Welcome everyone! This is part two of a four part interview series with Eoghan Kerrigan, the illustrator of my Zaria Fierce Trilogy as we discuss his work for the second book. He’s marvelously talented (just scroll down and you can see some of his illustrations). You can read the first part of the interview series with him here.

Keira: Eoghan, were there any new characters to the trilogy that you loved reading about and/or drawing?

Eoghan Kerrigan: Bjarke, the benevolent troll, was a nice surprise after all the baddie trolls in the first book.

I also liked reading about minor characters like Granny dwarf. It’s a shame I didn’t get to draw her!

Keira: I’m glad you like Bjarke. I enjoyed meeting him too. He’s a fine scallywag pirate. It was important to me to not make all trolls be the bad guys. As for Granny, you never know who might make an appearance in the third installment of the trilogy. Which character from the trilogy (that you’ve met so far) are you most like and why?

Eoghan: Probably Zaria. She has a love of fantasy and a revered appreciation for the strange denizens she meets. She can be self-conscious and has a tendency to overthink, but is brave when she needs to be.

Keira: It’s so fun to see that you relate to her. She loves maps and uses them as artwork on her walls, but if she saw your art and how you’ve depicted her adventures around Norway, you’d get prime real estate. What do you most want to happen next in the next book? Where do you hope book three takes us?

Eoghan: It’s going to sound horrible, but I hope all the dragons are released so I can draw them!

Keira: That would certainly be something! I’d enjoy getting those illustrations as I loved, LOVED, your Koll. If you could be a magical being from the book, which would you be and why?

Eoghan: I’d be a troll, no question. I’ve always identified with them. Not particularly pleasant looking, a little grumpy, a little misunderstood, but not all bad.

Keira: I thought you might say that! When I saw your illustrator head shot with you talking to a troll, it made me smile, because it felt so you. And no, trolls aren’t all bad as we’ll find out in Zaria’s second adventure. Were you surprised, scared, disappointed, etc. with any part of the second book?

Eoghan: The finale where Zaria enters the Under Realm felt very uneasy. You can tell something really bad is going to happen and just like Zaria I was not expecting what happened next to happen. I always worry for Zaria and the consequences of her actions.

Keira: Oh, that’s good to hear! I hope it will surprise readers, too. Thanks everyone for joining us today! Eoghan, it’s been a pleasure. Be sure to follow along with the blog tour for upcoming information on the next segment with Eoghan about Zaria and her adventures to find the Drakeland Sword.

Available in E-book | Print | Audio Book formats.

See if you’re eligible to get a free copy of the audio book here.

Illustrator Bio: Eoghan Kerrigan is an illustrator from Kildare, Ireland who draws primarily fantasy characters and creatures. He studied illustration in Ballyfermot College of Further Education and has produced work for various independent projects. He has two cats and a soft spot for trolls.

Website: http://eoghankerrigan.blogspot.ie/

Social Media: Twitter (eoghankerrigan), Facebook (eoghankart)