Blog Tour, Interview & Giveaway: Spirit (Elemental #3) by Brigid Kemmerer

Hello readers! Today I'm excited to be part of the Blog Tour for Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer because both Jasprit and I are huge fans of this series!  With five SMOKING HOT boys, who can blame us?!! Spirit release May 28th, just a few short days away and we were lucky enough to have Brigid stop by and answer some of our most pressing questions! But that's not all, we have a giveaway, and some additional fun to kick off Spirit's release. All of this awesome was organized by the lovely Wendy at  The Midnight Garden. Thank you for allowing us to participate!

Rachel: Hi Brigid! I’m so excited to have you on the blog because I’m a huge fan of those HOT Merrick Boys The Elemental Series!!

I read that you came up with the idea of writing about four brothers while you were in high school.  Which of the Merrick boys or Hunter would you have been drawn to while there?  Someone like Nick: smart, responsible, good-guy or someone like Gabriel: cocky, hot tempered jock with a soft heart underneath, or someone like Hunter: tattooed, pierced, and intense? 

Brigid: Oh wow, this is a great question! When I was in high school, I probably would have been terrified by an intense guy like Hunter, especially with the tattoos and piercings. Then again, I probably would have been intrigued by him, too. I went to an all-girls Catholic high school, so I would have wanted to bring him home, just to see what my mother would say. I totally would have gone for a guy like Gabriel, just because I think he would have called me on my BS. I worked on a horse farm and I used to challenge guys to arm wrestling matches. I imagine a guy like Gabriel would have been like, “Bring it on.” And then he would have won. And that would have been HOT.

Rachel: Are any of the characters inspired by or based on real people?  If so, can you make some introductions? Lol! Just kidding.  Well, mostly….

Brigid: Haha, not the guys. They’re all straight out of my head. Becca’s mother was very loosely based on my mom, who is a night nurse.

Rachel: Spirit, in my opinion, was a lot darker, emotional, and intense than the other books in the series.  Was it hard on you to write in that mind set? 

Brigid: Hunter’s book was so hard for me to write. Both Hunter and Kate are struggling with who they are and who they want to be. There’s a lot of indecision and fear on both sides of the table. I was so emotionally wrung out by the end of Hunter’s book that I wasn’t sure I even wanted to continue the series. Then I wrote Nick’s novella and I realized that I wasn’t tired of the series, I was just exhausted from Hunter’s and Kate’s inner struggles – not to mention what happened to them in the end.

Rachel: Gabriel and Layne are my favorite couple in the series.  I just love that Gabriel’s reaction and feelings for Layne exposes his big heart, as does his relationship with her younger brother, Simon.  Do you have a favorite couple?  Or maybe a couple that’s easiest to write?

Brigid: Well, until I wrote Nick’s book, I would have agreed with you. I loved writing Gabriel and Layne’s relationship. But then I wrote Nick’s book, which actually features two couples: Nick and Adam, and Quinn and Tyler. I loved both their developing relationships so much that I’m actually mourning the story. I might need to write a few extra chapters just to fully get them out of my system.

Rachel: I have to say I was surprised by Nick’s story in Breathless.  I did NOT see that coming, but maybe I’ve been a little dense, lol!  Did you know from the start about Nick or is it something that came to the surface as his character developed?

Brigid: When I first wrote Storm, I had an inkling about it. It was definitely in the back of my head, and it was always Nick. I wasn’t thinking, “I should make one of these guys gay.” It was always him. I just didn’t know if I could pull it off. But then a friend (who is gay) asked me if I’d consider making Nick a gay character. Even though it was in the back of my head, I was initially resistant to the idea. I was scared, honestly. I wasn’t worried about backlash or anything like that. I didn’t want to do it wrong, you know what I mean? But I had a third novella under contract, and I knew I wanted to write it from Nick’s point of view. I sat down to write, and I put a guy in front of him, wanting to see what would happen. Well, Adam happened, and he’s one of my favorite characters to introduce to the series.

Rachel: I’ve noticed you’re very accessible to your readers, and I appreciate that you answer so many questions about the series on your website.  What would be the one of the more interesting question/comment you’ve received?  Have they ever given you ideas for your stories?

Brigid: I love talking to readers! I always feel badly when people start off an email or a tweet with, “I’m sorry to bother you…” It’s never a bother! Seriously, I’ve met so many awesome people since beginning this writing journey. I can’t imagine turning off the social media. It’s so much fun.

I get a lot of interesting emails. Sometimes people send me fanfiction, which is incredibly flattering, but it’s really, really difficult for me to read. It’s like hearing someone else animate my children. It’s just … jarring, you know? I’ve also had people ask very detailed questions as if the characters were real people. Like … “If Gabriel and Layne ended up getting married and having a child, would the baby be a Fire elemental? Or …” I love questions like those because even though they’re sometimes tough to answer, I know it means someone has grown close enough to the Merrick boys to feel like they’re a part of their lives.

Rachel: Are you currently working on Nick’s book?

Brigid: Just finished! It’s off to my editor! Cross your fingers for me, ‘kay?

Rachel: Can you give us any teasers for the upcoming books? 

Brigid: Of course! How’s this: someone we thought was dead will make a reappearance at the end of Nick’s book. 

Rachel: Oh my goodness, Brigid!! What a teaser!!  Now I have all sorts of speculations (and hope) running through my brain!

Thank you so much, Brigid for stopping by.  I can't believe Spirit will just be releasing because I'm already primed and excited for the next story!  

 

Publication Date: May 28th 2013
Publisher: Kensington Publishing 
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

With power comes enemies. Lots of them.

Hunter Garrity just wants to be left alone. He’s learned the hard way that his unusual abilities come at a price. And he can’t seem to afford any allies.

He’s up to his neck in hostiles. His grandfather, spoiling for a fight. The Merrick brothers, who think he ratted them out. Calla, the scheming psycho who wants to use him as bait.

Then there’s Kate Sullivan, the new girl at school. She’s not hostile. She’s bold. Funny. Hot. But she’s got an agenda, too.

With supposedly secret powers rippling to the surface everywhere around him, Hunter knows something ugly is about to go down. But finding out what means he’ll have to find someone he can trust…

Brigid Kemmerer started writing in high school, and her first real “novel” was about four vampire brothers causing a ruckus in the suburbs. Those four brothers are the same boys living in the pages of The Elemental Series, so Brigid likes to say she’s had four teenage boys taking up space in her head for the last seventeen years!

Connect with Brigid on her:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Check out the other tour stops for more features and goodies: 

Tour Stops: 

5/20  The Midnight Garden  

5/21  Bewitched Bookworms 

5/22  The Reader's Den

5/23  Hobbitsies 

5/24  The Starry-Eyed Revue

5/27  Saz101

5/28  Realm of Fiction 

5/29  Stuck in Books 

5/30  Books with Bite

5/31  Cuddlebuggery

Kensington Publishing has generously provided a free download for Elemental (Elementals #0.5) where we first meet the Merrick brothers!  Click HERE and enter promo code: VCARD

Make sure you cast your vote below for favorite Elemental boy before entering the rafflecopter below for a chance to win a copy of Spirit generously provided by Kensington Publishing! Thank you for stopping by and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway