1–What is the title of your latest release? THE ISLAND WITCH 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? In 1880s Ceylon, Amara, the daughter of the local demon priest is caught in the cross currents of her traditional beliefs and the new colonial ideas that have been brought into her coastal town, while being bullied and called a “witch” herself. When a series of attacks starts plaguing the men in her village, she must figure out who is behind them before her father is accused of these crimes. However, she’s been having dreams which eerily predict these attacks, and can’t shake the feeling that all this is tied into to when she woke up, dazed, and confused, to the sound of her mother’s cries that no one can find out what happened. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I always knew that this had to be a historical novel, given the nature of the story I was trying to tell. I was initially torn between setting the story in Kandy – Sri Lanka’s hilly central capital – or the coastal town of Matara. Matara eventually won because it has a lot of historic…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Amanda Jayatissa! Writes: Thrillers and psychological suspense, usually including cultural elements from Sri Lanka, where I am from. My most recent novel, YOU’RE INVITED, follows a woman who discovers that her ex-best friend is marrying her ex-boyfriend and would go to any length to stop the wedding, until the bride is presumed dead, and she’s blamed for the murder.   About: When I’m not reading about murder, writing about murder, or dreaming up interesting ways to murder someone (which takes up 90% of my time) I run a cookie shop (such a cliché, right?), run corporate trainings, and am a doting dog mother to my two exuberant huskies.   What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Someone who loves to play detective watches “Say Yes To The Dress” AND “Dateline” enjoys morally ambiguous characters likes reading about different cultures and experiences prefers a. Their food extra spicy or b. Their hero a little salty   What to expect if we’re compatible: I…