St. Augustine resident and bestselling novelist Madeline Martin is wrapping up a months‑long book tour that has taken her from Florida to the United Kingdom. The author is now focusing on local appearances to promote her latest work, A Time of Witches, a historical‑fantasy tale that blends witch‑trial drama with a modern‑day dream of being burned at the stake.
About the new novel
Martin describes the story as following two women separated by 400 years. One fights to survive the 1645 English witch trials; the other experiences recurring dreams of execution that lead her to an abandoned manor where she must rescue her ancestor. The novel, her 43rd, also features Martin’s two black cats, which she champions as shelter animals often overlooked for adoption.
Writing background and process
Before becoming a full‑time writer, Martin studied business at Flagler College and worked as a business analyst in Jacksonville. While on maternity leave with her first daughter, she read Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander and decided to try her hand at romance set in a historic setting. After five years of intensive study and workshops, she published her debut, Deception of a Highlander, which led to a book deal.
Even while holding a full‑time corporate job, Martin wrote six to eight books per year. When she was laid off, she welcomed the change, saying she was “really happy because I was so tired.” Her research process for historical fiction is rigorous: she consults more than 100 nonfiction sources per book and travels to each location she writes about, noting details such as air temperature, river smells, and local traditions.
Local events and signings
Martin will join the Amelia Island Book Festival on Friday, Oct. 30, for a trolley‑tour‑style event that includes speaking and book signings. The following day, Halloween, she will be at Midnight Moon Books and Boutique in St. Augustine from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to sign copies of her new novel. She will finish the local circuit with an author talk at Happy Medium Books Café in Jacksonville’s Riverside neighborhood on Sunday, Nov. 1, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
When not traveling for tours, Martin and her husband enjoy staycations in St. Augustine, often staying in a bed‑and‑breakfast, riding the trolley, and exploring the city’s attractions they missed as tourists.
Community impact
Beyond her writing, Martin uses her platform to advocate for black cats, noting they are frequently the last to be adopted from shelters. She assures readers that no animals are harmed in her stories, emphasizing a compassionate approach to the genre’s traditional use of animal familiars.
Madeline Martin’s blend of rigorous historical research, prolific output, and community engagement makes her a notable cultural figure in the St. Augustine area, offering readers both entertainment and a reminder of the region’s vibrant literary scene.
Original reporting: Jacksonville Today — read the source article.
