Rituals & Runes Author Feature Posted on July 27, 2022 | by C.D. Gorri Fall under the spell of the hottest bestselling authors in paranormal romance and urban fantasy with the Rituals and Runes Anthology which welcomes author, Calla Zae. Please enjoy an author interview featuring her book, The Wicked Return, only available in the anthology! Author: Calla Zae Book: The Wicked Return R&R: Thanks for joining us today. What made you write about witches? Calla: I love mystical things such as tarot cards. I have quite a few oracle decks at home. I’ve always wanted to write a witch romance, so when the opportunity presented itself, I joined Rituals & Runes! R&R: Tarot cards are so much fun and are a super neat way to link your story to the overall anthology theme. Without sharing spoilers, what part of your story made you feel the strongest emotion while writing it? Calla: When I wrote the scene on how Ariyana encountered the otherworldly witches. These women gave her hope, which she used to heal herself physically and emotionally. R&R. How moving and touching. It will be interesting to see how it comes into play in the plot. If you were in your story, what do you think you would do in the world and what role would you have in your world? Calla: I’d be an otherworldly witch of course. Who doesn’t want to play with magic? Lol. R&R: Great question! And it’s on point, because who wouldn’t? Also, we’re looking forward to understanding what “otherworldly” means in your story. What are your main characters’ hobbies? Calla: Ariyana loves to collect crystals and dabble with interior design. Dillon enjoys sports and loves to go fishing. R&R: They seem to be sort of opposites that make a wonderful juxtaposition in a book. Who is your book boyfriend and why? Calla: I have so many! Lol. But I have to say that Roarke from the J.D Robb series is my book boyfriend for now. He’s a dark and dangerous billionaire who only loves one woman. R&R: Wow. He does sound sexy. What made you take part in the anthology? Calla: Because it was a perfect opportunity for me to write my witch story. I also wanted to meet other writers too. I’ve met a lot of friends working on this anthology! R&R: That’s a lovely reason. And yes, the group has been really neat to get to know. What books do you have coming out that are not involved in the anthology? Calla: I have an Asian fantasy novel coming out in October 2022 and a contemporary romance releasing in November under a different name. R&R: Very cool you write diverse books and contemporary romance as well. Would you rather have to sing along to every song or have to dance to every song? Calla: Probably sing. R&R: Singing seems easier than dancing so I can see why you chose that. Lol! Thanks again for talking with us today. Find out more about The Wicked Return below! Book blurb: He may not be punctual, but sure as hell, he’d promptly kill anyone who hurt her. As a human with a painful past, Ariyana struggles to learn extraordinary magic from otherworldly witches. She secretly loves a man but is afraid of making the same mistakes that once hurt her. When she is captured by an enemy, she is forced to find the power to fight a wicked vendetta that will destroy everyone she has come to love. Dillon has an open mind, but he is always late to everything. The one time he is “punctual,” he’s tossed into a dark world, where a confession opens his heart and makes him realize that he has wasted too much time hiding his true feelings from the woman who holds his heart. Is it too late for Dillon to confess his wicked desire to Ariyana? Excerpt: Dillon was scheduled to arrive today to deliver an order for breadboards, butcher blocks, and boxes for wines and candles. As always, he was late today, a whole hour. The Apothecary staff was used to it, expected it. If Ariyana made it back now, she could hopefully at least catch a glimpse of him. She got up from the ground and prepared to head back to the wagon of baskets when she noticed that the swirling image from the pond hadn’t disappeared. It should have vanished when the scrying stopped. An uncomfortable sensation settled in her stomach. The swirling gray cloud rose from the water’s surface, forming into a figure of mud that floated back down to stand in the water. The muddy figure moved toward her. Goosebumps bloomed all over her body. This figure didn’t belong in this sacred space. Who was it? What was it? How had it snuck in? Fear skated down her spine, and she stepped back. Sludge slid and dripped down the female figure as it carved out her form. She walked out of the water and stepped onto the ground. The wet dirt sagged off her form, revealing a translucent face Ariyana had seen in pictures taken with the Taka siblings. Ariyana’s heart thundered with fear as she stared at Sanna, who used to be one of the Zintakan witches but had since become an evil witch. A witch who was supposed to be imprisoned. Author Bio I love writing otherworldly romance novels. I’m an artist, and I love to create visuals to convey my stories. I live in Massachusetts with my husband who keeps me grounded to Earth and two creative children who think I have my own secret planet. They’re onto something… Where to find her: Website: https://www.callazae.com/ Newsletter Link: https://callazae.com/newsletter/ Amazon Profile: www.amazon.com/author/callazae Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/callazae/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@callazae Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/callazae/_created/ Bookbub Link: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/calla-zae FB author page: https://www.facebook.com/callazaeauthor Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20603799.Calla_Zae Get more magical & paranormal-themed stories like this in Rituals & Runes! Universal: https://books2read.com/rituals Amazon: https://amzn.to/3oz9aGJ