Category Archives: new release

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>

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

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!!

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!!!

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.

Happiest Book Release Day to Mermaid Princess Alethea!

 

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

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

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

 

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

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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

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

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

Or will they?

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

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

Brenda Drake’s New Release: Thunderstruck!

Thunderstruck
Brenda Drake
Published by: Entangled Crave
Publication date: September 11th 2017
Genres: Mystery, Mythology, Romance

Stevie Moon is famous…at least to the subscribers on her comic review vlog. At school, she’s as plain as the gray painted walls in the cafeteria. So when Blake, the hot new guy at school, shows an interest in her, she knows trouble when she sees it. Been there. And never doing it again.

As the son of the god Thor, Blake Foster’s been given an important mission—to recover the Norse god Heimdall’s sacred and powerful horn before someone uses it to herald in the destruction of the entire universe. But while Blake is great in a fight, the battlefield that is a high school’s social scene is another matter.

Blake knows his only choice is to team up with the adorable Stevie, but she’s not willing to give him even the time of day. He’ll need to woo the girl and find the horn if he hopes to win this war. Who better to tackle Stevie’s defenses than the demi-god of thunder?

“Every page brims with captivating Norse mythology and deliciously creative worldbuilding.” Pintip Dunn, New York Times bestselling author.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

EXCERPT:

After disposing of the troll, Blake rushed to May’s house and showered. His thoughts kept going to Stevie. After hearing what Jörd said to him, he wanted to see her. The pull to go to her was too strong. He had no choice but to give in to it.

He climbed the tree outside Stevie’s room and sat on the branch. A blue light blinked on and off inside the room. He lightly tapped on the window. Muffled voices from within the room hummed against the glassed pane.

The curtain pushed aside. Amira was close to Stevie’s back when the curtain slid to the side. Stevie said something to Amira that Blake couldn’t hear through the thick glass. Amira turned away and dropped onto the bed. Stevie flipped the locks and opened the window.

“You scared the shit out of us,” Stevie snapped.

Amira crossed her arms. “Yeah, we’re watching scary movies here.”

Blake tried not to laugh, but he couldn’t hold it in. “My apologies. Can I have a moment alone with you, Stevie?”

“With me?” She glanced back.

“No.” Amira heaved a sigh. “With the other Stevie in the room.”

“Where do you want to go?”

He reached his hand out to her. “Out here is fine.”

She narrowed her gaze on him. “I don’t think so.”

“Come on,” he said. “It’s perfectly safe. This branch is thick. Trust me.”

“Stop being a chicken and go already. I have to pee.” Amira shuffled off.

Stevie hesitated before grabbing his hand and letting him guide her out the window and onto the branch. “This is crazy, you know that?”

“If you never throw caution to the wind, you’ll never be rewarded.” He sat on the branch and held her hand as she came down beside him. Her hand was warm and soft in his, and he wanted to hold it forever.

The loose pajama bottoms she wore had cats on them. Her pink tank top rode up a little and exposed a bit of her midriff. Her light-brown hair, the color of the acorns he’d gathered with his grandmother when he was a boy, rose in the wind behind her. Wide, dark eyes met his, her full lips parted in a smile.

“What did you want?” She glanced at the ground. “Wow, this is pretty high.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall.” He slid his hand across her lower back and held her waist. She shivered. “Are you cold?”

“A little,” she said.

“Hold on.” He let her go, shrugged off his hoodie, and draped it around her shoulders.

“Thank you.”

She held it closed at the zipper. He returned his arm around her, grasping her waist. She shuddered, and he smiled at her response to his touch.

“You didn’t answer me,” she said. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Actually, I’m not here to talk,” he said. “Have you ever had an urge to do something, and once it’s in your head, you can’t sleep or think until you do the thing?”

“I guess.” When she looked over at him, they locked eyes and an intensity passed between them like the energy he felt in the handle of his hammer after catching lightning with it. He noticed a faint scar just above her cupid’s bow.

“How did you get the scar?” he asked.

“Scar?” She glanced down at her chest.

“Not there,” he whispered, lifting her chin to look into her eyes. “On your lip.”

She touched it. “Oh this? It’s an embarrassing story. Let’s just say, I learned to watch where I’m walking, especially when poles are around.”

He chuckled. “I can imagine what happened.”

She lowered her head again, her feet kicking back and forth.

He decided to take his chance and cupped her face in his hands, bringing her face to his and kissing her. It was a gentle, wanting kiss. Her lips were soft and warm against his. She tasted like May’s brownies. When Stevie hadn’t responded to his kiss, he was about to release her, but then her lips began moving with his. He cradled her in his arms and they balanced together on the branch.

 

Author Bio:

Brenda Drake is a New York Times bestselling author of young adult fiction. She grew up the youngest of three children, an Air Force brat, and the continual new kid at school. Her fondest memories growing up is of her eccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So it was only fitting that she would choose to write stories with a bend toward the fantastical. When she’s not writing or hanging out with her family, she haunts libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops, or reads someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

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Remember Yesterday in Paperback!!

Happy September, fishy friends!

We mermaids hope you all enjoyed the Labor Day holiday and also the fact that it’s officially September… which means Fall is just around the corner. I don’t know about you, but this is my absolute favorite time of year to really enjoy reading. It just feels “right”. We’ve got that slight cool down in the weather, warm comfort foods and beverages available just about everywhere, soft blankets or a cozy favorite pillow at home, along with gorgeous scented candles, a cherished pet to snuggle at our feet perhaps, and the most important ingredient: a GREAT read! If you’ve been loving the picture I’ve painted so far, you’re gonna love it even more right now because Mermaid Pintip has a book release! That’s right. Remember Yesterday is available in paperback today and it’s a fantastic read, one you’ll definitely want to add to your list. And then just on the horizon is the third book, and conclusion, to the series, Seize Today, which comes out October 3. Absolutely fantastic stuff! Happy reading to you all and thanks for swimming by today!

This gorgeous book in paperback today!

Just a bit more about the release:

Author: Pintip Dunn
Title: REMEMBER YESTERDAY
Release Date for paperback edition: Sept. 5, 2017
Publisher: Entangled TEEN

Synopsis:
Companion to the New York Times bestselling and award-winning novel, Forget Tomorrow.
Sixteen-year-old Jessa Stone is the most valuable citizen in Eden City. Her psychic abilities could lead to significant scientific discoveries, if only she’d let TechRA study her. But ten years ago, the scientists kidnapped and experimented on her, leading to severe ramifications for her sister, Callie. She’d much rather break into their labs and sabotage their research—starting with Tanner Callahan, budding scientist and the boy she loathes most at school.

The past isn’t what she assumed, though—and neither is Tanner. He’s not the arrogant jerk she thought he was. And his research opens the door to the possibility that Jessa can rectify a fatal mistake made ten years earlier. She’ll do anything to change the past and save her sister—even if it means teaming up with the enemy she swore to defeat.

Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of YA fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School.
Pintip’s novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. It is also a finalist for the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, the Japanese Sakura Medal, the MASL Truman Award, and the Tome Society It list. In addition, THE DARKEST LIE was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her other books include REMEMBER YESTERDAY, SEIZE TODAY, and GIRL ON THE VERGE.
She lives with her husband and children in Maryland.
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Girl on the Verge, Nora Roberts, Carpaccio, Camping & More

The Mermaids are going nuts today. Why? Because it’s one of our most favorite days in the lagoon. One of our fishy sisters has a book release!!! [Insert Glitter Toss]

We are so excited for Mermaid-Pintip and her new book, GIRL ON THE VERGE. All the info is below. But first, allow me to share my favorite Pintip-memory. A couple years ago, we were at the fabulous Turn the Page Bookstore in Boonsboro, MD, home to romance novel queen, Nora Roberts. There’s an entire room devoted to all of Nora’s books and that’s where Pintip and I discovered our shared love of Nora books, specifically the old 1990s and early 2000s collection. We’re talking Calhoun sisters, MacGregors, Stanislovskis, etc. I think we talked about these wonderful books for about an hour. Continue reading