Hello! My name is Katelina, and welcome to Weekend Character Interviews. Using state of the art-mumbo-jumbo author magic, Jo has temporarily bent the laws of fictional space and time to allow various literary universes to converge long enough for me to ask different characters a few questions. Since I spend a lot of time in the Amaranthine series quizzing vampires on what they’re doing, where they’re going and why, Jo thought I would be the perfect interviewer.
Today we are interviewing Trillman from Jennifer Priester’s novel Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic.
Katelina: Hello Trillman and welcome! Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Trillman: I am currently a Golden Retriever living with my witch in the Mortal Realm.
K: Currently?
T: I wasn’t always a dog, there was a time when I was a warlock. Depending on what rule was broken, witches and warlocks are often turned into animals for punishment. (You will be able to learn all about the reason and read many familiars stories in, Tales of Familiars: The First Mortal Realm Witch Series Companion to be released between books Two and Three of the Mortal Realm Witch series.) The animals as you might have just figured out, become known as familiars. Familiars are described as talking animals that teach witches and warlocks magic, although they also teach other magic users as well. Their punishments usually end at some point, and mine did, but I chose to remain a dog rather than become a warlock again because I enjoy being a familiar.
K: Can you tell us what you did to be changed into a familiar?
T: The short version of my story goes like this. I was a young warlock living in the Mortal Realm. I was going to college to learn to become a teacher and was failing at this. A girl in my class offers to tutor me and I accept. We later become friends and one day she asks about me, where I come from. I come from the Other Realm and tell her this. I also tell her that I am a warlock. Neither of these things got me turned into a familiar but I was breaking rules by telling her these things. It was what I did next that got me turned into what I am today. The girl asked if she could see the Other Realm. One of the Other Realms biggest rules is no mortals allowed, and while I should have said no, I said yes. I couldn’t help it, I liked her. Well, Trom caught me bringing her into the Other Realm and practically turned me into a dog on the spot. Because I was a familiar now I ended up having to quit school and I never saw the girl again, but I did fulfill my dream of becoming a teacher. You can read the full version at http://www.mortalrealmwitch.com/extras/freetoreadstories.html
K: Can you tell us whose familiar you are?
T: Sure. DWW’s.
K: How did that happen? I mean did you get to pick, or did you get assigned or…
T: Upon becoming a familiar I was sent to familiar training in the Other Realm where I would learn how to do my new job. Trom gave me to DWW’s parents asking if I could live with them. DWW wasn’t born yet. Trom’s strategy was for me to become friends with my witch in training before becoming her teacher. The biggest challenge I faced at the time was acting like a normal dog and not talking to her until she became a witch. Another Other Realm rule is that familiars aren’t supposed to talk to mortals, even those that will be a witch one day, or current witches that have had their powers taken away as a punishment.
K: So you and DWW must be good friends?
T: Well, the first witch I teach is DWW but I end up quitting on her when she won’t listen to me anymore. Then when I end up becoming the familiar of the second Head of the Witches Council in the series, she expects me to constantly babysit a kid, just because I am the most responsible guy she knows. The kid never listened to or even liked me. In Book Two I learn that quitting on DWW was a mistake and regret it. Then in Book Five, my opinions of the kid begin changing when I learn why she doesn’t like me. (The reason had much to do with me and for so long I thought it was just her.) I guess you could say that by the end of the series I am much more patient and understanding. I also start trying not to just expect things, such as their becoming a hero or a villain, without getting to know them first.
A golden dog by Jo
K: Do you have any enemies in the series?
T: Yes, Asantra, although by the end she isn’t one anymore. Asantra is the kid I was telling you about. We become enemies right from the start when I expect her to be something she isn’t and treat her this way.
K: I guess dealing with her must be pretty challenging, huh?
T: Yes. Getting past my prejudices against Asantra, and really getting to know her is hard. This might not seem like much of a challenge to many people, but Asantra’s dislike for me is so deep that at one point in the series she even goes so far as to try to kill me, so you can see we had much to work past.
K: Oh wow! That had to be a life changing moment.
T: Yes. The fight with Asantra and the reason it happened both were. (This is also the moment she attempted to kill me.) It all starts when she discovers a truth about me. Reflecting on what was said later I come to realize the kind of guy I had been to Asantra and this pushed me to make the decision to work at trying to improve our relationship as well as becoming a better guy…or dog, as it is in my case.
K: We’re getting short on time, so real quick I need to ask, The Mortal Realm Witch is a series, right? Which books are you in?
T: I first appear in Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic, and am in all the books except for the First Companion (although someone mentions me), the Third Companion, and the Guidebook.
K: And with that we’re out of time. You can find Trillman in Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic available at
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Realm-Witch-Learning-About/dp/193878300X/
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mortal-realm-witch-jennifer-priester/1111957728?ean=9781938783005
Also check out the website for more info: http://www.mortalrealmwitch.com/meettheauthor.html
And a special thank you to Jennifer Priester for playing along!
If you’re an author and would like your character(s) to be interviewed by me, then check out this very cool page that has all the details:
Amaranthine by Joleene Naylor 
dm yates
/ May 16, 2013I loved this one, talking with a familiar – how fun. Sounds like a great read.