Wild Magic Series - Book Tour and Giveaway

Wild Magic
Wild Magic Series Book 1
by Eileen Troemel
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy 

Mallory’s magi gifts send her north into the province where almost all the magi were killed. If anyone discovers she is a magi, her life is in peril. But she must go where her gifts send her. A boy needs her help or he will die.

Leland, Pintra, Faolan, Jadan, Ovra, and Erga travel from Scons province to Lins to seek a magi master. In a small village Jadan gets separated and is accused of theft. Without Mallory’s help, the angry mob will kill him. Mallory steps in, uses her gifts to save him but exposes herself as a magi.

The seven escape the angry village and hide out in caves. When Jadan’s injuries turn deadly, Mallory is forced to use her gifts, exposing herself to the group of strangers she doesn’t trust. Is she the magi master they’ve been looking for or will they turn her in for the bounty?


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Hostile Magic
Wild Magic Series Book 2

Tensions rise between the leaders of Linos and Scons. Linos increases their soldiers at the border. War looms on the horizon.

Refugees flee from hunters into Scons. Garlen wants to protect them but prophecy warns of danger and betrayal.

Garlen sets aside his lingering distrust of magic and Mallory to protect his new daughter, Arial and his province.

Family - is it those you’re born to or those you love? Mallory meets her blood family. Anger clouds her judgement. Will her emotions cause harm to the family of her heart? 


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​“We’ve set up a maze of sorts,” Demerath said. “It’s one of our close quarters drill. You walk through the maze and defend yourself.”
“I’ve got your knives,” Faolan said handing over a belt with several sheaths filled with knives.
“I thought the point was to see how her magi skills worked in battle,” Demerath said surprised by the weapons.
“It never hurts to be prepared,” Mallory said. “Wish I’d had these in the schoolyard.” Unconsciously she touched the slash across her chest.
Nodding thoughtfully, General Demerath said, “You enter here. Do you want to know how many are in the maze?”
“No,” Mallory said. She stepped to the opening. “If I were a betting person, I’d bet on under ten minutes for me to get through here.”
General Demerath laughed. “I’ll take your bet. It takes our best people twice as long.”
“A hundred credits,” Mallory said. “I’ll be done in under ten.”
“Done,” Demerath said grinning. “Are you ready?” At her nod, he set a timer by the wall. “Go.”
Mallory stayed at the edge, closed her eyes and discovered men at the first corner. “Blatana,” she murmured as she sensed glowing outlines of men through the obstacles. Flowers poured down from above them. Startled, they jumped out of their hiding place.
Garlen called, “Disabled.”
The men grumbled, brushed flowers from their shoulders and stepped out of the maze. “Lucky guess,” one of them grumbled.
“Don’t be a sore loser,” Jadan scolded. He worked with the soldiers and knew how skilled they were. “Watch and learn.”
Mallory stopped at the intersection considered which direction and turned left. In her mind she saw the layout from above. She knew where the men were and taking left took her to the largest number of men first. Behind a large pile of crates, several men crouched. Mallory cupped her hands, whispered, “Doitin.” A small flame appeared. She waited for the flame to brighten. “Tinte elan,” she said as she threw the flame toward the crates. Snaps and sparkles burst out in the air above the men. Startled, two men stepped away from the protection. When the rest didn’t come out, she gathered more swirling energy and pushed it into the fireworks. Loud bangs made the spectators cringe and echoed closer to the crouching men. Stubbornly, they remained hidden. Mallory stepped to the side. When they didn’t come out, she whispered, “Glan.” A net appeared above the men, fell on top trapping all but two men. They charged her, sidestepping them, she pushed one into the crates and she tripped the other. Two more nets appeared to trap the two men.
Faolan laughed as the men struggled to get out from the nets. The more they struggled, the tighter the nets encircled them. Mallory cautiously approached the next group. Before she tapped into her magi energy, four men charged her. “Gaoith,” she said with force and power. One man toppled over, while the other three struggled to move forward. The man who toppled over, got to his feet, and raced towards her. Mallory twitched a hand to spread the fierce wind in his direction. The harder the men tried to get to her, the stronger the wind got. If they stood still, no wind blew. “We concede,” one of the men called.
“Wise choice,” Leland shouted. He knew from their battle in the ancient city, Mallory could sweep these men off their feet and into oblivion.
Again and again, Mallory sought out each group. With wind, rain, nets and flowers, she defended herself. When she approached the last two men, they lay hidden in a pile of debris. The smell from the pile made Mallory cringe. With a light breeze, she started with the wind, dropped flowers on top of them. When they didn’t move, she added water, washing away the mud. Stoically, the two men kept to their hiding place. Mallory used the wind to peel away the debris. Layer by layer, she exposed them. Soaked, spattered with mud, flowers smeared across them, they finally conceded.
Hair dripping, clothes clinging, the two men brushed at the water. Faolan, Leland, and Jadan laughed loudly at them.

From poetry to novel, I enjoy telling a good story or expressing a heartfelt emotion. I've been published in Circle Magazine, The American Tarot Association's Quarterly Journal, What's Cooking America, Children, Churches and Daddies, placed second in Words of Women 2010 Writing Contest, 2012 Daily Flash, and The Deadman's Tome. I have a bachelor's degree in business and a second bachelor's degree in English Professional Writing and Book Editing. On the side, I have a small editing business. In addition to my work, I love to read, crochet, crafting, research genealogy, and spend time with family. I have three adult daughters and have been married to my husband for over 30 years. I'm the proud grandma of three fur babies - my daughters' cats.


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Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
When I was 8 my third grade teacher asked us to write a story. Fiction. It was the first time I thought about writing for the fun of writing. I dabbled for a long time, writing poetry, short stories, meditations, and other things. In my late 30s I was a very unhappy woman. Friends advised me to get a divorce and start new. The only problem with that – I love my husband. I was unhappy with ME. I started writing again (took a break to have kids). I discovered me again. I loved putting my words down. In 2014, I had a novel, meditation book and three poetry books ready to publish. I’d tried for years to get all published. While publishers were interested, they didn’t follow through with an actual contract. I opted to self-publish. I haven’t looked back. I write under two names. I publish novels typically in scifi, fantasy, and romance arenas, short stories, crochet patterns, and poetry.

What is something unique/quirky about you?
I’ve had 13 birthdays. Now I’m much older than that – but my birthday is February 29

Tell us something really interesting that's happened to you!
I served on a murder trial once. We had to look at pictures of the victim which was a baby. The process was fascinating but the pictures were not.

Where were you born/grew up at?
I’m a farm girl through and through. My parents were farmers. I grew up on a farm in southern Wisconsin. We had cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens. My daughters find it amusing that I can tell the difference in manure from pigs and cows – they smell different.

If you knew you'd die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?
I know the right answer here is to say I’d spend it with family and friends but the reality is I’m so practical, I’d probably be writing instructions for my husband and daughters, finishing crochet projects and trying to finish whatever book I’m currently working on.

Who is your hero and why?
I don’t really have heroes. I have respect. My great grandmother emigrated from Ireland when she was 16 – I think that took a lot of courage. My paternal grandmother had multiple miscarriages but she didn’t let them make her bitter. She was kind and generous. My maternal grandmother wasn’t allowed to be educated past 8th grade. Yet she went on to be a business owner. My mom was widowed in her early 50s and lost the farm and her way of life. She had to learn to support herself. She started a career then. My sisters – well we’re all strong, stubborn, determined women who had to overcome many challenges. Then there’s my daughters. These three women are strong, social conscious, and independent women who make me proud every day.

What kind of world ruler would you be?
Well now this is interesting. For those things I actually care about – I’d probably be all over it. For the rest, I’d delegate.

What are you passionate about these days?
Writing, crocheting, and family.

What do you do to unwind and relax?
There’s nothing better than curling up to watch a movie and work on a crochet project. This is my down time.

How to find time to write as a parent?
I went back to writing when my kids were older. I basically told them, I’m writing don’t bug me unless the house in on fire and I need to evacuate.

Describe yourself in 5 words or less!
Strong, passionate, tenacious, loving, odd

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I think I’ve always considered myself a writer. When I wasn’t writing, I was on a break. It became part of my self-description when I started back writing in my late 30s.

Do you have a favorite movie?
Nope – like books I can’t tell you a favorite. There are too many. I love a good story and one that comes with pictures (especially moving ones) is the best!

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
My Wayfarer series would make a great series or series of movies. I could see each book as a season. Draconian Peace would make a great movie – there’s romance, action, and a few twists.

What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
None. A fantasy for me is to win the lottery and spend six months in an Irish cottage writing.

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
A dragon – any chance you have to be something else – always be a dragon.

What inspired you to write this book?
Wild Magic was inspired by long drives from Wisconsin to Indiana. My middle daughter moved to Indiana and I’d go visit her for a crochet weekend or whatever. On the drive, I’d usually listen to an audio book but there were times I just needed my mind to be free. I do a lot of plotting while I drive. On several drives to and from her place, I crossed a bridge which looked old and rusty – it did not inspire a lot of confidence. I also crossed a bridge across this huge quarry. It looks like someone scooped out a huge hole in the earth. I can also remember watching the road construction. At one point there was a bridge half built and it looked like something out of an apocalyptic movie where society had fallen apart and this was the remnant of our society. Throw those things into my head and let it churn for a while and you end up with the opening scene in Wild Magic. The geography in the books mirrors the Midwest.

What can we expect from you in the future?
You bet you can. In Hostile Magic one of the characters becomes a spy and his story is going to need to be told.

Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
In Wild Magic – not really. In some of my other books yes. Bits and pieces which didn’t make it through the edit or I didn’t have room for.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Wild Magic and Hostile Magic?

Wild Magic
Mallory – she’s a magi – able to wield magic. She was part of a magi compound but escaped when it was destroyed. She’s distrustful of everyone with good reason

Leland – he’s a leader. He’s on a mission and he will do anything to complete his mission even if it means being a jerk which is can be in the first book

Pintra – she’s a lady. She’s on a mission as well, one which is vital to her. At the same time, she’s a lot more subtle than Leland.

Faolan – he’s muscle, a fighter. At the same time, he’s a gentle man who feels things deeply and can calm Leland when he’s being a bull in a china shop.

Erga – he’s a soldier and comic relief.

Ovra – he’s a soldier, but he’s uncertain about using the magi and is untrusting of Mallory.

Jadan – he’s a sidekick who is always getting in trouble.


Hostile Magic
This one has all the same characters but the new ones are:

Vivia – refugee from Linos who has a connection to Mallory – mother of Brielle, Bennett, and Benson

Brielle – refugee from Linos who is important to both Mallory and Faolan

Bennett – refugee from Linos who is very controlling of his sister and brother

Benson – refugee from Linos, makes friends with Jadan as they are about the same age.

It’s harder to talk about these characters without spoiling some of the plot so this descriptions are really general.


How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
The geography came first for me. I could see the opening scene. Mallory came next. It was all about her following prophecy. I wanted her to be strong but flawed. I wanted her to be daring but to see under the daring to the concerns she had.

Where did you come up with the names in the story?
Almost always I go to a baby name site and look for names. Sometimes names come to me as I’m writing but most of the time, I have to find a name.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Wild Magic flowed – it just came to me. Scene after scene flowed onto the pages and it was amazing. The story told itself. Hostile Magic – I had broad strokes of this. The first rough draft missed a lot of key scenes. The second round of writing helped pull the scenes together. During the reading of this one, I found myself saying – oh I need to do this. I’d make a note and go back to write the scene.

Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
In Wild Magic, Mallory is all about survival. It’s all about staying alive and staying out of the hands of the hunters. Leland and the others are on a rescue mission and they are motivated to save someone regardless of the risk.

In Hostile Magic, Mallory is trying to adjust from survival mode to feeling safe and staying put. When she sensed danger in the past, her instinct was to run. Now in Scons, she’s found a home and something to fight for.

How did you come up with the title of your first novel?
My first novel was Secret Past. My oldest daughter and I talked about this book as I worked on it for years. She helped me come up with the name.

Who designed your book covers?
Sweet N Spicy
https://www.sweetnspicydesigns.com/

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No. While Hostile Magic took me a year to write – a really long time for me – I think the end result was worth it.

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
I learned a lot about pacing. My beta readers really helped me work through the pacing issues I had with the book. Once I worked through all the issues, I think the end result has a good pace and a complete story.

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
Off the top of my head – Emma Watson. Mallory is strong and determined. She doesn’t take a lot of crap from people. I think after playing Hermione Grainger, Emma Watson could nail her. Or Scarlet Johansson – she’s got the body type and the looks I think of when it comes to Mallory. Again – strong woman, willing to face tough challenges.

Leland I could see Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Evans, or Chris Hemsworth. They all have the look and feel I think of when I think of Leland


How did you come up with name of this book?
Wild Magic was named by the book. The characters picked the name as the story unfolded. Hostile Magic I wasn’t sure until I was editing. It had a working title of Wild Magic 2. I know not very inventive. Then I was editing and trying to think of a name. I wrote down key concepts for the book and the word hostility came up. Then Hostile Magic popped up. I continued to do the word association thing but I kept coming back to Hostile Magic.

What is your favorite part of this book and why?
Wild Magic – when the characters go into the hill, Mallory’s past and present come together and you get to see how her life was and all she lost. You also get a glimpse at the future but just a hint.

Hostile Magic – again so many good ones but overall the development of Mallory as she figures out who to trust of the new characters.

If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
I’m not sure I can pick just one. I’d love to walk along with them in Wild Magic as they run from the bad guys and learn about magic. In Hostile Magic, I’d want to sit in on all the training sessions to learn more about the magic.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
My characters often have quirks from people. This could be a characteristic of someone I know or it could be a quirk I noticed in a perfect stranger.

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
My characters are pushy and bossy and demanding. I’m their tool.

Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
The principals of a good book is it needs to be engaging. You want to feel the emotions, have some adventure, and discover new things. In Wild Magic, Mallory takes us through all of the highs and lows while she learns there are people to trust. In Hostile Magic, there’s more trust being earned and learned as well as breaking old habits. There’s betrayal and love. It keeps you turning the pages.

Have you written any other books that are not published?
No. I write, edit, and publish.

Is there an writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?
JD Robb / Nora Roberts – I’d love to hear about her process. Her books are good, and she’s withstood the test of time.

What book do you think everyone should read?
Just one? You’ve got to be kidding… Shakespeare, the Illiad and the Odyssey, all the classics (I’m still working on these)

How long have you been writing?
Seriously as a self published author – 5 years

Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
It depends on the story. Sometimes I know all the characters from the beginning but other times, they come to me as I need them.

What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
None. I get an idea, concept, character, scene or something which triggers me starting a story. I do research as I need it.

Do you see writing as a career?
Yes.

What do you think about the current publishing market?
The current publishing market is complex and hard to work your way through. As an author you have to be a bit of a lot of things and step outside your comfort zone.

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
I read all sorts of things. Romance, fantasy, scifi, are my top three picks.

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
Usually with classical or Celtic music. Because this works for me and it allows my characters to talk to me.

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
I currently have about 22 WIP going. I don’t actively write on all of those but I tend to work on clusters. I just finished three stories for my pen name and am working on two more under my own name.

Pen or type writer or computer?
Computer – though I’ve done the pen thing.

What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision?
I love to tell a story and explore different aspects of story. It was definitely the right decision.

A day in the life of the author?
So I don’t have typical days… but here’s how my life goes generally.
6:00 drag my sorry butt out of bed – mornings suck – check social media and sales for all books
7:45 be at my day job – check social media and jot down any ideas – in between my day job tasks as I’m expected to actually work at my day job.
12:30 take lunch, edit a manuscript, look at book cover ideas, check social media, answer emails… oh and don’t forget to eat.
4:00 leave my day job to go home and spend time with husband and daughter – eat supper and wait (sometimes less than patiently) for them to go away so I can write.
7:00 – 12:00 – I’m writing (if life is good and the characters like me today) if I’m not writing, I’m editing, reading, crocheting (to create patterns to publish)
12:00 – 6:00 – sleep because people tell me I need to – this 12:00 thing is variable depending on how well the words are flowing.

Now on a weekend, I handle things like web site design and maintenance, marketing (this is a daily thing), social media, writing, editing, creating book covers, writing blurbs, learning about editing, and networking with other authors.

Advice you would give new authors?
Be tenacious and don’t let people put down your writing. If you don’t have good grammar, learn it. If you don’t know how to edit, learn it or pay for it.

Describe your writing style.
I tend to write off the cuff and in a linear fashion. My story starts at the beginning and works its way to the end – I don’t do a lot of jumping around. There’s always romance in my stories though not always sex. I prefer the fantasy and scifi formats over others but at some point would like to try more genres.

What makes a good story?
A good story has compelling characters and takes you through a gamut of emotions. It keeps you entertained, on the edge of your seat, laughing and crying.

What are you currently reading?
I just finished Thea Harrison’s Dragon Bound. I’m in a writing mode so once I go back to reading I’ll probably look for the next book in her series. I also finished reading Elianne Adams series and will be looking to finish Rise of the Phoenix.

What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?
Typically, I sit in my recliner (yes there’s probably a cat by my feet), with only one light on, classical music playing and my laptop. My cell phone is handy for me to be able to Google things. I never outline. When I’ve tried doing an outline, I can’t follow it. I’m typically inspired by a scene, character, or situation and things flow from there.

What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Don’t pay for reviews or publishing.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I hope I’m original but with some genres you have certain things which are expected.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Don’t throw anything out. In all my moving around when we were first married my journals and short stories all got tossed. Now I wish I had them.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
Not falling into the stereotypes

How long on average does it take you to write a book?
I’ve written a book in as little as a week or taken as long as a year. Secret Past – my first book – took ten years to get it whittled down to what ended up being published.

Do you believe in writer’s block?
No. When I have moments where nothing comes to me, I know I need to let it rest because I’m not looking at it from the right perspective. I will let it stew while I do other things like marketing, editing, or writing in another story. Generally if I let it sit overnight something will come to me. I cannot tell you how often I’ve gotten a flash of inspiration during my morning commute.

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