Getting to Know Conquest Author Magdalene Dietchka

By Emily Groff

Magdalene Dietchka has one of the toughest jobs, and it’s not her position as a Quality Assurance Manager. Dietchka is an author. While it can be a struggle to find time to write while working long hours at a day job, Dietchka writes on the weekends or hours after work. 

Her first book, The Physician, follows Jake Perlman and Yael Taube on their journey as a fated couple. The second installment, The Comforter, follows Tatiyanna Demczak and Daniel Dupree as they navigate their relationship while Tatiyanna saves the world. The Queen, the third installment of the Stolen One Series, follows another fated love couple, Sophia Petrakova and Stefan Chernenko. The Queen is scheduled for release in May 2025.

1. Tell us about The Queen and how it ties along the first two installations. 

Sophia Petrakova was a rare child who could see angelic beings, yet she was destined to die. At the moment, she would have died in a terrorist bombing in St. Petersburg, but her Shepherd saved her so that she could help prevent a future apocalypse. She’s gifted or perhaps cursed by visions of the future. Recently, she picked up a stalker, and only Stefan Chernenko was in a position to protect her. Unbeknownst to Sophia, Stefan is her childhood friend Oleg Sokolov, whom she thinks is dead. As a Companion, Stefan’s destiny is to support Sophia in her trials, but there are complications. Stefan cannot reveal his true identity yet, so he must protect her and his secret. 

 Sophia and Stefan must rely on the other Stolen and Companions, including their best friends Yuri Sokolov and Egor Gorski. In the end, the coterie will need to work together to save Sophia and Stefan from tragedy and continue to build their teamwork for their inevitable showdown with the Sirens and their Lost. 

2. How did you get the idea for these books? 

I began writing The Comforter as a simple romance story, but life took over when I became a foster mother, and the story sat untouched for years. I had a vivid dream about Shepherds and Sirens, and decided it would make an interesting twist to the story. I picked up my work in progress and began changing the story to fit the new narrative. However, I realized this wasn’t the beginning of the tale. So, once again, I set it off to the side and wrote The Physician to introduce my readers to the world of the Stolen Ones. Once I was finished with The Physician, I returned to The Comforter and finished that novel. Now, the story continues with The Queen.

3.  What genre or theme do you write in? 

I write exclusively in Paranormal/Supernatural Romance. However, I do have an idea and a couple of chapters of a Sci-Fi Romance that I dabbled with during a period of writer’s block. The plan is for the Stolen Ones to finish in about seven books. Once they are complete, I will see where this next book takes me.

4. When did you first begin writing, and what got you interested in writing? 

I wrote a few short stories before this, and I’m an avid TTRPG player. (Tabletop Roleplaying Games) I’m used to crafting stories and adventures for my gaming group. Writing an actual book came from a challenge my husband issued. He’s been my biggest fan and supporter.

5. What is your writing process like? Do you have any particular tips, methods or writing strategies that help you? 

I’m a panster, and I let my characters drive the story. I dive deep into the personalities and dreams of each character and always consider what they would do in a given situation. There have been times they’ve changed the planned course of the story. I like this because it feels more organic to me. As for the writing, I think it’s important to make the time and keep moving forward with the story. If I don’t like how something is going, I’ll go back and edit the story, but the goal is always to move forward.

6. Who are you as a person? 

There are two things about me. First, I studied International Relations with a concentration in Eastern European studies. I lived in Moscow for the summer of 1997. My grandfather’s family is from Eastern Ukraine, and I’ve always felt tied to my Slavic heritage. I have woven much of that culture into my stories, especially in The Queen. I love to study culture and history, with a side of religion. 

This brings me to the second thing: I’m a complete nerd. I’m happiest with a warm blanket and a non-fiction book about ancient history or anthropology. My favorite book is Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. Don’t get me wrong, I devour romance and fantasy novels, too, but I like to learn new things. I often bring historical events into my RPG games. I’ve taken pieces of the Book of Enoch as inspiration for some of the background for my work, so as you can see, I’m all over the place with my interests.  

Magdalene Dietchka was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania to a large, loving, and crazy family. She is an avid reader, storyteller, and gamer with a deep passion for Dungeons and Dragons. Always proud of her Eastern European heritage, Magdalene studied international relations with a specialization in Eastern European studies. After living in Moscow for a summer in the late nineties, the following year, Magdalene met her husband online, and it was love at first sight. Magdalene Dietchka now spends her days in West Virginia with her husband and two dogs.

https://www.magdalenedietchka.com/