Meet local author Steven Reinagel

Local author Steven Reinagel speaks with Mike McCool about his book Familiar.

Steven Reinagel, who grew up in New York and currently lives in Front Royal, Virginia, has spent much of the last three years of his life bringing his first novel, entitled FAMILIAR, to life. It’s been a journey wrought with both joy and numerous challenges, as any writer who has struggled to publish a novel can attest to.

The story centers around a familiar – a magical creature summoned by a witch to perform various tasks, who then vanishes when the magic runs out. But for this particular familiar, that life of sole purpose is no longer enough. While he’s carrying out his latest order, which is to murder an unsuspecting man, he discovers a beautiful beggar woman and experiences feelings he was never supposed to have, and is totally unprepared for. But that’s not the least of his problems. He learns that his summoner is on the run from a death sentence imposed by the very Witch’s Guild she belongs to. Her execution would mean he could never be conjured into existence again – unless he can find a way to do the impossible and break the laws of magic.

“The exciting challenge was how to build a narrative from the point of view of a character who only exists for a few hours at a time,” says Reinagel, “and is never sure if each time he’s conjured into existence, it will be for the last time. Writing a story about someone with such severe limitations was very difficult, but I knew it would be worth it to bring a new type of protagonist to the world of fantasy literature.

“I think a lot of people will relate to the main character, even though initially he’s totally foreign to any concept of life we hold. He wrestles with a problem we could never relate to, but the underlying desires and internal conflicts are not alien at all,” Reinagel explains. “My heart has always gone out to the underdog, the outcast, the overlooked. Here’s a character who’s so low on the social ladder, he doesn’t even rate being given a proper name. But the path to surmount the formidable obstacles leads him to unexpected revelations and discovery of his self-worth.”

Reinagel’s novel, released in December 2018, is now available as an eBook or paperback on Amazon and at the Royal Oak Bookshop in Front Royal.