Howdy!

I’m very excited to bring you debut author Tricia Mingerink and her awesome fantasy Dare! Tricia and I first crossed paths during my blog tour back in March when she commented on a post that she also found it easier to write male characters than female characters. We connected again when she was setting up this blog tour and I’m so very glad we did, because I think I’ve found a new favorite author! 🙂

She sent along a ARC of her book right around the time of finals last semester and I thought, “Oh, I’ll just read a few pages because this book sounds really cool”. Ha! A few pages. I took multiple study breaks and had to sit down the next day and finish it. I have no shame. My sister loves this book as much as me and we’re anxiously awaiting the second book.

About the Book:

Courage could cost him everything.

Third Blade Leith Torren never questions his orders or his loyalty to King Respen until an arrow wound and a prairie blizzard drive him to the doorstep of the girls whose family he once destroyed.

Their forbidden faith and ties to the Resistance could devastate their family a second time.

Survival depends on obedience, but freedom beckons. How far does he dare go to resist the king and his Blades?

No matter what Leith chooses, one thing is certain… Someone will die.

Now that I’ve officially talked your ear off, lets get to the real purpose of this post which is an interview with Tricia!!

Welcome, Tricia! To start off give us one fun fact about yourself.

I’m only five foot tall, which can get interesting since my horse is 16 hands high (basically, his back is level with my head). In my author photo with my horse, the ground I’m standing on is actually about six inches taller than where my horse is standing, and he’s lowering his head, so you can’t tell how short I am compared to how tall he is.

I’m so jealous you have a horse. He’s so pretty too! Someday… Is there anything in particular that you researched in order to help bring Dare to life?

I researched a number of things for Dare, but the most interesting thing to research was cauterizing wounds, which is closing a wound by using hot metal to burn it. Not something I’d ever want to do in real life! 

Nope! Anything having to do with wounds I’m not keen on doing in real life! I won’t ask you to play favorites, but who is one character you would like to develop more?

Um, all of them? Character development is something I really struggle with. Some of the characters in Dare didn’t reveal some of their deepest emotions and struggles until the fourth major revision. Still, if I had to choose, I think Aunt Mara is the character I’d like to develop more.

I did like Mara. I’m looking forward to seeing more of her later in the series! One world, besides your own, that you would like to visit and why?

Narnia, hands down. The Chronicles of Narnia was one of the first fantasy series I read. When I was little, I had a wardrobe in my bedroom that I repeatedly checked to see if the back was still there. It always was.

I still check occasionally. Do you have a favorite quote/passage from Dare?

I love the opening chapters, though my favorite passage is when Brandi names Leith’s horse. I didn’t intend for that to happen, but Brandi tends to do her own thing.

Brandi is adorable. She and Leith had to be my favorite characters in the book! Thanks for stopping by, Tricia! I hope you don’t mind that I’m a little obsessed with your book. 😛 I need the second one now! 

(Love that part!)

About the Author: 

Tricia Mingerink is a twenty-something, book-loving, horse-riding country girl. She lives in Michigan with her family and their pack of pets. When she isn’t writing, she can be found pursuing backwoods adventures across the country.

You can connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Goodreads, and her blog.

Giveaway! 

Enter to win a Grand Prize giveaway to celebrate the release of Dare! Prize includes an autographed paperback of Dare, a necklace like the one Renna has in the book with a sterling silver cross pendant, a medieval dagger (not sharp) like the one Leith carries, and Dare-themed bookmarks! (Due to the difficulties in shipping weapons across international borders, this giveaway is open to US residents only). The winner of the giveaway will be announce at the end of the Facebook party on June 10.

Enter Here!

Don’t miss the rest of the blog tour! Click the image below for the tour page!

As mentioned above, I really loved this book! There’s a perfect mix of action, suspense, little to zero romance (it’s getting nicely set up though), and themes of Christianity. Frankly the setting is just awesome. How often so you see fantasy set on the prairie? I enjoyed all the characters, definitely some more than others, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they all develop as the series continues. Highly recommended for anyone who likes awesome male leads, action, and stories of redemption. 🙂