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Monday 28 April 2014

Blog Tour for Storm (Elemental #1) by Brigid Kemmerer; Review + Author Q&A

20410663Posted by Donna
Release Date: April 14th, 2014
Finished Date: April 11th, 2014
Publishers: Much-in-Little
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance 
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake.

Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys; all the ones she doesn't want. When she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot, everything is about to change. Chris is different from the guys at school... really different. He can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. The brothers are powerful and dangerous. And now that Becca knows the truth, so is she.

When the mysterious new kid, Hunter, turns up, Becca thinks she can trust him. But when he goes head-to-head with Chris, Becca's left wondering who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The Review: Exciting, dangerous and very intense, Storm is a fast paced read that brings a whole new meaning to elemental magic.

Our main character Becca doesn’t have many friends except her best friend and she shies away from other students because of the nasty rumours that have been spread about her around school. On night after leaving school, Becca comes across Chris Merrick fighting for his life in the car park. Becca does the only thing she can think of and that’s to help run Chris’s attackers off, however, after rescuing Chris, Becca is pulled into Chris’s dangerous world, especially when she finds out he’s connected to the elements and can control water. Becca’s life has never been as dangerous as it is now, and she needs to figure out who she can trust before it’s too late. 

YA Paranormal has definitely taken a backseat with me. It’s feels like such a long time that I’ve been able to connect with that kind of story, but I’m so glad that Storm finally cracked the problem and now I’m itching for more – more importantly – itching for more from the Merrick brothers. 

The brothers - Chris, Nick, Gabriel and Michael are completely fabulous! With each of them having a different element, it’s safe to say there is never a dull moment throughout this story. It’s captivating and spell-blinding to watch these super-hot guys experience with their super cool elemental magic. The bring a lot of exciting twists and turns throughout the story and it also makes it very unpredictable – in all, I loved the plot. 

With Storm being Chris’s story, I really enjoyed getting to know him and watching his relationship with Becca grow. At times, it’s nearly non-existent that I honestly thought they would just remain friends, but the author focuses more on the story rather than the romance and I liked that. It gave the story a lot of suspense and intense scenes. Both Becca and Chris were really great to get to know. I liked Becca; she grew on me through-out the story, but Chris I liked instantly. I think because there was a lot of mystery surrounding him. And together, they were great! 

At the moment, it’s pretty hard to pick a favourite brother. There’s definitely something about Nick that I like, so I’m intrigued to discover more in his story, but I’m also excited to read the other books in the series. I’m not sure I can wait for the next UK release date – I want it now! 

In all, Storm surprised me and I found it a very exciting read that it’s left me wanting more. I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read this book. 

Favourite Quote: Becca pressed her face against his shoulder again, and he knew he wasn't going anywhere. "You keep saving me." she said. "Yeah, well." He stroked the hair down her back. "I think we might be close to breaking even on that.”

Brigid KemmererAuthor Interview with Brigid Kemmerer 

How did you come up with the idea for the series? 
The first novel I wrote in high school was about four vampire brothers, named Michael, Nicholas, Gabriel, and Christopher. It was a silly story, but I still have most of it on paper. In my twenties, when I really began to take writing seriously, I wrote a few books but was unable to find a literary agent or a publisher. I couldn’t get those four brothers out of my head – but I didn’t want to do vampires again. I started tossing around ideas that would work with the number four. Four horsemen of the apocalypse. Four leaf clovers. Four, four, four. The four elements of earth, air, fire, and water seemed to work best—and I had a lot of ideas how I could make it fun. What teenagers wouldn’t want to be able to control the elements?

How long did it take to write?  
It took me about nine months to write Storm. 

What was the most challenging thing about writing this book?  
Figuring out how to write from a guy's point of view. I'd never tried it, and my first attempt was really stressful. Originally Storm was entirely from Becca's perspective. I had half the book written from her point of view, and I realized I had a great family dynamic to explore. I kept asking my husband all these random questions about how guys think. I know I made him nuts, but it paid off, because he finally snapped, "Hon, stop worrying about how ALL guys think, and worry about how THIS guy thinks." It was the perfect advice. I sat down, started writing, and Chris was born. 

Do you have a favourite character?  
No way! I could never pick a favorite. I love them all. 

Do you prefer the UK or US covers to your books?  
Dangerous question! I love different things about all my covers, but I think the UK covers capture the danger element of the books the best. 
 
Favourite quote from Storm? 
When Nick quips that Gabriel can barely count to ten, so Gabriel gives him the finger and says, "I can count to one." 

Fun Questions: 

If you were deserted on an island, what three favourite things would you want with you?
My husband, my e-reader, and a lifetime supply of potato chips. 

What would we find in your refrigerator right now? 
Steak and potatoes for me and my husband and tons of easy foods for the kids. Think yogurt and applesauce and juice boxes. I don't eat any seafood due to a terrifying experience with a catfish when I was five. Yes, really. 

List 3 books you have recently read and would recommend? 
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine (due out this fall)
Donna of the Dead by Alison Kemper


About the author.....
Brigid Kemmerer finds the time to write somewhere between caring for her family and working at her day job, but sometimes she ends up mothering her coworkers and managing her family. Storm: The Elemental Series is her first novel. 

3 comments:

Echo Fox said...

This sounds right up my street, thanks for sharing. I love a good bit of elemental magic and throwing it into a high school can't fail to be entertaining and dramatic!

Thea Wilson said...

I have this book to read so thank you for the great review of it as it's pushed it further up my TBR pile!

Thea @ Gizzimomo's
Book Shelf

Anonymous said...

pretty nice blog, following :)

 
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