Whitman worked together with Mlawski to revise the book so it was ready for publication. “That happens with every book; the editor and author are a partnership, in which the editor acts as another pair of eyes to point out places a book can be polished and become even better,” she said.

Shedding light on a time in history that is crucial to many world events is the reason why someone should read this book, Whitman said. “Fantasy is such a popular genre, but it’s dominated by one kind of story, featuring main characters who don’t always reflect the wide diversity among readers, especially young readers,” she said. “Our mission as an imprint is to make awesome fantasy, science fiction, and mystery stories available in which characters of color are stars in their own stories, not just sidekicks and best friends.”

Mlawski hopes kids learn more about the time period by reading her novel and anticipates continuing to write books that are appealing and entertaining. “I’m working on a bunch of things and I may stay in the young adult fantasy genre but who knows,” she said. “I hope every book I write will be my best.”

“Hammer of Witches” will be released on April 9 and is available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites. For more information, visit www.hammerofwitches.com.