#AuthorInterview with Eileen Troemel, featuring Puma Pride

Today, Eileen Troemel is chatting about her latest paranormal romance book, Puma Pride. Let’s get started…

What kind of research did you do for Puma Pride? Did you travel, use the Internet, speak with experts on a topic, etc?

In this book, there is much discussion about the genetic engineering humans did when they fiddled with shifters and their DNA. This meant I needed to know more about genetics or at the very least sound like I knew more. For this, I turned to my youngest and oldest daughter. My youngest has a couple of degrees in science stuff and has actually done DNA research. My oldest is also working in the science fields so between the two of them, we hammered out the genetic conversation so they hopefully sound logical and possible. 

In addition to research on genetics, I researched different animals and their traits. This was fun to look up different types of cats and other wild animals. For this I used the internet. 

That must’ve been fun working with your daughters, discussing animal shifters. What process did you go through when you picked your characters’ names for Puma Pride?

Usually one of them comes to me. In this case, Jolyn came to me. I liked the name and the options for shortening it. For me it’s always a process. I may rename a character a couple of times if the name doesn’t sit well with what I’m writing. 

Interesting! Are your characters based on anyone you know?

Generally my characters are a mishmash of traits and people I’ve met or watched. In this story, I knew I wanted my main female character to be alone and wanting a family.  

Do any of your characters take over and write the book themselves sometimes? Who?

My characters are generally pretty unruly. Puma Pride I started as a light romance driven story – human meets shifter and they fall in love but they have to figure it out to begin with. Jolyn took over from the beginning. Page 1 she said my story is light and funny. It’s twisted. She took over and the story unfolded beautifully. 

I love it when characters take over. It happens with me too. What do you prefer: ebook or print? Why?

So I’ll read in any format – ebook, print, or audible. Most often when I read, it’s on my phone because it’s with me and convenient. 

I love the feel of a book. I’ve been receiving copies of my books in preparation for some face to face events. My cover designer – Natasha Williams at Dazed Designs – makes beautiful covers. Seeing them live on a book is incredible. 

If I’m traveling or doing tedious things, an audio book is nice to distract me. 

There’s nothing better than the feel of a new paperback. 🙂 How long have you been writing? When did you decide to become an author?

I knew I wanted to tell stories at eight. My third grade teacher assigned us a writing project of writing a short story. I remember something silly about a flower shop. It was the first time I realized I could make up stories and people might want to read them.

Publishing came in 2014. I tried to go the traditional route. For over 10 years I tried to get published and finally I gave up on the traditional route. I started researching self publishing. In April 2014, I published my first book. It was scary, exciting, and satisfying. 

Same with me. The traditional route was a no-go. Any advice for the aspiring authors out there? Particularly those who are feeling a little discouraged?

Write your story your way and don’t listen to those who say it’s wrong. As a writer, you have to write. Once you have a final rough draft, you have to take off your writer’s hat and put your business person’s hat on. This is the point where you have to be critical of every word, punctuation and sentence structure to determine if you’ve written a good story. 

Truth! Besides writing and reading, what are some of your hobbies?

There are three things which I do with a great deal of regularity – I crochet, I research family history, and with the return of spring, I work with my middle daughter and husband to garden, preserve, and process food for the year.

My hubby and I love to garden as well. Thank you so much for visiting!

Blurb

Puma Pride:

A shifter fated mate romance with a touch of mystery, danger, and intrigue.

Bears and Panthers; Hounds and Horses

Shifters don’t trust humans. Humans have experimented and tortured them. They’ve taken their children. Now the shifters are in charge, things are better except shifters don’t trust humans.

Jolyn, a human, finds teens hurting a shifter girl and stops them. Taking her home, they are attacked again but this time by another shifter group. When Minnie’s parents show up, Jolyn knows the Puma Pride could blame her for what happened to the alphas’ daughter. The black panther, the Pride’s enforcer, winds around her but she knows to stand up for herself. She’s not prey.

Brady, enforcer to the Puma Pride, is drawn to the woman who had his niece, Minnie. She smells of lilacs and Brady wants her. If his alphas order it, he’ll be the one to put her down. But his cat doesn’t want to hurt her, he wants something more.

https://books2read.com/Puma-Pride

Excerpt

   Brady turned her around, tilted her chin to stare into her eyes. “You should tell them the truth,” he said. His yellow eyes mesmerized her.

   “I have,” Jolyn said. “If you choose not to believe me, it’s your problem.”

   “It could mean your death,” Brady said.

   “So be it,” Jolyn said.

   “Do you think you will escape,” Brady asked.

   “No,” Jolyn said. “I think I’ll die. I knew from the moment I stopped to help Minnie, I was forfeiting my life.”

   “Then why do it,” Brady asked, his thumb explored her neck, the softness of her skin.

   “Because it was the right thing to do,” Jolyn said.

   He felt her heartbeat quicken.

   She trembled with the feel of his hands on her. She asked, “You’re their enforcer?”

   “Yes,” he said.

   “You’ll be the one to kill me,” she asked.

   “Yes,” he said again knowing it would be the hardest thing his alphas would ask him to do.

   “Make it quick,” she asked.

   His eyes narrowed. He drew her to him. “Better you answer them honestly,” he murmured. He strode out of the room. Jolyn closed her eyes and tried to convince herself she would live past tomorrow.

Find Eileen at: https://linktr.ee/eileentroemel