Tribulation’s War is about Tribulation’s life through the American Civil War. The story is told with great historical precision. How were you able to capture that time in American history?

In short… hours and hours and hours of research. I read diaries, memoirs, letters, and scholarly studies. I have a MA in History from UCLA, and I found that writing Tribulation’s War involved much more difficult and in-depth, but also much more rewarding, research than anything I did while earning my degree. James McPherson’s books on soldier mentalities, James Robertson’s book on the Stonewall Brigade, Lonnie R. Speer’s book on Civil War prisons, and a whole host of battlefield studies were among the most useful secondary sources.

Tribulation Jones is a character that I thought started simple, but then slowly becomes a fairly complex individual. What was your inspiration for his character?

Tribulation started out as a character in a few “weird Western” short stories that I wrote – which will probably see daylight in a collection eventually. He was sort of the bastard son of Jonah Hex (the graphic novel version) and Barbara Hambly’s character Abishag Shaw. As I wrote the stories, I wanted Tribulation to have a complex and disturbing background. Suddenly I decided to write the story of his past, and he took on a life of his own from there.

The magic and conjuration in Tribulations War all adhere to some strict rules and structure. Where did the origin of these ideas come from and how did it develop for you over time?

Old Woodman’s magical system is a Scandinavian runic system – I figure he brought it over from the ‘old country’ – and then I’ve mixed in Appalachian and Celtic folk beliefs. I wanted the system to remain logical and consistent so that even though some very extreme events take place, nobody has “superpowers” and every action has a cost.

What is your writing background and where do you see your writing career going?

I’ve been writing for most of my life. I have two other self-published novels, Stealing the Sun and The Dark of the Sun, and several more in the works. At this point, I have no plans to quit my day job!

What is the next project or book that you are working on?

I’m currently doing final revisions on A Red Morn Rises, which is the third book of the dark fantasy Sun Saga. That will be available later this summer. In fall, I’ll probably bring out Rider: A Novel, which is an alternate history based around the American Civil War. There’s also a partly written book about Ace, Trib’s friend from the prisoner of war camp, which should see the light eventually.

See Kyri Freemans Amazon author page here.

Disinherited from the throne he believes should belong to his clan, rejected by the woman he loves, estranged from his father and uncertain of his place in a war-torn world, Altir Ilanarion searches for his path. Meanwhile, his kinsmen scheme and plot to overthrow their rival and regain the throne — but all the while, the Liar’s servants lie in wait.

In the second book of the Sun Saga, the People struggle to survive as deadly winter falls upon the world. The High-King Selirien fights to keep his realm alive, even as he faces open enmity, false allies, and his own weaknesses. Altir Ilanarion must make a terrible choice between loyalties. The few who survive the Winter will not do so unchanged.