by Alethea and Kerri Mermaid
Alethea Mermaid
Alethea: This week, the Waterworld Mermaids celebrate our SECOND ANNIVERSARY of blogging! Can you believe we’ve made it this far? I mean…without killing each other?
Kerri: No!!! It seriously seems like just yesterday we met at the Washington Romance Writers’ Retreat in Leesburg, VA. Fun fact: we met the same day as the royal wedding. So a lot of us (me! me!) were tired from getting up at 4 in the morning.
Kerri Mermaid
Alethea: Some of the Mermaids asked that I talk a little bit about our origin and how we came to be. You can still read my first Mermaid post about it here…but I think what they really wanted me to mention was The FBI List.
Kerri: I told you not to tell people about me being on the FBI’s list!
Alethea: Bwahahaha! Okay, seriously: Back in 2011, before the retreat happened, the WRW released a list of attendees. Now, I’ve been to conferences the size of Dragon*Con, so I can appreciate what a pleasure it is to have your attendance cutoff down around 160. With a list that size, why, a person could easily Google everyone on it and make some notes, so that when they introduced themselves to, say, Aix Rickloff, they would know a little bit about her and her work. I mean, if I had a personal assistant, it’s exactly the kind of thing I would have her do, so she could whisper this vital information in my ear at parties, a-la The Devil Wears Prada.
Kerri: I LOVE The Devil Wears Prada! But the book is so much better than the movie.
Alethea: Gah! Another book for my TBR pile! So what I didn’t take into account was that at an intimate convention like this, they might not be prepared for a princess in possession of information that only the FBI might know. It looked a little something like this:
So, while *I* was fully prepared, others weren’t. Like Denny Mermaid, for example, who I apparently scared the crap out of, right off the bat. THAT’S a first impression a girl likes to have when trying to make new friends. For sure.
Kerri: Plus, when you bombarded Denny, you totally interrupted our Buffy the Vampire Slayer conversation!
Alethea: I should have been part of that conversation ANYWAY. *pppffft* Happily, Dana and Carlene were *not* scared out of their fins. In fact, Carlene and I had met previously at a Sherrilyn Kenyon signing…and I was so glad she brought that up, because it was killing me trying to figure out where I knew her from.
Kerri: Time to off-road-topic now.
Alethea: ::SCREEEECH::
Kerri: Let’s tell them about how we got the name “Waterworld Mermaids”
Alethea: Heehee…okay, you start.
Kerri: One of the highlights of Retreat is Romance Jeopardy. Trust me, that game gets crazy-sauce real fast (and it’s “not fair“). That year, one of the questions was something about a Kevin Costner movie. Someone shot their hand up and guessed Waterworld. Wrong!
Alethea: The answer was actually “What is The Postman“, which I knew, but I wasn’t on anyone’s team. Which was probably a good thing, ’cause I’m one of those idiots who actually likes to PLAY games. *snicker* So I was sitting way in the back, next to an editor who was knitting furiously and only half paying attention, and we were heckling.
Kerri: The next person threw their hand up. “What is Waterworld?” Still wrong!
Alethea: I don’t even know if anyone actually got the answer to that question (or, rather, the question to that answer). It started to devolve pretty quickly after that.
Kerri: The next person tries. “Um, is it Waterworld?” Nope, besides being wrong, we are all very bad listeners!
Alethea: I think that last one was Karen Johnston and she was SO CUTE when she did it, we all cried we laughed so hard. At which point, the answer to EVERY CLUE became “What is Waterworld?” It was hilarious. I remember the Romance Jeopardy hosts throwing a LOT of candy at the audience that night.
Kerri: They didn’t throw as much stuff this year. I know this because I like to pick up the candy and throw it at our lovely Avery Flynn, which I’m pretty sure she enjoys as much as me. Ummmm. Maybe?
Alethea: This year it would have gotten stuck in her beard.
Kerri: Anyhoo, the night we got home from Retreat (which would be two days after the Royal Wedding) guess what was on TV? Sadly, not The Devil Wears Prada. WHAT IS WATERWORLD! Alethea and I started tweeting back and forth about it and out of that conversation, we thought it would make a fun blog name. But it needed… something.
Alethea: I just had that feeling. That “almost there” kind of feeling.
Kerri: What goes in the water? Beautiful mermaids. And what are we? Beautiful, talented Mermaids in different stages of publishing, supporting one another and returning each year to Retreat so we can throw candy at Avery Flynn learn to be the best Mermaids ever!
Alethea & Kerri at the 2013 WRW Retreat
Alethea: Huzzah! *glitterbomb*
Kerri: Whether you stop by the lagoon on a daily basis, or just when the fancy strikes your fin, a huge thank you for joining us over the last two years!
Alethea: And a very happy Mermaid Blogoversary to us all!
The Prize Pack! Books, A Nightie, $25 Amazon Giftcard and a WWM Bottle!
Happy 2nd Anniversary Week Mermaids!!!
Now that is a list!
Complete understatement to simply say I’m so glad I was on it 😉
Fishy love to all the Mermaids and to all our readers and friends who have made the past two years so gosh darn special!
xoxoxoxoxox
Big smoochies, Carlene-Mermaid!
Congratulations and many more!!
Thank you so much Sherry!!!
Thanks Sherry!!! 😉
May I say that I was the first one who answered “What is Waterworld?” And, as that movie was such a colossal bomb, I almost fell of my very confident seat when I learned that Kevin Costner actually made a movie WORSE THAN THAT ONE! I never saw THE POSTMAN.
And I believe it was Kristan Higgins who answered with “What is Waterworld?” the second time, and it didn’t make a lick of sense. But, man was that funny! I think she caused the deterioration of the unfair game after that. So, really we should always include her as an honorary Waterworld Mermaid. It was her first retreat as well. 🙂
I’m happy to have been blogging with you all for the past couple of years. It’s been such glittery, fin-flipping fun! 🙂
Question of the day: What is the bestest blog in the blogosphere?
Answer: WHAT IS WATERWORLD MERMAIDS?
And I know I’m right this time!
Oh that’s right! Kristan Higgins was sooo funny during Romance Jeopardy! Ha-ha! 😉
Kim, you crack me up, even after all this time. In person, online, you name it!
Happy anniversary, mermaids!
My only claim to fame here is that I was on Kim’s team when she gave that answer. (Along with Karen Johnston, Sharon Wray, and Angelina Lopez, with Kieran Kramer sitting behind us.)
Also, I saw that FBI list in person! I was…a little scared, too. 🙂
Can’t believe two years have passed! It’s been so much fun swimming with you all in the lagoon!
That was a great team, Pintip! I can’t believe it’s been two years either – wow!
Congrats – WOW 2 Year Anniversary is Cotton and I say you all should wear something very pretty today to celebrate!!! Cheers to you!
That’s a fabulous idea Danielle! I’m in a wolf tee shirt…but I know Kerri Mermaid is most def wearing something sparklicious today!
Sadly, I do not have sparkles on today. However, I have bright red and ginormous earrings on. I mean, come on – I am at day job after all. Ha-ha! 😉
I’m putting sparkles on top of my cotton. Thanks Danielle!!! We heart you!
Stop throwing candy at me Carpenter!!! Unless it’s chocolate, then fire away. 🙂 Happy anniversary ladies. Fishy kisses!
Mwahahahaha! (evil laugh) Suck it up, Flynn!
Happy Anniversary!! Love The Devil Wears Prada!! I enjoy the variety of topics and points of view on your blog!! I never learned how to swim (it’s not on my bucket list either), but the lagoon welcomes me anyway.
Great job, ladies!!
Mary Jo
Always, everyday, with or without your swimming license, we’ve loved having you Mary Jo!
Mary Jo – you’re so fabulous you don’t need to swim! We love you just as is! 😉
Aww Happy 2 Year Anniversay to you Kerri, Alethea and all the mermaids. PS: The FBI list was HILARIOUS!! Reminds me of something I would do LOL
Hilarious yet a wee bit scary…now that I’ve seen it for the first time!!! 😉
Thanks Aimee!!! You are a fabulous Mermaid supporter and we love you!
A very happy anniversary to you lovely ladies. You guys *still* have the most fun blog on the internets! I always enjoy what you all have to say. Here’s to many more happy years!
Awww, Merry! We Love You! Fishy Kisses xoxox
Thanks Merry – you are awesomesauce!
Happy anniversary! And all I can say to the retreat attendee list with notes is Oh. My. God. And why is my name crossed out- does that mean you met me? Hate Me?
Ummmm…..of COURSE it means we love you Lynne (wink,wink) Without you, there would not have been a retreat so special that year 😉 Thank you thank you thank you
Lynne-poo, we LOVE you! You organized an amazing, sparkly, awesomesauce Retreat that year!!!
Happy Blogoversary! It’s great to have been an occasional part of the fun in the lagoon. Here’s to many more happy blogging years!
Thanks Willa! I believe you were our first ever guest blogging Mermaid for a day. We heart you!
I heart you all, too!
W-O-W! That’s quite an FBI list, Alethea! It just goes to show what an overachiever you are. 😉
I was such a newbie and knew almost no one at my first WRW Retreat. I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am to have met each of you talented ladies and gained such an awesome group of supportive friends. Happy anniversary! *Throws glitter*
Yay – GLITTER!!!! 😉
Happy anniversary Mermaids. Ah yes, I do remember you answering that question wrong, and wrong and wrong again. I was also in the back of the room LMAO. And Wow, Alethea in all the years I’ve been going to the retreat it never occurred to me to Google the entire list of attendees. That kind of interesting in a creepy way…;)
Thanks for stopping by the party, Hope! Yeah, that list was definitely interesting AND creepy! Ha-ha!
And now I know how you became the Waterworldmermaids. I really did wonder that at least once. But, I don’t think Kevin Costner is capable of making a bad movie 🙂
Aunt Terry, those movies of Mr. Costner’s were just misunderstood 😉
Just because I was hijacked by the EDJ, you went ahead and partied without me! Mermaids, you are spectacular! Great post Alethea and Kerri, and love the comments. We do rock, and our Bloganniercary is starting on just the right note of fun, smart and sassy!
Denny, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what you were trying to say. But, it’s been a long day. A long few days…
I’m glad you came back to clarify. I would have been scratching my head with my sparkly tail the rest of the night. LOL.
Love me some Denny-Mermaid!!!
Wish I could spell anniversary though:)
Hi Denny Mermaid! Hehehe, I think you definitely invented a new word with that one! Happy Anniversary Fishy Sister. I wanted to tell you that I have the clearest, most vivid memory of you and always will from our first retreat. We were in the “pitching” room, awaiting our turn to be called. I was so nervous but I just remember peeking at you while you sat there in your chair. Poised, confident, a big smile now and then. Your absolutely beautiful hair. xoxoxxo
It’s been great following everyone’s journey! Congrats.
Had to chuckle at your marked-up conference list! I do the same thing! FYI, that’s the OTHER Robin Allen that’s with BET/Arabesque…I’m unpubbed (at the moment), stuck my middle initials in to keep me separate from that Robin Allen and another Robin L. Allen publishing in Romance already, and finally went with an entirely different pen name. Heh.