Hi!
The Australian blog tour for Spark drops by today, and I get to share my interview of Brigid with you!
Spark is the second book in the Elementals series, and you can read my reviews here:
1. Congratulations on the publication of the first two books in the Elementals series! Could you please describe the series to those unfamiliar with it?
Storm, Book 1 of The Elementals, is about a girl who becomes entangled with four brothers who control the elements and their battle with those who want them dead. It’s full of action and adventure and romance, for sure, but at it’s core, it’s a story about finding yourself.
2. You started a novel about four vampire brothers in 1996, which you eventually scrapped, but the idea of four brothers stuck with you. How did those vampire brothers evolve into the Merrick boys?
The boys are really the same. Chris was the brooding, angsty youngest brother who wasn’t sure where he fit in his family. Gabriel was always the impulsive, sarcastic hot-head. Nicholas was always the easy-going level-headed one. And Michael was always the overbearing oldest brother who just wanted to keep his family safe. When they were vampires, their supernaturalness (I’m a writer, I can make up words) always took over the story. In The Elementals series, I made sure that the people took center stage, and that they were comprised of so much more than just their abilities. It worked.
3. Considering the many water related problems you had when writing Storm, were there any fire related incidents while you wrote Spark?
Yes. The lights in the back half of my kitchen shorted out, then the lights in my bedroom hallway. They still don’t work. Also, true story: the day I sent Spark off to my editor, I accidentally touched an oven burner with a pot-holder, and it caught on fire.
4. Chris and Gabriel have such different voices, I imagine your writing process had to change between Storm and Spark to capture it. Did you listen to completely different music or write in a different place to achieve that?
What’s funny is that they all sound so different in my head, that it wasn’t a challenge switching from Chris to Gabriel. They’re brothers, and at their core, they love each other and they care about their family. Besides which, I write so much dialogue that I was already familiar with Gabriel’s “voice.” You know what was a huge challenge? Writing Hunter. The Merricks can rely on each other, and even in his darkest moments, Gabriel knows, deep down, that his brothers would be there for him. Hunter has none of that. Hunter’s story is really powerful, but some nights it was torture to sit down and live in his head for a few hours. Because sometimes Hunter’s outlook on life is really bleak. (Don’t worry — he comes around. :-D)
5. How is your writing of an Australian character in Spirit going? Can you give us a little clue into what’s in store in the third installment of the Elementals?
Aha! I was hoping no one would remember that I mentioned that on Twitter. So … I scrapped the Aussie character. You want to know why? The guy is a jerk. Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) I’ve encountered in Australia has been completely full of awesome. I couldn’t take this guy, who really is a colossal meanie, and make him Australian. It just wasn’t fair to all of you. When I create an Australian character, he/she is going to be a hero! For sure!
Rapid Fire Round:
1. Favourite colour? Green!
2. Air, Water, Fire, Earth, or Spirit. Which would you choose to be your element? Ooh. Tough choice. Water. No, Air. No … I can’t decide! They’re all so much fun!
3. Physical book or E-book? E-book! When I see books in stores, I take a picture of the cover so I remember to buy them on my Kindle later
A huge thank you to Brigid for taking the time to answer my questions, and to Allen and Unwin for presenting me with the interview opportunity!