When I’m immersed in a new story as an author, the characters become quite real to me. In WITCH UNBOUND, Book 1 of my Beyond the Magic series, my main characters, and even the dog, are not what they seem. Hiding your identity can be tricky, even for a supernatural being. Marcus Egan is a powerful Guardian Warlock sent undercover as a visiting veterinarian to the mortal realm. His mission is to investigate the murder of two escaped witches from the supernatural realm of The Otherland.
I thought it might be fun to see what would happen if the
local newspaper reporter suddenly confronted Marcus with prying questions. How
would he respond? He’s not supposed to use magic on humans, but—
Main Street, Robbers Canyon
(Montana)
Reporter: (racing
up to Marcus) I’m Suzie from the Robbers Canyon Gazette. We’re doing a column
on ‘Meet the People of Robbers Canyon’. Can you spare me five minutes to answer
a few questions, Dr. Egan?
Marcus:
(glancing from side to side looking for an escape route but finding none) Well,
okay, I guess. But I’m just a visitor. I’m filling in for the regular vet. You
should probably wait to do your interview with him, shouldn’t you?
Reporter:
(Smiling coyly and batting her eyes) Oh no. Everyone in town is wondering about
you right now, Dr. Egan. Where did you come from?
Marcus:
(Gritting his teeth) It’s not somewhere you would know.
Reporter: (Still
smiling) How long are you staying in our fair town?
Marcus: Ah, just
until I complete this assignment, then I move on again.
Reporter: (feeling
a little frustrated) Sounds like you travel a lot with your job. That can’t be
easy. Do you have family waiting for you back home? Are you close-knit?
Marcus: I have a
brother and sister. We are very close, but they understand my work. We’re a long-time
family business.
Reporter: Oh, so
they’re also vets?
Marcus: (Fidgeting)
Ahhhh, not exactly. But they support the family in a manner of speaking—Listen,
it’s getting late, and you have a deadline to meet.
Reporter: Right,
I’d better run.
LATER, Office of the Gazette
Gazette Editor:
Who did you interview for the column today?
Reporter: The
visiting vet, Dr. Egan. He’s a strange one.
Editor: What do
you mean?
Reporter: I
thought he’d be a brilliant choice because all the women in town are salivating
over him, but it was like pulling teeth.
Editor: Lots of
people freeze up in front of a reporter. It’s your job to draw him out.
Reporter: (Feeling
vaguely uneasy) I tried, but it was like my mind didn’t work.
Editor:
(Chuckling) So when you said ‘all the women’ you were including yourself?
Reporter: Maybe….
but it was more like I kept losing my train of thought. You know I can ask the
tough questions when I need to. I meant to ask him what he thought about the
Gwynn murders, but every time I opened my mouth some inane question came out.
It was like I wasn’t in control of my own tongue…. (Shakes her head) ….it was
weird.
Two more primary characters in WITCH UNBOUND are Avalon Gwynn, who doesn’t know she’s an extraordinary, hereditary witch living in
the mortal world, and a canine familiar who appears out of the unknown to
protect her. These hidden identities, as well as more of the many mysteries of
the magical realm, will be revealed in WITCH UNBOUND.
You’ll meet
Marcus’s brother, Theo Egan, in MORTAL MAGIC (Book 2) and sister, Elowyn Egan,
in REBEL SPELL (Book 3) as the Beyond the Magic series continues.
I write
heartwarming stories of mystery and magic. To learn more about this series or
my author life, please find me on my website at www.bcdeeks.com or on Facebook.