Phaedra Weldon - Elemental Arcane

1. Tell us about your witch and the powers she has. 

Samantha Hawthorne is an Elemental Witch. In the world of The Eldritch Files (Eldritch meaning odd or spooky), Witches are direct descendants from Gaia, and her daughter Diana. Often witches are called God Mother's Children. 
Every Witch has some sort of power. The most common abilities are referred to as Dianic Gifts, powers of Telekinesis, Clairvoyance, Telepathy and Psychometry. These Witches are usually relegated to the title of Dianic and act as support. 
Witches who possess a relationship to an Elemental usually possess a Dianic Gift of some kind. And they're referred to typing per their dominant Elemental. For example, Dharma Parande's Elemental is Water, an Undine, so she'd designated a Water Witch. It is possible for Witches to carry relationship with more than one Elemental, but they are rarer. 
But the rarest Witch of all is the one who possesses a relationship to all four elements, Earth, Air, Water and Fire. Samantha is one of these rarities. Just as her mother was. The trait is usually inherited. 
Elemental Witches have power over all of the elements with the help of their Elementals and they appear to their Witch and other Witches as small incarnations of the elements. Water - Undine - Female, Fire - Salamander - male, Earth - Gnome - Female and Air - Sylph - Male. 
The combination of all four elements makes for the most powerful of witches. 

2. Where did you get the inspiration for your character? 

I love Urban Fantasy books / movies / tv shows about Witches. Stevie Nicks was and is one of my biggest heroes and inspirations when it comes to power and talent and surviving. I also found myself drawn to books with good witches, not these one dimensional Hollywood puppets who’re just there to make the hero / heroine look good. Why can’t Witches be normal people? 
So when I was given the advice to write down all those things I love to read about (thanks Annie Bellet!) in a book I wrote down everything I ever enjoyed about Witches in fiction and movies and poof! Samantha was born! 

3. If you had a magical ability - what would it be and why? 

Och...geez. That's like opening a bag of candy in front of a sugar junkie and saying pick ONE. Uhm, I'd say I'd have to choose something like teleportation. Not just teleporting me, but other things as well. As for why, I think as my daughter grows up, I worry about her going out on her own. So when she settles into her own life, when ever she calls me and needs me, I could be there with a snap of my fingers. 

4. Who is your favorite TV or movie witch? 

Mmmm, that’s more of a combination from the past and the more near past. Gillian Holroyd from Bell, Book and Candle and Sally Owens from Practical Magic. 

5. If you had a familiar what would it be (you can choose any animal) and what would you call him/her?
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Cat. Pyewacket. Hands down. And if he could turn into a tall, handsome Englishman, all the better! 

Bio:
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Born in Pensacola, Florida, Phaedra is the eldest of four children. She began writing in notebooks with her best friend in middle school.
After leaving college for a job in the Graphic Arts industry, Phaedra continued her love of writing in her spare time and was lucky enough at a writer's conference to meet Dean Wesley Smith, who later became her writing mentor, along with his wife, the bestselling mystery/fantasy/romance/science fiction writer, Kristine Kathryn Rusch.

Phaedra lives in Atlanta, Georgia. When not writing, she and her daughter spend their time playing games, letter-boxing, or watching anime. 

http://www.phaedraweldon.com/