Arrow of the Mist Blog Tour: Author Interview with Christina Mercer & Giveaway!

---

Today for the Arrow of the Mist Blog Tour organized by Xpresso Book Tours, I have the wonderful Christina Mercer here for an author interview! Her answers are in pink, and without any further ado, here is the interview with Christina's fabulous answers! :D

------------------------

Hi Christina! Welcome to Burning Impossibly Bright! :D

Thank You! So glad to be here :-D

Why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself and your book, Arrow of the Mist?

Sure! I love to write fiction for children and young adults. I studied creative writing my first year of college, but attained my official degree in Accounting. I’m also a Certified Herbalist and a hobbyist beekeeper :). My most recent Young Adult manuscript took Writer’s Best in Show at a 2012 SCBWI Regional Conference and ARROW OF THE MIST placed in the semi finals of the 2010 Amazon Breakout Novel Award Contest. I’m an author-member of the most awesome collective ever, www.Indie-Visible.com, and I love visitors over at my web site www.christinamercer.com

Arrow of the Mist encompasses magic, Celtic roots, and a lot more, where did the inspiration for your book come from?

The seed thought started as a short story meant for a much younger audience, but it kept growing and growing until it became the tween/teen novel it is today (and will continue further in the upcoming sequel later this year!). My love of all things fantasy, an avid interest in mythology, and my formal studies in herbal healing all sparked inspiration for this story.

When you start a new story, how do you begin? Do you outline, figure out characters, etc?

I take a sort of hybrid approach between being an “outliner” and a “pantser.”I outline the gist of the main plot points, get a good feel for the characters, and then fill in the rest of the story “pantser” style. Having a little structure helps, but I like lots of freedom within those boundaries.

Characters and characterization are  two elements that I find absolutely fascinating about the writing process. How do you create your characters, and what are some characteristics that you love in your favourite characters (either of your own creation or from your favourite books)?

I think characters are generally drawn from combining aspects of ourselves, those we know (or have known), &/or perhaps those we’ve “met” from afar, even in other books or movies. Sometimes we create characters with completely opposite traits to our own, but our emotions/perceptions are always used to add depth to any character.

In my story, I love Lia’s impulsiveness, loyalty, and reverence for nature. Her cousin is a great (and sometimes humorous) support and her love interest’s calm compliments her fire.  

As an avid reader myself, I’m always curious about authors’ reading habits. What about you? Do you read a lot, and do you have any recommendations?

I LOVE to read, and I’m having withdrawals because lately I haven’t had time for all the awesome novels stacking up! I read lots of Young Adult, as well as Fantasy/Paranormal, Historical (especially the Tudor period), and the occasional Romance.  

And now for my final question, do you have any tips for other aspiring writers?

KEEP WRITING! Also, continue to improve your craft, get to know fellow writers (they are super supportive!), and be patient yet persistent in achieving your goals.    

Thank you so much for taking time to do this interview, Christina! :)

Thank you for having me! I had tons of fun :)

---

About the Book!

Arrow of the Mist by Christina Mercer
Publication date: March 21st 2013
Genre: YA Fantasy

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.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17560444-arrow-of-the-mist

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

AUTHOR BIO

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. You can find her at www.christinamercer.com or working as the Reviews Director at www.indie-visible.com

Author Links: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

---

GIVEAWAY
- 2 Winners: 1 will get the ebook and the other will get the signed bookmark (note: the bookmark is only eligible to those in the US or Canada)
- International (ebook) & US/Canada Only (Signed Bookmark)
- 1 winner will get an ebook of Arrow of the Mist
- Winner will be chosen using Rafflecopter and contacted via email
- Ends July 22nd @ 11:59 PM (MST)

TO ENTER FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find the rest of the rest of the tour schedule here: Arrow of the Miss Tour Schedule

---

Thoughts?

Did you enjoy the interview, and do you want to read Arrow of the Mist now?