Blogger Fail – M.R. Merrick Drops The Author Alert Ball

Today would normally be the day I post April’s Author Alert. The thing is, I usually leave this to the last minute when I know I shouldn’t. It’s always worked out before but this time it did not. After being in the editing cave on Endure for the past two weeks, the month of March slipped away. Left scrambling to get my interview questions together, I realized I forgot to ask the author to be featured on my site! I know, I’m horrible. Now that I’ve reached out to the author and they’ve agreed, I’m a month ahead for May! Hopefully I won’t be leaving it to the last minute again.

This leaves me with one of two options. First, I can ask a different author and rush them to get it done. Authors are busy people and I like to take some time to develop the questions. I don’t want to feel rushed and neither do they, so that leaves us with option two, don’t have an April Author Alert. Well that’s not fun, is it? So what’s a handsome Canadian to do? Well, I shall improvise. I’ve developed a third option! I will be April’s Author Alert. That may seem silly, but here’s what I propose: In the comments section of this blog, ask me the question you want an answer to. It can be about the series, about the characters, about me, whatever you like. I shall face the Interview of DOOM, but it will be you asking the question! The only request I have is that if you are going to post any type of spoiler from my books, please put *SPOILER ALERT* before your question so that nothing is given away for any other readers who may not be as far into the series as you.

What do you think, something worth playing for? Oooh maybe I could have prizes! Lets get to it.

 

*******

Questions the comments will be posted and answered here in the update!

The Interview

1. From Danielle: How do you choose your beta readers?

This is actually a really simple process, or rather, not much of a process at all. It all comes down to the person and my relationship with with, or the ‘vibe’ I get from them. I need someone who is going to challenge me, my book, and what is happening on the pages. I need people I can trust to be honest, but not harsh. I have to feel comfortable hearing “this sucks and doesn’t work,” and yet they need to approach it with tact, supporting their claim so I can see it from their perspective. There are no special qualifications for this role, but essentially I  limit myself to a few people who I trust to help me see the flaws in my story and can help make it the best that it can be.

2. From Laura: Teenage Matt finds himself taking the place of Chase in your books. Does he attempt to hook up with Rayna early on? Not at all? Or take his time wooing her appropriately? Does he approach things the same way Chase does? Do a better job keeping things together? Or does he die early on?

We’ve got a few things to answer here. Does young Matty attempt to hook up with Rayna early on? More than likely, but given his awkwardness and lack of ‘game’ at the age of seventeen, he’d probably leave with more than broken nose. Rayna’s feisty. Although he would probably take his time trying to woo her first before making his move, the result would be the same. He would definitely approach things the same way Chase does. Young Matty was a stubborn kid. He never took advice from his ‘elders’, always doing the opposite or what he thought was best. As you can guess, the elders were almost always right and he learned a lot of things the hard way. He would do a similar job of keeping things together though, and after enough tough lessons, he would realize he doesn’t know anything. Young Matty wouldn’t die early on I don’t think because although he’s awkward, Rayna finds it cute and would protect him with her bad ass skills, eventually turning him to someone equally bad ass whom she would glady accept “the moves.”