Alex Delmore wants out of her dead-end suburban town, but her parents are broke, her brother is an idiot, and NYU seems like a distant dream. Good thing there’s a genie in town—and he’s hiring at the Wellspring Mall. But it’d sure help if the Jinn-formerly-of-the-Ring-of-Khorad knew even one thing about 21st century America. In this cozy, chaotic, and deeply funny novel, the oddest couple team up to try make a living.
In this cozy, chaotic, and deeply funny debut novel, the oddest couple—an enterprising young woman and a clueless genie—team up just to try make a living.
Alex Delmore wants out of her dead-end suburban town, but her parents are broke, her brother is an idiot, and NYU seems like a distant dream. To make it out, Alex needs a miracle. Good thing there’s a genie in town—and he’s hiring at the Wellspring Mall.
It’d help if the Jinn-formerly-of-the-Ring-of-Khorad knew even one thing about 21st century America. It’d help if he wasn’t at least as stubborn as Alex. It’d really help if her brother didn’t sell her out to her conspiracy theory loving, gnome-hating dad.
(And then there are those gnomes Alex keeps running into at the mall—what’s their deal, anyway?)
When Alex and the genie set up their wishing kiosk, they face setback after setback. The mall is failing, and management will not stop interfering to protect its more lucrative tenants. Especially the big box store ValuDay.
But even when the wishing biz might even be working, the biggest problem of all remains: People are genuinely terrible at wishing for the right things.
Auston Habershaw has worked as a lifeguard, barista, waiter, QA tester, dog walker, hotel bellhop, pedicab driver, SAT tutor, office drone, and a bunch of other random things. He now is a science fiction and fantasy author, writing about the could-be and never-was, and also teaches composition and literature at MCPHS University in Boston, MA. You can find him online at aahabershaw.com
If Wishes Were Retail
Auston Habershaw
Alex Delmore wants out of her dead-end suburban town, but her parents are broke, her brother is an idiot, and NYU seems like a distant dream. Good thing there’s a genie in town—and he’s hiring at the Wellspring Mall. But it’d sure help if the Jinn-formerly-of-the-Ring-of-Khorad knew even one thing about 21st century America. In this cozy, chaotic, and deeply funny novel, the oddest couple team up to try make a living.
If Wishes Were Retail
by Auston Habershaw
ISBN: 978-1-61696-434-4 (print); 978-1-61696-435-1 (digital)
Published: 17 June 2025
Available Format(s): digital, trade paperback
In this cozy, chaotic, and deeply funny debut novel, the oddest couple—an enterprising young woman and a clueless genie—team up just to try make a living.
Alex Delmore wants out of her dead-end suburban town, but her parents are broke, her brother is an idiot, and NYU seems like a distant dream. To make it out, Alex needs a miracle. Good thing there’s a genie in town—and he’s hiring at the Wellspring Mall.
It’d help if the Jinn-formerly-of-the-Ring-of-Khorad knew even one thing about 21st century America. It’d help if he wasn’t at least as stubborn as Alex. It’d really help if her brother didn’t sell her out to her conspiracy theory loving, gnome-hating dad.
(And then there are those gnomes Alex keeps running into at the mall—what’s their deal, anyway?)
When Alex and the genie set up their wishing kiosk, they face setback after setback. The mall is failing, and management will not stop interfering to protect its more lucrative tenants. Especially the big box store ValuDay.
But even when the wishing biz might even be working, the biggest problem of all remains: People are genuinely terrible at wishing for the right things.
Auston Habershaw has worked as a lifeguard, barista, waiter, QA tester, dog walker, hotel bellhop, pedicab driver, SAT tutor, office drone, and a bunch of other random things. He now is a science fiction and fantasy author, writing about the could-be and never-was, and also teaches composition and literature at MCPHS University in Boston, MA. You can find him online at aahabershaw.com