Christina Mercer's Blog, page 2
August 16, 2014
A Brief Interview-Christina Mercer
I’ve been tagged by lovely fellow author Lynn Carthage (pen name) to answer a few interview questions. So, here goes:
What are you working on now?
Well, I have a couple of projects going at the moment that I am super excited about. One is a Young Adult Paranormal about a teen girl mixed up in a dangerous brew of family dysfunction, a murderous coven, and love (oh yeah!). The other project is a fun co-authored (with one of my fav creative peeps!) Science Fiction geared toward the New Adult audience.
How does your work differ from others’ work in the same genre?
All authors are unique in their own special ways, just as every person is a unique individual. That combination of interests, personality, and hard-core knowledge is what sets each author apart. For me, I know and love herbs, honey bees, and mythology (especially mythology that focuses on nature), so I incorporate elements from those in the stories I write. Hmm… I also know accounting, so maybe one day I’ll write a story about an accountant fairy who keeps books for a hive of honey bees 
Why do you write what you do?
This question points to the previous answer. I get excited and also know lots about what interests me, so bringing life to a girl in a Celtic-inspired land who communes with trees (ARROW OF THE MIST & its sequel ARMS OF ANU) OR writing about a girl honey-bee-charmer whose ancestor was created by a goddess on an ancient Greek island (HONEY QUEEN) is great fun! Writing for kids and teens also speaks about the inner kid in me who loves to come out and play!
How does your writing process work?
I tend to write better in a quiet environment and I love, love, LOVE plenty of tea, hot or cold, always nearby. Sometimes I will jot things down on actual paper first, and then type it out. Other times, I just go for it on the keyboard. But I do like to have at a rough outline of sorts ahead of time for the overall points. Writing in chunks and then taking a break also works best for me. It’s almost like once I pour out a chunk, I need to do something to let it “settle” for a bit. So, I’ll work on other projects (non-writing stuff) or have a snack or check emails, etc. The challenge is getting back to the novel writing without letting those breaks take me away overlong, or even for the rest of the day.
Well, that about sums it up! Thank you to Lynn, for asking
August 7, 2014
Witch Hunter Olivia by T.A. Kunz
“Witch hunters and sexy tattoo artists? This New Adult Paranormal is EVERYTHING fans of romance and action are looking for.”
- #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout
“A fun, action-packed, enjoyable read!”
- New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Carmack
“The perfect blend of New Adult and Paranormal. It’s absolutely fantastic!”
- New York Times bestselling author Nichole Chase
~ ~ ~
Reviewers are calling Witch Hunter Olivia “amazing, fun, well-written, and entertaining.” You don’t want to miss the hottest New Adult paranormal romance of the summer!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In the town of Piedmont Pointe, where paranormal is the norm, a girl can easily get herself in over her head with a single wrong move. Unfortunately for Olivia Adams, she’s about to make several.
Starting over is never easy, but it seemed like the only option to Olivia. The decision to turn her back on the Guild of Witch Hunters, the very group she devoted her entire life to, was one of the hardest things she ever did. It meant leaving her family, her friends, and her old identity behind forever. Coming to terms with what caused her to abandon her duties in the first place was even harder.
While trying to lay low and stay off the Guild’s radar, Olivia finds herself thrust back into her old ways after unknowingly interrupting an assassination hit on a powerful witch. What follows is the last thing she ever thought she’d agree to do–protect the very thing she was groomed to hunt.
To complicate things even further, Olivia begins to develop feelings for a tattoo artist who also happens to be half warlock, and no matter how hard she tries to fight it, she can’t resist her inescapable draw to him. Olivia’s forbidden relationship isn’t her only issue though, because once the mystery behind the assassination attempt starts to unravel, she’s forced to choose sides when the loyalties still tied to her past life are tested again.
So much for the idea of a fresh start.
BUY THE BOOK NOW:
Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon AUS ~ B&N ~ iBooks ~ Kobo
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Author T.A. Kunz has always had a fondness for reading thrilling mysteries and action-packed urban fantasies. So, it was no surprise when T.A. decided to write stories that they’d fall into one of those two genres. T.A. lives in Central Florida with two fur babies and a mechanical engineer who also happens to be quite the culinary badass, which there are no complaints about. Being a self-diagnosed caffeine addict, many joke that T.A.’s addiction to Starbucks coffee will likely be their downfall later in life.
STALK THE AUTHOR:
August 3, 2014
My #UtopYA2014 Experience Unofficial Blog Hop & Giveaway
Happy to be participating in the #UtopYA2014 Experience Hop & (Gigantic) Giveaway hosted by the lovely Carlyle Labuschagne! You can also check out the event during its progress at Facebook Event
We’ve all been asked to post a little about our experience at the event and give new-bees some helpful insight.
Wow, where to begin . . . Going to UtopYA Con 2014 was like the biggest, most wonderful, whirlwind ever. It put my worker-bee-self into a non-stop buzz of exhibitor table prep and management, panel talks, evening fun, and interactions with the most awesomely talented people, all while in the lively city of Nashville. In its third year, UtopYA Con’s attendee numbers multiplied by over seven times (from 90 to 700)! It is a testament to the incredible need for such an event, and there is truly NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT. Next year the numbers are sure to increase even more, and since space is limited, I would encourage any who plan to attend to get your tickets early!
Who should go? ANYONE and EVERYONE having anything to do with Young Adult and New Adult Supernatural Fiction. This means authors (indies and trads alike), aspiring authors, readers, bloggers, and freelance service peeps—illustrators, cover artists, cover models, web designers, branders, formatters, editors, marketing professionals, etc.
I’ll mention these peeps again: THE READERS! What a smorgasbord of books any reader of YA/NA will find here. And not only are there super cool books to buy AND have autographed (!!), there is a TON OF FREE SWAG sure to fill a tote bag with fan-swooning souvenirs.
For authors/aspiring authors of YA/NA, I would say, if you pick one big event to attend during the year, THIS SHOULD BE IT. You will get advice and inspiration from two incredible keynote speakers (Sylvia Day & Gennifer Albin spoke for 2014); two full days of panels, covering all sorts of topics geared toward helping authors/aspiring authors; a fantastic awards ceremony and after-party; and networking opportunities up the wazoo. Each year’s offerings are a little different, though some panels are so popular they return.
I had the pleasure of being on the (Alien-themed title) SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE: LEGAL PANEL as the accounting expert. It was perhaps the most “dry” of all the panels, when you compare it to ones like Putting Together a Kick A** Street Team or Blog Your Face Off, but we had a great turnout and there were lots of questions answered. I plan to be on it again next year, as well as acting as moderator for a new panel I’m SUPER EXCITED about! And next year’s event theme: TIME TRAVEL!!
I will add one last note, though perhaps it’s the MOST IMPORTANT note, and that is how incredibly friendly and supportive everyone is at this event. The camaraderie is PRICELESS and new-bees are welcomed with open arms. Snobbery and elitist attitudes must check themselves at the door, for this event caters to those who understand the value of collaboration and friendship. So, bring your shy or outgoing self (either will be embraced), and join in on this fantastic event. You will be glad you did!
Here is the Rafflecopter Giveaway I am participating in:
4 other Rafflecopter giveaways are being offered for these prizes:
August 2, 2014
Alexia Purdy 5,000 Likes Event
What a way to say thank you to her fans!
Alexia Purdy has reached 5000 likes on Facebook and is having a MASSIVE Giveaway to celebrate!!
About Alexia
Hey! It’s Alexia Purdy, and it feels weird talking about myself in the first person, but here goes…
I currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada- Sin City! I love to spend every free moment writing, or playing with my four rambunctious kids. Writing has always been my dream, and I’ve been writing ever since I can remember. I love creating paranormal fantasy, poetry and love to read and devour books daily. I also enjoy watching movies, dancing, singing loudly in the car and Italian food.
So there you have it in a nutshell. Thank you.
Newsletter | Amazon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter | FaceBook | FaceBook DFT | FaceBook ROB
Here are the authors, bloggers and #1 fans that are participating:
So head over and get your giveaway on!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 30, 2014
The Gatekeeper’s Saga by Eva Pohler-6th Book Cover Reveal
It’s time for the big reveal!
It’s time to reveal the cover for the final book in Eva Pohler’s six-book young adult series, The Gatekeeper’s Saga! For those of you who haven’t heard of this series, it’s about a teen whose life becomes entangled with the gods of Mount Olympus when one of them falls in love with her. You can try out the first book, The Gatekeeper’s Sons, free! Find your favorite retailer here.
The cover of The Gatekeeper’s Promise (#6) has been revealed piece by piece over the past few weeks. Here are the highlights:
And now, here it is, the full cover:
Many thanks to Melinda VanLone of Book Cover Corner for her amazing talent.
Thanks to those of you who entered the rafflecopter giveaway and the Facebook Event. All winners will be announced by midnight on July 30th on the event page here.
The Gatekeeper’s Promise is already available for preorder here and will be released on October 1st at all retailers. If you’d like to receive a discount code for the preorder, please subscribe to The Pohler Express here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 20, 2014
Taylor Davis by Michelle Isenhoff
MMGM is a weekly feature for Middle Grade books hosted each Monday on Shannon Messenger’s blog. Check it out for a list of all the participants!
I read TAYLOR DAVIS AND THE FLAME OF FINDUL by Michelle Isenhoff. This author has a wonderful list of books for the MG/Tween crowd, so be sure and check them all out!
Amazon Description:
Taylor didn’t want to follow his parents to the Caribbean. When he’s sucked into a world of angels and their supernatural adversaries, he wants the mission assigned to him even less. The Flame of Findul–the sword that guards the Tree of Life–has been allowed to burn out. The only way to avoid worldwide disaster is to relight it in the forge of Findul the Firesmith. Taylor has been chosen for this task. But there is One who stands in his way.
My Thoughts:
Wow, what an adventure! The action begins in the school lunchroom where a very tall girl named Elena steals a cheeseburger from Taylor Davis. That fateful encounter sends them both through a crack in the floor into a world neither of them expects. The unlikely pair is informed by none other than the pirate Davy Jones that the world is doomed unless they relight the Flame of Findul—a sword that, without its flame, cannot properly guard the Tree of Life. Teamed up with a couple of guardian angels, they set out with the flameless sword on a formidable quest from the Caribbean to England, and finally to the Pacific Northwest (including a side trip to New Jersey) in search of the forge of Findul the Firesmith. And their adventure just wouldn’t be complete without monsters from the land, sky, and sea trying to stop them, as well as an evil pirate ringleader, Barholomew Swain.
The mix of danger, interesting characters, and comic relief is wonderfully done. I loved the clever twist on Biblical and mythological elements regarding the Tree of Life. I also thoroughly enjoyed characters who each had very distinct (and super entertaining!) personalities. Taylor Davis, the boy who struggled with being great at anything, is a true hero, and in a clever parallel, Taylor’s eccentric guardian angel also finds redemption for his own inadequacies. An action-packed story about overcoming self doubt and doing the right thing, TAYLOR DAVIS is a wonderful read. This one will appeal to kids and adults alike. Tons of fun and highly recommended!
June 2, 2014
Honey Queen Official Release!
HONEY QUEEN is a young adult journey that delves into the connection between nature and humanity, love and friendship, and ultimately life and death. Melaina Maris–savior to honey bees–is spun into a swarm of mythic power where love brings pain and every choice ends in loss. Her fate was set by a goddess-created bloodline, ancient and cursed, sweet and venomous, and narrowed to its last fertile daughter.
The queen must mate.
A drone must die.
So a new daughter can carry on the line.
Sacrifice for the good of the hive.
But there is wisdom to be found in an ocean of history and in the healing magic of ambrosia, and the last queen might prove strong enough to overrule the first.
A Regional SCBWI “Best in Show”
Easy Click Purchase:
May 25, 2014
Cover Reveal-YA Fantasy/Romance HONEY QUEEN
Love is honey sweet, but it comes with a fatal sting . . .
Melaina Maris needs wings to fly the gap between loving Sam and her family’s ancient curse that forces carnal love and then kills the male lovers. She won’t let the same fate that killed her father befall another. She refuses to allow her goddess-created bloodline to continue. But there’s no easy way out, especially after the curse turns her into the Honey Queen—savior to honey bees—spinning her into a new swarm of love, friendship and death.
“HONEY QUEEN will leave you tingling. Mercer delivers an unforgettable character connected directly to nature with a twist of mythology that exemplifies the power of love, and with enough courage, the power to change ones destiny.” -Rachel Allen Dillon, award-winning author and illustrator of Through Endangered Eyes
“In prose so delicious, you can taste it, Christina Mercer’s HONEY QUEEN captures the genuine angst and yearning of YA fiction with a powerful honey-sweet twist of Mythic proportions. Readers will catch the buzz of Melaina’s riveting journey to convince a Goddess to save her bloodline, the love of her life, and all the bees. A wonderful reminder of the indelible bond between humanity and nature.” -Jordan E. Rosenfeld, author of Forged in Grace, Night Oracle and Make a Scene
May 19, 2014
The Swift by Alex Banks
How far would you go to save the ones you love?
The night twelve-year-old Pete planned to shoot the winning goal in the championship hockey game was the same night his dad was lost at sea. Now, eight months later, his mom still cries all the time, his beloved grandfather, stricken with Alzheimer’s, can’t even remember him, and they’re about to lose their crappy old house to the bank. To make matters worse, his twin brother Henry blames Pete for all of it. After all, they were a family of fishermen—if Pete had gone to help on the boat instead of to the game, their dad might still be alive.
While searching the attic for stuff they can sell, Pete finds a battle-torn ship-in-a-bottle. When he and Henry show the bottle to their grandpa, the three of them are transported back in time—on board the very ship that’s going down.
Battling pirates and the raging sea, the boys must learn to work together to help their grandpa save his past. If they don’t, they won’t have a future to return to.
Add it to your “Want To Read” on:
GOODREADS
Briksanna’s Sacrifice by Sabrina Rawson
Introducing a New Adult Fantasy Romance by Sabrina Rawson
(I have to say, I fell in love with this book cover!)
Briksanna’s Sacrifice is a character-driven fantasy romance novel, the first book within a series called A Novel of the Four Realms, about men and women of different realms on a quest to fulfill a prophesy.
EXCERPT:
He stilled his body, eyes turning a molten green, like an animal ready to pounce before shaking it off knowing he needed to put her needs before his allowing the cool Nate to come to the forefront. Smiling he picked her up, “Mrs. Angelo, you have made me a very proud man. I swear I will do all that I can to keep my promise to both you and the Goddess. Now let’s get you showered, some food in you and a clean change of clothes. With the way I am feeling right now not necessarily in that order.”
“Warm or hot?” he asked walking into the large bathroom.
“What?” Licking her lips he wondered what it would feel like to have his arms wrapped around her all night long. She seemed distracted by his touch before, but now she couldn’t keep her thoughts in the present tense. She kept projecting her own fantasies of them together under the running water, he was afraid he would lose his cool and jump her. If she didn’t get her head out of the gutter soon he was going to combust from his own desires boiling inside of him.
He smiled at her knowing she was distracted with her own private thoughts and this touched his heart knowing he excited her with just a thought. They were the same reasons he was struggling with by putting her basic needs first. He did not need her attacking him like an animal clearly as her mind was demanding her to do because if she did he wouldn’t last a second.
“Water, warm or hot?” He repeated poised by the head of the shower stall.
“Warm, please.” Shaking her head slightly trying to clear her thoughts he figured she should try deep breathing if focusing on the present moment continued to fail her. Goodness sakes, she was acting like a crazed teenager around him and he liked it.
Suddenly feeling doubtful of her worth to him sobered up her libido real quick. She stole a quick glance at him hoping to reassure herself of his commitment towards her but he saw her looking at him from the corner of his eyes anyway.
I have got to let go of this self-doubt. Those thoughts have no place between us in this moment. If I say that enough times maybe I will believe it?
Setting her down carefully on the bathroom counter, holding her around the waist with one arm he leaned into the shower stall to turn on the water. She was too quiet for his liking, because after turning the water on he turned back and stared at her. After a couple of debatable seconds he went with his gut pulling her into a hug wrapping his massive arms around her filling his senses with her scent. She had endured so much. He wanted to give her so much and not frighten her with his presence in her life in the process. He knew he was the man for her and she was the woman for him but she still had a hard time with trusting despite what her heart and mind were saying. There was still a piece of her she kept hidden. Some things were just hard for her to let go of. That he could defiantly understand.
Will she ever trust him enough so they could endure The Prophesy and defeat Lord Drakkoon? More importantly could he trust her to endure the upcoming battle for the sake for the universe? What a complete mess this was. When he dreamed of confronting Bri with the truth of his feelings for her he didn’t count on all of this drama to go with it. Frowning he thought about where his thoughts were heading. He would lay down his life for her no matter what, so what the hell was he worried about? For him there was no one else in the world he would rather spend his days with. She was the one for him and there was nothing anyone could do or say that would cause him to betray her trust.
BUY LINK: AMAZON
FROM THE AUTHOR:
Although I have only been physically writing for two years the ideas that conceived my first novel have been percolating in my mind for many years. In many ways I found life experiences influencing my story although written in fantasy format.
Nelson Mandela’s words inspired me:
“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
No truer words could have been said. After my first cancer battle three years ago, I was in the frame of mind of surviving trying to get back to my swing of things. Problem was I couldn’t. I wasn’t the same person anymore. Then I relapsed by the end of the first year. Came through that experience exhausted and have had multiple tumors pop up ever since. To say my health being a mental/physical challenge is putting it mild.
I realize what I left behind in that operating room in 2010 was my passion. Cancer can’t take that away, I put it away along with my drive and ambition. My creative muse happily skipped right along with the rest of them. I had to discover myself. Well here I am three years post my first surgery and even if I have to do it again in a few months, so what! I refuse to settle for a life less than what I can create for myself.
I live in Sonoma County heart of the wine country of California enjoying life in the rural land happily married to a wonderful supportive husband. You can always find me reading a book, cooking a meal for our multitude of children or playing with our dog, Taylor.
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