Category Archives: Alethea Kontis

Happiest Book Release Day to Mermaid Princess Alethea!

September 26, 2017Alethea Kontis, Books, new release, WritingAlethea Kontis, Fairies, Goblins, Nocturne Falls Universe, When Tinker Met BellCarlene

“Hearts don’t have to touch to fall in love.”

What simple yet extraordinarily beautiful words my fishy sister, Mermaid Princess Alethea Kontis, has written for us in her brand new book, When Tinker Met Bell. This is her second book, I believe, in the Nocturne Falls Universe, and I am 100% smitten with it. When Alethea told me I was really going to love it, I thought to myself that of course I would enjoy it. She’s a great writer! Oh, but she was sooooo right. I absolutely adore this quirky, heart-squeezing book. That line I’ve shared above is one teeny tiny example of why. I asked Alethea if there was anything special she could share with us behind the writing of those particular words and of course, she said yes!

From Alethea…”OMG YES I remember writing that line. I remember that whole scene. I was already crying by the time I wrote “Hearts don’t have to touch to fall in love,” and when I did, I had to step away from the computer for a bit. Not only to process all the emotions I was feeling (and sob and blow my nose like Joan Wilder), but to consider, “Do I *really* want the major tear-jerking scene to be in Chapter Three?? At which point I realized that I loved the story so much, I didn’t even care. I was going to tell it the way it needed to be told, and people were either going to love it or hate it.”

I know Miss Alethea is going to generate and receive tons of love from this book. I cannot wait to share it with you all on her behalf. And so, without any further ado, I give you When Tinker Met Bell, out now!

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Everybody knows that goblins and fairies can’t be friends. But that never stopped Tinker and Bell.

Bellamy Merriweather Larousse isn’t like the other fairies at Harmswood Academy, with her giant wings and their magical dust. “Southern Bell” works as a barista at The Hallowed Bean to help pay her tuition and remains active on the cheering squad, despite her insistence on associating with the unpopular crowd. Every day is sunny in Bellamy’s world and every cloud has a silver lining. The only way to upset Bell’s stalwart optimism is to threaten one of her misfit friends…or try to take one of them from her.

Unbeknownst to everyone–including him–outcast Ranulf “Tinker” Tinkerton is about to be named heir to the throne of the Goblin King, making him ruler of his fellow Lost Boys and the labyrinthine city they inhabit. Now that the time has come for Tinker to leave Harmswood behind, will he be brave enough to share his feelings for Bellamy? It’s no secret that he’s held a torch for her since the fourth grade, but no matter how long they’ve been friends, goblins will always be allergic to fairies.

Or will they?

You’ll definitely be a happy reader if you pick up your very own copy of this gem. I hope you will, xoxo. Learn more about Alethea’s fantastic books HERE!

Mermaids & Friends: Mary B. Rodgers

September 22, 2017Alethea Kontis, Mermaids & FriendsAlethea

Mary B. Rodgers and I have been friends for a very, very long time–all the way back to the Codex Writers Group. She’s been my roommate and my date to awards ceremonies…she’s even my legit fairy godmother. Yes, on the eve of my book launch in 2012, I found myself in NYC with nothing but literal rags to wear. “Give me that,” said Mary, and she took the rags. When she reappeared, she had a beautiful renaissance top and full golden skirt for me. I AM NOT EVEN MAKING THIS UP. How could I? You already know my life is a fairy tale.

Mary and I got to spend some long-overdue time together at DragonCon–I even dragged her to be in the parade with me. The parade is not for the faint of heart and has beaten many a friend before her….but my dearest Mary had the time of her life.

And so it is with great pride that I present to the lagoon Mary’s latest novel, Winner Take All! To celebrate, Mary has decided to jump in with her own tale (ha!) of that first novel…

************************************

Imagine a sprawling, adjective-pockmarked portal fantasy featuring a grumpy heroine and some poorly disguised mythological denizens of Irish origin, and you’ve got Vanishing Point, my first clumsy, albeit heart-felt attempt at writing a fantasy novel.

Good Lord, was it awful.

And I loved it. Every cliché-ridden, melodramatic word. Every impossible situation from which I extricated my protagonist by using the Giant Hand Of The Author ™ instead of logical narrative sequence. Every creature I created that miraculously communicated in perfect English, toothy jaws and skull-crushing mandibles notwithstanding.

I still love it.

And it will never see the light of day. ::triple-locks forlorn manuscript into a pirate’s chest and sends it all down to Davy Jones’s locker::

What do we call these things when, kicking and screaming all the way, we allow ourselves to grow up? Ah, yes. “Learning” experiences.

I may have learned, but thankfully I haven’t grown up that much.

I still love to lose myself in magical fantastical landscapes, still root for the brave and much-put-upon protagonist who fights and loses but keeps on fighting, still passionately believe in the power of love and the truth of hard-won happy endings.

And if someday I decide to break open that pirate’s chest and revisit the little world I invented, and send my hapless heroine down a raging torrent into a dangerous and unfamiliar wilderness …maybe with all that time spent at the bottom of the ocean, my story will have “suffered a sea change, into something rich and strange.” Maybe I’ll be able to hear the heartbeat of the land and understand what it’s trying to say to me. Maybe I’ll know how to listen better to the secrets my characters whisper in my ear.

I’m open to most possibilities.

The grumpy heroine is non-negotiable.

************************************

Kindle | Nook | Kobo | iBooks

Hot shot skier and unrepentant party girl Carly Carrington is on top of the world until a disastrous crash destroys her championship dreams. Can she lower her guard long enough to trust the one man who might be able to heal her body…and her heart?

When it comes to sports doctors, buttoned-up Paul Blackburn is the best of the best. But when Carly upends his carefully ordered little world, will Paul fight his one chance at true love, or go for the gold in…WINNER TAKE ALL!

I am so excited about this book; I bought the Kindle version immediately! But if you prefer paperbacks, don’t despair–Winner Take All will be available in print very soon!

************************
A career performer and storyteller, Mary was the keyboardist and lead vocalist in an all-female rock band for a number of years, and has acted in leading roles in plays and musicals across the globe.

Her first screenplay, Common Ground, was a finalist in the Moondance International Film Festival competition, and she is a member of the Screen Actor’s Guild/AFTRA and the New York chapter of Women in Film and Television.

An avid gamer and unrepentant nerd, Mary’s been a fan of romance, science fiction and fantasy novels since she was old enough to hide them between the pages of her textbooks during geometry class in high school. She hopes you enjoy her stories!

Follow her on Amazon — http://amzn.to/2xu9fAt

My First Novel, by Alethea Kontis

August 15, 2017Alethea Kontis, Writingmy first novel, WattpadAlethea

Princess Mermaid Alethea

There are authors I know who would rather die than ever show their first attempt at a novel to the world.

I am not one of these authors.

In the Fall of 1987, my English teacher decided that she wanted our class to write in a journal every day.

I did not like this teacher.

I did not want her knowing anything personal about me, so I announced in my first entry that I would be writing an ongoing story for the duration of the class.

This teacher (whose name escapes me) cared far less about the assignment than I did. If she noticed the speed at which my writing improved and my journal entries lengthened, she never mentioned it. She did not care what I wrote (if she even read it)–it only mattered that there was a date listed beside every entry so she knew where to make her check mark. She never spoke to me about my broken idea of plagiarism, this fear of copying someone (in this case, Lois Duncan and HG Wells) that kept me from writing at full speed until many, many years later.

And yet, despite all that, I thank this teacher. Because, at the heart of it, and though it wasn’t her intent, she taught me how to write a novel.

The Golden Band
Cover Illustration by Casey Cothran, circa 1988

I was eleven years old.

(Granted, I’d already been writing since the ripe old age of eight or so. I read every book I could get my hands on…and saw just about every film that came to my family’s movie theatre…so I had a pretty decent grasp on storytelling, if not proper manuscript formatting.)

In 2013, a fellow author introduced me to WattPad. This site seemed the perfect home for a project I’d had on the backburner for years: to post my original novel, in its original form, complete with Author’s Notes and Teacher’s Comments. (I’ve put those in the comments section below each chapter, for ease of reading.)

The Golden Band is now published there in its original incarnation, as I wrote it in my journal in 1987. It’s entitled The Golden Band (7th Grade Edition).

The 7th Grade edition of this novel only runs through Chapter Seven — at that point, in the summer before 8th Grade, I decided I could go no further until I had fixed certain elements at the beginning of the story that just didn’t fit anymore.

Once I fully entered the 7th Grade Edition, I started posting the new edition: The Golden Band (High School Edition).

Transcribing this latter version got me through my little sister’s spinal surgery a few years ago — I couldn’t concentrate enough in the waiting room to write new fiction, so I set to work on this. However, she came through with flying colors and the project fell by the wayside. Now I just need someone to come over to the house and help finish transcribing it for me!

Any takers?

***************

Follow Alethea Kontis on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/princessalethea
Peruse the Gallery of Alethea’s Books on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2vxeWwp

My Favorite Writing Spot: Alethea Kontis

June 13, 2017Alethea Kontis, WritingAlethea Kontis, favorite things, home is where the heart is, princess alethea, writing spotAlethea

Hello, the Lagoon!

Alethea Mermaid here! I’m kicking off our latest blog theme, which asks the question, “Where’s your favorite place to write?”

My answer: HOME.

There are many reasons for this, including: a grand library, a hand-me-down couch, a boatload of inspirational quotes, and the petrified body of my first best friend.

Click below to watch the complete video!
Support Alethea on Patreon!
Follow Alethea on Amazon!

YA Scavenger Hunt–ARE YOU READY???

May 27, 2017Alethea Kontis, Booksscavenger hunt, YA, Young Adult scavenger huntAlethea

In June, the Alliance of Young Adult Authors is sponsoring a massive young adult scavenger hunt. This is a chance to meet some new authors, grab a bunch of free books, and sign up to win a whole bunch of epic prizes!

RULES

Each author will be given a special keyword, which will be bolded and all caps like this: BUTTERFLIES.

All you have to do is visit all the author’s sites in this order, write down the special keywords to discover the short story, then enter the giveaway with the completed secret legend HERE.

There will be one main giveaway for the main prize, but most of the participating authors will also have smaller giveaways for free books, amazon credit and author swag, so make sure you read their post carefully to see what else they’re offering while you’re on their site for the keyword.

THE MAP (participating authors)

Starts June 1st!

Just go through the “treasure map” above to find the keywords and reconstruct the secret legend. Once you’ve got it, enter for the grand prize HERE. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for other giveaways or free books as you search for the keywords, most authors will be offering their own prizes as well.

For rules, updates or trouble-shooting, make sure to check out this main post which will stay updated.

TIMELINE

Authors will post the rules and the full list of participating authors sometime in June, and have their post up and visible on their site/blog, with their keyword, by June 1st. Readers just need to go through the list, find the words, and use the story to enter for the grand prize.

Cover Reveal: Jax Cassidy’s THE MERMAID CATCHES HER MATE

May 11, 2017Alethea Kontis, Cover Reveal, mermaidscover reveal, mermaids, nfu, rocket girls, STARAlethea

As some of you know, the Waterworld Mermaids were created because I desperately wanted to make friends after moving to Northern Virginia, where I knew no one. (Boy, did that work out well!) So when I moved to Florida, the first thing I did was hunt down the local Space Coast chapter of RWA to try and do the same. Happily, I discovered a ton of amazing writers!

I also discovered that the Space Coast is one long and skinny county. Most of the STAR members live on the southern end (with the fancy beaches and the shopping). I live on the very northern tip (with the rockets and the alligators). So I got to know the writers up north pretty well–even the “snowbirds” (winter-only residents). And then I found out that one of my Nocturne Falls Universe sisters was moving back to Florida…closer to Orlando than Palm Bay…well, I absolutely had to get to know her!

I’m not sure words can describe how quickly I fell in love with Jax Cassidy. Or how it feels like I’ve known her far longer than I actually have. So you can imagine how absolutely thrilled I am to reveal the cover of her new NFU title THAT JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE ABOUT MERMAIDS! (See? I told you we were kindred spirits!)

Kindle | Nook | Kobo | iTunes

Luna Matsya is a local celebrity as a trendsetting hairstylist, but she’d prefer to spread her fin in a nice body of water rather than make a big splash around town. She’s starting to believe that her ability to live and walk among mortals is more of a curse rather than a blessing. Especially now that the flashy tent from a touring magic show is blocking her lake. Where’s a mermaid to swim when the slightest mistake can put her in the spotlight?

Ace Conall is infamous for his daring tricks and he plans to make history with an epic illusion before taking a lengthy hiatus. This is a chance for him to finally feel at home after harboring a secret that may be the greatest magic act never revealed. What he hadn’t expected was falling for a smart-mouthed siren tangled up in his plans…

I cannot WAIT to read Jax’s spin on mermads. The book releases on May 23 — be sure to place your preorder now!

************************
USA Today Bestselling Author Jax Cassidy followed her dreams to Paris, then Hollywood to pursue a film career but managed to fall in love with penning sexy romances and happy endings. She is Co-Founder of Romance Divas, and award winning writer’s website and discussion forum. Jax is also known as one-half of the retired writing team of Cassidy Kent.

Jax Cassidy is represented by Roberta Brown, Brown Literary Agency.

Find her on Facebook –www.facebook.com/AuthorJaxCassidy

Because the Waterworld Mermaids Are Awesome

May 7, 2017Alethea KontisAlethea

I had an AMAZING time at the Washington Romance Writers “In the Company of Writers” Retreat in Westminster, MD (maybe you could tell). I flew up and spent ten days in progressive Mermaid visits, including the retreat where we all met. Which was EPIC. More on that soon…love to the lagoon!

xox Princess Alethea

Filming Podcast Videos and the Best Surprise Ever

June 1, 2016Alethea Kontischris pratt, fairy tale rants, omaze, princess alethea, surprise, video blogging, vlog, YouTubeAlethea

In February 2015, I filmed my last Fairy Tale Rant. Episode 55. I promised that I would be back “in the Fall,” but I couldn’t make that happen. As much as I missed posting videos and video blogging, it just didn’t pay the bills. (I also wasn’t sure how to make a successful Patreon campaign for it–I’m currently looking into that.)

After meeting with a representative from Patreon over SFWA’s Nebula Awards Weekend, I tried watching the Rants from a different point of view. Even then, it was hard to see the forest for the trees. I was too close to the project. Since I flew directly to Kate Baker’s house after the conference, I sat down with her girls–Lexie (16) and Allie (11)–and asked them to watch a few episodes and give me some feedback.

Allie didn’t just fall in love with the Rants, she fell for the entire Alethea Show. She watched other rants on her phone. I gave her the audiobook of Enchanted, which she immediately began to read ALONG WITH THE BOOK. (You know, like we used to do as kids, but we’ve gotten so old and jaded that we forgot how awesome that was.) She also took notes as she read, writing down her favorite quotes from the book.

And, somewhere around Chapter Seven, she asked if she could film a video with me.

One does not say no to such a dedicated fan.

But I will admit, I put her off for a while. As some of you know, on May 1st I sprained my right ankle so badly that I couldn’t walk for two weeks–two weeks that included both BEA and the Nebs. As soon as I got to Kate’s house afterward I started trying to walk with the boot, a slow and painful process. I have learned from experience that when I’m not “feeling it,” I can’t bring that into a performance, because my audience can absolutely tell. But I also couldn’t let Allie down. So, last Thursday afternoon after school, we shot some video for a Rant.

I made it clear to Allie that SHE was the star of this one, and that I was just a guest on her show. She needed to put on the tiara and makeup. To frame the shot. To look into the green dot that was her “fairy audience.” To project. To do several dozen takes of the same thing, for one good edit.

Most of the things I have learned in my life, I have learned by doing. If nothing else, we were 1.) having fun, and 2.) Allie would be able to give me much more constructive feedback on my own Rant series.

She and Lexie left for their dad’s house on Friday, and I made it my goal to edit the video as a present for her when she got home. And I did. But I hadn’t posted it yet. (You can watch it here.)

Now…while all this was going on, Kate was prepping for a Date with Chris Pratt that she’d won, courtesy of Omaze. They called her the first night of the Nebs to tell her she was a finalist and invited her onto a Skype call…during which they sprang the news that she was a winner. (In case you missed it on The Today Show, you can watch that video here.)

She would have to fly out on May 31st for a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 studio tour and lunch with Chris Pratt on June 1st (which I imagine is happening RIGHT NOW). She could bring one person along with her…but she has two daughters! However, the rules said “13 and up,” so she had no choice but to take Lexie. Lexie, of course, knew none of this. So we surprised her on a video of her own, by telling her that Omaze wanted family reactions to Kate’s win. (Watch Lexie’s video here!)

So…I spent Friday morning editing Allie’s Fairy Tale Rant video.

On Friday night, Omaze called and told Kate that they’d like her to bring Allie along too.

Pretty sure Kate and I both cried at that news. Good tears. Because Allie really had been so awesome and mature about the whole situation–she totally deserved it.

We absolutely wanted to surprise Allie on video, just as we had with Lexie. But how were we to pull it off so that she didn’t suspect anything? Thanks to her Fairy Godmother Alethea, we already had the solution to that problem!

That’s right…I lied to my Fairy Goddaughter and told her we needed to reshoot the intro, just so we could get her reaction on tape.

What a wonderful moment — something I was so happy to be a part of! The Universe could not have given me a better gift. The Universe, and Omaze. And Chris Pratt. Thanks, you guys. This Fairy Godmother appreciates you more than you will ever know.

Princess Allie — I love you and miss you and hope you are having the time of your life! I can’t wait to see you in Florida next month!! xox

I Got a Brute Squad in My Bag, Swag

March 1, 2016Alethea Kontisbrute squad, fans, fascinating new thing, Street Team, swagAlethea

Happy March, my fellow intrepid writing adventurers!
What Fascinating New Thing is going on in YOUR life?

On today’s episode of The Alethea Show, I bring you: SWAG.

That’s right, in this fabulous day and age, authors aren’t just authors anymore (but you knew that). Authors are publicists and event coordinators and social media experts and editors and copyeditors…everything from Publisher to their own Personal Assistant.

A Small Business of One…but it still takes a village. And that village deserves SWAG.

One of the first lessons I learned being best friends with Sherrilyn Kenyon was that one should always have something to give the fans at an appearance. Not just chocolates or baklava (as much as I’m sure that would be appreciated), but something more important to them: something that has your name on it. An item as small as a sticker or button or postcard can make someone’s day.

It’s something authors forget when they are lost in edits (omg I just received edit notes for the first half of TRIX & THE FAERIE QUEEN and my brain might just explode) — our fans love us. LOVE. They want to read more books…but they’d also be happy reading poems or watching videos or hearing us tell silly stories while we live-stream a scrubbed rocket launch (I experienced this on Periscope just last week).

They are Fans, with a capital F, and they will wear the t-shirt. Especially if you make a few for them! If you know a little Photoshop (or know someone who does) you’re GOLDEN.

Princess Alethea’s personal Street Team is called the Brute Squad. So I created my first line of Swag in their honor!

As of yesterday, one can purchase Princess Alethea swag at Amazon, Redbubble, and Zazzle! (If you’re going to be in one store, why not be in them all, right?)

Here’s my experience with each so far:

Amazon: In order to have an Amazon Merch account, you have to apply for it. Once you are accepted, you can make T-shirts…and only t-shirts. They are plain, and the color selection is limited, BUT IT’S AVAILABLE ON AMAZON. With Prime shipping. The Women’s XL size is comparable to the Men’s L. Upon washing the Women’s XL I received (cold water, normal wash), the graphic on the back flaked almost completely off. Happily, Amazon is good about ordering replacements, but I’m still a little shocked at the poor quality so far. Profit margin, on the other hand, is quite high.

Redbubble: I only just launched this one last night, but already I’m blown away at the number of items available at this site! I want to order every sticker available…not to mention pencil skirts, leggings, duvet covers, and pillow cases…I do not have enough money to buy all the things I want!!! Profit margin: default 20% markup, which makes the prices high but not unaffordable. You are allowed to raise or lower this per item-type as you see fit.

Zazzle: Ugh, this site is annoying, and I’m still unsure if I’ve figured it out. But I chose it over CafePress because I’ve been a customer of both and know the t-shirts from Zazzle to be of far superior quality. It seems that instead of just uploading a pic (like to Redbubble) and having it available across all items types, one has to Create a Thing, and then list it for sale in your store. One at a time. Ugh. I’ve now put this on my weekly to-do list, because I don’t have time to Make All The Things. Item selection: AMAZING. Profit margin: small. Also, you only get paid via PayPal, and only when you have reached the $50 threshold. I’m not a fan of money thresholds, having been burned by YouTube (who will never pay me the $68 they owed me before they turned of my monetization for no reason). But I’ll give it a shot.

So…what Fasconating New Thing have YOU got going on this Spring?

Mermaids Immortalized in Romance Fiction (And a giveaway to boot!)

January 29, 2016Alethea Kontis, Avery Flynn, Carlene Love, Dana Rodgers, Denny S. Bryce, Giveaway, Kerri Carpenter, Kimberly MacCarron, Loni Lynne, Masha Levinson, mermaids, Pintip Dunn, Robin Covington, Susan AndrewsCollege, Contemporary Romance, Giveaway, Let Me See, Male Exotic Dancer, mermaids, New Adult, new release, These Three WordsCarlene

Hello fishy friends!

How’s everyone doing? I hope your 2016 is off to a great start. I’m humbled and honored to say January is wrapping up very nicely with the release of my eighth published novel. Let Me See (Book 2 of the These Three Words series) just came out today. I’m so very happy I get to share this story with you but guess what really has me smiling?

I’ve missed my fishy sisters so much since moving away from their area nearly two years ago. But today I get to be with them again. Sort of.

I hope you’ll enjoy this excerpt from my new release in which the Waterworld Mermaids become immortalized in romance fiction. **Be sure and leave a comment below for a chance to win a free e-copy.** Let’s see if you can spot them…

Copyrighted Excerpt from Let Me See (These Three Words, 2) by Carlene Love…

Jay normally spent as much time out front chatting with the guests as he did on stage performing for them but right now he wanted a few extra quiet moments alone to let the importance of tonight sink in.

“Jay, come.”

Having thought that, Marie was rarely persistent with him like this. So he followed her out front, forgetting for the time being that he was only half-dressed for his solo. He ran his hand over his abs, rubbing away some of the sweat already sticking to his skin. He’d barely crossed paths with Julian but the bump-in had been enough and he had the man’s angel wing glitter all over his black pants. Jay dusted it off as best he could, eventually giving up. Jay hooked his thumbs in his suspenders. He left the newsboy hat that would—pardon the pun—cap off his college prep outfit in homage to Maggie, in his locker and followed Marie out front. One thing he recognized for sure was the extra pep in her step. If he didn’t know better, he’d have thought she was playing Cupid or something ridiculous like that. Too bad he couldn’t just tell her he’d officially taken his heart off the market, for good, two weeks ago when he’d been stood up again by the girl who had somehow taken his everything prisoner.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said and followed her out, pumping himself up for the night and walking to the beat of Gabe’s solo song.

“So you guys had a pretty successful adoption event at the last shelter drive?”

“Yes, Marie. Why do you ask? You sure are talking to me a whole lot tonight. I mean, I love it. But, do you swear everything is okay with you?” He’d do anything he could to help her. She worked hard and he knew she had issues she kept hidden. Jay knew how that could eat at a person.

“I’m in the mood to do some good and you think there’s something wrong with me? Gee, thanks, Stud.”

He wasn’t sure exactly what to say back to her, to be honest. It was tricky with Marie because Jay knew he had to keep his flirting to a minimum, remembering how wrecked it had made him when D had gotten too loose with his flirty words for Kelley. “My apologies to the lady.”

They walked single file through the last bits of the cramped back hallways until they got to the door that led into the public portion of the club. Jay took an extra-long step to put him in front of Marie so that he could get the door for her. He ushered her through but then noted how she quickly jumped back in front of him. Guess she really wanted to be the leader.

“Accepted. And you’re right, it is odd that I’m feeling so chipper. It’s freaking me out but I’m going with it for this night only. I just feel like this burst of goodness came inside earlier. Apparently your sister’s spirit of positivity has its claws in me tonight.” She winked and smiled softly at him. “Anywho, recognize anyone?”

Marie suddenly stopped walking when they’d only made it a few feet into the club, clearly waiting for him to stop too and have a look around. Okay, he’d play along and checked out the bar area since that was where he associated Marie as being most often. “Drunk Al. Tina and her mom and her sisters. Um, Brad?” He noted the faces he could see this far in the dark.

“Ahem.” She cleared her throat and pulled him around by the suspender until he was facing the stage. She let go and the elastic snapped his skin. It didn’t really hurt but he let out a yelp just to tease her. “Ouch.”

Now he did see a ton of familiar faces. “Do you really want me to start naming everyone? Cause there’s Liz, Kerri, Dana, Kim, Alethea, Pintip, Susan, Loni, Masha, and Denny, just for starters.” It gave him an immense feeling of joy that so many of the regulars were already here supporting the cause. “Oh, and let’s see … Lynne, Robin, and Avery. I can keep going—Jen, Keely, Deb, Denise, Sue, Lil. Ooo, Becky’s looking supa-hot tonight. She turned fifty in here last week, you know. Still fricking gorgeous. Did you know she’s the drummer in a band? I think I’m going to give her a late birthday lick later on. In fact, I think I’m gonna go over there with my sexy self and lick her right now.” Of course he was just teasing, watching Marie’s face get more and more perturbed with him. It was his playful payback to her for bringing him out before he’d gotten dressed and then being so secretive. But honestly, who did she want him to see?

“Ugh. You’re impossible. And you wonder why I don’t talk much to you boys. Gabe—”

But she may as well have stopped speaking.

The second he changed his line of sight to the stage where Gabe currently held court as a half-dressed military hero, he saw the one thing he never would have expected, not in a million years at this point.

She didn’t even have to turn around for him to know.

*****

Eek! I hope you liked it!

Take my friendly fishy advice. If you find yourself missing those who you care about and can’t be near, write them something. Whether it’s a letter, an email, a text, or yeah, in this case a novel. Reach out. Let them know you’re thinking of them. I call it a paper hug. xoxo

**Giveaway Info: Say hi, or better yet, say hi and leave a message for someone you’re currently missing in the comments section and I’ll enter you into the drawing for a free e-copy of Let Me See. Winner will be randomly picked on Sunday night, 1/31/2016. Good luck!

My best to you and yours!

Fishy kisses,

Carlene Mermaid

Are you sure you’re ready to see what’s inside?

Two hearts beating…

S Club dancer and extrovert, Jay, has worked very hard for this eye-opening moment with his reluctant and shy friend, Kelley. Unfortunately, a humorous attempt to get her to open up serves to push her further away. Now it’s nearly impossible to convince her he’s not just out to play.

Hundreds of scars in need of hiding…

For good reason, Kelley has yet to let Jay see all of her whereas he takes his clothes off nightly for a living. Her respect for him runs unmatched because she sees who he is inside. There’s just no way to ever reciprocate and that’s not fair to him. His interest in her has never made sense. The best option is convincing Jay there really is nothing to see.

One dark night to shine some light on their healing…

Sometimes, it just takes one very patient man, one dimly lit room and one safe set of arms.

Check out more from Let Me See HERE at the Evernight site or HERE at Amazon. xoxo