Interview w/ Elizabeth Hunter plus Excerpt and Giveaway!

Interview with Elizabeth Hunter author of The Elemental Mysteries series.

Her newest book This Same Earth is out today!

 I am so happy that Elizabeth sat down to answer some questions I had about This Same Earth and the series, cause I am absolutely in love, love , love with this series. You can read my TOP10 with Elizabeth HERE and my review for A Hidden Fire HERE and This Same Earth HERE. And let me tell you, there is a hot vamp in the book. (I mean it literally and figuratively). But don't take my word for it...go read it for yourself.

*What inspired you to write the Elemental Mysteries?

Story, for me, always starts with character.  The first character in the Elemental Mysteries series was Giovanni Vecchio. One day, I was trying to imagine what I would do if I actually had eternity to live. Being the bookworm that I am, I decided I would probably read a lot! From that idea sprang the idea of an immortal character whose life revolved around books, and he grew from there. Once I imagined him, I began sketching his personal history. The primary plot arc of the series revolves around a mystery from his past.

*Did you have a playlist you listen to while writing This Same Earth? If so what are some of the songs you listened to?

I have a playlist for all my writing. It’s one of the things I use to trigger myself when I’m plotting a story or writing one. For This Same Earth, which is so much about family and relationships, the playlist had a lot of love songs, including Come On Get Higher by Matthew Nathanson, Gravity by Sarah Bareilles, and Maps by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It also had some harder stuff like Florence + the Machine, The Kooks, and The Pogues that reflect Beatrice’s taste more.

*The Elemental Mysteries is made into a movie...who would you love to see play some of the characters?

Aaargh! You can’t ask me that! Hahaha! You know, I usually leave descriptions in my books pretty vague because I love to hear what readers think about that question. My imagination cannot equal yours when it comes to characters you love! I will say there are a few actors who I can see playing different characters, but no one so far has fit Gio in my mind perfectly. The one I will give you is Stephen Fry as Caspar. Somewhere around the middle of A Hidden Fire, I realized I was picturing a slightly older Stephen Fry when I wrote Caspar. Since I adore Stephen Fry, I was okay with that! Other than Stephen, I’m not telling! But I’d love to hear what you picture!

*You have writers block...what do you do to overcome it?

Like I’ve said, music is a great trigger for me. I take care creating playlists for my books, and I listen to them almost obsessively. Other than that, finding time to write is usually more of a struggle. I’m a very detailed outliner, so I’ll have the plot of a book well sketched out and time-lined before I start writing. If I do run into a slow spot, I usually sit down and write in my notebooks. I write the books on my computer, but all my notes are done in longhand in notebooks, and if I start sketching out a scene in my notebooks, that usually jogs me.

*You visit so many places in your story...have  you ever actually visited these places?

Yes! I’ve always been a traveler. Most of the places in the books I’ve visited, except for the Cochamo Valley in Chile, which is very high on my wish list. When we get to Book Three we’ll be in more uncharted territory, but I’ve travelled through most of North America, much of Europe, and some of the Middle East. I did a lot of student trips when I was in university. I traveled through most of Europe with a backpack and forty dollars a day! I’d really love to go to Asia next, since I have family that lives there. In short, buy my books, and you’ll get better place descriptions in the future. ;-)

Thank you for all the great answers. I already have an idea for Gio and ooooh do I love Gio.

And what great song choices for This Same Earth.

This excerpt from This Same Earth is a scene between Gio and Beatrice that takes place in a coffee shop, and is a good peek at where they are in their relationship toward the beginning of the book:

[Giovanni] leaned toward her in the crowded café. “So you really haven’t told anyone? Not even Dez? About your father or Carwyn or…anything?” He blew on the fragrant coffee he held, heating his breath to heighten the scent since it had cooled.

“No, I didn’t tell anyone. What would I say?” She lowered her voice. “Oh, hey, Dez, you know my friend, Carwyn? He’s a thousand-year-old Welsh priest who hunts deer and drinks their blood. Oh, and my father is a vampire, too, but I haven’t seen him for almost fifteen years so I don’t know what he eats. And I was kidnapped by a vampire once, but don’t worry, my boss―who I was kind of involved with, but not really―rescued me with his two best friends, one of whom can fly and the other who can tunnel underground like a giant gopher.”

He shrugged. “Seems totally believable to me. And we were most definitely involved.”

Beatrice rolled her eyes and took a sip of coffee. “Right, and were you going to swoop in and rescue me when they carted me off to the looney bin?”

“I will always swoop in and rescue you, whether from psychotic vampires or the men in white coats.”

He caught the small smile she tried to hide and held up his cup of coffee, inhaling deeply.

“Why do you even order it, Gio?”

“I told you, I like the way it smells.”

Beatrice shook her head and leaned back in the plush chair. She closed her eyes and he allowed his gaze to caress her face while she was unaware. He’d been dancing around his feelings for well over a month, and it was becoming increasingly harder to keep silent.

He forced himself to remain casual, more interested in regaining her trust than in satisfying himself. Tenzin’s admonition to be patient seemed more and more apt every day.

“So,” he cleared his throat. “I have a favor to ask, which you are in no way obligated to grant, but I thought I’d ask anyway.”

She kept her eyes closed but mumbled, “Does it involve blood donation?”

“Are you offering?”

Beatrice cracked one eye open and grimaced. “No.”

What a great excerpt! I am telling you ladies, Gio will make you weak in your knees. A Possible Death By Swooning! So if you haven't read A Hidden Fire...go now...run, take a canoe, ride a horse, or just head on over to Amazon or Smashwords, even Barnes and Noble.
And look for This Same Earth while you are there!

Win A Hidden Fire and This Same Earth ebooks
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