S.2 Ep. 136: The Mortal Child the Fae Never Gave Back: Ann Aguirre on The Hocus Pocus Handbook
S.2 Ep. 136: The Mortal Child the Fae Never Gave Back: Ann Aguirre on The Hocus Pocus Handbook  
Podcast: The Mythic Mic Podcast
Published On: Wed Oct 14 2026
Description: 🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where sometimes the child stolen by the fae grows up to become a little chaos bunny instead of an evil queen.This week, host Bethany Amanda sits down with author Ann Aguirre to discuss The Hocus Pocus Handbook, a cozy fantasy romance filled with found family, grumpy/sunshine romance, he-falls-first pining, a road trip through Faerie, misfits challenging the powers that be, and one delightfully chaotic heroine.Thea is the mortal child on the other side of a changeling story: stolen from the human world and raised among the fae. Now an outsider with a unique place in the Winter Court, she's determined to help the wild fae and create a little well-intentioned trouble along the way. Enter Kerboros, her tightly controlled, isolated opposite, and a romance Ann designed to feel like a cup of warm tea on a cool fall day.🍂 What happens to the human child stolen away in a faerie changeling story?✨ What if love and found family are the only things standing between a heroine and her evil queen era?💕 And what happens when a chaos bunny meets the ultimate grump... who falls first?If you love cozy fantasy, faerie courts, found family, grumpy/sunshine, he falls first, pining, chaotic heroines, opposites attract, magical road trips, misfits, fall vibes, and stories that feel like a warm drink on a cold day, this episode is for you.🔥 IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT:✨ Ann's childhood dream of becoming an author, including the unforgettable moment Shel Silverstein helped her realize writing could actually be a career.✨ Why Ann rejects “write what you know” and believes writers should give themselves permission to imagine beyond their own experiences.✨ The twenty-year journey from her first novel and rejection as a teenager to finally becoming a traditionally published author.✨ The Hocus Pocus Handbook and Ann's twist on changeling lore: what happens to the mortal child taken away and raised in Faerie?✨ Creating Thea, a chaotic-good outsider whose upbringing and adoptive father's love may have saved her from becoming an evil queen.✨ The grumpy/sunshine, he-falls-first romance between social chaos bunny Thea and tightly controlled, isolated Kerberos.✨ Discovering she'd chosen the completely wrong love interest and rewriting the entire first act once the characters set her straight.✨ Thea's tender relationship with her adoptive father and Ann's belief that the people we choose as family are every bit as real as the ones we're born into.✨ Building a completely original fae realm and exploring Thea's complicated role as both an outsider and someone valuable to the Winter Court.✨ Why Ann hopes readers finish the story feeling seen, safe, happier, and a little more restored than when they started.CONNECT WITH US🎙️ The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMic👤 Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland👤 Sara Santillan – @the_magical_quill📚 Ann Aguirre – @Ann_Aguirre_Author✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review. It helps more fantasy readers and aspiring authors find their way to The Mythic Mic.