Release Giveaway and Interview

Release Blog Tour: Interview & Giveaway

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 05:00 AM PST

YA Fantasy
Release Date: December 10, 2012

After uniting the shifters and calling in reinforcements, Chase has to face his toughest challenge yet: learning to control his emotions. But as tensions rise and his powers grow, controlling his emotions becomes the least of his problems.

Terrorized by a multi-shifter who is hell-bent on turning him, Chase questions just how far he’s willing to go to stop his father. Meanwhile, Tiki’s virtuous nature has placed him in the middle of Vincent’s past, leaving Chase to oppose a senate of vampires and defend a demon he hates.

Trying to balance his friends, his enemies, and his inner demons, Chase is left searching for answers about the Mark, his destiny, and where he can find the next soul piece. Stopping Riley is his top priority, but as more obstacles arise, he finds himself doubting all the decisions he’s made – especially regarding Rayna.

One thing is for certain: Chase has finally realized that he doesn’t know anything. The light doesn’t always quell the darkness, the monsters don’t always stay in the shadows, and the past doesn’t always stay in the past – sometimes, the demons inside are the hardest to fight.


When did you begin writing?

I’ve always loved writing, but I started writing fiction about two years before I published Exiled. That was the story that really just took me by storm and put the writing bug in me.

Have you ever been discouraged in regard to your writing ability and if so, how did you get past it and move forward?

All the time. I’m so back and forth with it, sometimes I think I’m crazy. Maybe that doubt comes with the territory? You’re always seeking the next level of validation.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

I love being able to disappear into another world, and know there are no limits. Anything that comes to my mind, I can amplify and create into something bigger, scarier, more beautiful. I love that all I need is my imagination to fabricate something I *hope* people will enjoy.

What is your writing style? Do you like to outline or just write as you go?

This varies from book to book. I don’t know if it will always be this way, but right now I think I’m still trying to find where I fit. Each story requires something different, and I try to be relaxed in that approach.

Do you have a favorite spot where you like to write?

I love writing with my laptop at the kitchen table, after everyone’s gone to bed. Sometimes I get all cramped up there since my table is high, and then I have this really comfortable chaise lounger that I love to sit on. It’s perfect.

What is something you’ve written that will never see the light of day?

Any and all of the poetry I’ve written.

What is your writer food?

Cereal! And Candy. Specifically, Milk Duds.

What inspires you to write?

Everything. But the original inspiration came from telling my daughter bedtime stories. That’s what pushed me to try writing a book, and it’s what has kept me going. Those bedtime stories showed me a passion for story telling I never knew I had.

Would you say you relate to any of your characters? If so, which one and why?

On some level, I relate to all of them. But mostly, Chase. His mindset and thought process works just as mine did when I was a teenager. It doesn’t matter who tells you anything, you always think you’re right and you always learn things the hard way. Sometimes the really hard way.

What’s the hardest thing about writing for you?

Getting out of my own way. I over think things and get inside my own head. Regularly, it destroys all my motivation and takes me time to step back out and get into story telling mode. I really am my own worst enemy.

What authors do you like to read?

Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, J.K. Rowling, and I’ve recently discovered a love for Stephen King.

This or that. Sweet or Salty?

Sweet!

If you were deserted on an island, which author would you want to be stranded with?

Either J.K. Rowling, or Stephen King. I’d have endless books…err sand-written stories?

About the Author
 M.R. Merrick is a Canadian writer and author of The Protector Series, a Young Adult mash-up between Urban and Epic Fantasy. Having never traveled, he adventures to far off lands through his imagination and in between cups of coffee. As a music lover and proud breakfast enthusiast, he’s usually found at the computer between a pair of headphones and in front of a large bowl of cereal.
                            Exiled (Protector #1)           Shift (Protector #2)
Grande Prize Pack (3 Winners)
 3x Signed paperbacks (Exiled, Shift, Release)
3x Signed 8×10 posters (Exiled, Shift, Release)
5x Bookmarks
1x Notebook (Winner’s choice of cover)
1x Magnet
 
Runner-up Prize Pack (5 Winners)
1x Signed paperback (Winner’s choice of Exiled, Shift, or Release) with signed poster
1x bookmark (Winner’s choice)
1x Magnet
   
 
Secondary Prizes A (10 Winners)
Release eBooks
  Secondary Prize B (10 Winners)
1x bookmark (winner’s choice)
1x The Protector magnet
 Winners will be chosen as followsFirst 3 names drawn from Rafflecopter will get the grand prize. The following 5 names get the runner-up prize. The following 10 names win ebook copies of Release, and the final 10 names win the swag pack.
There will also be multiple opportunities to win signed paperbacks, signed posters, notebooks, swag packs, and bookmarks throughout the tour on both Twitter (@MRMerrick) and Facebook Fan Page .

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is now closed. Winners will be notified.