Celebration Character Inverview & GIVEAWAY ~ Chase from Exiled & Shift by M.R. Merrick

So peeps my blog and my twitter feed has passed 3000 followers each and I've got some celebrating to do!  You know how I LOVE character interviews and giveaways! What would be a better way to celebrate than to combine two of my favorite things.

I have a BUNCH of character interviews lined up from some of my favorite recent reads.  I'll be posting them on Wednesdays so that the celebration just goes on and on.  You can see some of the books that I'll be interviewing from in the fabulous banner that my daughter made for me. She rocks don't you think? (May be biased - nay she rocks) =)
 

This week, I have the incredible fighting force that is Chase from Exiled by M.R. Merrick.  Stick around after the interview for a giveaway.

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Hey Chase, thanks for agreeing to talk to me. Looks like you guys are still trying to get Marcus's place back together. You do seem to be hard on housing.

We are getting things back together. Slowly. Sometimes my emotions tend to get the best of me. Not the best thing when your elements are so closely attuned to them.

Yeah, I can so see that but you're getting there with the control thing. 

So you grew up with the circle, tell me what that was like? Your dad seems like he was pretty hard on you.

It was just my life. I didn’t know any different. Looking back now I guess it was a little controlling. The Circle is restrictive of what you get to read, what activities you do, what they teach you. There aren’t extracurricular activities like football or lacrosse. You’re choices are more like; demonology, advanced weapons training, hand to hand combat.


Riley had high expectations, and as I got older, they only got higher. He became more serious and involved with my training. As his power grew more rapidly, he moved up the Circle’s rankings with haste. His reputation became extremely important to him. He wouldn’t let his son be anything but the best.

Sounds hard but you came through it okay.  You've been here with Marcus for a little while now, how are you feeling about him? You think you can be happy here?

Marcus is pretty good. We’ve become a lot closer the last few weeks, and I don’t feel so much like I’m fighting him every step of the way anymore. We both have the same goals and now we’re finally working together to achieve them.

I’m not sure happy is in the cards for me. Hunters in general don’t have lengthy life spans. The fact that I was exiled without the backing of the Circle is bad enough, but I’m Riley Williams’ son too. That’s all the ammunition the Underworld needs. Throw that in with the fact Riley is hell-bent on raising Ithreal, and we’re the only ones trying to stop him, well, you can see why I don’t have high expectations. After seeing what the pure blood demons are capable of, I’ll be happy if I live to be twenty.

Well I'm on your side for sure.  I hope you succeed.

You didn't get your element when you were expecting it. How surprised were you when fire and water showed up?

I don’t think surprised does justice to how I’m feeling. I still have trouble wrapping my head around it, most of the time I’m too busy trying to keep them from exploding that I don’t even think about it. When I do, it seems surreal. I can feel them, vibrating beneath the surface, but still they’re foreign, like they don’t belong to me.

You're gonna get there, I just know it!

I love the snarky relationship that you and Rayna have. How do you feel about her spunk?

It drives me crazy, but not always in a bad way. Rayna can keep up with me, she challenges me, and I trust her. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know where I’d be. Probably dead. I respect Rayna, I’ll take her sometimes off-the-wall attitude over anyone else. Always.

Love Rayna, she rocks.  Someone else in your life that I love is Rai. What's it like having her around?

When she isn’t digging her claws in my shoulder and making a mess of her cage, she’s great. She’s in rough shape right now, but she’ll be alright. Rai’s loyal, but it’s tough for her here. She’s spent her life cooped up in cages, she deserves to be free, soaring through the air. I hope once she’s better, she gets that chance. If we figure things out, maybe we’ll all get that chance.

I have to say that I was very proud of you for defended Willy on several occasions. It was the right thing to do. Where do you think you got your sense of right and wrong? Not your father, that's for sure.

My mother was always a guiding force in my life, for everything, and although it doesn’t seem like it, the Circle played its part too. The Circle’s view of what’s right and what’s wrong is skewed, but the bottom line, “Hunters are born to protect the innocent,” still applies. Helping Willy was no different. It wasn’t an easy decision at first, I mean I knew he was a demon, and Hunters were supposed to kill demons, but it just didn’t seem right. Willy was…Willy. He’d never hurt anyone, and he didn’t deserve to be hurt.

I love Willy, he rocks for sure.  

If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?

I would’ve waited to go to Rayna’s old house. Helping Vincent I can live with, but everything I regret started when we walked in that house.

If you could have one wish, no questions, what would it be and why?

I’d have my mom back. I don’t think I need to tell you why.

Randomness:

M&M or skittles? Skittles
Burger or steak? Burger
Mountains or ocean? Mountain
Day or night? Night
Brown or Blue eyes? Blue
Blond or brown hair? Blond
CD or iPod? iPod
DVD or movie theater? DVD

Thanks for talking to me, Chase. I'd appreciate it if you figured out this mess with your dad. I'd much rather you survive and he ... well gets what he deserves. Can you take care of that for me?

If I can’t, I’ll die trying. 

M.R. Merrick | Twitter | FB | Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

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GIVEAWAY TIME

I'm offering a choice of Exiled (Protectors #1) or Shift (Protectors #2) paperback edition.  International as long as Book Depository ships to you.  Just follow StuckInBooks and fill out the rafflecopter below.

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