What is the title of your latest release?
EXTRAORDINARY QUESTS FOR AMATEUR WITCHES
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
After accidentally cursing his ex-boyfriend Ash, a young witch named Kieran must go on a fantastical quest to fix his mistake and win Ash back. Things get complicated, however, when Kieran finds himself falling for a mysterious new crewmember along the way.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Quests is a companion novel to Practical Rules for Cursed Witches, which takes place in the fictional country of Celdwyn. It made sense, then, to remain there, but to explore some new regions that I didn’t get to with the first book. The setting is also very cold and wintery to contrast with the first book, which took place in the lushest part of spring/summer.
Would you hang out with your hero in real life?
Oh, definitely. Kieran very much shares my sense of humor, and we’re both writers with a penchant for melodrama, so I figure we’d get along.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Sincere, flamboyant, and kindhearted.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
It really solidified my love for main characters with big personalities. I think the most fun POVs to write from are the ones that have something unique to say.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I’ll go back a reread sections before I start the next scene and make small changes then, but I save most revision for after it’s done. I’d rather know what to address globally before I dive into revisions.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I adore Spanish tapas, so there are a lot of references to my favorite dishes in the book. Truth be told, I stole most of them straight off the menu of my favorite restaurant.
Describe your writing space/office!
I have a very whimsical, cottagecore vibe to my office. A lot of fantasy art, plants, and green tones. Plus a bonus chair next to mine at my desk so my cat can sit next to me while I work.
Who is an author you admire?
Oh, there are so many. With regards to writing fantasy, Dianna Wynn Jones and Ursula K. Leguin are two of my biggest inspirations.
Is there a book that changed your life?
Ironically, Twilight. While I have plenty of critiques of it as an adult, it was the book that really got me into YA. I don’t think I’d have become quite as voracious of a reader if I hadn’t loved that series as much as I did in middle school.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published). Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
It was May of 2020 when we sold my first book, so I was at home rotting on the couch when I go the news. I think I did about forty laps around the apartment after my agent emailed me to say the book sold. I couldn’t do much to celebrate with lockdown in full effect, so my roommates and I ordered takeout and split a bottle of fancy champagne—the first nice bottle of wine I’d ever bought.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Romance, by far. I prefer adult to YA, but they’re both fun. Horror is a close second, though.
What’s your favorite movie?
Shrek. It’s a cinematic masterpiece and I won’t hear any slander against it.
What is your favorite season?
Autumn, by far. As a Scorpio, it’s when I’m at my most powerful.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve begun to really appreciate the art of the birthday weekend vacation. This year I’m getting a cabin up in the Vermont woods with my partner. But aside from that, I’m always down for a dinner-and-drinks kind of celebration.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
The Summer Hikaru Died, both the manga and anime. It’s a really fantastic blend of cosmic horror and rural slice-of-life from the perspective of not-so-subtly queer characters.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I’ve been on a real Korean BBQ kick recently. The fried chicken goes crazy.
What do you do when you have free time?
I’m honestly more of a gamer than anything else. I’ve been super into Ghost of Tsushima and Hades 2 recently. Other than that, I’ve gained a real fondness for hiking and bird watching over the last year, which really outs me as someone who’s pushing thirty.
What can readers expect from you next?
My next book, THE TALE OF THE VANISHING CIRCUS, is a middle grade horror project I wrote for Nickelodeon in the ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? series, and it comes out November 25. If you like ghosts and coming of age stories, check it out!
EXTRAORDINARY QUESTS FOR AMATEUR WITCHES by Kayla Cottingham
After accidentally cursing his ex-boyfriend, a reluctant hero must complete a dangerous quest to undo his spell . . . all while falling for a brooding new crewmate with dark secrets.
Kieran has never had much luck in love or magic. Other than being freed from a family curse that would have killed him and doomed his twin sister, life isn’t going his way.
So, after getting put on notice by his boyfriend and accidentally writing a poem so bad (and magically hazardous) that it makes him invisible to the guy, of course Kieran returns home to find the Witches Council sitting in his living room, demanding he complete his magical training. Panicked, he blurts out that his Calling—a kind of magical thesis—will be to find a magical cure-all that can break any curse . . . an enormous task that he absolutely doesn’t have the power to pull off.
Nevertheless, Kieran sets off on this dangerous journey, accompanied by his sister Briar, her girlfriend Delilah, and a swoony new crewmate, Sebastian. If he survives, he may just learn how to turn his luck around and figure out what kind of witch, person, and boyfriend he wants to be.
Young Adult Paranormal | Romance LGBTQ [Random House Childrens Books, On Sale: September 23, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593814017 / eISBN: 9780593814031]
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About Kayla Cottingham
Kayla Cottingham (she/they) is a YA author and librarian. Her first book, My Dearest Darkest, was a New York Times and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller. Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, Kayla lives in Boston where she loves to go hiking in the woods, play RPGs, and snuggle on the couch with her ridiculously large black cat, Squid.
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