hall sits on the Chesapeake Bay on fictional Bird Island. It's crumbling a bit, it’s moody, and it's watchful. As I was writing it, I kind of envisioned the Winchester Mystery House in Santa Clara, California, a place where doorways lead to nowhere, windows are upside down, and everything is topsy-turvy. Swallow Hall is the kind of place that holds drafts in its hallways and secrets in its walls. It’s not haunted in a “boo!” kind of way. It’s haunted in the way families are haunted…by what was never said, by what was buried for protection, and by love that inevitably led to loss.
The novel follows triplets—Rowan, Caraline, and Saoirse—who return to their mother’s childhood home…a home they never even knew about, complete with a grandmother they'd never met.
There they discover inherited magic.
This isn't a cauldron-stirring, sparkly wand kind of magic. It's the kind of magic that exists deep inside. It's inherited magic that comes from Biddy Early, who was a real person and the last woman tried for witchcraft in Ireland in the 1850s. It's the kind of magic that shows up as intuition…as knowing. It's like that tightening in your chest when something is wrong.
Rowan (my point-of-view sister) hasn't discovered her magic yet. She tastes things,… but what kind of magic is that? Caraline is a kitchen witch. She processes life through flour and fire. And Saoirse, a green witch, is most at home in her apothecary and with her plants.
Together, the three sisters are stronger. Apart, they’re…complicated.
At its heart, this book is about inheritance, not just of a mysterious house, but of expectation, of legacy, and of power you didn’t ask for but can’t turn your back on.
I didn’t grow up in a magical manor on the Bay (sadly), but I do understand what it feels like to come back to a place and see it differently. To realize that the stories you were told as a child were edited versions. To recognize that the women who came before you were carrying more than they let on.
That’s the space I love to write in.
My Ivy Cassidy books lean into magical realism, which for me means the magic never overwhelms the emotion. Rather, it supports it. Maybe grief feels bigger or love feels more layered. And in the case of House of Spells and Secrets, the past doesn’t stay politely tucked away. It breathes and pulses with life.
And then there's the Chesapeake Bay setting! I think that water keeps secrets. Tides pull things out and drag other things under. There's a real island on the Chesapeake Bay that's sinking (Tangier Island in Virginia) and that was a great inspiration for Bird Island and Swallow Hall. It felt like the perfect backdrop for a story about these sisters discovering their truth, whether they're ready for it or not.
Ultimately, House of Spells and Secrets is about three sisters coming home and discovering family, history, magic, and themselves.
I’m curious. Do you love a house with a little personality? Do you believe places remember us? Or are we the ones doing the remembering?
I can’t wait to hear what you think and for you to dig into House of Spells and Secrets!
About Ivy Cassidy:
Ivy Cassidy writes stories steeped in whispered legends, ancestral secrets, and the quiet magic, all woven into the threads of everyday life. Her novels explore generational bonds, intuitive women, and the unseen forces that shape who we become.
Also known as Melissa Bourbon, Ivy leans more deeply into magical realism and emotional resonance, crafting stories where the past meets the present and long-buried secrets rise, steady and inevitable.
When she’s not writing, she’s walking her dogs, sipping something warm, and dreaming up stories with a soft shimmer around the edges.
Oh, my . . . this sounds incredible, Ivy. I can't wait to visit Swallow Hall and meet the sisters.
ReplyDeleteI love old houses . . . perhaps they remember us as much as we remember them . . . .
I believe they do, Joan. Kind of like clay memory (I'm learning pottery!)...I do believe some things hold memories.
DeletePS that's me, Ivy!
DeleteI love a house with personality! Our former house had a firepole! It went from the main floor to the basement. The house was never a fire station, so we don’t know what prompted a former owner to install it. The owner just before us replaced it, so it was in good condition and fun to use.
ReplyDeleteThat is a creative and interesting house element! I bet it was fun. And quick to get downstairs. lol ~Ivy
DeleteThis book sounds fabulous, Ivy. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteIn my 45 years in Massachusetts, I've only lived in houses more than 100 years old (and one was 300 years old), and they all have personality. Wide-board floors that tilt and ripple. Walls that make sounds. Stairs that creak. A silent woman in white who appeared in the night to a visiting friend.
And, in the previous house and this one, I lived in them with walls torn down to the studs as my partner rebuilt it. We found various mysterious and possibly tragic items behind those walls. Yes, I put a few in a book, including the pair of pink baby moccasins...
Wow, those are some great stories, Edith! The silent woman in white.... spooky! We lived in a 100+ year old Queen Anne Victorian for many years and I loved it. We remodeled and updated some things; the house carried all the character and history of all who'd lived there. All those creaks and sounds you describe...yep, we lived that, too! ~Ivy
DeleteCongratulations, Ivy. Your book sounds intriguing. Is there a mystery for the triplets to solve? I love fascinating old houses. I was a realtor for a few years and had the pleasure of touring many.
ReplyDeleteHi Judy, yes there is a mystery that must be solved, and it's super important with a lot at stake. I hope you enjoy the book! ~Ivy
DeleteWelcome to Jungle Reds, Ivy...
ReplyDeleteYour book about magic and ancestry secrets sound fantastic, Ivy! Your questions are intriguing. I love old houses, though it is a rarity here in the USA. I visited a house in the Cotswolds (England) which was built BEFORE Christopher Columbus arrived in the West Indies and ? discovered ? America.
Wow, now that is OLD! Age is relative. Makes my former 100 year old Victorian sound like an infant house. lol ~Ivy
DeleteWow, this book sounds wonderful. I love old houses, and I love the idea of magic of the intuitive kind you described. I don't know if houses have memories, but why not? Like vibes soaked up through the decades from those who lived in them. I definitely want this book.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it, Elizabeth. I'm very proud of it. Just like clay has memory, I think houses can and do, too. As you said, why not?! ~Ivy
DeleteIvy, I can hardly wait to read your new book and discover your other work. I'm a big fan of magical realism!! I don't have personal experience with old homes, but there was one sentence in your post that really resonated with me: "To realize that the stories you were told as a child were edited versions." Surely all of us can relate to that.
ReplyDeleteIt's like the old phone game, remember that? Where the message morphs and evolves as it works its way around a circle of people? From the first time a memory is shared, it changes, and the new version becomes the correct version. I read that somewhere...basically that it's human nature to create little changes, unintentionally (usually!) that become the new truth.
DeleteAnd sometimes it is very intentional. After my mother's 2015 death just before her 91st birthday, my sister and I came to realize that the sweet, romantic story we knew of our parents' courtship and marriage was almost certainly untrue. It looks like in reality, Mom got pregnant with our oldest brother before Dad shipped out for WWII and they didn't get the chance to marry legally until his return, about two years later. I can understand why that was a big deal at the time, but it saddens me to think that Mom kept telling the cover story for the rest of her life.
DeleteI love houses with personality. Sadly, it's something newer construction often lacks. That might explain why The Hubby and I are always buying older houses that need a little TLC. LOL
ReplyDeleteWe've always gravitated to older houses, too. The character and history just feel infused. New builds often feel too sterile and lack personality. ~Ivy
DeleteYou've sold me, Ivy! I will definitely read this book, which sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a seven-year old home that we built, but I have lived in older homes most of my life, including a 10-unit apartment building that was built around the turn of the 20th century. That place held some secrets, I'm sure.
The only time I have ever had a shivery feeling upon entering a house was when I was visiting Mark Twain's Hartford mansion. It's a magnificent house, built of beautiful, two-tone brick, but I kept looking over my shoulder the entire tour. I don't think Samuel Clemens himself haunts that place, but someone does.
I think houses pick their owners. I can tell the moment I walk into a house if I could live there. I've written lots of feature stories about houses and I never get tired of them. I can't wait to read about this one...it sounds magical--and I especially like three sisters as I have two of my own.
ReplyDeleteI have read most of your Harlan Cassidy books.and enjoyed them. I was disappointed that the series didn't continue, but I know it is not always the author’s decision.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to your new book.
One of my favorite books ever is Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits; cannot wait to dig into House of Spells and Secrets!
ReplyDeleteOh, HOUSE OF SPELLS AND SECRETS sounds exactly my cup of tea (served in a delicate china cup inherited from a grandmother, of course.) I adore old family houses, crumbling manses and generational mysteries. I think we can all identify with them, because even if 'home' was a series of late-build suburban houses, we all experience unsaid truths, missed connections and the weight of history in our families.
ReplyDeleteYour story sounds delicious! I love old houses. New ones just don't cut it. No character and poor construction. I picked out an older home to buy in Virginia. Not ancient; built in 1915. But I have to remind myself it's over 100 years old. When I dig around in the flower beds I turn up little treasures like marbles, tools, old bricks, and so forth.
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds fantastic, Ivy/Melissa! It’s on my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteI have never lived in an “old” house, but we lived in our current house for 25 years, then moved to another house and finally remodeled the first house. I always felt badly for the house because we’d never made any significant improvements so felt we owed it a debt. Now we are back in the house and I feel better. I hope the house appreciates that it has new “parts” and that we wanted to live there again. — Pat S
ReplyDeleteIvy, House of Spells and Secrets sounds fascinating. An old house with its history and mystery being discovered by the three daughter/granddaughters with magic thrown in to further enhance the story. Outstanding combination!
I do believe houses have personalities and remember us, although I don't think this is characteristic of all houses. And, I think a house can have good energy or bad energy. I've told some of the tales about the house I lived in with my parents from around age fifteen to age twenty-two (counting being away at college the last three years of it). The history of the house included a family who lived there before us in which there was a son who was considered a bit peculiar. There were rumors of him killing small animals in the basement and other creep stories. Well, there were a few unsettling experiences I had in that house. When my parents had both died, and I was in my hometown a couple of months later to divide up furniture with my siblings, I spent one last night in the house, along with my husband and two young children. We were sleeping on the living room floor, as most of the furniture was gone or loaded up to go. I won't go there all of it it, but suffice it to say that late that night my family and I left the house and went to a hotel.