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Reader Snapshot

Quick Take

One Foot in the Ether draws readers into a haunting world where ancestral magic, grief, and unfinished spirits collide beneath the shadow of England's infamous Pendle witch trials.

Why This Book Stands Out

Rather than relying solely on gothic atmosphere, One Foot in the Ether blends historical folklore, paranormal mystery, and emotional reflection into a story that feels deeply personal. The lingering shadow of the Pendle witch trials gives the novel a strong historical foundation, while the focus on ancestry, resilience, and unfinished spirits creates an eerie but thoughtful reading experience. Kayleigh Kavanagh's passion for storytelling and craftsmanship also shines through in the layered, carefully textured worldbuilding.

Content Considerations

This novel explores themes of death, grief, generational trauma, spiritual unrest, and historical persecution tied to the Pendle witch trials. Readers can expect ghostly encounters, supernatural elements, emotional distress, references to illness and physical suffering, and discussions of vengeance and inherited pain. The atmosphere leans haunting and melancholic rather than graphic, with a strong focus on emotional and psychological tension.

Crafting Jewellery and Books

I think creative souls need multiple outlets. For me, that's usually crafting books, reading them, or making jewellery. Due to my ill health, I have limited energy, so it's often a challenge to do everything my brain would like to create, but when I can, I try to dedicate time each week (or biweekly) to my crafts.

I had a period where I went crafting mad and bought everything from resin to soldering equipment to make my pieces. Polymer clay had its moment in my creations. Kumihimo and macrame were also hyper-fixations for a while. Wirewrapping and wirework will always hold a special place in my heart. Can you really only ever become obsessed with just one form of crafting? If such a unicorn exists, I've yet to meet them.

Due to my dexterity, my focus has been on simpler pieces in recent years, stretchy bracelets, memory wire designs, simple thread and findings necklaces. But beautiful beads can make even the simplest pieces look gorgeous.

I'm lucky that writing is easier physically and doesn't require much of my body. However, some days, sitting up and any movement can be too taxing. Even at my best (as I type this), I'm wearing the arthritis gloves I originally bought for jewellery making because of how much they help. Luckily, most of the adaptation aids I have can be used interchangeably between my loves.

Writing has been something I've loved since I was young. Technically, I've always loved telling stories, in whatever format they come in, but writing has been the easiest medium for me to express myself. It's a privilege to make things I love and see people enjoy them. Whether it's a piece of handcrafted jewellery I've made over days and weeks, or a book I've spent months and years on, it's something from me that comes from me, and I hope the world will love as much as I do.

Because of my health issues, One Foot in the Ether took a long time to write (though much less than the first book, which took 13 years from conception to publishing). However, it was a story I wanted to share with the world. So, even when I couldn't move and was barely functioning, I was mentally working on this story until I was able to bring these thoughts to the page. All my crafts are a labour of love, but I think all crafters will tell you, this simply makes the end result all the sweeter, even if only you know how much it cost.

I hope the world likes my creation, but even if it's not for them, I can still love what I managed to craft.