Can you tell us a little about yourself? Are you a full-time author?
Writing has always been my profession, even when it wasn’t my title. I began my career as a technical writer, creating use-and-care manuals and product documentation for Whirlpool. When I later stayed home with my children, I shifted into freelance writing, contributing articles to publications such as Camping World and Food & Wine. This was back when queries were mailed the old-fashioned way, complete with a self-addressed stamped envelope, and rejection letters were polite but predictable. That part of the industry hasn’t changed much. What has changed is access. Platforms like Substack and Bluesky have removed some of the gatekeeping that once made it nearly impossible to be published unless you already were. Today, I write full-time across fiction and nonfiction, blending storytelling with social commentary.
Can you tell us about A New Dawn?
A New Dawn is a political thriller with a strong romantic core that reflects the very real corruption embedded in modern systems of power. Rather than going dystopian, I deliberately chose a hopeful, almost utopian resolution. I believe hope is a necessary act of resistance. Without it, nothing changes. The story imagines what could happen if integrity, courage, and accountability actually won.
Can you tell us a little about the characters?
The characters are reflections of the world we live in, and in many ways, reflections of myself. Each one embodies a response to power, fear, or moral pressure, whether that’s resistance, adaptation, or transformation. They’re flawed, human, and shaped by circumstance, just like the rest of us.
Where is this book set, and why did you choose that location?
The story is set in New Orleans and Washington, DC. I chose New Orleans because it’s a city I know well, and because it possesses a unique energy. It’s one of the few places where life would continue, music would still play, and people would still gather even in the aftermath of chaos. That resilience felt essential to the story. The city isn’t just a backdrop; it becomes part of the narrative itself.
How can people benefit from reading A New Dawn?
Readers will come away with a clearer understanding of how political and corporate systems are stacked against ordinary people, but also with a sense of agency. The book offers a blueprint, not just for recognizing corruption, but for imagining how governance could work if it truly served the public rather than entrenched interests.
Is A New Dawn your only book?
Not at all. I’ve written novellas, guides, and an award-winning sci-fi fantasy series called The Fablecastle Chronicles, which blends fairy tales, portals, and political satire. I’ve also written some playful erotica that explores the untold questions fairy tales never answered, including what Cinderella was really practicing with a golf ball and a garden hose.
Title: A New Dawn
Author: Trina Spillman
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: March 1,
2026
Pages: 224
Genre: Political Thriller / Romance
Formats: Paperback, Kindle
BLURB
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.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/
https://wildrosepress.com/
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.
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
