Character Interview: Tempest from Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs + Giveaway

Today I’m excited to have Tempest from Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs! She’s a spunky girl full of life and she’s here today to answer a few quick questions.

Amazon | Goodreads

Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her—and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

I’m so excited to be here as a part of the Midnight Summer Festival—thanks so much for having me (and Tempest).



What was it like being raised with your mother absent?

It was really hard.  She’d been such a big part of my life and then she was just gone—no explanation, no excuses.  Watching my dad fall apart was just as difficult and trying to take care of my little brothers when I didn’t really know what was going on.  I think of everything, I’ve always wanted to know why.  Why she left, why she never came back.  Then again, when I get the answer, I’m not sure it’s enough.  It should be, but she left a lot of pain behind and I don’t know that anything will make up for that.

Being a mermaid the water obviously feels like home, but why was surfing your favorite way of interacting with it?

I love the rush of surfing.  There’s nothing like when everything comes together and you get the perfect wave and the perfect ride (Tracy spent years surfing and still misses it a lot now that she’s landlocked in Texas).  I can’t imagine ever being away from the water, and sometimes I sneak ashore just to surf (though Kona and the Queen don’t know that).

Did it scare you when you began being drawn to the water?

No.  I was never frightened of the water, even when I should have been.  I resented it, was furious that my mother chose the ocean instead of us, but I was never afraid of it.  It would be like being afraid of myself.  It’s that big a part of me.

Though, I have to admit, like Tracy I’m afraid of sharks and would much prefer it if they gave me a wide berth.

What about Kona attracted you the most?

The way he moves on the water, in the water.  He’s so much a part of the ocean that I can see it, feel it, every time I’m around him.  And his smoking body didn’t hurt either, lol.

What is your favorite part of life on land and in the water?

My favorite part of being on land is being around the people I love—my family, Mark, Logan, Bach and the others.  I miss them so, so much when I’m in the water.



My favorite part of the water is the way it makes me feel to be surrounded by it—so powerful and strong.  Like I can do anything.  Plus, the underwater world is so amazing and beautiful that I’m awestruck every time I look around.  Being around Kona is also a big draw …

Tracy Deebs lives with four men, teaches writing to local college students and spends as much time as she can manage immersed in worlds of her own creation. Married to the alpha hero of her dreams for twelve years, she is the mother of three young sons who spend most of their time trying to make her as crazy as possible.

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Categories: Character Interviews, giveaway, Midnight Summer Festival