Category Archives: mermaids

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>

 

 

 

 

It’s A Mermaid Blogoversary!

 

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.

Crazy in Love with Writing: Denny S. Bryce

There are some things we writers do that all writers do–stress over words written, words not written, stress over deadlines, argue with characters who show up out of the blue and demand their own place on the page. We do these things and more. But when I’m preparing for a day in front of the computer, a day where I plan to immerse myself in the story, the characters, the plot, the mythology, the backstory, whatever is on my mind–I have to prepare and commit to diving in with both feet and all ten fingers.

Then why on these days, do I find time to do other things (many other things) before I start writing?

This morning, I indulged in one of my favorite ‘before writing’ things: dressing up, giving myself a facial, putting on makeup and a dash of cologne and then, you’d think I’d be ready!

But no. There is one more thing I must do!

Take selfies!

A new age writer’s way of procrastination or what?

 

Everyone Deserves a Pick Me Up

Isn’t this wonderful? I get to post again about things that lift me up and improve my life!
ONE: My phone alarm clock.
     Okay, hold it right there. You’re thinking that’s nuts, and I don’t blame you. People don’t like having to get up in the morning (and if we all got to bed earlier, we wouldn’t be so grumpy!).  However, I adore having something that wakes me up that ISN’T the dinging, or screeching or other standard alarm clock methods to “get the hell up right now!”
       No, this gentle flower (me) uses temple bells in my phone menu, or a Spanish guitar riff from the internet to bring on a desired state of wakefulness.
     Or, for an unusual morning rousing, I let loose with a recording I made of Damon Suede at a CTRWA Fiction Fest table talk a couple years ago. No, I cannot share, as it’s not my material! It is, however, Damon Suede dispensing writing wisdom and ingenuity at his best, and a reminder of why I love writing. Plus, hearing people talking gets me out of bed.
     TWO:  Tea. That’s right: tea. Hot afternoon tea. I know, it sounds silly, but I make a conscious practice of changing from coffee in the morning to tea in the afternoon. It’s my salute to the conclusion of the morning. With it, I embrace the second half of my day. It’s my “past the hard part” nod to the passage of time.    
     THREE: Last, my online circle of friends. Most of us are digital citizens and our interaction is limited thus. I know we’re not next door to one another, and some of us are thousands of miles away (hi, Carlene!). However, reading the little notes you leave – happy or sad or frustrated or celebrating – helps keep us linked. It’s like the E.T. version of the fingertips touching. “Stay.”
     Pick Me Ups – Do you have a favorite? Share!  

My Ultimate Pick-Me-Up

There are a few things in life that make me really happy. My family. A good writing day. Laughter with friends. And last but not least…food!

If I’m looking for a pick-me-up when life gets stressful, a good meal almost always does the trick.

Here are some of my fav dishes from the last few months:

 

 

 

 

What’s your favorite pick-me-up?

 

 

 

 

Pick-Me-Ups, Inspiration and Writing Friends

When I’m feeling like I need a pick-me-up or inspiration, I usually find those in a couple different places: awesome quotes by people/writers I admire; talking to writing friends who understand my special brand of crazy; or drinking–preferably with writing friends who can commiserate. 🙂

Kim and Kerri out of the Waterworld Mermaid Lagoon and on dry land at Mike’s American Grill, clearly brainstorming story ideas and NOT drinking mojitos.

 

Here are some of my favorite quotes that have been tacked up on bulletin boards/dry erase boards in my house or scribbled into countless notebooks.

Some of these are writing related, but most of them are just quotes that make me feel warm and fuzzy. But that could be the mojitos. That’s a real possibility.

 

“You don’t have to see the top of the staircase to take the first step.”–Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”–Mahatma Gandhi

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”–Mahatma Gandhi

“I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart.”–Vincent van Gogh

“Success is sometimes the outcome of a whole string of failures.”–Vincent van Gogh

“Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”–E.L. Doctorow

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.”–Stephen King

“Writing is like giving yourself homework, really hard homework, every day, for the rest of your life. You want glamorous? Throw glitter at the computer screen.”–Katrina Monroe

“You can fix anything but a blank page.”–Nora Roberts, my Queen

“Every time I hear writers talk about the muse, I just want to bitch-slap them. It’s a job. Do your job.”–Nora Roberts, my Queen

“If you don’t step forward, you are always in the same place.”–Nora Roberts, yes, still my Queen

 

My other forms of inspiration and pick-me-ups (other than mojitos) would be lavender bath salts, Burt’s Bees lip balm, chocolate, and ice cream. I’ve been trying to steer clear of the last two, and that has made me surprisingly bitchy. Just keeping it real here among friends. 🙂

Thanks to all my writing friends who bitch-slap me when I need it, give me encouragement and support when I need that, celebrate the good news, and generally give me an outlet to vent when the occasion calls for it. You guys are my rocks. And you know who you are. 🙂

Savvy Seven, YA finalists in the 2013 Golden Heart class, who will always have a special place in my heart.

 

www.kimmaccarron.com
Twitter: @KimMacCarron

My Latest Favorite Pick Me Up! (Surprise, It’s cartoon me:)!

When I thought about pick-me-ups, the first thing that came to my mind was — well, me:). No not that “me”, but the me I made in the land of Bitmoji.

It’s like I created this living, breathing gal who wears the coolest shades, sports stylish dreadlocks, loves red lipstick and each time I let her loose in the world, I smile. She’s the other me, the one who says so much with so few words and the expression on her face, well, she cracks me the heck up.

So, my pick me up after, during, while the day is spent hunched over a computer keyboard, my brain ready to explode, digging into the deepest corners of my mind, searching for one more sentence, better than the last, and viola — I pull out the best mini-me evah! So, yeah, I just had to share why this girl (though I wish I could make her dreadlocks red) is my favorite pick me up!

Sunshine and Daisies Make Me Happy

 

In our own special way, each of us strives for that happiness and joy that brings with it an inner peace, but sometimes life gets in the way. It could be a hectic schedule bogged down by playing taxi to your children or that cursed day job. The fact is, even when your life is going famously, sometimes you crack open one bleary eye to a rainy morning and feel like your blankets have claimed you as one of their own. Ahem, I’ve heard. 🙂

Regardless of what is drudging up the doldrums and making your creativity wane, all you need to turn that frown upside down is some inspiration.

I find peace in order. Yes, I am one of THOSE people. My books and DVDs are organized by genre and the movies are even alphabetized. And I love lists. I make a list of things to do every day. When I’m feeling particularly sluggish I have been known to make lists with simple things on them like “Brush my teeth” or “Start the dishwasher” just so I can check stuff off and feel like I’ve accomplished something. I know it’s my own special brand of crazy, but I love the sense of order it brings to my life when I feel productive.

Some other things that made my favorites list:
1. Laughter (it truly is the best medicine)
2. Lazy afternoons
3. Time with family
4. Dragging a blanket outside and stargazing on a clear night
5. Picnics
6. Books
7. Hiking (I love nature)
8. Watching a funny movie
9. Spending time with friends
10. Road trips (you don’t have to go far to have an adventure)
11. Kayaking
12. The beach
13. The mountains
14. Wine
15. Animals
16. Sunshine
17. Daisies

Everyone is different and the things that inspire us vary from person to person. I’d love to hear about some of the things that make your favorites list in the comments!

And credit where credit is due…
Stargazing Image: LoveThisPic.com https://www.google.com/search?q=stargazing+pictures&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=MfbsfZ9pLWNugM%253A%252CgH6D8skNw1II0M%252C_&usg=__Qb4XhkuZUm78OL98fgFyvnPBvy8%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjsxqzViMXZAhVhTt8KHZTaDh0Q9QEIKTAA#imgrc=MfbsfZ9pLWNugM:
Beach Image: Dana Rodgers
Cuddly Animal Image: Dana Rodgers

Mermaids & Friends: Sonya Cooke + Book Giveaway!

“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)

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>