Category Archives: Interview

Psst…Kerri Mermaid Releases A New Hit!!

A FUN CHAT WITH OUR VERY OWN KERRI MERMAID ABOUT HER NEW ROMANTIC COMEDY, OUT TODAY … READ MORE ABOUT IT AND GET YOURS HERE!

Carlene Mermaid: Miss Sparkle Pants, firstly Happy Book Release day! The cover is fantastic and I’m so happy the world gets to enjoy Her Super-Secret Rebound Boyfriend for themselves! Secondly, you have emerged as a fresh and fabulous voice in writing stories with really fun and intriguing romance secrets. You did the amazing three book series about the mysterious Bayside Blogger and now this new book which brings the hero and heroine together via some really juicy … secrets!

So I have to ask, what is it you love so much about the written secret? 

Kerri Mermaid: First of all, thank you so much for the wonderful compliments! You know, I never really thought about how many “secrets” I was writing about. Ha-ha! I actually consider myself to be much more of an open book in “real life.” I don’t think that all secrets are bad. Do I look fat in this dress? No! Is she prettier than me? No! But in general, I try to be as honest as possible. I guess I get to live out a different side of me in my writing.

Carlene: Very cool. Have you ever had anyone find out any of your secrets and how did that go or have you ever had to keep someone else’s secret?

Kerri: I’m very good at keeping secrets! And I don’t think I’ve ever had any secrets that were all that exciting. Oh, well, except for the fact that I’m actually working for the CIA and moonlighting as a romance writer. I’m currently somewhere in Eastern Europe wearing a black sequined dress and swirling a martini while I wait for the dealer to shuffle the deck. Whoops!

Carlene: OMG, that sounds so very intriguing and risque! I wonder, do you find that people come to you with their secrets? Are you ever tempted to work these into your stories?

Kerri: I can say without a doubt that I RARELY put things from my real life into my books. Well, I may use small, inconsequential stuff. For example, in Her Super-Secret Rebound Boyfriend, my heroine Lola plays bocce in a rogue bocce league. Just like me in real life. But I would never reveal a secret from one of my fellow bocce sisters.

Carlene: That does not surprise me at all because you are a wonderful, loyal friend and mermy sister. Okay, so outside of your immediate real life, any unsolved mystery out there you’d love to be the one to solve? Which one?

Kerri: It doesn’t have to be me who solves it, but I would definitely like to know more about Area 51. Are we alone out there in the universe? I don’t think so. I just need some proof!

Carlene: Right!! Although, I have just started dipping my fins into the land of podcasts and I bet you can find some pretty credible proof in that realm. Okay, so for your romance loving super fans out there, is Kerri Carpenter even your real name? Have you ever thought of writing under a pen name? If so, what would it be?

Kerri: Is Kerri Carpenter my real name? Please see above question about me working for the CIA. Would I ever use a pen name? I’d tell ya, but I’d have to kill ya.

Carlene: Zoinks!!! No, that definitely won’t be necessary and we’ll just keep it at the very sparkly and fabulous Kerri Carpenter Mermaid. Well, it looks like our time is about up. One last question, perhaps the most important, burning one of them all: Hottest Sherlock Hottie: Robert Downey Jr or Benedict Cumberbatch?

Kerri: Chris Pratt! What’s that? Chris Pratt isn’t one of the choices? Shhhh. That will be our little secret!

Carlene: Hold that thought….. Fishy friends, before we duck out of the lagoon, be sure to grab your very own copy of Kerri’s new book HERE.  Thank you so much for joining us! Now, about that OTHER matter…..I don’t think it is humanely possible to keep Chris Pratt a secret so, here ya go!

photo credit: www.123rf.com/profile_buzzfuss

 

Photo credit: Copyright: <a href=’https://www.123rf.com/profile_buzzfuss’>buzzfuss / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

 

 

 

 

A Very Mermaid Valentine Message + Giveaway!

Love, love, love, love, love. It’s Everywhere! We hope you enjoy this sweet Valentine’s Day message from the fantastic fiction writers that are….Us! The Waterworld Mermaids! Please get comfy and watch as Alethea, Kerri, Pintip, Kim, Carlene, Masha, Denny, Susan and Dana share some of our love worthy favorites…

Thank you so much for tuning in and letting us share. So now we’d like to know, what are some of YOUR romantic favorites? We’re talking books, movies, television shows, poems, plays, couples, quotes, guys, gals, desserts, songs, flowers, etcetera. We’d love to hear from you!

GIVEAWAY: We will randomly select one lucky commenter to receive a wonderful bundle of books, including Besphinxed (ebook) by Alethea Kontis, The Darkest Lie (ebook) by Pintip Dunn, Falling for the Right Brother (ebook) by Kerri Carpenter, Sidewalk Flower (ebook) by Carlene Love Flores, and Welcome Home, Katie Gallagher (paperback) by Seana Kelly. Winner will be notified here in the comment section of this post on Sunday, February 18th, at 8:00 pm Pacific time. Good luck!

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

With lots of love,

The Waterworld Mermaids

(Thank you to each of my fishy sisters for sending me their words and letting me read them for you! xox)

The Alethea Extravaganza: 2 New Books Out Today!!!

Dearest fishy friends: Firstly, we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Secondly, never in my life have I had the fortune to bear witness to a mind quite as brilliant and quirky and prolific and boundless as that belonging to our mermaid sister, Alethea Kontis. I knew she had a couple books coming out today (did I mention she’s a superstar?) and I also knew I wanted to be the lucky girl to share the wonderful release news with you. This is because one of the new stories is the follow up to When Tinker Met Bell, a book Alethea released this September. That story is my all-time Alethea favorite so far (and you can find it HERE ) It’s absolutely lovely! Please do check it out if you can.

There was one character in it, however, one Merriaurum Grandiflora Larousse, aka “Merri”, that was mentioned and then mysteriously not mentioned again by the time the story ended. Now knowing Alethea like I do, there was no way she would have started a story line and simply forgotten to wrap it up. No, it had to be that she’d left that character with a cliffhanger and would surely pick back up with it in a future book. But just to be sure, I asked her about it and to my extreme delight, YES, she told me that not only had she planted that teaser of Merri’s on purpose, but that the story would be out very soon as part of the new Nocturne Falls Christmas anthology! Yay! I never should have doubted her. The story is called The Meddlesome Misadventures of Merri and Bright. Psst… below is the cover!!! Isn’t it gorgeous??? Go ahead, click on it!

Here is a bit more from our convo this week about Alethea’s wonderful short stories. Be sure to read all the way down for the very cool cover and link to her second story out today! Take it away, Alethea!

Since Carlene’s main question about cliffhangers got turned into an entire Writing Lecture about “Loose Threads in Complex Worldbuilding: Intentional or Not?” (Posted on my Patreon), I moved on to answer some other questions about short stories and anthologies.

What got you started writing short stories?

The first piece of fiction I ever sold was AlphaOops: The Day Z Went First. Prior to this, I had only published book and audiobook reviews in my local hometown free paper (for zero pay). My dream was always to write fantasy adventure novels—I had not planned to be a picture book writer AT ALL. So when Candlewick told me that it would be 2-3 years until AlphaOops saw the light of day, it lit a fire under me. I needed to plant my flag in science fiction and fantasy right away…and the best way to do that was to start shopping around all the short stories I had been writing on the side.
AlphaOops The Day Z Went First debuted in 2006. That same year, “Small Magics” was published in Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show and “Sunday” (which became the novel Enchanted) was published in Realms of Fantasy. By then, of course, I’d been bit by the short story bug, and my stories started to pop up on websites and in magazines and anthologies all over the place.

You write in so many different genres—are there any common themes in all your various stories?

I used to tell people that Belle from Beauty and the Beast was my demographic because my stories all had “far-off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, and a prince in disguise.” When I do shows with my artist BFF Bianca Roman-Stumpff, I tell people “My stories are like Bianca’s art: fun, colorful, subversive, and a little bit dark.”
When Dearest was published in 2015, I was stunned when a reviewer called it “the funniest book of the series so far.” I had expected “romantic,” but not “funniest.” Humor is so difficult for an author to communicate to a reader that I’ve heard writing instructors tell their students expressly NOT to write humor into their books. So humor was never something I’d really intended. And then I looked back at my body of work for the last ten years and realized…I COULD WRITE FUNNY. How about that?
Now that I’m aware of this once-hidden talent, I’ve become less and less shy about playing it up. So, no matter what genre I’m writing in, you can bet that a story by Alethea Kontis will be fun, colorful, subversive, a little bit dark…and funny.

Will you be part of any more anthologies on the horizon?

Yes! Once Upon a Quest will be releasing in January of 2018. I’ve been in the two previous Once anthologies: Once Upon a Curse and Once Upon a Kiss. It’s a wonderful group of authors, and I’m honored to be invited back “once” again.
My novelette in Once Upon a Kiss, “The Glass Mountain,” was meant to be an origin story for a romantic fairy tale rom-com I wanted to release this past summer, but I had some problems with the world building (like, I was trying to shove all of it into the first four chapters and it was NOT FUNNY AT ALL) and it had to go back to the drawing board. My story in Once Upon A Quest—an as-yet untitled goblin adventure based on the goblin tales of Hans Christian Andersen—is a legend from a different part of that same fairy tale world.
What I’m hoping is that this goblin adventure will help me get back into that fairy tale world and write the novel I was meant to write in the first place! Fingers crossed!

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Thank you, Alethea! Our fingers and fins and flippers are all most certainly crossed for you! Friends, take a look at the outstanding cover for Grim Repo which is included in the Hardboiled Horror anthology. Just click the cover for more info. Congratulations, Alethea! And to our fishy friends, thanks so much for stopping by, xoxoxoxoxo.

Brand New Release for Harlequin Author Kerri Carpenter!

Psst… it’s me, Carlene Mermaid. Sorry for the whispering, but word on the waterway is that there is a mysterious person purporting to be the Bayside Blogger while at the same time purporting to not be the Bayside Blogger. (Scratches head) and they are lurking in the lagoon, trying to stir up trouble. I don’t know if he/she is the real deal, but I’m not about to let this sneakster steal the spotlight from our fishy sister on her big day.

Today will be a glittery, sparkly day of book releasing celebration if it’s the last thing I do! Join me in this effort, fishy friends! All right, so I’ve just had a swim around and our waters once again seem peaceful. Let’s sit down and tune in to the Bayside author herself, Miss Mermaid Kerri Carpenter, as she gives you the exclusive and ever-so-dazzling scoop on her brand new Harlequin release (and some tips on disguises that perhaps our mysterious person of interest should have followed):

Thank you for answering all my tough questions, Mermaid Kerri! You are MY hero. Maybe when our mysterious blogger’s book comes out later this year, you and said blogger can visit the lagoon together, out in the open. Until then, I know I am so excited to get my hands on and read the next installment of the Saved by the Blog series, Bidding on the Bachelor which is out RIGHT NOW! Click HERE for more info on Kerri’s books.

So readers, with dress up season just around the corner, are costumes a yay or a nay for you? One lucky commenter will be randomly drawn and will win a free copy of Bidding on the Bachelor. Good luck!

A Bit More About the New Release…

Another roll of the dice
Big news, fair readers! Bayside High’s favorite It Girl is back. Would you have bet Carissa Blackwell would ever return? Ten years ago, she crushed Jasper Dumont’s heart under her Jimmy Choos and left town for a bigger, better life. Her return raises one question: What is she running from (or is it to) now?
Perhaps Jasper knows? One look at Carissa and he fell in the bay! (Rich, single and devastatingly handsome, Jasper’s our catch of the day.) That icy plunge should have brought him to his senses, yet “Casper” has been spotted together all over town. Does this mean Bayside’s legendary couple may reunite? The stakes are high, but the Bayside Blogger’s money is riding on love!

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes / Kobo / Harlequin Page
Look for books 1 and 3 in the Saved by the Blog Series:
Falling for the Right Brother, Available now
Bayside’s Most Unexpected Bride, December 2017/January 2018

Madeline Dyer Swims with the Mermaids!

Hi Madeline! Welcome to the Waterworld mermaids! I’ve read your first book, Untamed, and absolutelyfragmented1400 loved it. I am soooo looking forward to reading Fragmented, which releases in a few short days on September 7!

We’re absolutely thrilled to have you here, and we hope you enjoy splashing in our lagoon!

Thanks so much for having me!

1. Can you tell us a little bit about Untamed and Fragmented?

Sure! Untamed and Fragmented are books one and two in my dystopian fantasy series (the Untamed Series), about addiction, betrayal, and loyalty.

Untamed begins in a world where an estimated 95% of the population are addicted to chemical augmenters that only allow them to feel positive emotions. These ‘Enhanced Ones’ believe it is their duty to ‘save’ the remaining people—the Untamed—from the fear and anger that is within them, and thus make society a safer place. And the Enhanced Ones will stop at nothing in their quest to convert all the remaining Untamed. The problem is that augmenters, while preventing a person from feeling anything negative, also destroy a person’s humanity; mankind is becoming more and more robotic, and full of artificiality. And, if the Enhanced Ones get their way, there’ll be no natural, Untamed humans left.

Our main character, seventeen-year-old Seven Sarr, is one of the last Untamed humans in the world, and as a powerful Seer she soon discovers that she alone has the power to save one race. But, after being kidnapped and converted by her enemy, Seven discovers that the Enhanced Ones’ lifestyle might not be as bad as she was led to believe… Torn between two worlds, Seven must work out who she really wants to be, and decide which side she will fight to save—a difficult feat, given that she’s already becoming addicted to the Enhanced Ones’ augmenters.

Book two, Fragmented, continues Seven’s story as an elusive Untamed tribe offer her refuge and safety from the Enhanced Ones. But the Zharat tribe’s lifestyle is a far cry from what Seven’s used to, and with the Enhanced still out there, nowhere can really be safe for her. Least of all when she discovers that everyone has a hidden agenda. The secrets and lies just keep getting bigger—and then there’s also an arranged marriage thrown into the mix too, when the Zharat demand that Seven must marry into their tribe. If she doesn’t, she’ll die. And, without her, the Untamed cannot win the war.

2. What inspired you to write these books?

The idea for Untamed’s premise came to me when I saw the music video for “La La La” by Naughty Boy ft. Sam Smith. It was the scene about halfway through where what appears to be a human heart is being sold at a market, and I just started thinking about all the things a heart could represent: love, lust, desire, etc. And then I wondered, What if these emotions could be bought at a market, just as easily as one buys food? And thus the idea for the Enhanced Ones was born…

untamed-23. Will there be a third book, or does the series end with this second book? What are you working on?

There’ll be four books! I’m currently working on Divided, book three in the Untamed Series, and I am just so excited. Aside from this, I’m also working on a standalone dystopian and editing a multiple-POV thriller about a girl’s abduction.

4. These books are YA dystopian, which is one of my favorite genres. Can you tell us how you decided to write in this genre, and will you continue to do so? What are some of your favorite YA Dystopians?

Untamed was the fourth full-length manuscript I completed, but it actually started off as a bit of an experiment and was my first foray into writing dystopian fiction! Before then I’d only written urban fantasy and science fiction (both of which I long to return to!). But I’d always wanted to write a YA dystopian, and as soon as an idea had begun to form, I sat down and began writing to see what happened. And I soon discovered that I absolutely loved writing the genre as much as I loved reading it!

I’ve currently outlining another dystopian series at the moment, so I really hope to keep writing in this genre.

Some of my favorite YA dystopians include Teri Terry’s Slated, Moira Young’s Blood Red Road, and, of course, Veronica Roth’s Divergent and Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.

5. How did you start writing?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer—the desire’s always been there. Once, at school when I was about seven or eight we were allowed to write stories in class, and then the next day we had to type them up on the computer. As I typed mine, I kept changing stuff and writing new scenes, taking other stuff out, and I never finished typing it up as we only had a couple of hours to do it in. But it was then that I really realized that I wanted—needed—to be a writer.

And I kept writing stories. First about fairies, and then about the wild ponies that lived on the moors near my house. But, not all my teachers were very encouraging about my dream. I distinctively remember one of them, when I was about fourteen, telling me I’d be better suited to being a carpet fitter instead. Yeah. I know.

After that, I began being more secretive about my writing. But I wanted to prove that I could do it. Aged sixteen, I began sending off my fantasy short stories, and a couple of months later, I got my first acceptance letter. My debut short story, “The Silent Siren”, appeared in issue three of Iron Bound Magazine. And, in the three or four years that followed, I had about fifteen more short stories published—online, in ezines, and print and ebook anthologies—by Mirror Dance Fantasy Magazine, NonBinary Review, and Mad Swirl, to name a few.

During that time, I also began to focus more on novel-length manuscripts as full-length stories were my first love. I completed my first novel (a 137,000 urban fantasy manuscript that is still in my drawer) when I was seventeen. And I completed the first draft of the manuscript which became my debut novel, Untamed, when I was eighteen. A year later, and I had four offers on the table for it, and signed with Prizm Books, the YA imprint of Torquere Press. But it was only when Untamed released a year later, when I was twenty, that I began to really think of myself as a writer.

6. You’re quite young to be a published author, which I find amazing and impressive. Can you tell us about some of the challenges you face as a younger writer?

Thank you! I think the main challenge I’ve experienced with being a young writer is that a small portion of readers don’t take me seriously—or they think that my work got selected because of my age and not because of my writing. I’ve had people message me out of the blue before telling me that my work (which they haven’t read) can’t possibly be any good and that they’d never buy it because I’m young. Those comments can hurt a bit, and make me doubt myself, but I try to remind myself that when I was querying my short stories and Untamed, I never told the publishers my age until after the contracts had been signed—if I even told them at all!

On the other hand, I’ve had other authors message me saying that my age is a bonus because I’m writing for a YA readership and I’m pretty close to that audience still. So, I think of my age as both a blessing and a curse!

Thank you soooo much for joining us!

Thank you!

13645253_941841892628376_3960152865675872341_nMadeline Dyer lives in the southwest of England, and holds a BA honours degree in English from the University of Exeter. She has a strong love for anything dystopian, ghostly, or paranormal, and can frequently be found exploring wild places. At least one notebook is known to follow her wherever she goes. Her debut novel, Untamed (Prizm Books, May 2015), examines a world in which anyone who has negative emotions is hunted down, and a culture where addiction is encouraged. Her second novel, Fragmented, is set to hit shelves in September 2016.

 

 

 

Untamed (Untamed Series #1)

As one of the last Untamed humans left in the world, Seven’s life has always been controlled by tight rules. Stay away from the Enhanced. Don’t question your leader. And, most importantly, never switch sides–because once you’re Enhanced there’s no going back. Even if you have become the perfect human being.
But after a disastrous raid on an Enhanced city, Seven soon finds herself in her enemy’s power. Realizing it’s only a matter of time before she too develops a taste for the chemical augmenters responsible for the erosion of humanity, Seven knows she must act quickly if she’s to escape and save her family from the same fate.
Yet, as one of the most powerful Seers that the Untamed and Enhanced have ever known, Seven quickly discovers that she alone holds the key to the survival of only one race. But things aren’t clear-cut anymore, and with Seven now questioning the very beliefs she was raised on, she knows she has an important choice to make. One that has two very different outcomes.
Seven must choose wisely whose side she joins, for the War of Humanity is underway, and Death never takes kindly to traitors.

“This has to be one of the best dystopians I have read this year – If you’re a dystopian fan add this to your shelf.” — Birds That Love Words

“I really couldn’t fault Madeline Dyer… Untamed is a fantastic dystopian survival story, filled with twists.” — The Literature Hub

“From the first line, Untamed pulled me in. This is the sort of book that is incredibly difficult to put down… as a person who rarely reads fantasy/sci-fi but grew up with it always on the nightstand, Dyer’s book reawakened in me a buried love for the genre.” — Jen Knox, author of After the Gazebo.

“Untamed is very captivating and I found myself racing through it… the imagery Madeline has created is brilliant.” — A Secret Book Lover

“The fast-paced action of Untamed really drew me into the story… readers who enjoy dystopian novels would enjoy this book.” — The Story Sanctuary

Find out more here

Buy eBook: Amazon | Nook | Prizm Books | Kobo | iBooks

Buy paperback: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Waterstones | Books a Million | Powell’s

 

Fragmented (Untamed Series #2) – releases 7 Sept. 2016!

After the terrible battle against the Enhanced Ones, Seven and Corin find themselves on the run. With the Enhanced closing in, Seven knows they need to find other people on their side. So, when the opportunity arises to join the Zharat, one of the last surviving Untamed tribes, it seems like the perfect solution.
But the Zharat lifestyle is a far cry from what Seven’s used to. With their customs dictating that she must marry into their tribe, and her relationship with Corin breaking down, Seven knows she has to do something before it’s too late. But that’s easier said than done in a tribe where going against the rules automatically results in death.
And, with the Enhanced still out there, nowhere is truly safe for the Untamed–least of all for the most powerful Seer in the world… and Seven soon discovers how far people will go in order to ensure that she’s on their side in the War of Humanity.
Battling against the emerging web of lies, manipulation, and danger, Seven must remember who she was meant to be. Her life has never been more at stake. Nor has humanity itself.

Find out more here

 

Pre-order eBook:  Prizm Books |  Torquere Press

 

Why Men Write Romance and Why You Should Be Reading It! #Giveaway

Mermaid-Carlene-300x225Hello, fishy friends! Carlene Mermaid here. How are we all doing? Read any good books lately? How about any sexy smart romances written by men? No??? Let’s remedy that! Some of you might be familiar with my regular “Guy Day” posts. These usually come about when I can find a gentleman who is willing to answer in-depth questions about how he would respond, think, and feel in different situations, thereby giving us a genuine male perspective. The purpose of these posts is to help women writers craft realistic and believable male characters in our stories. Some of our brave guests in the past have included a musician, firefighter, waiter, gamer and one of my favorites, a fashion blogger. But today I figured what could be more beneficial than going straight to the source–men who are actually writing romance. Rather than doing the traditional Guy Day interview, I thought it would be best to let our guests’ work speak for itself because ultimately, their writing is their truest male perspective.

man_writing

This past February, I was inspired to pick up my first romance written by a man, Primal Desire. The hero and heroine fought so hard to earn their happily ever after. It was completely sigh-worthy and now I’m hooked on this author. I then treated myself to Heart of a Hero (blushing over here) and I have to say what I appreciate most about these books written by our guests is how direct they are. These writers know how to jump in, give a quick yet thorough set up and then whisk us off to sexy, adventurous romance land. It’s quite a ride! What was so interesting and why I highly encourage you to give them a try, is that not only are they great stories, but you become intrigued by how the authors are going to handle each situation by virtue of being a man. What will be their take on things? Will they lead with emotion or action? Are the love scenes going to be harder and possibly sexier but will they lack in the sweeter moments?  During both of these reads, I became very invested in not just the story they were telling but the subtle nuances of how they went about telling it. It made for a very refreshing reading experience, sometimes hard and sometimes emotional but always good.

So it’s without further ado that I’d like to introduce you to two talented authors who just happen to be men AND bonafide romance writers. I met Mr. Axl Goode at a recent romance conference where we talked about his writing process and he was even kind enough to school me on Scrivener. And, I’m fortunate to be an Evernight-mate of the prolific Mr. James Cox who I just counted and has published 24 books, including his newest, Underneath His Armor!  I’ll be giving away a copy of both Primal Desire and Heart of a Hero or Underneath His Armor to one lucky commenter as part of today’s post but I encourage everyone to check them out, regardless.

As an added bonus, I asked these gentlemen what it is they love about writing romance and their answers were even romantic!

Carlene Mermaid: Axl, why do you love writing romance?

10492439_332299803640630_3606742841388341978_nMr. Goode: It’s pretty simple, I enjoy writing stories where people overcome their fears, take a leap of faith, and ultimately are inspired to be a better person than who they were. I think this is important because so many people struggle to live an idealistic life or the life they truly want. It’s scary to put yourself on the line knowing that failure is possible, but what I think so many people miss is that they automatically win by simply trying. If I inspire my readers to put themselves on the line, and to go after life with tenacity and a bright spirit then I’ve succeeded in my mission. Ultimately, I’d like them to see not just the romance in my stories, but in life in general. Life is romantic, so why not romanticize it and live an amazing one?

Well said, Mr. Goode. I couldn’t agree more! Your writing is very inspiring.

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Carlene Mermaid: James, what is it you love most about writing romance?672903

Mr. Cox: Let’s see. Romance to me is all about hope. Hope that one day I’ll fall in love like my characters. I love writing these men that are incomplete and looking for that last piece to make their life perfect. And if they happen to be in space or another planet or a futuristic world, all the better. Lol.

Let’s see … I love this! Mr. Cox, here is to hope and adventure! Your stories definitely reflect that. 

 

Friends, let’s check out these books!!

pdPrimal Desire by Axl Goode…

Money manager Brenley has always dated intelligent and stimulating guys who could keep up with her both mentally and in the bedroom. She’s the best in her field and she owes that to her keen insight and understanding of people. That’s why when she meets playboy actor Zane Anthony she knows instantly he’s not worth her time.

There’s more to Zane than meets the eye. He’s wealthy, intelligent and completely enthralled with the aloof blonde who seems to cut him down with her every glance. Fueled by a need he doesn’t quite understand, he’s determined to get over her walls and under the sexy suits she wears that drive him crazy.

Brenley doesn’t know if she can trust Zane or the electric chemistry that sizzles between them. But when she finds herself in hot water with powerful enemies, she realizes he could be her only ally.

A bit about Axl:

Axl Goode found his calling for writing after spending time with other inspiring authors of Ellora’s Cave. He currently lives in Dallas. He is spending more and more time writing but also has an accounting degree, is a model and an exotic dancer. He finds his inspiration through being surrounded by women and listening to their fantasies. He also has quite a few fantasies of his own that he enjoys through writing.

Connect with Axl: Facebook / Website / Goodreads

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6769264Heart of a Hero by James Cox…

He made it to paradise on a lie…

Kallen is a hero. He single-handed ended the war. At least, that’s what everyone thinks. The truth is that he was at the right place at the right time. As the hero, he gets a room in the heavenly triple towers and enough mouths on his body to please him every hour of every day. However, guilt and danger rise when a man starts searching for the truth. When the investigator is this sexy, he may just blow his secret, among other things.

Lorn is furious when the spy among them is named as his dead younger brother. He is determined to find the truth of what happened even if it means destroying the nation’s hero or the man he’s slowly falling for.

In Kallen’s world, bravery will get a person killed, so how exactly is he supposed to prove to Lorn that he has the heart of a hero?

Be Warned: m/m sex, rimming, sex toys, spanking, bondage

A bit about James:

James is rather hard to define. He’s obviously into men, but also finds women alluring. To him reading gay fiction is so stimulating he’s taken up a pen (keyboard) and started writing. The stories in his head are edgy, hot enough to embarrass him at work and meant to entertain.

James’ day job is pathetic but a means to get the green. He lusts after his straight boss and always longed to paint nude men.

Connect with James: Facebook / Website / Blog / Goodreads

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Big fishy hugs to our honorary mermen, Axl and James, for sharing their love of romance today! CarleneLoveOkay readers, feel free to leave a little love for our authors and also share your thoughts on reading romance written by men. Does it intrigue you? Are you still a little leery? Do you already have a favorite male romance author? I will be picking one lucky commenter to go home with e-copies of both Primal Desire and your choice of Heart of a Hero or Under His Armor. Looking forward to hearing what you have to say!

Happy reading!

Fishy kisses,

Carlene Mermaid

photo credit: http://www.americanenglish.state.gov/national-poetry-month-celebration

Mermaids & Friends: K. Tempest Bradford

Hello, the Lagoon!

Alethea & Tempest, Blowing up the InternetsAlethea Mermaid here, swimming today with my first ever Writer-in-Residence at my Florida Oasis: K. Tempest Bradford! In addition to writing fiction, Tempest also writes reviews, articles, and opinion pieces for various magazines, both online and in print. One of her recent pieces for xojane challenged readers to broaden their reading horizons. A worthwhile challenge, n’est-ce pas? Except for one teeny tiny little detail

Tempest’s article, with its clickbait title and similar photo, pretty much blew up the internet. Seriously. Be careful if you go read that original post. There are over 2500 comments–most posted within the first 72 hours–and the majority of them are not kind. Beyond that, Tempest was called names and threatened for even daring to suggest this challenge. A #lovetweetsfortempest movement was started to counteract some of the hate. The vileness spilled over into her other social media. The post went viral on Tumblr and was picked up by Time magazine. Over a month later, she’s still feeling the backlash from this.

And I witnessed all of it.

We were having a write-in day with Leanna Renee Hieber and Tempest’s editor Marianne. We were all sitting on the porch when Tempest finished the article and pitched her title to Marianne.

“Make it first person,” said Marianne. “I want YOU to challenge people to do this.”

So it was done. Tempest made $50 for the article, the same thing she makes for all the articles she writes, and went on to work on developing her next piece…while the internet went to Crazytown. Who knows how many thousands of advertiser dollars she raked in for the various affiliates who picked up her news and republished it. I think of the personal trauma she went through…and to some small extent is still going through…all for a measly $50.

Leanna and I watched Tempest closely over the next few days. She got quiet and retreated into the computer. (On an average day, Tempest plays music, dances, and sings at the top of her lungs.) We poked her every so often to make sure she was okay–and she promised she was–but we didn’t believe her. We knew some of the things that were being said about her. We went out to dinner and took her phone away, so that we could all have a break from the poison. Because our dear Tempest is a fighter…and standing up against all that bile can be addictive. We are taught to fight the good fight–but at what cost?

We’ve all read the articles on cyberbullying. It’s happened to many of us. But to be present from start to finish while you watch it happening to someone else…someone that you love…wow. You realize the horrible lengths to which people will go to wish ill (and even harm) to someone they don’t even know.

I am so glad Tempest was here when all this went down. I’m glad she wasn’t alone. Yes, sometimes the world needs to be shaken up a little bit. Sometimes we are the ones to do the shaking. But knowing you’re not alone and physically being alone are two very separate things.

I asked Tempest to join me here at the lagoon for a very special interview, in which she challenges romance readers (who often have no trouble not reading books by men) to broaden our own horizons.

Thank you, Tempest!

So…what reading ruts do you find yourself getting into?

What books can you recommend that might broaden our literary horizons? I’d love to hear them!

(also, if you’re on Tumblr, you’ll want to reblog this bit Tempest just posted as a teaser for her video series, because it’s hilarious and brilliant.)

Random, Sparkly, Silly

Happy Release Day to our own lovely, funny, sparkly, kind, sweet, West Coast Mermaid, Carlene Love Flores!!!! Hoorah! *glitter toss*

I’m not even going to waste any time. Carlene has a new sexy book out called Stay for Me and she’s going to tell us about it. Plus, find out how Carlene remembers my accessories years later, who she’d bring to visit Alethea-Mermaid in Florida, and what her favorite Mermaid memory is. Ready, set, go…

1.     You just released a new book yesterday, Stay for Me – hoorah! Tell us a little about it.

Yes! Hoorah! But first I’d like to thank you, Miss Kerri Mermaid, for being such an excellent cheerleader of your fellow mermaids and romance books! Fishy kisses, xoxo.

Stay for Me is the first book in a new series called These Three Words. The series follows the unique love lives of  a troupe of best buddies who also happen to be male revue dancers. It was inspired by a night I spent in Las Vegas taking in the Chippendales and Australia’s Thunder from Down Under shows. In Stay for Me, former soldier turned dancer, Sam, has a limited amount of time to prove to his best friend Emma that she is safe with him, no matter what happened in their past and not just inside the club where they work together, but outside in the real world too. The clock is ticking because oops, as an assistant show manager, Emma has been given the task of suspending Sam on this very night when she needs him there with her most.

Carlene's new book - Stay for Me

Carlene’s new book – Stay for Me

2. Stay for Me is your 7th book. Can you believe it! I remember when we were just two scared little bunnies trying to get through a pitching session at the WRW Retreat. To celebrate your massive success, let’s play a game. Answer the following questions. You can use one, and only one, sentence to explain. Or, you can let us all imagine.

Wait! First I have to agree with you, it’s unbelievable that this is #7! For the record, I think we’re still scared little bunnies, hahahahaha! Okay, now onto the fun…

Which of your characters would you take to…

A dinner party? Awww, Lucky Mason because he’s just the right mix of good manners and Southern rugged charm, plus he cleans up real nice.

A Depeche Mode concert? Sisters Trista and Lily because Depeche shows are all about having fun with your girlfriends and letting your unruly hair down.

To visit Alethea-Mermaid in Florida? Oooh, definitely Gabe because a) he loves Greek food and b) he’s not afraid to don a tiara for the right person!

To baby-sit my dog, Harry in Virginia? Kids and dogs just seem to get him when the ladies don’t… big, gentle, quirky webmaster Benny, hands down.

To the beach? He’s Aussie so he can battle sharks, he’s the leader of the band and he’s a single daddy…I’m looking at you, Jaxon James.

With you to wait in line at the DMV? Most definitely Stefan because before we went, I’d dare him to flirt our way to the front of the line and he’d probably pull it off!

Carlene's favorite book cover - My favorite hero!

Carlene’s favorite book cover – My favorite hero!

 

3. The cover for Stay for Me is pretty hotsauce. What has been your favorite cover so far?

Why thank you! I do love the Stay for Me cover, especially the little S on the door and the way Sam is tugging Emma’s jeans, but my favorite is still my very first cover, Sidewalk Flower. Without a doubt, the couple on that one is Lucky and Trista, all the way to the core.

 

 

 

4. What is one place in the continental U.S. that you haven’t been and would like to visit?

Easy peasy, I want to go to Forks, Washington!!!!!! I’m pretty sure I don’t need to explain why. 😉

5. What has been your favorite Waterworld Mermaid moment?

There was a night when we all met up at Coastal Flats in Tyson’s Corner to celebrate the release of Robin’s first sale. You were wearing bright yellow to include the flower in your hair. Our waiter was completely adorable and somewhat Klaus-like from The Originals; I think his name was Thad. Pintip and Kim couldn’t get enough of their sugar cane sticks and we had a great time. Sadly though, this was also the night that Whitney Houston passed away and I think it might have been freakishly snowing outside. It’s definitely the most memorable for me. Unless you count the time we all went up with you to Maryland to stalk Nora Roberts or the time we starred in our own crazy panel at the WRW Retreat. Oh wait, and the time we were all supposed to meet in Ocean City for a writing getaway but then Sandy Hurricane Pants hit before I could get there and you all were stuck without me! I guess there are lots of ‘em.

6. As always, I have to go here. I love the ten questions that James Lipton asks at the end of every episode of Inside the Actor’s Studio. Your turn.

  1. What is your favorite word? — Depeche
  2. What is your least favorite word? – Anything mean spirited
  3. What turns you on? – A dimpled grin.
  4. What turns you off? — Hypocrisy
  5. What sound or noise do you love? – Casey James’ guitar playing
  6. What sound or noise do you hate? – Car crash sounds
  7. What is your favorite curse word? – Silly Hero, you know I don’t have one!
  8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? – Solid Gold Dancer
  9. What profession would you not like to do? – Astronaut!
  10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Well done, kiddo.

7. Besides sending your critique partner a gift for this FABULOUS interview, what’s next for you?

Yes, aside from that, in two days, I will be attending my very first book signing! It’s at The Menger Hotel in San Antonio at the Wild Wicked Weekend conference. Um, from what I understand there is a lair full of hot men that ladies are taken to in groups of 30. If I survive, I will regale all our fishy friends here at the pond with the juicy details and hopefully some pics. If I don’t survive, I’m honored for this to have been my last Mermaid post, done by my sparkly, effervescent Hero, Kerri! Xoxoxo Giant Fishy Kisses!

Hoorah for Carlene and her latest book!!! Now, let’s all cyber-stalk her. Links and book blurb below.

Click here to order Stay for Me! 

Website: www.carlenelove.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorCarleneLoveFlores

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cloveflores

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6887320.Carlene_Love_Flores

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Carlene-Love-Flores/e/B00B04MD96/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Stay for Me

One night to finally make it right before it all gets torn apart…

Two years ago, best friends Emma Chester and Sam Jason tried being intimate. Due to Sam’s massive size, it didn’t work. Emma was hurt. Embarrassed, they did their best to move on. Now the day has come when Emma must suspend Sam as a dancer at the club they work at, awakening the buried pain of that one night.

Sam has seen this day coming but is shocked when Emma asks him to strip for her just once before he leaves the club. Allowing himself to feel for her again is too dangerous but she’s clearly not in her right mind and needs him.

Can he maintain his restraint and help her?

When she hands him his uniform to strip out of, is she handing him her heart? Or is it too tattered to ever belong to him again?

 

 

Mermaid Takeover – Kerri Bumps Alethea

Here at the Mermaid Lagoon, we each get at least one day a month to blog. Today is Alethea’s day. Or was… [Insert ominous laugh]

That’s right, I’m stealing Alethea’s day! But before you get your fins in a bunch, don’t worry. It’s all to talk about our lovely, amazing, sparkly, Princess, massively talented, beautiful Mermaid Alethea. And bonus, she has a new book out today called Dearest, the 3rd book in the Woodcutter series, and it’s amazeballs! I’m not just saying that because she was my crazy-fun roommate in San Antonio who encouraged me to put whipped cream in my coffee every morning or make waffles in the shape of Texas.

So read on to learn more about our very own Alethea, what she’d make me for dinner, how she’s taking my dog to Hawaii, and which noise she really, really hates. (It’s a good one!) Go Alethea! Dearest

 

When I think of fairy tales, I generally think of the Disney version of said fairy tale, which may or may not be an accurate depiction of the original story. What Disney adaptation of a fairy tale is your favorite?

Everyone always expects me to say Beauty & the Beast because I look like Belle…and act like Belle…but my answer to this question has to be The Little Mermaid. I loved this Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale so much as a child. I would read it…and cry…and then read it again. When I found out Disney was adapting “The Little Mermaid,” my eyes were like saucers. I mean…SHE DIES. Can they do that?!? But Disney gave that mermaid what we’d all been wishing for her for 150 years: a happy ending.

It’s a random Sunday night and I show up at your house. What are you making me for dinner?

If you caught me at the last minute, I’d make you Greek Chicken & Potatoes. It’s a staple of the Kontis house–a favorite, and easy to make. If I had all the ingredients and all the time, I’d make you my mother’s moussaka. Because it’s possibly my favorite dish ever. And if you don’t care for eggplant, I’ll do the Thea Ana variation that’s made with only potatoes.

You travel. A lot! What one place surprised you the most? And in what way?

There was this one place, at my horrid ex-fiance’s mother’s house in Newcastle, England. The ex was horrid but his mother was lovely, as was her husband (the ex’s stepfather) who, in his retirement, did things like climb mountains and grow things. There was a stone wall beside their house, and through the archway I found the most amazing garden. I walked among the flowers and plants, barefoot in the thick grass. Standing there on the top of that hill, with the wind in my hair, I had a moment of complete serenity. It occurred to me that this was the most beautiful place I had ever been to on the planet.

And then the ex called me inside and ordered me to wipe my feet off so I didn’t get grass stains on his mother’s white carpet.

Speaking of traveling… I’m very busy reading Dearest and my dog Harry needs to go for a walk so you’re going to have to help me out. He loves beaches. Where in the world are you taking him?

Let’s go to Hawaii. I’ve always wanted to go, and I have some friends there I’d love to visit!

Give me one Easter Egg from Dearest.

All the Kates in Dearest are named after my dear friend (and award-winning voice actress) Kate Baker, because I was writing that scene on her birthday.

As always, I have to go here. I love the ten questions that James Lipton asks at the end of every episode of Inside the Actor’s Studio. Your turn.

  1. What is your favorite word? — syzygy
  2. What is your least favorite word? — failure
  3. What turns you on? — intelligence
  4. What turns you off? — people who don’t read
  5. What sound or noise do you love? — dried leaves skittering down the street in the Fall
  6. What sound or noise do you hate? — When people say “blech” at food without tasting it
  7. What is your favorite curse word? — Joy. As in, “Oh, JOY.”
  8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? — Marine Chemist. It’s what I studied in college. I miss being a genius.
  9. What profession would you not like to do? — anything involving a cubicle. *shudder*
  10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? “Alethea! Lovely to see you. Here’s the photo album you requested.”

I have always said that when I die, I wish to see a photo album of all the pictures where I appear somewhere in the background. Families on vacation, strangers at conventions, random folks on the street. I’ve always been curious to know just how many people I might have known…how many lives I might have touched but for some twist of fate.

Alethea & Kerri, Selfies at RWA 2014

Alethea teaching Keri how to take a selfie at RWA 2014.

 

Who is your favorite Mermaid sister? [Evil grin]

WHY, KERRI MERMAID OF COURSE!!!
(You may deliver the truck of glitter to my new house in Florida. But only if you come too!)

 

 

 

Okay, I will alter that question because I’m not completely evil. [Shut up, peanut gallery!] Hollywood comes a-calling. Cast your Mermaid sisters in Enchanted, Hero, and Dearest.

Ooh…tough one!

Carlene — Sunday Woodcutter (without a doubt)

Denny — Aunt Joy (omg she is SO Aunt Joy!)

Kerri — Friday Woodcutter (big heart, big adventure)

Susan — Henry Humbug (silly but knows EVERYTHING)

Masha — Monday Woodcutter (beautiful, serene, dark, & powerful)

Dana — Thursday Woodcutter (only because Dana is too short to be Saturday Woodcutter)

Pintip — Yarlitza Mitella (exotic and fashionable, with a colorful history involving the Duke of Cauchemar)

Loni — Aunt Rose Red, The Abbess of Rose Abbey

Kimberly — Mama Woodcutter (because Kim has like 18 kids…)

 

BEST INTERVIEW EVER! I should totally steal Alethea’s day more often. While I ponder doing that, make sure you check out Dearest, out today in hardcover and digital versions. Seriously, check it out. Do it! Or I’m sending you one of those exploding glitter boxes!

For more about Alethea, check out her website here. And to really stalk her, click the icons below.

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Xio Axelrod Swims with the Mermaids

Roll out the red carpet. We have a special guest in the Mermaid Lagoon today and I’m so excited about it! *Glitter toss* Not only is her self-pubbed novella, The Calum, releasing tomorrow, but she’s funny, smart, and some would say, quite “tasty.” Curious? Read on…

In her debut Waterworld Mermaid appearance, please welcome, Mermaid for a Day, Xio Axelrod.

Congratulations! Your novella, The Calum, is releasing tomorrow. Care to tell us a little about it?The Calum

Thank you! It’s so exciting. The Calum is really about fantasy versus reality. Imagine, if you will, that you had a chance to meet your ultimate book boyfriend in the flesh. My heroine’s roommate is obsessed with Calum MacKenzie, a character from her favorite novel. The girls travel to Scotland in search of “the Calum”. Do they find him? You’ll have to read to find out.

The idea came about while watching Outlander fans collectively swoon over Jamie Fraser. Everyone I know is in love with him. And no, I’m not immune. JAMMF all the way, baby.

You decided to self-publish this novella. Can you tell us why you decided to go that route and a little bit about the process of self-publishing?

There’s a fantastic quote from Leonardo da Vinci. “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” I’m fairly new to the romance world and to publishing in general. After attending a few conferences and chatting with a lot of lovely friends who are authors, I realized how long the publishing process can be. Essentially, you submit your work and wait. And wait. And wait some more. Newsflash: I am not a patient person.

In my life as an independent musician, DIY is de rigueur. I am most comfortable having complete control over my career, so this should have been a no-brainer. It wasn’t. I went back and forth for months before I finally pulled the trigger. Once the decision was made, I realized I had all of the pieces in place to make a run at it. I am a social media maven by nature, I have an amazing network of talented, supportive authors willing to offer advice, and I’m handy with PhotoShop. It was just a matter of finding the right company to distribute my work. So here we are. My fingers and toes are crossed. I do still plan to submit to agents and publishers, but I have others works set aside for that.

I hear you’re part of this thing on Facebook called #TastyTuesday. What is it and how did it start?

You heard about that, did you? Well, being a newbie, I wanted to establish the tone for my brand as an author. What better way to do that than with photos of hot guys? Ha! Of course, there’s much more to Tasty Tuesday than that. When you, Denny S. Bryce and Kim Golden came aboard, it became a celebration of all of the things we love. We all share what inspires us as authors, and that is an excellent behind-the-scenes look at what makes us tick. I especially like the fact that we change themes every week and continually find new ones to explore. Plus, hot guys!

Plotter or Pantser?

Hybrid. That’s a cop out answer, I know, but it’s true. I plot in my head, sometimes for weeks, before I ever type a single word in Scrivener. I learned long ago when I wrote fan fiction that if I outlined a story on paper (or on the screen), I could never finish it. Once I knew the ending, the story was done for me. I’ve figured out a way to work around that by never writing down the ending until I get there in the manuscript. It’s working so far but talk to me in a year or so.

Let’s take a quick break from writing, what TV shows are you currently watching and what’s your favorite show of all time?

You’ve opened up a can of gummy worms there. I am a TV junkie, particularly genre television. My current fave is Outlander, of course. It was so thrilling to watch a beloved favorite come to life on screen. They’ve done a fantastic job so far and I can’t wait until the series returns in April. *sigh* April! Did I mention I wasn’t a patient person?

Other shows I love include Hannibal, Arrow, The Flash, American Horror Story, Doctor Who, Sleepy Hollow, The Walking Dead…do you see a theme yet? Favorite show of all time? I honestly can’t say that I have one. X-Files? Star Trek: the Next Generation? Farscape? I could never pick one. Junkie, here.

I love Inside the Actor’s Studio, especially the 10 questions James Lipton asks at the end of the show. Without further ado:

  1. What is your favorite word? Saudades. It’s Portuguese and untranslatable, but it is the feeling of missing something or someone.
  2. What is your least favorite word? No.
  3. What turns you on? Intelligence.
  4. What turns you off? Arrogance.
  5. What sound or noise do you love? Laughter.
  6. What sound or noise do you hate? Cutlery clashing against plates/bowls. (Don’t laugh.)
  7. What is your favorite curse word? Fuck.
  8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I think I’d make a pretty good television writer/director.
  9. What profession would you not like to do? POTUS
  10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? I told you so.

LastlyXio Axelrod, what are you working on now?

I’m plotting (in my head, of course) book two of the Calum series and book one of the next in my “book boyfriend” series. I’m also editing my web serial, Starstruck, into a series of books. I hope to publish the first one, Falling Stars, next spring. And, if that wasn’t enough, I am finishing book one of an erotic romance series for agent submissions. Other than that, I’m working on my new album. Busy? Me? Nah. Thanks for letting me be a mermaid for a day!

Let’s clap our fins together for Xio! Wasn’t she a fabulous Mermaid for a day! Check out all of her book and author info below.

The Calum

Twenty-six is too old to believe in fairytales, but tell that to Lovie’s roommate. Convinced she’ll find a real life version of her ultimate book boyfriend, Calum MacKenzie, Jo drags Lovie to the Scottish Highlands. Lovie’s no cynic *ahem* but she knows The Calum is a myth. A construct. A freaking unicorn! And there are warmer places to spend Christmas vacation.

If Duff had his way, he’d never step foot in Inverness again. Only his best friend’s wedding, and his ailing grandmother, could bring him home. Duff’s plan is keep his head down and stay out of trouble. Hard to do when the groom targets a pretty blond tourist for one last conquest.

When Duff and Lovie meet, stones, sparks and insults fly. He’s instantly attracted to the sexy, sharp-tongued American. She’s just glad to have someone to hang out with, especially the bad boy with a mysterious past. Lovie is determined to learn his secrets, but as they grow closer, Duff is forced to choose between his best friend and his heart.

I can’t wait to order The Calum tomorrow! Here are the Buy Links.

Amazon

B&N

iTunes

Kobo

Link to Follow Tour

Goodreads Link

I MUST know more about this Xio! You’re in luck. Here are her Author Links.

Website
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Goodreads
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Ello
tsū

Amazon Author Page