{Indie-Credible 2013 Blog Tour} It's All About M.R. Merrick + Character Interview & Giveaway

It's here, it's here, the day is finally here. Today I get to tell you all about one of my all time favorite authors, M.R. Merrick. Now if you have ever been to this blog, then you already know how much I love and praise this author. But for arguments sake I am going to tell you why I think M.R. Merrick is absolutely Indie-Credible! 

First let's talk about his writing. M.R. Merrick, if you don't already know, is an amazing author. He wrote this great urban fantasy The Protector Series. Where his lead character Chase Williams is exiled from the only world he has ever known and is denied his place among the Hunters. Now he battles demons and fights to save the world from an evil that hits really close to home. And let me tell you, this is one fantastical freaking series! Seriously! And it is one that you really need to read and guess what, the first book Exiled is currently FREE on Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Kobo

M.R. Merrick has this amazing ability to really make words come alive, causing you to really attach yourself to the story. M.R. Merrick's stories have heart; are written from the heart, with emotion and from the soul. His words are powerful, moving, and they really touch that part that lives inside all of us readers, the readers soul. His characters are so real, you can't possibly imagine losing one of them, they become your friends, your companions, the people you wish you could see everyday. The emotions of the characters resonate off the pages so much that you feel what the characters feel. M.R. Merrick's books will take you to magical places and incredible worlds. They will stick with you. Grab a piece of your heart and soul and never let go. And every time you read them, it will be like coming home, to the embrace of an old friend.

From his fascinating world building, incredible characters, and uncanny ability to make a story come alive; M.R. Merrick is one author not to be missed. But he is more than just an incredible author. He is an amazing person. He is kind hearted, helpful, funny, and absolutely adores his fans. He brings out a strong and fierce sense of loyalty in his readers because we are who he writes for. He was the first person to welcome me to Twitter and my first follower, he was the first author I did a blog tour for, the first author I received an ARC from, and the author who got my son to read. He holds a special place in my heart along with his incredible characters and amazing books. Really there are no words to describe how amazing M.R. Merrick truly is, you just have to read his books and friend him on Twitter and Facebook and find out for yourself! I look forward to reading anything and everything that he comes up with. Plus he has some of the best book covers in the book world! Just check these beauties out! 

       

        

Goodreads

Now that I have told you why M.R. Merrick is so freaking awesome, allow me to introduce you to one of my all time favorite characters and book boyfriends, from The Protector Series, Chase Williams.

*Sigh*

“Chase, welcome to Consuming Worlds, it really is an honor to have you here. I’m Danielle, please sit and make yourself comfortable.  

“I know you probably have things to do and places to go, so let’s get the show on the road shall we?”

D) Chase, you are probably the most dedicated and stubborn person I have ever met. After all the crap you have been through, how do you keep going?

C: Well, you can thank my stubbornness for that. I’ve always had a knack for never giving up, especially when someone tells me I can’t do something. It might frustrate people at times, but it’s kept my friends and me alive.

D) So much has happened in your journey in becoming the Protector. What does being the Protector mean to you?

C: At first I wasn’t sure. I thought it just meant keeping the world safe from Riley. In reality, I think it’s about standing your ground and being who you are. Accept yourself, and help others accept themselves. It’s not about just protecting the world; it’s about staying true. Don’t let the darkness entice you just because it’s not always easy in the light.

D) Your life has been one emotional upheaval after another. What has kept you grounded?

C: Rayna. She’s always been there to bring me back to what’s real, what’s true—even if it’s taken a slap across the face. When she’s not around it’s my mother. She’s taught me to stay strong and no matter how hard things get, to never give up. She is my strength.

D) Your journey as the Protector has had some pretty phenomenal moments. Many took my breath away, made me cry or left me in awe. What would you say is your defining moment, you know, the moment that truly made you the Protector?

C: On the rocky beach outside the cabin. Rayna gave me a wakeup call I won’t ever forget, and if I ever lose my way again, I’ll remember that moment.

D) We all know that Vincent is a royal pain in the ass. And that he is pretty kick ass once he unleashes his full powers. Obviously, you would crush him in a fight. Are you disappointed you never got a go at Vincent?

C: Every day I have a moment where wish I’d had a chance to really stick it to him, but Vincent is Vincent and in all honesty, eventually he kind of grows on you. Just don’t tell him that…on second thought if you do, I might get that chance after all.

D) If you ever were to fight Vincent, how do you think it would end?

C: I’m not so arrogant to think I’d walk away unscathed, but after completing the Protector’s rite, I don’t think there would be a way for it to end except with him on the ground, begging for his life.

D) If you could have your dream vacation, what would it be, where would it be and who would you spend it with?

C: This might sound a little strange, but Drakar. Tiki has been going on and on about a city on the far reaches that has the softest sand and most beautiful water. He’s built it up so much I can’t help but be excited. I think I’d like to take some time there and enjoy a little quiet. Rayna would have to come with me. If anybody has earned a break it’s her, but realistically, I think the whole gang would need to come. It wouldn’t feel right without them.

D) If you were given the chance to do it all over again, would you? Why or why not?

C: I’d have to. I wouldn’t be able to sit back and hope someone else would get it done.

D) Would you change anything about your life? If so, what?

C: Who my father is, what happened on my first visit to Drakar, and…there’s a lot of things I’d change. Some days I wish I were never born a hunter. Then I’d have the blessing of ignorance, never knowing this side of the world existed. I’d love to know what it’s like to have to wake up and go to work, then come home. My conflict of the day being slow traffic, not demons and darkness.

D) Do you look back at your being exiled as a blessing or a curse?

C: Now I can see it for what it was—a blessing, but that’s a new outlook I’m still adjusting to.

D) You seem to bring out fierce loyalty in your friends, then again you too are incredibly loyal. Of all your friends who would you hate to have as an enemy? Why?

C: Rayna. She’s relentless, she knows how to fight, and she knows my weaknesses.

D) If you had one day where anything was possible, no one was trying to kill you, and money was no object, what would you do? And who would you want to be with?

C: I think this goes back to the vacation question. I’d be on that beach in Drakar with Rayna and all my friends. As for what I would do? Absolutely nothing.

D) Why do you always put others first?

C: I don’t know that I do. If I did, maybe we’d have suffered a few less losses. Sometimes I get so caught up in my head as to what’s right, I miss what’s really happening. I’m working on that though.

D) Of all the worlds you visited, is there any you would like to go back to? You know under non-hostile circumstances.

C: Drakar and oddly, Silas. Silas’s people are a little strange, but it was tranquil in a way I can’t really describe with words, but I can still feel it.

D) Of all your elements, which is your favorite to wield and why?

C: Water. It’s natural to everything…it’s life and power. It’s a magic that rivals the others for ferocity, yet it has a quiet beauty that most of the others can’t compete with.

D) What are your top 5 smells?

C: The woods after it has rained.

Hot chocolate.

Pizza.

The ocean.

Rayna…I don’t know what it is, but she wears something that I love.

 The questions below contain spoilers. Read on at your own risk!! 

**Spoiler**

D) So, now that you are a Demi-God is there anything death defying you want to do? I mean besides the death defying stuff you do every day.

C: It’s hard to fantasize about this power being exciting when you’re living this life. Sometimes I think being the Protector is more of a target than anything else. If I had one power, I’d love to pause the world for a day and just pretend I was normal.

D) Was there ever a moment when you thought that becoming the Protector was going to kill you?

C: More than one. In fact, I think it might’ve. Sometimes I think I died when the Rite happened, than I was brought back by some foreign power. It feels that way sometimes. The most memorable was when the last element came though…when the darkness started to spot my vision, I thought that was the end for me.

D) If you could have dinner with anyone living, dead, or fictional; who would it be and why?

C: I’d bring back my mom. I have a lot of things I’d like to say to her and a lot of thank you’s I should’ve said.

D) Now that this whole mess with Riley is over, what are you going to do now?

C: Riley may be gone, but the demons are still here. There’s rising tensions between the goblins and the trolls, and that’s just one of the conflicts I’m trying to snuff out. If it’s not one thing it’s the other. That vacation is looking further and further out of reach. 

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.

Find Him: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Now for some really awesome Giveaways!!! 

First we are giving you the chance to win one of the awesome ebooks by this Indie-Credible Author, M.R. Merrick! (Your choice)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway