Who is Maegwen?

I’m simply a small town girl with a big imagination. I grew up in a town with two stoplights on a road called Possum Fork—yes, that really does say Possum. I enjoy all genres of books, but fantasy fiction has my heart. I was considered a Mathlete: played college volleyball for four years at my university where I majored in Math with a video editing minor. My current career is a woven polypropylene specialist and now, a novelist. I enjoy giving presents rather than receiving them. I would eat sushi for breakfast if it was socially acceptable. If I could live in two places at once, I would choose my current home with my husband and Inverness, Scotland.

What is your favorite childhood book?

The book that helped me fall in love with reading was Treasure Island. It was the first book I chose to read on my own from my middle school library. It even inspired me to go bury “treasure” in random spots around my parent’s property.

Does your family support your career as a writer?

I would definitely say yes! Although I believe my parents are still quite shocked I wrote a book. It’s extremely different from the career path that I currently have. My husband has been incredibly supportive, helpful, and inspiring along this journey. My sister constantly asked when the book was going to be published, which held me accountable to actually finish—maybe just to get her to stop asking.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

I think both. To make writing a career, you have to write something readers want and enjoy, but I believe readers appreciate originality. Of course, there’s always a demand for the classic tropes, but the key is writing the balance between what readers want and what they have yet to discover they want.

If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

This is a hard question. I think exploring more into the creative writing world would have benefited me. I grew up in a small town, so there wasn’t very many opportunities for creative writing. Perhaps searching more programs available in bigger cities or even starting a program in the small town for further learning.

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

I want each book to stand on its own, but they will all be connected. You can’t have one without the other, but you will be able to enjoy each book as its own entity.

What can your readers expect from your next pieces of work?

More action! No, but seriously—-more action. The Emerald Queen Rises is book 1 of a 7 book series. Book 1 was focused more on setting up this new world. Each book will expand into the world building. I didn’t want to give too much away in book 1 and wanted to establish character development first. Book 2? Hang on for a whirlwind of emotion and a jaw-dropping ending!