Featured Author: Hildie McQueen

Coastal Magic Convention is a beachside reader weekend in Daytona Beach, Florida each February. The 14th annual weekend is February 19-22, 2026, celebrating the magic of stories & storytellers. Each year’s goal is to bring authors and readers together for a memorable weekend with old friends (and new!) and to build TBR piles! This year, the theme for the event is “Secret Garden: Reading Helps Your Mind Bloom”.

USA Today Bestselling author Hildie McQueen writes Medieval Highlander romance. Her heroes are Alpha, and her heroines are tenacious women who stand up to them. She writes romance because she is in love with love! 

Most days she can be found in her writing cave in sweatshirt and leggings drinking tea in one of her many cups. A lover of anything tea related, the color pink and stationary, she owns way too many cups, pink things, and paper products. 

Hildie's favorite past-times are traveling, hanging out with gal pals, reading and playing with her planners.

She resides in beautiful small town Georgia with her super-hero husband Kurt, and three tiny doglets named Pippa, Harley and Pablo.

Hildie McQueen interviews Laird Tristan McRainey, Hero of An Enchanted Knight. 

Tristan along with four other knights were thrust into another alter-world by an evil wizard and have remained trapped there for almost 400 years. Their only way of escape is to be rescued by a specific person, whom they are meant to be with.

As an author, I am always excited to meet the heroes of my books and chat about their experiences in the story.  Tristan McRainey, the hero of my book, titled An Enchanted Knight, lives in a large castle beside a small town called Culross, near Edinburgh, Scotland. 

We decided to meet in a pub, because why not? I enter the dim interior of The Red Lion and instantly spot Tristan McRainey. Despite being dressed in modern clothing, something about him screams medieval.

At seeing me, he stands to his full six feet, and I am so happy to note that he is as handsome in person as I made him to be on the pages. He has wide shoulders, tussled dark hair and just a shading of beard. The guy is super-hot. After kisses on each cheek, which I enjoy very much, we settle into the booth to talk. 

A woman hurries over to put a pint in front of me and sneaks a look at Tristan, whose glass is still almost full, before walking away.

Once we got over the small chatter about the weather and such, I began asking him questions, which I’m sharing with y’all.

Me: “I’m glad to see you are embracing modern clothing. Do you like them?” He’s wearing gray slacks, a black pull over and black shoes.

Tristan looks down at himself. “Aye, they are comfortable. The fabric of this shirt is much softer than my woolen tunics. I already have several pairs of different shoes, which was unheard of during my time.”

Me: “I am sure it’s hard to get used to modern times after living for so long in a realm where time stood still. What has been the hardest to adjust to? What has been the easiest?”

Tristan:  “Everything is so fast here, people seem to want to plan for every hour.  Another thing that is hard for me is seeing how much everything has changed. Scotland was unspoiled during my time, the forests rich with wildlife, life was much simpler.” 

He looks across the room contemplating his next answer. “The easiest for me has been running water.” He smiles and I almost melt. “Hot water comes straight out with the turn of a knob.” 

Me: “Anything else?”

Tristan: “Oh, aye, the food tastes different. Still good, but different. Hard to explain. More salt, I think. I do like the sweets.”

Me: “I do too.”

We take a moment to drink our beer and study the interior of the pub. 

Me: “Gwendolyn rescued you and both of you fell in love. How are you two getting along?”

Tristan’s face brightens: “We are great. She is such a good woman. Has done so much for myself and the other trapped men. I never imagined to be blessed with someone like her. I love her deeply.” 

Me: “I’m so glad to hear it. Do you have any plans for children?”

Tristan: “She told me it can be planned now. We spoke about it and decided to wait a year or two. Spend time together first.” He shrugs. “I would like many bairns, but she says we will limit it to two or three at the most. Did you ken that you can choose how many children to have now?”

Me: “Yes and most of the time it's the woman’s choice. We’re the ones who have to deal with the pregnancy and the pains of childbirth, it takes a toll on our bodies. The good news is that not that many women die from the experience like back in your time.”

Tristan: “That is a good thing.”

Me: “You planned very well to ensure that if you ever escaped you’d have wealth, not just yourself, but the others. What would you have done if your castle and money were gone?”

Tristan: “Gwen and I have talked about it. She says I could find work as a history teacher.” Tristan chuckles softly. “I am not sure to have the patience. Gwen also said she’d  be able to support us until I became used to life here. I suppose it would not have been horrible. To be a kept man.” 

We both laugh.

Me: “One last question. You have been young for hundreds of years. How do you feel about aging now that you’re back here in this realm?”

Tristan: “I look forward to it. Although I am still young physically, mentally, I feel tired at times. I welcome growing old with my wife and living out the rest of my years here where I belong.”

We drink the rest of our beers, mostly talking about modern times and changes since he lived there in the 1600s. We stand and hug.

Me: “I am so happy to have spoken to you. I wish you the best, give Gwen and the others my regards..”

Tristan: “The same to you and I will.” 

As I walk away from the pub, I am excited to see how his life will continue and glad that he is finally where he belongs.

You can find out more about Hildie at the following places:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HildieMcQueen

Website: Hildie McQueen -- Enticing, Engaging, Romance

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hildiemcqueenwriter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HildieMcQueen

Information about #CMCon26, including this year’s list of Featured Authors and how to register to attend is on the website, http://CoastalMagicConvention.com.

You can also get involved and have some bookish fun between now and February by joining the Facebook Authors & Attendees group: http://Facebook.com/groups/CMConAuthorsandAttendees, and Reading Challenge group: http://Facebook.com/groups/CMConReadingChallenge.