All posts by Carlene

Psst…Kerri Mermaid Releases A New Hit!!

Books, Interview, Kerri Carpenter, mermaids, new release, , , , ,

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>

 

 

 

 

It’s A Mermaid Blogoversary!

Alethea Kontis, Carlene Love, Dana Rodgers, Denny S. Bryce, Kerri Carpenter, Kimberly MacCarron, Masha Levinson, mermaids, Pintip Dunn, Susan Jeffery

 

Seven years today, fishy friends! Can you believe it??? We mermaids are so happy to get to celebrate with you all here in the lagoon. Thank you SO MUCH for your readership and support over the years. Every comment and email subscription notice that lands in our lagoon-box is seen by each of us, and we absolutely cherish each and every one of you. Our blog would be a pretty sad little place without your love and visits. So again, THANK YOU! We thought we’d share with you on this very special day of what the Waterworld Mermaids means to us, and then also be sure and read all the way to the bottom for a little mermaid movie magic….

~Mermaid Alethea~

xox Mermaid Alethea

Over the years, the Mermaids have pulled me out of the darkness and inspired me so many times I’ve lost count. I am so proud of each and every one of them…I love them every minute of every day, down to every last crazy atom of them. Friendship is what I was looking for when we took the plunge in this Lagoon, and what I ended up with was a sisterhood. Here’s to many more years of US, my Mermaid Sisters!

 

xox Mermaid Carlene

~Mermaid Carlene~

Oh my goodness, what does this rich, diverse, totally unique but also completely down to earth group of writers mean to me? Ack. I could write, at the very minimum, a short story about this! When the Waterworld Mermaids first formed in 2011, my scope, my outreach, just my outside world in general, was very small. Not in a bad way, or anything. I was an Army spouse and stay at home mom–the quiet kind who just didn’t reach out much. So my life was good because I loved the army, and my family, of course, with all my heart, but I REALLY had no idea just how much I NEEDED these girls. I can say with 100 % certainty that had I not met my fishy sisters–my scope, outreach, outside world–would have never grown into the really full and wondrous entity it has become. I love cheering them on, and I love knowing they celebrate me too. I love you, Mermaids. Cheers!

~Mermaid Dana~

xox Mermaid Dana

A long time ago in a life that seems far away Princess Alethea suggested pulling together a blog group for the first-time attendees of the WRW Retreat. Since that time there have been a multitude of blog posts, a lot of awards won, and many books published by the members of the Waterworld Mermaids. But more importantly, there has also been laughter, tears, births, deaths, moves, illnesses, job changes and friendship. The most special thing that I have taken away from Waterworld Mermaids are the friends that I’ve made in the lagoon. Happy Anniversary Mermaids!

~Mermaid Kerri~

xox Mermaid Kerri

Sparkles, alcohol, laughter, writing, more alcohol, glitter, awesomeness, books, did I say alcohol?
I love the Waterworld Mermaids for so many reasons – way more than I listed above! I think my favorite thing is that I’ve always felt like I can be completely myself with the Mermaids. My crazy, weird, unique, glittery self. There’s been no judgement – just fun and laughter and support.
Also, I get to boss all of them around by reminding them of the blogging schedule. Being bossy pants has brought me great joy!

~Mermaid Kim~

xox Mermaid Kim

When the mermaids first formed, it was a group of women writers who met at their first writing retreat. Since then, these fabulous women have become my friends. Sometimes we text each other to see who wants to sprint. Other times we meet for drinks to discuss writer’s block or to celebrate successes. Here’s to way less writer’s block and way more successes!

 

~Mermaid Masha~

xox Mermaid Masha

Like water, the mermaids are a sustaining source of writerly life. A seemingly random jambalaya of people thrown together by a single event, on a single day. And yet, like water; tasteless, odorless, transparent and colorless, the magnitude of the mermaids is a living breathing microcosm of invisible strength, vitality and sustainability of an ethereal force called writing. Frustrating, confusing, exciting and awe inspiring, the mermaids, as a cohesive unit provided the support, encouragement and entertainment in an otherwise solitary pursuit. May the mermaid waters run deep.

Mermaids & Friends: Sonya Cooke + Book Giveaway!

Book Review, Carlene Love, debut release, Giveaway, mermaids, Mermaids & Friends, new release, Writing, , , , , , , , ,

“Avoid boxing yourself into choices without allowing yourself a period for discovery.” ~ Sonya Cooke

Carlene and Sonya celebrating the release of Seven Pillars Acting.

Sonya and I haven’t known each other for very long, which says a lot for the amount I’ve already learned from her. We connected this past September when she was in need of a last minute proof read of her book which she was very close to having published. My friend Kathleen, who I had edited for in the past, was a student at Sonya’s Acting Studio of Orange County and when she heard of Sonya’s need, she graciously thought of me. I happened to be free and it was within a few days’ span of working with Sonya that I realized, someone very special had crossed my path.

Author, actor, founder, & teacher Sonya Cooke.

I will do my best to list the plethora of hats Sonya regularly dons. She is the Founder/CEO/Owner and Head Teacher of Seven Pillars Acting: LA Studio and the Actor’s Studio of Orange County. She is also a Film/TV, Commercial and Voice-Over Actor, a producer, and the creator and author of Seven Pillars Acting. What a busy lady! Pursuing, creating and involving herself in so many wonderful endeavors. When the opportunity arrived to get to meet Sonya in person this January, I have to admit, I was a little nervous. Not to belittle myself, but sometimes it can be intimidating to be in the presence of someone who is so accomplished with so much charisma and ambition and drive. Well, it turns out I had nothing to be nervous about. Within seconds of meeting her, I learned Sonya is all those wonderful things, but she is also more… She is warm, and grounded, and kind hearted, and gentle and incredibly nurturing, and supportive of those around her.

The wall of the Seven Pillars at Sonya’s LA Studio.

Her book, Seven Pillars Acting, the one she wrote to encapsulate the comprehensive technique she designed for the modern actor, is BRILLIANT. I remember thinking to myself as I was proofing it that not only was it absolutely going to help actors become better at their craft, but there was a significant amount of material that would be spot on and superbly helpful to writers.

To quote Sonya: “Acting is not an escape; actors put themselves in the line of fire, exposing themselves to tremendously high stakes to tell a story.” Which is exactly what we do as writers, too! When Sonya equates creating a role with building a house, light bulbs instantaneously go off in my head. “You have to build a house before you can live in it, right? It’s much the same for the actor creating a role. In order to bring the character to life, the actor must craft his circumstances, history, and life conditions.” ~Sonya Cooke

Sonya’s book detailing her acting technique, Seven Pillars Acting.

The beautiful thing about this book is that it goes even a step beyond. Not only will an actor or writer benefit from Sonya’s experience, tips and philosophies which she shares in a very organic and natural way–not formulaic or mechanical, but so will non-actors and non-writers as she touches on the heart of communication and the human experience. I’m not sure how she managed it, but she has truly written a book that while intended to help actors, ends up being for every one of us! There are so many more passages of this book I have earmarked to quote (like my favorite section which explores the lifespan of a human emotion…pages 183-187). My hope is that if you are looking for answers or assistance or a fresh perspective on how we as humans operate and affect each other, you will check out Sonya’s book. I honestly feel you will not only benefit from reading it, but you will be touched, inspired and entertained as well, just as I was.

GIVEAWAY: Thank you so much for stopping by the mermaid lagoon today and learning a little more about a wonderful book and its author! In celebration and appreciation, I am giving away a signed copy of Sonya’s Seven Pillars Acting. All you need to do to be entered is leave a comment below. The winner will be randomly selected one week from today on the evening of Friday, March 2nd. Good luck, everyone! (Continental US mailing addresses only please due to shipping fees. Thank you so much for your understanding.)

Have a productive and inspired day!

Fishy kisses,

Mermaid Carlene

 

Finding Your Flower in the Cracks (Productivity Tips)

Carlene Love, mermaids, Motivation, Writing, , , , , , , ,

Greetings from San Diego where it is a crisp 35 degrees Fahrenheit right now. (I’m eyeballing the fireplace and seriously debating….)

As I think warm thoughts and wiggle the ice caps from my morning toes, I’d like to share with you my favorite tips for writing/productivity/pick me ups when you are down. There are hundreds of things I could include in this post that serve this purpose, and I’d be willing to bet you have just as many, because each of us are so unique and therefore what we find inspiration and hope and magic from is equally so. This is perhaps the best, most important arsenal to have and one you want to be diverse and plentiful. I was going to say that I hope these things that lift you up happen to cross into your path when you need them. While I do hope the universe serves you in that way, I’d like to acknowledge and respect the importance that we have of honoring ourselves, and doing for ourselves. So what I’d really like to say is: Don’t wait for your pick me ups to cross your paths. Go put yourself in the path of your pick me ups. Seek them out, find them and spend purposeful time with them. Whatever they may be. Wherever they may be. These are a few of mine…

Animals, bright flowers, sweet flowers, smiles, trees, Orion, curly hair, lipstick.

Gandhi. Drew Barrymore. The Dalai Lama. Logic. Jim Henson. Dolly Parton. Jesus.

It was a simple flower growing up through a crack like the one above that inspired my first published book, Sidewalk Flower. I had gone for a walk, something one of my favorite authors suggested doing when faced with stilled creativity (she didn’t want to use the word writer’s block). And there it was. A little yellow burst at my feet. “What a fighter.” “How many times have you been stepped on?” These were the immediate things that popped into my head in that moment. “You are beautiful.” My “Sidewalk Flower” ended up being a woman who although fictional, in many ways became one of my real life heroes. Her name is Trista Jean Hart. I am honored to be her author. You can find her story HERE.

I’d like to leave you with this quote…

I’d love to be inspired by some of your pick me ups, so please share in the comments. Have a wonderful day, everyone.

Fishy kisses,

Mermaid Carlene

 

Always give credit where credit is due… 

Flower photo: Copyright: <a href=’https://www.123rf.com/profile_ipopba’>ipopba / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

Elephant photo: Copyright: <a href=’https://www.123rf.com/profile_melpomen’>melpomen / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

 

A Very Mermaid Valentine Message + Giveaway!

Alethea Kontis, Ask a Mermaid, Books, Carlene Love, Dana Rodgers, Denny S. Bryce, Interview, Kerri Carpenter, Kimberly MacCarron, Masha Levinson, mermaids, Pintip Dunn, Susan Andrews, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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 book you’ve been dying to read is finally here!

Books, Kerri Carpenter, new release, , , ,

Bayside and the Waterworld Mermaid Lagoon’s best kept secret is finally unleashed!! I am ecstatic to announce that the final book in the Bayside Blogger series by the incomparable Mermaid Kerri Carpenter is out in the world! I am about to hop on a plane to Las Vegas and I cannot wait to read and discover who the Bayside Blogger is! Happy Holidays everyone! Go check out Kerri’s book!!! Congrats, Hero Pants!!! xoxoxo Click HERE to get your very own copy, ;-D

A bit more about Bayside’s Most Unexpected Bride….

Bayside’s Most Unexpected Bride
Saved by the Blog Series, Book 3
Harlequin, Special Edition
Available now!

Always a Blogger. Never a Bride?
Word on the street is that Sawyer Wallace, editor in chief of our favorite—but financially strapped—local paper, has been offered a hot deal to save the Bayside Bugle! All he’s got to do is reveal the identity of the Bayside Blogger. Even if doing so means losing Riley Hudson, his oldest friend. And, maybe, the woman making him rethink his singleton status!
Riley’s just as crazy about her best bud and boss—which is why she’s always kept him at a distance. Plus, only Sawyer knows her real identity. Talk about compromising positions… Would revealing the truth destroy their chance at leaving the friendzone? Or perhaps there will be wedding bells for this couple, who truly are meant for each other!

Look for books 1 and 2 in the Saved by the Blog Series

Falling for the Right Brother, Available now
Bidding on the Bachelor, Available now

The Simi’s ABCs by Sherrilyn Kenyon & Alethea Kontis!!

Alethea Kontis, Books, Cover Reveal, mermaids, new release, , , , , ,

Friends! Look what our very own Mermaid Alethea contributed to the world today!!

Together with the phenomenal and international, multi-bestselling author, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and the extremely talented artist, Juno, fan-favorite and extraordinary author Alethea has penned a beautiful read-along book for children (and us young at heart adults too!) If you are not familiar with the Dark Hunter universe, it is…gorgeous, decadent, family, adventure, love, risk and reward. And now we fans of the series have this book which follows the beloved character, The Simi, to share with the loveable “little demons” in our lives as they learn their ABCs. This is such a unique addition to the Dark Hunter series and something every fan will absolutely cherish having in their collection. I do believe you’ll be able to find this gem everywhere books are sold. Target, Walmart, Barnes and Noble, maybe even the grocery store, and of course on Amazon. The pricing looks great too, I must say. I am so incredibly proud and in awe of this accomplishment for Alethea. Just wow, what a huge treat for fans of the series, new and old. I’m already out the door to go pick up my copies! From all of us here in the lagoon, we wish you a Happy Holiday and many many hours of happy reading. xoxoxo

Welcome to the DH reader for children! Help your little Menyons learn their alphabet with the a read-a-long guided by Simi as she humorously takes fans and their little ones through the alphabet in a Simian/Charonte stroll they’ll never forget. Grab your BBQ sauce bottle, your books and your little demons and get ready to teach them that reading is fun!

A is for Akri, and B is for…barbecue! Learn the Alphabet Simi-style! Join everyone’s favorite adorable little demon from Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunters® as she explores the alphabet in her own unique and colorful way in this delightful new children’s book.

Simi is one of the most recognized and adored characters from Kenyon’s Nick Chronicles® and Dark-Hunters®. Now you can join her for a thrilling adventure unlike any other as she explores the world of Dark-Hunter® while learning her alphabet.

This picture book showcases the outstanding storytelling of authors Sherrilyn Kenyon and Alethea Kontis and the imaginative artwork of the Dabel Brothers and the artist Juno, and features all your most beloved Dark-Hunter® characters, including Acheron, Menyara, Nick, and even some of the villains. Menyons of all ages will be enchanted by this brilliant new look into the Dark-Hunters® universe.

It’s the Simi book fans have been clamoring for, and one they can enjoy with their kids for generations to come!
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon & Alethea Kontis
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Book format: hardcover
Language: English
Number of Pages: 48
Age Range: 4-8 years (but The Simi says you growned up peoples will love it too) ;-D

 

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

Alethea Kontis, Books, Interview, new release, , , , , , , , , ,

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!

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

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.

The Hungry Traveling Stuck Mermaid

Carlene Love, mermaids, Motivation, Writing, , , ,

November Greetings to you all and thank you so much for stopping by and reading our posts. We truly appreciate your time and hope you always leave the lagoon with a smile on your face, a hug in your heart and a new, hopefully helpful thought in your head.

This month the Mermaids thought it would be the perfect time of year to share our favorite comfort foods and find out about yours.

I love this theme, however I have to admit that today, I’m having a hard time getting the words to a story I’m working on to come out. Which kind of makes me feel a little down on my capabilities as a professional writer. I do feel a little stuck and it’s definitely a little frustrating. The good news is that contrary to the graphic I’ve put just above here, I know there are many ways, not just one way, to get around that “stuck” feeling. And thank the stars above, that some of those solutions fit into the Mermaid theme! I would love it if you shared some of your tricks with us today too.

Sometimes when you’re hitting a proverbial brick wall, or a blank one for that matter, the simplest of things can get you back on track and into your natural groove.

So, comfort food. I’ll tell you what, I just got up from my laptop and the writing of this blog post, went into the kitchen, got out my now teenage son’s childhood Sponge Bob mug, and filled it with milk. I then plunked two crunchy granola bars into it. It was pretty darn good. Comforting. Hey, what can I say? I’m easy. See? That took all of two minutes of my time. Most importantly, I’m back here with you, ready to write some more.

Whether you’re filling your cup with coffee, tea, juice, water or yes, a soggy milk-drenched granola bar, I say go for it. Treat yourself every now and then. Prepare and eat your favorite, good memories-filled foods. The ones that take you back to friends and family you may not get to visit right now, this very second. The places that you can still see as clear as day when you close your eyes and relax, recalling the landscapes and smells and sounds of the places you keep dearest to your heart.

And then guess what else? Go.

Go see those people and places. Sometimes it might seem like we would never be able to take the time off from work or afford a trip or synchronize it into our busy schedules. In January of this year, if you’d have told me I was going to travel to places like Italy and Vermont and Boston in 2017 and have people I adore come see me all the way in San Diego, I would have said, well that would be really nice but….not likely.

Yet it all happened. I have no idea how, it just did.

I’m not saying it will be easy to get unstuck, but there is something magical about the month of November. I can’t tell you how I know this, I just do. You’ll have to trust me.

So make some plans, eat some really good stuff, look at pictures of loved ones you miss and thumb through those vacation destination magazines, and remember that every single day is a brand new day.

You’ve got this.

~Mermaid Carlene

 

Happiest Book Release Day to Mermaid Princess Alethea!

Alethea Kontis, Books, new release, Writing, , , ,

 

“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!

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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!