Author Interview: Shelly Page and Brewed With Love Giveaway and IWSG Post

 Happy Wednesday Everyone! Today I’m super excited to have Shelly Page here to share about her YA cozy contemporary romantasy Brewed With Love. I’m really getting into more cozy and contemporary fantasies, and this one has a mystery too, so I’ve been excited to read Shelly’s book. I already got it and read it. It was fantastic. It had wonderful world building, awesome potions, a mystery to solve, and Sag and Ximena, who I really liked. I can’t wait to read her next book.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

A cozy, contemporary romantasy about a teen witch who wants to keep her family’s apothecary from falling to the competition but can only do so with assistance from her first crush.

Plant witch, Sage Bishop, is determined to run her family’s old apothecary one day. She spends her time trying to invent the perfect tonic to put Bishop Brews on the map. And she’s going to need one quickly, too, because their biggest competitor is drawing away customers.

Short-staffed, her nana hires Ximena Reyes, Sage’s ex-best friend and first crush, who’s more of an unwelcome distraction than anything. Ximena has always dreamed of leaving their small town behind while Sage wants to tend to her roots. And during one of their first shifts together, someone breaks into Bishop Brews, stealing several tonics, including the one Sage has been working tirelessly on, the same one that wipes a councilmember’s kid’s memory.

To avoid being shut down by the sheriff, Sage decides to investigate. If so, much wasn’t at stake, she’d do it alone. But with her grandmother’s legacy and her future on the line, she must partner with her ever smug and unfairly pretty new coworker. As Sage begins to fall for Ximena (again), she’ll have to decide if the comfort of the familiar is worth missing out on a chance at real happiness.

Before I get to Shelly’s interview, I have my IWSG post.

Posting: The first Wednesday is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group Day.Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

The awesome co-hosts this month are: Joylene Nowell Butler, Louise Barbour, and Tyrean Martinson!

Optional Question: Is there a story or book you’ve written you want to/wish you could go back and change?

I'm going to skip the question because I'm not published yet. I have a question and info for you.

I just joined Bluesky and hope to transition off of X. Does anyone know where I can get the Bluesky widget for my blog? And let me know if you're there, and we can follow each other. Though I don't do much besides post about my giveaways. I just don't have time for everything.

Also, for those of you who use Bloglovin' for followers to follow you, your widget may not be working. A follower let me know mine wasn't working. About two months ago, I opened a new account because the password for the old one didn't work anymore, set up my profile, and got it working again. You might need it too.

Now onto my interview with Shelly where we talk about her wonderful book!

Interview With Shelly Page

Hi Shelly! Thanks so much for joining us!

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.

Thanks for having me! I’m Shelly, I write YA contemporary fantasy romance and horror. I’m also an attorney working with homeless LGBTQ+ youth. I’ve always been a writer, but it wasn’t until 2020 that I decided to pursue traditional publishing at my mom’s advice!

2. Being a retired lawyer who used to work in poverty law too, I really admire your work as an attorney. Where did you get the idea for Brewed With Love?

Brewed with Love was inspired by a small town my mom used to live in near the Redwoods in California. Redwoods are beautiful, ancient trees along the central and northern coasts. I wanted to write a story where a forest was at the heart of the book, so Brewed is set in Blackclaw Valley, a small town populated by witches who draw their magic from the Hemwood, a redwood forest. The entire magic system is based on the properties of redwood trees. For instance, redwoods often grow in fairy rings, meaning they sprout new trees from their branches that end up being clones of the mother tree. One witch in the coven can clone themself and another can regenerate. I also wanted to write about a Black-owned business that really catered to its clientele and is a pillar of the community. I love crystals, self-care creams, and the idea of magic tonics so that was my inspiration for Bishop Brews. It’s your classic apothecary with a magical twist!

Your Writing Process

3. I loved your world building and magical system. Explain what a cozy romantasy story is and what are some of the expectations for a story written in this genre.

I’m no expert, but I like to think cozy romantasies are basically romances with fantasy elements or set in a fantasy realm with relatively low skates. Dying is not a stake you need to worry about with this genre. I think you can also expect a happy ending and for the characters to get together.  

4. Your story is set in a contemporary world but with some magic. What was your world building process like? What tips do you have for incorporating a magical system into a contemporary fantasy?

I created the magic of Blackclaw Valley by thinking of things I’d love to have myself. For instance, I have

a senior dog at home, and I thought of a Pooch Potion to give to him. It basically makes the dog young again for a few hours. My tip is to think of magic as part of everyday life. If you have acne, maybe there’s a magical cream that instantly cures it. So long as you’re following the parameters of the magic system you created, you can have fun with the kind of magic used.

5. Sage and Ximena must solve the mystery of who sold the apothecary potions. How did you plot out your story to include the mystery, fantasy, and romance elements of your story?

It was hard! I knew the story was a romance at its core, so I followed known romance plot beats throughout. Using forced proximity allowed me to have the characters get close and reconcile while solving a mystery. The magic was used as a normal part of the world rather than solely as tools to solve the mystery. I also love magic as a metaphor so that was used in Brewed to advance the themes of otherness and change.

6. You did a good job with the mystery. You also work as an attorney representing homeless LGBTQ and youth. I admire you for your work. I started my career at a legal aid office representing clients facing mostly evictions. How do you find time to write and now market your book with your busy legal career?

 

I write mostly at night and on the weekends so I’m constantly working. I try to have downtime in the evenings to watch a movie or read. Unless I’m on deadline, I don’t write every day, week, or even every month. I only draft something new once a year!

Your Journey to Publication

7. It’s good you know the limits of what you can write with your job. Your agent is Rebecca Podos. How did she become your agent, and what was your road to getting a publishing contract like?

I got an agent through querying. I queried for about a year. Unfortunately, the book I signed with my agent for died on submission to publishers. The second book I wrote was a supernatural thriller and that received two R&Rs (Revise and Resubmit). The first one was rejected. The second one became Brewed with Love! The journey has been long (about 5 years). My advice is to never give up on your dreams.

8. How did working with your agent and editor on your manuscript strengthen your story?
 
With my agent, we worked on the character arcs and tying themes into the plot. With my editor, we smoothed out the extraneous plot threads, focused on centering the romance, and added more movement to the scenes. I’m grateful to have such brilliant minds helping me with Brewed!

Promoting Your Book

9. While you have had stories published in two anthologies, Brewed With Love is your first book to be published. How are you planning to promote it? What advice do you have for other authors about marketing this first book?

I co-edited Night of the Living Queers, along with having a story in the anthology, so that was technically my first book. Having a solo book was a little different because there weren’t twelve other authors who could help me promote lol. Being with a traditional publisher, meant I had marketing resources behind my book, but I also thought it was important to promote myself as well. Not only does it build a reader base, but it also helps with visibility and sales. I used social media a lot and also reached out to blogs and podcasts for features. If you want to market yourself, I advise authors to research influencers, blogs, podcasts, etc. that might be interested in your book. If you’re traditionally published, give that list to your publicists. If not, you can reach out yourself.   

10. What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on editing another YA contemporary romantasy. It publishes Spring 2026!

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Shelly. You can find Shelly at shellypage.com and @shelly_p_writes on X and Instagram.

Giveaway Details

Shelly and I are offering an Amazon e-book of Brewed With Love for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by February 15th. If your email is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter or follow Shelly on her social media sites, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S.

 

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Monday, February 12th I have an interview with Elly Swartz and a giveaway of her MG Same Page

Sunday, February 16th I’m participating in the Wish Big Giveaway Hop

Monday, February 17th I have an agent spotlight interview with Jim Averbeck

Monday, February 24th I have an agent spotlight interview with Reiko Davis and a query critique giveaway

Monday, February 24th I have an agent spotlight interview with Reiko Davis and a query critique giveaway

Saturday, March 1st I’m participating in the Lady Luck Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, March 5th I have a guest post by debut author Angie Dickinson and a giveaway of her YA Truth Cursed

I hope to see you on Monday!