10 Things You Might Not Know About Trina Spillman, author of A New Dawn

 

A pulse-pounding political thriller where love, betrayal, and democracy collide...

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.

A New Dawn is available at Amazon at https://a.co/d/7vJUkhy. 

If you like to read:

Suspense

Romance

Betrayal

Political

High Stakes

Emotional

Page Turner

You’ll love this book!

Excerpt: 

The explosion ripped through the hall like a hellish fireball, leaving chaos and devastation in its wake. Charred confetti rained down from above as smoke billowed through the air. The presidential nominee was missing. Ian McCullough’s heart pounded as he scanned the scene. He had to find James. The sight of the first responders rushing to aid the wounded spurred him into action. Secret service agents were already combing the debris around the stage, their movements frantic and purposeful. Out of the corner of his eye, Ian spotted a glint of something shiny on the ground, a monogrammed cufflink. Recognition struck him with a visceral force. It was one of the anniversary gifts he had given James. With desperation fueling him, Ian shouted, “Over here! He’s over here!” Ian scrambled to the edge of the collapsed stage. His desperate attempts to lift the structure were futile. The secret service detail, alongside a squad of firemen, swiftly intervened, pushing him aside to use hydraulic jacks on the massive wooden platform. The creaking and groaning of the wood echoed in Ian’s ears as they carefully raised the wreckage. Firemen pulled James out just before the stage gave way in a splintering crash. A dust cloud enveloped Ian, blurring his vision. In the haze, he glimpsed James being whisked away. Ian fought to catch up with the firemen carrying James’s unconscious body, but he was swept aside by the panicked tide of people evacuating the building.

Out on the sidewalk, Ian faced a barrage of questions from reporters. Emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, lined Convention Center Boulevard. The entire scene was a surreal, macabre circus. Spying one of the firemen who helped rescue James, Ian pushed through the throng of people. “Hey, do you know where they took the senator?” Ian screamed. “He’s being taken to University Medical Center,” the fireman replied, his face etched with concern. Ian thanked him and pushed through the crowd. The streets around the convention center, which had been cordoned off, were now choked with cars, first responders, and camera crews. Navigating through the dense, swirling crowd, Ian walked toward the French Quarter. With mechanical precision, Ian’s body moved forward while his mind remained trapped in a labyrinth of nightmarish images. The humid New Orleans air clung to his skin, thick with the mingled scents of bourbon, jasmine, and Tabasco sauce. It hung heavily, like a shroud. Ian’s mind drifted, transporting him back to that warm spring evening of March fifth, the night James had first shared his presidential ambitions. Their dining room had been bathed in soft amber candlelight, the table adorned with crisp white linens Ian had carefully pressed earlier that afternoon. Crystal wine glasses captured the flickering light, their refined edges creating small prisms that reflected across the walls. Ian had spent hours preparing a menu that told their story, each course a carefully curated celebration of their years together. The cufflinks had been his masterpiece. Crafted by an artisan who specialized in customized metalwork, they were more than mere accessories.

Each link bore James’s initials in an elegant, flowing script, the letters intertwined so intimately that they seemed to breathe with the same rhythm as their relationship. The twenty-four-carat gold caught the candlelight, warm and rich, a tangible representation of their deep, unbreakable bond. When Ian presented them to James that night, the vulnerability in his eyes spoke volumes. These were not just cufflinks but a promise, a private emblem of their commitment to one another. A violent shudder tore through Ian’s body, shattering the tender memory. Suddenly, all he could see was a blood-splattered cuff, James’s hand emerging from beneath the stage, the cufflink’s intricate engraving barely visible beneath the dried blood, a brutal testament to how quickly hope could be transformed into horror. A group of boisterous tourists, their laughter sharp and discordant, collided with Ian, jolting him from his nightmare. The French Quarter continued its relentless celebration, a cacophony of jazz and drunken revelry. He moved like a ghost among the living, barely registering the kaleidoscope of colors and sounds surrounding him. A nearby bar’s raucous applause caught his attention. As he stood at the threshold, Ian’s eyes were drawn to the television mounted above the bar. The president, a man Ian had long despised, was delivering a national address, his carefully crafted words sliding like poison into the nation’s consciousness.

– Excerpted from A New Dawn by Trina Spillman, The Wild Rose Press, 2026. Reprinted with permission. 

10 Things You Might Not Know About Trina Spillman

1. I didn’t start in fiction.
   My writing career began in technical writing, creating use-and-care manuals and product documentation for major corporations long before I ever wrote novels.
2. I survived the era of snail-mail queries.
   I came up in publishing when you mailed pitch letters with a self-addressed stamped envelope and waited months for a polite rejection. That experience shaped both my resilience and my realism about the industry.
3. I’ve written across wildly different genres.
   My work spans political thrillers, romance, fantasy, science fiction, nonfiction guides, and yes, a bit of playful erotica. I’ve never believed stories should stay neatly in one lane.
4. I’ve worked inside political systems.
   I’ve freelanced within political circles and seriously considered running for office, which gave me an unfiltered view of how power actually operates behind the scenes.
5. I believe hope is a radical choice.
   Even when writing about corruption, betrayal, and manipulation, I deliberately resist dystopian endings. I write stories that imagine solutions, not just collapse.
6. I write cinematically on purpose.
   I prefer momentum over ornamental description. My scenes are built to move, like a film unfolding on the page.
7. My award-winning fantasy series breaks all the rules.
   The Fablecastle Chronicles blends fairy tales, portals, political satire, and a version of Lucifer who is decidedly not what mythology promised.
8. I’m finally writing only what matters to me.
   With my children grown and my mortgage behind me, I no longer write under financial pressure. That freedom has fundamentally changed the kinds of stories I choose to tell.
9. Marketing is harder for me than writing.
   I love connecting with readers, but self-promotion doesn’t come naturally. I’d much rather be writing the next book.
10. Every story I write asks the same question.
    Who really holds power, who pays the price, and what happens when someone decides not to play along anymore?

About the Author

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

Sponsored By:

Tips on Developing Characters That Feel Real in Your Fiction by author Kim McCollum

 

Meet Harriet. But don’t be surprised if she isn’t interested in meeting you. Harriet has life all figured out, and she doesn’t hesitate to inform others of their shortcomings. Though her attempts to become president of the homeowner’s association failed, that doesn’t stop her from berating “off-leash-dog-man” or reporting the neighbor who had the audacity to leave their Easter decorations up an entire week past the holiday. The problem is, unbeknownst to her, Harriet’s rigid rules and judgmental opinions are not her own.

Her ordered life plunges into chaos when a twelve-year-old neighbor knocks on Harriet's door seeking help because the girl’s father is physically abusing her mother. Reluctantly, Harriet comes to her neighbor’s aid and, in the process, recognizes her own insidious abuse which has unwittingly shaped her isolated, rigid existence. To escape her crushing loneliness, she must learn to break free from the patterns of control and isolation that have defined her life and learn to connect with people she previously viewed as heathens.

Purchase a copy of Harriet Hates Lemonade on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. Be sure to also add it to your GoodReads reading list.

 

Tips on Developing Characters That Feel Real in Your Fiction

We’ve all heard the advice to "write what you know.” To me, that old saying is really about pulling from the people and the real-life experiences I've encountered, so I can fully inhabit a character. It’s about taking those authentic bits of humanity and using them to make a fictional person feel like someone you could meet in real life.

When I’m sitting at my desk, and a character hits a fork in the road, I literally stop and ask myself, "What would my friend do here?" or "What would my dad say to that?" This is how I make sure the dialogue doesn't sound like a canned script. Real people don't always say the perfect thing. They say things that are colored by their own history, their quirks, and their specific way of looking at the world. By channeling the voices of people I know, I can bridge the gap between a name on a page and a person who feels three-dimensional.

In my first book, What Happens in Montana, I modeled the friendships in the book after my girlfriends from when I lived in Las Vegas. When we met, our kids were just babies. Now, those "babies" are twenty-four years old. The inside jokes, the way you can tell exactly what a close friend is thinking just by a look, those things are difficult to invent from imagination alone. I needed those two decades of real friendship to write about that kind of bond convincingly.

With my second book, Harriet Hates Lemonade, the characters were more of an amalgamation of people I know. I drew a lot of Harriet’s world from a neighborhood I lived in here in Bozeman. On the outside, it looked like "Mayberry” with perfect lawns and friendly waves. But underneath, it was incredibly uptight. I’ll never forget getting a formal letter from the HOA because our trash can was visible from the street – not out on the street, just on the side of our house - one day early. Or the time a neighbor seriously suggested we use DNA testing on dog poop to catch owners who weren’t picking up after their dogs.

At the time, it was just annoying, but as a writer, it was gold. Harriet became the face of that need for total control. She’s a woman who uses rules like a shield because the rest of her life feels so out of her hands. By using those real-life frustrations, I was able to give Harriet an authentic persona that feels real to anyone who has ever dealt with a picky neighbor.

Whether it’s a lifelong friendship or a ridiculously uptight neighbor, I’ve found that the best characters are usually just a mix of the people right in front of me. My best advice for other writers is to stop overthinking your characterizations and start listening to the voices in your own life. The world is full of amazing characters. You just have to be willing to ask what they would do and watch where they take you and your story.

 

About the Author

Kim McCollum graduated from Barnard College with a major in Japanese and was soon navigating the hustle and bustle of Wall Street. When her first child was born, she stayed home to raise her children. Once they headed off to school, Kim finally found time to pursue her passion for writing. Her award-winning debut novel, WHAT HAPPENS IN MONTANA, was published in January 2024, and her short stories have appeared in several publications. She lived in Bozeman, Montana, with her supportive husband, Brian, and their blended menagerie of five kids and three spoiled pets.

You can find her online at:

Her website: https://kim-mccollum.com/

Twitter: https://x.com/KFMcCollum

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimmccollumauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author.kimmccollum/

TV Series Review: Murder Before Evensong

Murder Before Evensong is a cosy murder mystery, set in 1980s England, based on the novel of the same name by Richard Coles. Canon Daniel Clement finds himself entangled in a murder investigation after he finds the (very dodgy) cousin of the local lord of the manor murdered in the church with a pair of garden secateurs. Actually, his two little dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda, find the body. From then on, the village is all agog as suspicions fall upon various characters, ranging from members of the noble family (the De Floures) to certain suspicious-looking and socially undesirable characters with dubious pasts and friends in low places. When yet another two murders happen, the villagers go from agog to galvanised! Threads from the past surface in the Champton village celebrations of its role in the war (only forty years earlier) as a base for the Special Operations Executive, Churchill’s secret WW2 guerilla army. The detective on the case, DS Neil Vanloo, ropes Daniel into the investigation because he is the local rector and people are more likely to trust and confide in him. Amid all this, Daniel’s mother arrives to stay with him. Forever, it seems…

This is a wonderful country village murder mystery with a dark side and lots of humour, red herrings, dead bodies, side plots, historical shenanigans, treachery, double cross, and more in a bucolic setting. A great cast makes this series a must-see. Matthew Lewis (of Harry Potter fame) is perfect as Canon Clement. He is anxious, self-critical, slightly agitated most of the time, and not very confident of his abilities. He is also very compassionate about the AIDS victims, with this being a hot topic of the 80s. His mother is played by Amanda Redman and she is just magnificent! She is rather like Patricia Routledge and Margaret Rutherford rolled into one. Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced ‘Bouquet’) has nothing on Mrs Clement. She is a total scene-stealer, although Cosmo and Hilda (played to paw-fection by Bailey and Penny) come a close second. Amit Shah plays DS Neil Vanloo, and he is just right for the role. He is rather like Canon Clement, and the duo manages to bumble along together to discover the murderer. Speaking of which, I was unable to guess who it was.

The plot is excellent and so many threads weave in and out but always lead back to the main one. Historical and factual details, and social and political issues are touched upon to establish the context but with no banging on about injustice, no wokery, no ‘BBC-style’ demographics, and no hidden agendas from the scriptwriters. The attention to detail is magnificent and you will believe you have stepped into the village of Champton. The village is ‘played’ by the real village of Worfield, near Bridgenorth in Shropshire, England. This is an incredibly enjoyable and riveting mystery. Fingers crossed there is a season two. Don’t miss it. Make popcorn. LOTS!

Book Spotlight: The Good Mother Test by Michael R. French

 

When Emily, a bright but impulsive UCLA student, gives birth to her daughter Violet, she vows to be the kind of mother she never had: endlessly loving and fiercely protective. But single motherhood is a test with no right answers. As Violet’s brilliance and independence unfold, Emily’s instincts clash with a world obsessed with achievement. Then Violet’s father, Doug, returns, now partnered with Amanda, a celebrated therapist unable to have children of her own. What begins as an amicable co-parenting plan becomes a psychological struggle for Violet’s heart and future. Told through the eyes of both mother and daughter, The Good Mother Test is a deeply moving contemporary novel about family, ambition, and the fragile line between devotion and control. It asks the reader what makes a good mother, and what happens when love itself is put to the test. Amazon

Words of Praise:

“…A highly readable, relatable novel about ordinary people interacting, clashing, and blending their lives in however a messy or successful manner they can, and will attract readers interested in the psychological dovetailing of family and relationship-building which all boils down to luck and trust. These elements move full circle to guide characters and readers in an unexpected journey towards new beginnings and hope, making for a hard-hitting, satisfying read.” -- Midwest Book Review 

“French shows a skillful hand with characters’ voices and dialogue, effectively capturing very different perspectives in both third and first person. The scenes of tension and suspense work well.” -- Kirkus Reviews

 

About the Author: 

Michael R. French graduated from Stanford University, where he studied English and creative writing under Wallace Stegner, and later earned a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. After serving in the U.S. Army, he married Patricia Goodkind, an educator and entrepreneur, and began a family. French is the author of more than twenty books, including award-winning young adult novels, adult fiction, biographies, and self-help titles. His work has been warmly reviewed in The New York Times and honored with multiple literary prizes. He has also written or co-written several screenplays, including Intersection, which has received awards at more than twenty film festivals. His passions include travel, collecting rare books, and spending time with family and friends. He describes his worst traits as impatience and saying “no” too quickly, and his best as curiosity, risk-taking, and learning from failure. Website: www.goodmothertest.com