M.R. Merrick - Release
After uniting the shifters and calling in reinforcements, Chase has to face his toughest challenge yet: learning to control his emotions. But as tensions rise and his powers grow, controlling his emotions becomes the least of his problems.
Terrorized by a multi-shifter who is hell-bent on turning him, Chase questions just how far he’s willing to go to stop his father. Meanwhile, Tiki’s virtuous nature has placed him in the middle of Vincent’s past, leaving Chase to oppose a senate of vampires and defend a demon he hates.
Trying to balance his friends, his enemies, and his inner demons, Chase is left searching for answers about the Mark, his destiny, and where he can find the next soul piece. Stopping Riley is his top priority, but as more obstacles arise, he finds himself doubting all the decisions he’s made – especially regarding Rayna.
One thing is for certain: Chase has finally realized that he doesn’t know anything. The light doesn’t always quell the darkness, the monsters don’t always stay in the shadows, and the past doesn’t always stay in the past – sometimes, the demons inside are the hardest to fight.
Top Ten Mythical Creatures
by M.R. Merrick
10. Mermaids
Mermaids are pretty legendary and I don’t think they need much of an introduction, so I’ll get straight to the point: I want to be one. Not all the time of course, I want the ability to choose. Not like those girls from H2O where they get a drop of water on them and they’re suddenly mermaids, floundering around on the grass in the middle of a park because the sprinklers came on. No, I want to make the conscious choice to shake my tail…scales, and go frolicking in the ocean.
9. Medusa
I think she’s misunderstood. Sure, she can turn all men to stone by simply looking at them, and perhaps she has an eternal grudge against anything with a penis, but I think with a cool pair of shades and a little understanding, Medusa could be one bad ass friend of mine. Plus, her hair has a mind of its own. I don’t really like snakes, but I would rather have her on my team than against me.
8. Fairies
They’re superhumans, what else can I say? They look like humans, but they’re immortal and they have magic. That’s pretty much just awesome. But that’s not really the fairy legend I adore. I like to go back a little bit further, when Fairies were considered evil. Or some of them were at least. They abducted children and were full of trickery and malevolence. Don’t get me wrong, glittery skin, pointy ears, and magic that helps us all fly is cool, but everybody likes to be scared sometimes, and some of the original folklore about fairies, from various parts of the world, is pretty unsettling. I kind of like that.
7. Pegasus
It’s a horse with wings, need I say more?
6. Shifters
I love shifters. They have two sets of instincts and depending what side of the coin you get, it could make or break your day. I think the shifter represents man’s ability to be bare and primal, not just when they’re in their animal forms, but in their human forms as well. I think it connects you to the world and your emotions in a way non-shifters can’t do. They’re magical, fierce, and wonderful creatures. They’re more then just rippling abs and shirtless men, they’re something deep about the Shifter that is rarely explored, and I like the mysticism behind that.
5. Vampires
The legends behind these creatures are world-wide, and have been forever. There isn’t truly one version I like more than the other, because they’re all fascinating and terrifying in their own way. In the more recent centuries, vampire have been brought to life in a new way and shown as more than just monsters, and I love that, but there is a darker side to them that cannot be forgotten.
Now and days we see the more civilized vampire, but inside each of them is still a monster, and a powerful one at that; one that needs what’s inside you to stay alive. A vampire steals one’s life to sustain its own, and that’s beautiful, poetic, and scary all at the same time. Like some of the creatures on this list, it’s the older mythology that really captured my love, and fear, of the creatures.
4. Griffin
I just want one of these as a pet. I have a certain fascination for eagles in general, and this creature is all around bad ass. It’s like the king of all beasts. Fierce and graceful like a lion, yet beautiful and proud like an eagle. This creature represents so many things, and being often represented as a guardian is something I love so much about them. They’re gorgeous, ferocious, and majestic creatures. They’re a part of mythology I love reading about.
3. Gargoyles
The Gargoyle comes in many styles, but I first fell in love with the idea of Gargoyles when I was a child, from none other than the cartoon series. As I got older however, the idea of the Gargoyle became more gothic and dark than my childhood memories allowed.
In some legends they’re malicious beasts, while others consider them protection against evil spirits. The Gargoyle can appear in dozens of different forms, and represent completely opposing ideas, depending on the region of the world, but there will always be a part of me that revels in the idea that a Gargoyle is a statue during the day, and a very real creature of the night - one that scours the sky and protects the world from malevolent forces.
2. Dragons
Dragons have been among my favorite creatures since I can remember. They’re remarkable monsters, loyal companions, and the top of the mythological food chain in many ways. Like most mythological creatures, different regions of the world have different representations of what they might be, my favorite being the Chinese version.
I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is about them that made me fall in love, but they seem divine and powerful. In my mind, there are different types of dragons for each element, fire and water dragons being my favorite. Naturally, if you’ve read my books, you’ve realized I have a thing for the magic of the elements, and these dragons fit in perfectly with that. Plus, having a baby dragon would be beyond adorable.
1. Phoenix
My ultimate mythological creature. Again, different versions of this creature appear in history and mythology world-wide, but my favorite version is the Greek’s. Most likely because it takes on a form similar to an eagle, and by now you realize how much I love eagles.
Imagining a massive creature with feathers made of red and gold, a tail that flickers with fire, and stands in an image of rebirth. The phoenix, to me, represents a perfect life-cycle, and one that applies to more than just life and death. As one thing ends, something new begins, and the cycle is never ending.
For me, the Phoenix is irreplaceable. It represents so much more than just rebirth in my mind, and if I had to be a mythical creature, this would be it. This bird screams loyal, proud, and powerful, to me, and it would be a welcome companion in my life. If I had one, I would call him Phoenix…or George.
M.R. Merrick is a Canadian writer and author of The Protector Series, a Young Adult mash-up between Urban and Epic Fantasy. Having never traveled, he adventures to far off lands through his imagination and in between cups of coffee. As a music lover and proud breakfast enthusiast, he’s usually found at the computer between a pair of headphones and in front of a large bowl of cereal.
Find M.R.:
Giveaway Alert!
Grande Prize Pack (3 Winners)
3x Signed paperbacks (Exiled, Shift, Release)
3x Signed 8x10 posters (Exiled, Shift, Release)
5x Bookmarks
1x Notebook (Winner’s choice of cover)
1x Magnet
Runner-up Prize Pack (5 Winners)
1x Signed paperback (Winner’s choice of Exiled, Shift, or Release) with signed poster
1x bookmark (Winner’s choice)
1x Magnet
Secondary Prizes A (10 Winners)
Release eBooks
Secondary Prize B (10 Winners)
1x bookmark (winner’s choice)
1x The Protector magnet
a Rafflecopter giveaway
