Mackenzie Reed knows her brand.
The 20-something young adult novelist’s second book, “The Wilde Trials,” comes out January 21, and features much of what fans of her debut, “The Rosewood Hunt,” expect from the Charlotte, NY native: plucky characters, found family, and a healthy amount of suspense.
Reed’s thriller melds romance with mystery and sabotage as ex-lovers Chloe and Hayes compete in their boarding school’s high-stakes competition.
CITY sat down with the author — just a year after interviewing Reed before “The Rosewood Hunt” hit shelves in 2023 — to talk process, community and joy.
CITY: Could you talk about something new you tried with your writing in this second book?
One thing that was really new for this book was that I had to draft it on deadline. With my first book, I had already written it. With [The Wilde Trials], I was starting from scratch. By the time it was greenlit, I had to write it in 36 days. It was an out-of-body experience. The whole time I was doing it, I enjoyed the process — it ended up being an interesting test of my ability. I really saw all the ways I grew as a writer, and it’s a bit of a different novel, too. The mystery was trickier.
CITY: Was the process of creating this book so different because it was part of your two-book deal?
Definitely. I was trying to figure this book out while still marketing The Rosewood Hunt, and I was so attached to my debut. I had a hard time getting into this one, but once I wrote the first draft and edited it, I felt so much relief in reading it over. It was like oh, I love this book. This book does feel like me.
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CITY: Can you talk about the mystery in The Wilde Trials?
There’s two mysteries this time! Chloe, our main character, is getting sabotaged. And the other mystery is Hayes, the love interest whose her ex-boyfriend — his brother died in the trials three years prior and it was a “tragic accident,” but in his heart, he knows it wasn’t. So they’re also following these clues his brother left across the trial grounds to figure out what actually happened all those years ago.
CITY: Was becoming part of a beautiful community of other debut authors an unexpected part of publishing?
I’ve been invested in this writing community before I ever got a book deal. To anyone wanting to publish, it’s so important to try and make those connections early on. I ended up being part of this writers group and we’ve all grown together. It started where none of us had book deals, most of us didn’t have agents. And now we’re at a point where a lot of us do have agents, book deals, and those of us who don’t, are working on amazing books.
CITY: What has been the most joyful part of writing this second book?
I just feel so lucky I get to do this. I think nothing in publishing is guaranteed, and just the fact that I get to have another book, that feels very close to me even though it’s different — I’m so grateful. mackenziemreed.com
There will be a launch event for “The Wilde Trials” at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, January 21 at Book Culture, 28 S. Main St., Pittsford.
Jessica L. Pavia is a contributor to CITY.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
