Q&A With Breanne Randall

Another Q&A this week is with author Breanne Randall who is the author of The Unfortunate Side Effects Of Heartbreak & Magic. If a book has magic in the title or has anything magical related in the title, you know I’m going to read it and most likely enjoy it. 

Q: So Breanne the synopsis of The Unfortunate Side Effects Of Heartbreak & Magic has me intrigued. I know it’s described as Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls. Did you come up with the idea by watching both the movie and show and reading the book version of Practical Magic? 

A: Weirdly enough, no! I was definitely subconsciously influenced by Practical Magic because I’ve loved both the film and book for years. But it wasn’t until after the book was written and I was trying to think of comp titles that I was like, “Hey! This reminds me of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls and definitely has Practical Magic vibes.” The town in the book is called Poppy Meadows and is an amalgamation of several small towns near where I live. It’s like the west coast Stars Hollow! And the magic system is very reminiscent of that green witch feel of the Owens family in Practical Magic. 

Q: So Breanne are you writing a sequel to The Unfortunate side Effects Of Heartbreak & Magic or are you writing something completely different? 

A: I can’t say much about this right now, but I do have plans for other books that are set in the world of Poppy Meadows, though they wouldn’t follow the same characters. I am however working on a YA epic fantasy series that I am *super* excited about! 

Q: Do you have a favorite spot or spots where you sit down and plot, edit and write your books?

A: I live in Northern California on 60 acres overlooking the Sierra Mountains. It’s a multigenerational situation where my grandparents, parents, and my own family have separate houses but are within walking distance. My absolute favorite place to write, plot, edit, etc. is on my parents’ deck! This could have something to do with the fact that my mom brings me coffee, tea, and snacks while I’m working because I’m still ten years old at heart, haha!

Q: When in your life did you know that being an author was your calling? Who among your family and friends supported your dream to be an author and saw your talent?

A: I wanted to write since I was a kid but as I got older I told myself I didn’t have any good ideas. After college, I said you know what, no. I can do this! My dream was to be a traditionally published author, so I went for it. I was twenty-one when I started writing my first book. The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is the fourth book I’ve written, but the first to be published. And along the way, my whole family and my closest friends supported me every step of the way. They’ve listened to countless hours of my babbling about how the publishing world works and random plot ideas. They’re the best!  

Q: If Hollywood has or would get their hands on the rights to your book, who do you picture as your dream cast in the film or television series of The Unfortunate Side Effects Of Heartbreak & Magic? 

A: Margaret Qualley from Maid would make an incredible Sadie. She’s got that vulnerability and that’s how I see Sadie in my head! As for the love interest, Scott Eastwood all the way. He’d be the perfect small-town fireman. *heart eyes*
As for Sadie’s twin brother, Robbie Amell because I love him and would need him involved in the film in some way, haha!  Raquel, Sadie’s best friend would be Camilla Morrone from Daisy Jones and the Six (Billy Dunne’s wife), because that is literally exactly what I imagine Raquel to look like even though I’d never seen her until after the book was completed.  For Gigi, I honestly have no idea! She was based on my own grandmother, so it’s hard for me to think of someone who would measure up!