📚 A Bookish Chat with 'A New Dawn' Trina Spillman #AuthorInterview

Today we welcome Trina Spillman to The Writer's Life e-Magazine! Trina is the author of the new political thriller/romance, A New Dawn, and this interview is part of her Blog Tour by Pump Up Your Book. Enjoy!

Trina Spillman, who also writes under the pen name Selene Greenleaf, crafts both practical witchcraft guides and immersive works of fiction that span romance, magical realism, and contemporary thrillers. Splitting her creative life between Colorado’s mountain landscapes and a growing library of story ideas, she blends current events, folklore, plant magic, and real-world rituals to invite readers into transformative experiences. Under Selene Greenleaf, she’s the author of Witchcraft Essentials: A Modern-Day Guide to Spells, Herbs, and Crystals; Cupid’s Craft: Love Spells for Valentine’s Day; and her forthcoming Plant Magic Encyclopedia: Rituals & Remedies, resources designed to help modern practitioners weave intention and botanical wisdom into everyday life. Writing as Trina Spillman, she’s best known for her engaging fairy tale retellings. Upcoming projects include:

A New Dawn — a gripping political thriller of power, ethics, and love, to be released by The Wild Rose Press

Collateral Justice — the powerful sequel to A New Dawn, where a hidden alliance of the world’s elite blurs the line between justice and vengeance.

The Witches of Fablecastle— When a witch hunter’s mirror exposes her forbidden magic, Holly McCool flees through a portal to Fablecastle, only to learn she’s the one destined to stop him from tearing both worlds apart.

The Quantum Hitchhiker’s Guide to Escaping the Matrix — a witty, mind-bending manual on how to hack reality, rewrite your personal code, and manifest with humor, consciousness, and a touch of modern witchcraft.

Whether she’s exploring the ethics of power in a thriller or sharing herbal recipes for daily rituals, Trina/Selene’s work reflects her unwavering belief in the healing and transformative power of words.

Trina’s latest book is A New Dawn.

Visit her website at https://authortrinaspillman.com.

Connect with her on social media at:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authortrinaspillman/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18389879.Trina_Spillman

A New Dawn is a political thriller and romance. Which of these was the most challenging for you to write about?

Blending a genuine romance into a high-stakes political thriller was the greater challenge. I wanted the relationship between Ian and James to feel authentic and earned, not symbolic or performative. Too often, gay characters are reduced to stereotypes, either sidelined or flattened into tropes. I was very deliberate about writing them as capable, complex men whose relationship unfolds under pressure, with honesty ultimately prevailing. Making that emotional arc feel plausible within the unforgiving world of politics required careful balance.

Which of the characters from A New Dawn do you most closely identify with and why?

I see pieces of myself in several characters. There’s Alex, the sharp, fearless woman who understands how to dismantle a corrupt system from the inside. That kind of strategic courage is something I deeply admire. And then there’s Ian, an ordinary man suddenly thrust into extraordinary circumstances, with no roadmap and no preparation, yet rising to the moment anyway. Writing characters like these requires tapping into lived experiences of fear, resilience, and adaptability so readers can recognize themselves in the struggle.

What do you think sets A New Dawn apart from other books in the same genre?

The pacing and structure. I wrote the book cinematically, with momentum always at the forefront. I’m less interested in ornamental description and more focused on movement, consequence, and tension. The story unfolds visually and quickly, like a film, which keeps the reader engaged and mirrors the urgency of the political world the characters are navigating.

W Surprise me. What is something that happens in the book that would make my mouth drop without giving too much away?

The downfall of the President and Vice President. Let’s just say there’s a moment involving wordplay between “dessert” and “desert” that delivers a very darkly satisfying payoff.

What season does your book take place?

Primarily summer, transitioning into fall and winter as the campaign intensifies.

What locations does your book take place in?

New Orleans and Washington, DC.

Do you think writing a political thriller with a romantic storyline is more complex than writing other genres?

I’ve always gravitated toward genre-blending. Combining genres adds complexity, but it also allows for deeper storytelling. It creates space to explore power, love, and truth from unexpected angles.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on The Witches of Fablecastle, a prequel that explores the historical persecution of women labeled as witches simply for refusing to conform. It introduces readers to the origins of Fablecastle and sets the foundation for the larger world. The story expands on themes of autonomy, fear, and resistance, and leads directly into The Fablecastle Chronicles, which is an award-winning novel available through major retailers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

A catastrophic explosion at a New Orleans convention hall critically injures presidential nominee James Sinclair and ignites a national crisis. Attorney Ian McCullough soon uncovers evidence tying the attack to Vice President Jay Buckley, who has orchestrated a false-flag EMP event to mimic a Chinese assault and destabilize the country for his own rise to power. With the economy collapsing, industries crippled, and global alliances shifting against the United States, Buckley intends to weaponize fear, chaos, and national confusion to consolidate control. Secret recordings obtained by Lee Chang confirm collusion between the administration, foreign officials, and powerful tech interests. The evidence is strong enough to expose the conspiracy if Ian can deliver it safely.

Determined to return to Washington, Ian turns to naval commander Sean Hennessey and asks for a plane. Their strained past reignites when Ian finally admits how deeply Sean’s emotional withdrawal wounded him, especially after concealing the deaths of Ian’s mother, brother, and sister-in-law. Despite the unresolved pain between them, Sean agrees to help. With presidential immunity shielding those in power and time working against him, Ian risks everything to expose the conspiracy, protect James, and prevent the nation from descending into manufactured chaos.

*****

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