Visionary. Fearless. Spellbinding.
The Witchorium is thrilled to spotlight a dynamic writing duo whose combined talents deliver thrilling fiction, immersive world-building, and the kind of storytelling that comes from decades of lived experience. Meet Betsey Kulakowski and JB Caine, co-authors of The Veil of Secrets, a gripping paranormal mystery filled with secret societies, ancient relics, and a sisterhood bound by prophecy.
Betsey is a bestselling, award-winning author known for The Veritas Codex series. JB Caine is the award-winning author of both the Arcana series and the Ironshield’s Shadow series. Together, they co-host the UNFREAKINGBELIEVABLE Podcast, while creating stories that are thoughtful, imaginative, and just haunted enough to keep you up at night.
We had the chance to talk with them about their creative process, the experience of co-writing The Veil of Secrets, and what's ahead for their new shared universe:
1. The Veil of Secrets opens with such a cinematic mix of historical magic and modern-day mystery. What inspired this particular story, and how did it come to life between you both?
We wanted to combine great storytelling with a semi-rapid release model to create a series of fun "airport reads" ... the kind of book you start at the gate and get so absorbed in that by the time you land, you've hardly noticed the passage of time because you've been part of Eliza and Esme's world.
2. Co-authoring a novel is no small feat. What was your collaborative process like? Did you divide characters, chapters, or just embrace organized chaos?
We'd worked together on a couple of projects before and even taught a course on writing collaboration at last year's WriterCon conference in Oklahoma City. It was really something we had to approach carefully, because Betsey is a pantser and I'm more of a plotter. So we found a formula that works for both of us. We had several detailed meetings before starting to establish the characters (we wrote them both, but Eliza is more of Betsey's brainchild, and Esme is more from my noggin) and the basic plot elements. Then we alternated chapters and met for a debrief after each one to determine if we needed to change anything and what should happen in the next chapter before the other person got to work.
One of the things I think makes us ideal work partners is that we never take critique personally. It's all about what's best for the book, and we're both on-board with doing what has to be done without our egos in the way. Not to say we never hash things out or disagree, but it's always done with the greater good in mind, and neither of us gets our feelings hurt for that reason.
3. The Wren sisters feel incredibly lived-in and distinct. How did you develop Eliza and Esme's voices and emotional arcs? Were there any surprises along the way?
Betsey and I have quite a few personality similarities, and I think for Eliza, we leaned heavily into Betsey's methodical, scientific side. You can't even imagine how many documentaries she's seen... Esme pulled heavily from my love of folklore and the paranormal and embodied that side of our interests. We did have a couple of BIG surprises, but it wasn't so much the sisters who shocked us. Unfortunately, I can't elaborate and remain spoiler-free. LOL
The biggest surprise was the fact that we wrote the first draft in only two weeks. It took a lot longer to edit and get it perfect.
4. Maelis Varrow is an unforgettable antagonist. She is equal parts terrifying and magnetic. What makes a great villain in your eyes, and how did she evolve during the writing process?
Betsey introduced us to Maelis. She is of the mind that the word villain is a misnomer. Maelis is an antagonist, yes. Her goals are no less noble to her than Eliza and Esme’s are to them, but they are in opposition to our heroines. Maelis is the hero of her own story. She doesn’t see herself as evil or a villain. I don't know if you'd call it "evolve" exactly, but we do find out about some very important secondary motivations.
5. This world feels bigger than one book. Can readers expect more stories set in this universe? Are there plans for a sequel or companion series?
Oh my, yes. We are actively writing Book 2: THE NIGHT DOCTOR'S BLADE right now. In fact, there's an excerpt at the end of THE VEIL OF SECRETS to tease readers and let them know the adventure isn't over! We already have plans for several more books and some side novellas in the MANIFEST DESTINY SERIES. Look for a fun novella featuring Randall, Tiberius, and Faraday soon!
6. What do each of you bring to the creative table individually that you feel elevates the collaboration? And what did you learn from one another in the process?
Because of her work on the VERITAS CODEX series, Betsey is the queen of historical research and action sequences. She's also seen every TV medical drama in history, so her medical scenes are second-to-none. She would say that my years of teaching English give me a technical skill about the craft of storytelling that helps keep the story flowing cohesively. I also am a real stickler for having character motivations be consistent and logical. I lived in England for a little while, too, so that helped give more realism to the settings.
7. Outside of this joint venture, what are you both working on individually? Are there solo projects we should keep an eye on?
We've both always got half a dozen irons in the fire. Together with Jenny Simard LaBranche, we co-host the UNFREAKINGBELIEVABLE PODCAST and put out two episodes each month, on the 11th and the 27th. Book-wise, I'm working on Book 5 of the IRONSHIELD'S SHADOW series, a high fantasy adventure.
Betsey recently submitted book 8 of the VERITAS CODEX paranormal thriller series to her publisher and is awaiting word from the editor on rewrites. She’s won multiple Bookfest Awards for her series, and THE KING’S RANSOM, book 7 of the series, won Best Published Fiction at WriterCon 2024. When she’s not working on this series, she has about 12 other manuscripts waiting in the wings. She’s also a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences, paranormal conventions, and other events.
We’re also working on a project with our podcast co-host, Jenny Simard LaBranche, called GHOSTS & GUMBO that won 1st place in the Unpublished Fiction category at WriterCon 2024.
8. And now for a fun one: If each of you had to be haunted by one enchanted artifact from the book for 24 hours, which one would you definitely avoid—and which one would you be secretly curious to touch?
Hmmm...that's a hard one to answer. There are two artifacts in THE VEIL OF SECRETS, but I don't want to reveal too much about the second one. I will say that both of us would want to take a peek at the Manifest, and would probably prefer not to come in contact with the Veil! We both agree that neither of us wants to be anywhere near the Night Doctor's Blade!
9. Where can readers go to learn more about you and support your work?
