Meet Some #UtopYA2014 Lovelies (Unofficial): Christina Mercer

In Cupertino, CA

I first met Christina in my neck of the woods, California, for an author panel organized by fellow utopYA-attendee and Californian, Allyson Gottlieb. It was such a treat to see a familiar face in the hotel lobby in June—especially such a warm and friendly one.

Thanks for hanging out with me today, Christina.

C: My pleasure! The author panel was fun and seeing you again in Nashville was such a treat J

I just downloaded your novel, Honey Queen—a Young Adult Fantasy Romance where a girl is turned into a Honey Queen—because it sounded so interesting. Then, I saw on your website that you are a beekeeper. What fascinates you so much about bees?

Oh, and a little birdie told me it's ONLY 99 cents until 10/2/14!

C: Yay! Thank you! Since I was a little girl, the idea of bees creating honey fascinated me. I attended a beekeeping class a little over ten years ago and connected with the only other woman in the class. She’d been keeping bees for a couple of years and offered to mentor me, which started me on my path. Honey bees are the most amazing creatures and the only insect on the planet that not only creates a food fit for the gods, but keeps our gardens, crops and orchards growing the foods we love.  

Wow! You've given me a newfound appreciation for bees. Oh, and I loved Arrow of the Mist (please check out the review here -- and it's only 99 cents for a limited time as well -- don't miss out!). It also has a heavy nature theme.  

By the way, we have so much in common. I am a finance major who writes fiction, and you are an Accountant who writes fiction. What aspects of left brain thinking help you with being an author, which most would consider a right-brained activity?

C: We do! I’ve met a few of us left/right brainers and I think it helps to be ambidextrous in many ways (I also happen to be ambidextrous with my hands!). The artistic side gets all those fantastic ideas and imagination juices flowing, and the logical side helps to refine, revise and edit once all those ideas are put to paper. Authors are business owners and engage in many tasks requiring left-brain-stuff, so having a knowledge base in business and money management is very useful.    

Amen! This was your second UtopYA. What do you think makes this conference so special?

C: I just did a blog post on this (see Christina's My #UtopYA2014 Experience Unoffical Blog Hop and Giveaway post here), and UtopYA offers YA/NA authors/aspiring authors, Freelancers, and Readers of YA/NA a place to come together amid the fabulous city of Nashville. The energy is awe-inspiring, and the connections made/nurtured at this event are truly priceless. I hope to attend every year as long as it continues, and at the astounding rate it’s grown, I believe it will go on for many years!   

And I plan to be there as long as it does! I noticed on your website that your great, great uncle was Frank Capra, a force behind many movies in the 30s and 40s. Was there something he taught you? 

C: He passed away before I actually met him, but other relatives spoke of him often. What I find super inspiring was his ability to climb a huge mountain of success from the struggles of being a poor immigrant, and that he created masterpieces that the world still enjoys today. Every December when It’s a Wonderful Life airs, I watch it with pride and am glad a bit of that creative blood flows inside me.

I wanted to share another great picture of you from UtopYA14...

Carlyle Labuschagne, Christina, Victoria Faye & Chelsea Starling

Pretty cool to have such an amazing inspiration like him touch your life. What manuscript are you currently working on? When can we expect to see more from you?

C: I am currently working on two projects: one is a co-authored light-hearted/humorous Science Fiction and the other is a YA Paranormal about a (very unique) nowadays-teen-witch.  

Please share your social media links: WebSite | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

Quick Questions…

Favorite Punctuation Mark: The ? because we humans strive to answer those ?s

Ocean or Mountains? Ocean

Favorite Alcoholic Beverage: Patron (one clean shot) Or a Cosmopolitan if I want to sip

Favorite Dessert: Frozen Yogurt with whatever toppings my mood desires

Shower or bath? Shower (bubble bath in winter)

Sweet or Sour? Honey Sweet

I hope to see you before next year’s utopYA since we live so close!

C: YES!! Most definitely! 

Christina Mercer is an award-winning author of fiction for children and young adults. Honored titles include Tween/Teen Fantasy ARROW OF THE MIST and its sequel ARMS OF ANU, and YA Fantasy/Romance HONEY QUEEN. In addition to writing, Christina holds a degree in Accounting from California State University at Sacramento and a Certificate in Herbal Studies from Clayton College of Natural Health. She resides in Northern California enjoying life with her husband, two sons, four dogs, and about 100,000 honeybees.

To learn more about her and her writing, visit www.christinamercer.com.

Please come back for more #UtopYA2014 Lovelies (Unofficial), and check out the announcement post to see the schedule.