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Friday, 12 July 2013
Author Interview ~ Arrow of the Mist by Christina Mercer {Giveaway}
Welcome to my tour stop for
Arrow of the Mist by Christina Mercer
Please follow the remaining stops, tour schedule can be found by clicking on the event banner above
About The Author
Christina Mercer
Christina Mercer writes fiction in addition to mothering two young adults, a pack of large dogs, and about 100,000 honeybees. Her varied interests prompted her to study creative writing, earn her official degree in Accounting, become a CPA, acquire a certificate in Herbal Studies, and keep honeybees. She took Writer’s Best in Show at the 2012 SCBWI CA North/Central Regional Conference and was a semi-finalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakout Novel Award Contest.
~ Author Interview ~
You have two Young Adult children, how have they inspired you to writing Arrow of the Mist?
Raising kids and having nieces and nephews helps to keep my imagination charged. It's like having a slice of Neverland always around me. They have a “fresh” outlook and a sense of wonder. For anyone writing for children, my advice is to hang out with some.
The premise of Arrow of the Mist is quite original, what was your inspiration?
A lifelong love for all things Fantasy, my formal studies in herbal healing, and my informal studies in mythology inspired the world and facets of magic woven throughout the story.
Your stranded on an Island and can take ONE character with you from Arrow of the Mist, who would it be and why?
Definitely Lia! She knows all about plants, edibles and healing ones, she can communicate with the trees, which would give her a “tree's eye view” of oncoming storms or ships in the distance, and if she's got her bow with her, she can hunt.
I'm a dog-lover myself and you mention on your bio you have a "pack" of large dogs, tell us more about them (breed/size/pics if possible) and why you have so many!
We love dogs! We have two Labrador Retrievers (one black, one chocolate) (we lost our 3rd lab--a yellow one--last year), a Golden Retriever (more red than golden), and a White German Shepherd (the biggest personality of the bunch!). We spoil them rotten and consider them a part of our family.
You were initially an Accountant, what made you change to being a writer?
Actually, I was a writer first (since childhood), but acquired my official degree in Accounting. When life allowed me a bit of breathing room, I jumped back into writing full force. I still do accounting for my husband's business, and now for my writing business, and it comes in quite handy. But writing is my true passion.
You also acquired a certificate when you studied Herbal Studies, what made you study Herbal?
I spent more than half my childhood in the mountains, and have always had a love of nature. Medicine women of ancient tribes interested me, and I searched out information on herbal remedies where I could. In my early thirties, I made my studies formal, and became a Certified Herbalist.
You like and have honeybees, that's not a common hobby, what made you acquire honeybees? What do you like about them?
I remember, as a child, observing hives at a friend's house. My fascination grew from there. Their efficient organization, their ability to create multiple substances from their bodies, including the tastiest substance ever, and their important contribution to our food supply has always awed me. When I saw an advertisement for a beekeeping class 8 years ago, I jumped on it, and have kept the little miracle workers ever since.
What 3 words went through your mind when you found out you were a semi-finalist in 2010 Amazon Breakout Novel Award Contest?
Oh
My
God
My
God
Is there anything else you're working on at the moment that you can give my readers and I a little sneak peek into?
I'm hoping to release the sequel to ARROW OF THE MIST titled ARM OF ANU by the end of this year. I'm also hoping to release a Young Adult Magical Realism titled HONEY QUEEN, which took Writer's Best in Show at a regional SCBWI Conference, later this year.
Top 3 Must Have Items when Writing
- Tea with milk & honey
- Comfy seat
- Laptop
Top 3 Items (not people) that you would grab in the event of a fire
Do pets count? If so, my dogs!
Top 3 Positive Things about being a self-published Author
- Keeping all Rights/Artistic Control
- Speedier Publishing Time Frame
- Higher % of Royalties
About The Book
Arrow of the Mist
by Christina Mercer
Published: March 21, 2013
Synopsis
Terror strikes the Celtic inspired kingdom of Nemetona when barbed roots breach the veil of a forbidden land and poison woodsmen, including 15-year-old Lia’s beloved father. Lia and three others embark on a quest to the forbidden land of Brume to gather ingredients for the cure. But after her elder kinsman is attacked and poisoned, she and her cousin, Wynn, are forced to finish the quest on their own.
Lia relies on her powerful herbal wisdom and the memorized pages of her late grandmother’s Grimoire for guidance through a land of soul-hungry shades, trickster creatures, and uncovered truths about the origin of Brume and her family’s unexpected ties to it. The deeper they trek into the land, the stronger Lia’s untapped gift as a tree mage unfolds. When she discovers the enchanted root’s maker, it forces her to question everything about who she is and what is her destiny. Ultimately she must make a terrible choice: keep fighting to save her father and the people of the lands or join with the power behind the deadly roots to help nature start anew.
~ Giveaway ~
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1 comments:
I've seen this around a lot but didn't know much about it. It sounds so good, and I love the interview! Great post, Angelica!
Alise @ Readers In Wonderland
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