Interview with Ella Malone, author of The Mermaid's Den

The Mermaid’s Den

by Ella Malone

Purchase Link: http://amzn.com/B010MZG5OM

Blurb

Laura and Tom Flynn married after she fell for him hook, line, and sinker — literally. Finding Laura in his fishing net had been a shock for Tom, but one he came to embrace as they quickly fell in love. For fifteen years, they have lived and worked by the sea, and Laura hasn’t thought once of what she left behind when she chose to marry Tom. She doesn’t regret giving up her mermaid form. It wasn’t a sacrifice. It was a good decision, and one she made to survive. 

Now, with Tom missing at sea, Laura faces a decision she swore she’d never consider. In order to search for Tom and his crew, she must become a mermaid again and face the demons of the deep that she eagerly dodged when trading in her tail. Or she can stay on land and continue her life, but without Tom.

Does she enjoy her future alone, without the man she loves, or face her fears and her past in the ocean? Either way, nothing will be the same for her again.

Excerpt

I made my choice quickly and left in the middle of the night. I swam south, feeling the water warm slightly as I approached the Massachusetts coast. Familiar with the area from years of fishing there, I knew Southern Point and slid myself onto the rocks. I sat there in the cool, late-summer air, feeling the briskness of the sea breeze and a slight sting of the spray against my newly formed legs.

Developing legs was always a sensuous experience to me. I watched my scales turn from their bright, inky blue to a honey color as they bleached before my eyes. Then they slowly turned smooth moments before my ankles separated and my toes lost their webbing. I felt supple and exotic as a human. I held a mystery that no one else knew or shared.

Legs also reminded me of Diana. We would find a beach free of humans and lie together, kissing and touching in the sand as our bodies transitioned from mer to human. Our tails would slowly change from beautiful fins to strong, elegant legs.

Diana moved slowly with me. None of her rapid, curt movements existed in our meetings. Those motions belonged to her royal self, not the one we shared. With me she lingered in her own skin, her hands in mine, our lips caressing necks, shoulders, and breasts.

Interview with Ella Malone

1. What is your favorite mermaid story or myth?

I was never surrounded by literary mermaids when I was younger until Arielle came around. But that didn’t mean I didn’t dream of becoming one. I didn’t need traditional stories to know there was something out there.

2. What was the inspiration for your mermaid novella?

Relationships are hard, and we sometimes make tough choices and keep secrets. I wanted to explore how this played out in a mermaid world.

3. Cast your characters. If your novella was made into a movie, who would play your main characters?

Laura would be someone strong, but reserved if she needed to be. Someone like Odette Annable. Tom is tougher to cast. I’d need someone a little more rough around the edges and not your traditional Hollywood hottie. He should be sweet, not a knock out. Maybe Zach Pennix. Not he isn’t beautiful, but you have a tendency to see more than that.

4. What was most challenging thing writing about mermaids?

It was tough to figure out the logistics of their world. How would Laura fit into life on land?

5. Ursula or Ariel?

Neither. Give me a Laura any day. J

6. What else should we know about your novella?

I can’t wait to bring you more of Laura’s story. Look for the next Lunarian Tail (hee hee)!

About the Author:

An avid believer of the saying "YES", Ella Malone works to make the most of life in every way. She is a lover of all wonderful things: cherry blossoms, red lipstick, city skylines, snow covered country sides, the finest chocolate, a man's hands, a woman's back, vodka, and high heels. She has worked in public relations, advertising, and restaurants and recently decided to make her way doing what she loves, capturing the passionate moments of life on a page.

Ella Malone is the author of “The Mermaid’s Den” and the "Hot in the City Series" releasing in 2015.

Connect with the author online:
Blog: http://www.ellamalone.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellamalonewriter
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ellamalone/

Newsletter: https://www.pinterest.com/ellamalonewrite/ 

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance Boxed Set

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance Boxed Set is now available worldwide for a special introductory price of only $0.99!

This ebook boxed set features all-new, never-before-published hot paranormal romances by eight New York Times and USA Today best-selling romance authors. Tortured alpha-male bad boys will ignite your darkest, most secret desires in these stories about vampires, shifters, dragons, fallen angels, werewolves, demons, psychic warriors and ghosts.

Here’s more about this fantastic eight book boxed set, including an excerpt from one of the stories.

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Find the links to your preferred retailer at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/dark-and-damaged/

GoodReads

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance By Jennifer Ashley, Caris Roane, Erin Kellison, Felicity Heaton, Erin Quinn, Laurie London, Bonnie Vanak and Colleen Gleason

LION EYES by Jennifer Ashley
Bree has just decided to give up trying to be a Shifter groupie when a lion Shifter slams into her truck and tells her to drive. Seamus is on the run from hunters, other Shifters, and who knows who else. All Bree knows is that he’s compelling, needs her help, and most intriguing of all, wears no Collar...

BLOOD FLAME by Caris Roane
Vampire Officer Connor of the Crescent Border Patrol tries to suppress his desire for the powerful witch, Iris Meldeere. Because the woman possesses the ability to kill him with the tips of her fingers, how can he possibly fall in love with her? When a double homicide throws them together, he soon finds his deepest fantasies fulfilled as Iris succumbs to his seductions. But as they battle together to stay alive, and love begins to consume them both, will the witch be able to forgive the dark secrets of his past …

HER SINFUL ANGEL by Felicity Heaton
Cast out of Heaven and now the king of Hell, Lucifer is a powerful fallen angel warrior with a heart as cold as ice and soul as black as the bottomless pit. For millennia, he has ruled his realm with an iron fist as he plots the demise of his ancient enemies. When one of those enemies dumps an unconscious mortal female in the courtyard of his fortress and leaves her there, Lucifer finds himself entranced by the beguiling beauty and tempted beyond all reason. But is the enchanting Nina an innocent pawn in the eternal game or part of a plot against him?

TEMPTED BY FIRE by Erin Kellison
A powerful dragon shifter has waited six hundred years to avenge the loss of his family, but the beautiful mediator sent to prevent violence among the Bloodkin doesn’t want to be his key to discovering the murderer—in fact, she wants nothing to do with dragons at all...

REBEL’S DESIRE by Laurie London
A jaded Iron Guild warrior cares about nothing except battling a ruthless enemy, but when a beautiful woman literally runs into his arms, he realizes she holds the key to his success. As passion ignites, he must decide whether to sacrifice the woman he’s falling for or dare to trust his heart again.

THE RESURRECTION OF SAM SLOAN by Erin Quinn
Trapped in the body of a human, the Reaper is about to fall in love with a woman he was never meant to have… When a reaper is trapped in Maggie’s estranged husband’s body, she knows only that the man with her husband’s eyes feels like a stranger… a compelling, seductive stranger who touches her in ways her treacherous husband never could. She wants to trust him, but what about the ghost who haunts their home, implicating him in a gruesome murder…

REDEMPTION by Bonnie Vanak
A cursed alpha wolf promises to free an enslaved Mage if she mates with him so he can sire an heir, not realizing she can destroy the dark secret keeping his pack alive.

RAGING DAWN by Colleen Gleason
After the vampires Max Denton hunts brutally murder his wife, he is nearly destroyed himself and spends the next ten years living a life of violence and revenge. But when sensitive information about his young daughter falls into the hands of the vampires, Max is forced to team up with the woman whose father ultimately caused the death of his wife. Savina Eleaisa has secrets of her own, and she’s determined to do whatever it takes to clear her father’s name: even if it involves seducing the most dangerous of vampires--with or without the help of the arrogant, brooding Max Denton.

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Find the links to your preferred retailer at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/dark-and-damaged/

EXCERPT FROM REBEL’S DESIRE BY LAURIE LONDON

Take over for me.
Keely's simple statement replayed in Toryn’s head as he ran up the steep stairs of the hillclimb, sweat dripping in his eyes. She’d chosen to give him control last night, but he wondered at its broader meaning.
He’d woken early, thinking he would slip out for a run while Keely slept, but she was already awake. She’d nuzzled in close, her breasts pressed against his chest, which had been all the encouragement he’d needed. He’d pushed her onto her back, and they made love without a word, the only sounds were the rustle of the sheets and the soft moans she made when she came.
It had been incredible to wake up next to that beautiful redhead, her heart beating inches away from his. And after they made love, she’d molded her soft curves to his hard edges again. He’d assumed she would fall back asleep, but she got up when he did and asked him to drop her off down at the rowing club. Then they could come back and have breakfast.
He took the stairs two at a time, arms and legs pumping until he reached the top where he turned around and came back down. When he called Sean last night and told him he was staying here, the man hadn’t asked any questions, which Toryn appreciated. He hated having anyone up in his business. Sean left the Jeep near the shop and was going to have one of the other warriors pick him up.
Over and over Toryn ran the stairs, his mind working as hard as his body. He thought about the hint of sadness in Keely’s eyes and how he ached to chase the shadows away.
Not only was she strong, compassionate and smart, but her body, with its luscious curves, seemed so finely tuned to his. Every look from her, every touch, made him want to bury himself inside her again. He was getting aroused right now just thinking about it, which wasn’t good when all he was wearing was a pair of thin gym shorts.
Take over for me, she’d said.
He cursed under his breath.
Would she still have said that if she knew who he really was? A barbarian soldier from the other side of a portal?
Guilt sliced through him like a blade of hand-forged Balkirk steel at this deception of his. If she knew the truth, would she still feel the same way about him? Would she still have said that? Or would she cast him out, angry to have shared her bed with a man she thought was a terrorist?
Or worse still—would she be afraid of him?
When he finished his workout, he headed back to the rowing club located on a narrow channel of water near the Fremont Bridge. The bridge wasn’t used for cars any longer—it had been too badly damaged in the earthquake years ago—but evidently the city engineers thought it was safe enough for the rowing club and some industrial buildings.
He arrived in time to see Keely carrying the scull in from the water, her long red hair blowing in the wind from the lake.
“How was your workout?” he asked, helping her lift the lightweight boat onto the rack.
Her cheeks were rosy from the cool morning air. “It was good. I haven’t felt like coming down here for a long time. My parents keep their boat moored on the other side of the Locks.” She pointed down the channel to her left. “What about your run?”
“Grueling,” he admitted, redoing the knot of hair at his nape as they walked to the Jeep. The cool morning air felt good on the back of his neck.
“I can only imagine. You couldn’t pay me enough to run that hill.”
“Really?” One side of his mouth quirked up in a smile. “You wouldn’t run it for a hundred credits?”
Stepping in front of him, she turned around and walked backwards. “Nope.”
“How about five hundred?”
“Let me think about it.” She put her finger to her cheek. “Nope. That’s not enough either.”
He chuckled. “That’s too bad, because I’d really like to see you sweaty and out of breath.”
“I can think of a few other activities I’d rather do to get me sweaty.” She lifted an elegant brow and gave him a sultry look, but she wasn’t watching where she was going and almost tripped on a crack in the pavement.
His arm shot out, pulling her close. “Careful,” he warned, staring at her luscious lips. “You could hurt yourself.”
They continued walking—him forward, her backward.
The tip of her tongue darted out. “Not if you’re here to catch me.”
He felt himself growing hard. Again. When they got back to her place, he’d make love to her in the shower, he decided—her hands splayed against the tile and that sweet ass in front of him.
Guilt that was never far from the surface clawed at him again. He needed to tell her the truth about who he was. He couldn’t keep dragging it out. It wasn’t fair to her. She deserved to know.
Plus, he was proud of what he did—it was a big part of his identity, and he wanted to share that part of himself with her.
But when he did, he had to be prepared for her to leave, and he wasn’t ready for that just yet.

Grab the boxed set for just $0.99 to read this story and seven others…

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Find the links to your preferred retailer at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/dark-and-damaged/

Happy Release Day! At the Heart of the Deep, by Carrie L. Wells

At the Heart of the Deep

Carrie L. Wells

Purchase Link: http://amzn.com/B00Y5ZAPC4

Blurb:

Oceanographer Luke McAllister races to figure out why the ocean depth is changing off Florida’s Treasure Coast. But before he and his crew discover what’s transforming the deep, he stumbles upon an even greater mystery. Leagues below the waves, he swear he sees…a mermaid?

Anya isn’t allowed to get close to humans. But when a golden-haired researcher gets too close to her island, she can’t afford to stay away.

Together, this unlikely pair will seek to discover what’s causing shifts in ocean floor. While their new alliance is forbidden, Anya will risk everything to save her beloved ocean. The only problem is, she’s not sure what’s really luring her in, her love of the sea or the tempest Luke has stirred in her heart. Either way, Anya knows that the dangers facing the sea are nothing compared to what will happen to her when her father learns she’s broken the merfolks’ most sacred law.

Can Anya and Luke discover what lurks at the heart of the deep before it’s too late?

____________________________________

Excerpt:

I caught sight of his cut, thought a moment, and swam away. He floated there, treading water and wondering what would happen next. At that point, his face conveyed the pain in his side. I watched an intense sting replace what I knew of the original burning sensation of a coral abrasion, and the open wound spilled into the ocean at a steady pace.

Conceivably, I had underestimated the severity of the cut. Maybe the coral cut deeper than I thought. The blood clouded the water surrounding him, and now the problem remained of how to take the injured man across the reef without doing further damage. We still needed to cross at least two miles and climb a rocky beach. Or did we?

Before he had time to contemplate any other option, I approached him from below. I swam up to him slowly, and he did nothing. He didn’t dive to meet me or attempt to swim away. He hung vertically in the water, waiting.

He must have felt me before he could clearly see me. The water shifted as I neared, my physicality changing the flow of the ocean around me. He knew I was there, but he didn’t dive below. Was he afraid? Too hurt to move? Instead, he stayed still, moving as little as possible, allowing my approach, and keeping the blood loss at a minimum.

I moved below him and then up, along his body, until my head emerged from the inky blue water and he stared into my eyes. He let out a fast gasp and quickly sank below the surface.

____________________________________

About the Author:



Carrie L. Wells crosses genres, writing everything from newspaper editorials and textbooks to paranormal romance novellas. Her first fiction publication, The Heart of the Deep, will release in June 2015, followed by Playing with Magic in October 2015.

A New England native, she spent her childhood on the beach and inland, fishing and dancing, before moving to Florida. And while she doesn’t tan, nothing keeps her from a walk on the beach.

Carrie earned her Master's degree in English with a minor in Psychology from Hardin-Simmons University and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida.

With a love of chocolate, books, and her family, Carrie braves the world and chaos only children can bring. She currently lives in Florida with her fire-medic hubby and three children. She is an English instructor at Eastern Florida State College.

  Connect with the author online:

• Blog: http://www.carrielwells.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carriewellswrites
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/clwellswrites/
• Newsletter: Subscribe to receive VIP novel excerpts and information http://eepurl.com/bgYN3X

Only the #voodoo queen can help this #alpha find his mate

Some shifters have it rough. Finding a mate isn't always easy. Sometimes there's a battle involved. Other times, heartache. Most of the time, the alpha males manage to convince their mates of their intentions and capture their love. But not always. Sometimes love is a little stranger than that!

Especially when you mix in voodoo. 

What's voodoo? According to Wikipedia, New Orleans Voodoo is:

Louisiana Voodoo, also known as New Orleans Voodoo, describes a set of spiritual folkways that developed from the traditions of the African diaspora. It is a cultural form of the Afro-American religions developed by enslaved West Africans and the French, Spanish, and Creole populations of the U.S. state of Louisiana. 

It's part religion, part superstition, part cultural heritage. In this story, the voodoo queen herself - one of the most famous New Orleans voodoo practitioners - makes an appearance.

Among the fifteen “voodoo queens” in neighborhoods scattered around 19th-century New Orleans, Marie Laveau was known as "the" Voodoo Queen, the most eminent and powerful of them all. Her religious rite on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain on St. John’s Eve in 1874 attracted some 12,000 black and white New Orleanians. It was said that politicians, lawyers, businessman, wealthy planters - all came to her to consult before making an important financial or business-related decision. 

Only through her help does the alpha connect with his yet innocent mate - on a steamboat of ill repute sailing the Mississippi River-  in Alpha's Voodoo.

Sometimes, it takes magic to make magic!

Blurb:

Are curses real or merely imagined?

Violet Creed is a colored New Orleans debutante. She was brought up with servants and a strict set of rules regarding propriety, and her papa never approved of her interest in Voodoo. One night she sneaks out of the house and attends one of Marie Laveau’s gatherings—where she loses her virginity and her reputation. Turned out by her papa, Violet is destined for a life on the streets until Madam Dawn saves her.

Cursed to live as a wolf shifter, Mark Afton is a wealthy lawyer and heir to the Bayou Pack. Unfortunately, he can’t take over leadership from his uncle without a mate. Wanting to escape his mother’s endless matchmaking attempts, he accepts Madam Dawn’s invitation to sail on the maiden voyage of the Southern Rose and enjoy the pleasurable company of her ladies.

One of Madam Dawn’s recent hires catches his attention. He is drawn to Violet immediately. Could she be his mate or is their attraction merely Voodoo?

Buy Links:

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | Liquid Silver Books | Kobo | All Romance Ebooks

Excerpt:

A thick ball of saliva slid down her throat. The more he played with her breasts, the more hot honey drenched her tight tunnel. One hairsbreadth at a time she pressed a single finger inside her molten passage. Stopping when she’d buried her finger up to her knuckle, she wiggled it a bit, getting used to the feel. She withdrew her finger just as slowly, hearing the slippery sound of her own juices.

His hand circled her wrist and he lifted her finger to his mouth. His warm tongue licked her wet skin. “Your nectar is so sweet,” he crooned.

Her heart pounded with such intensity her chest ached. This intimate connection was not what she had expected. She had wanted to just lie there and let Madam Dawn’s customers have their way with her.

Active participation would be unseemly.

His tongue swirled around her finger, sucking in every drop.

The longer he licked her finger, the stronger her need to feel him, until she nearly demanded he thrust his manhood inside her moist heat. Suddenly, she wanted to be with this man more than anything, more than breathing.

She rose up, pressing her chest firmly into his hands. “Please,” she said. “Please.” Her voice grew louder. Perhaps a little encouragement would get him to satisfy her pressing need.

Her thighs fell open even wider, as if offering herself up to him.

Ignoring her encouragement, he continued watching her and occasionally brushing across her sensitive breasts.

The man was going to make her do it. He said he would, but she had hoped he’d change his mind and seek to satisfy himself, too. By the bulge in his trousers, it was apparent his needs were growing.

Where to Find Haley Whitehall

Author Website | Facebook  | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest |

Author Amazon Profile Page

About the Author

Haley Whitehall lives in Washington State where she enjoys all four seasons and the surrounding wildlife. She writes historical romance set in the 19th century U.S. When she is not researching or writing, she plays with her cats, watches the Western and History Channels, and goes antiquing. She is hoping to build a time machine so she can go in search of her prince charming. A good book, a cup of coffee, and a view of the mountains make her happy.

Previous Books:       

Midnight Caller – Moonlight Romance Book 1

Midnight Heat – Moonlight Romance Book 2

Midnight Kiss – Moonlight Romance Book 3

Soldier in Her Lap

Wild and Tender Care

Civil War Valentine

Cover Reveal: The Glass Mermaid, by Poppy Lawless

The Glass Mermaid

by Poppy Lawless

Release Date: 07/14/15

Love Potion Books

Summary from Goodreads:
Kate

I'm the last mermaid.

I’m back on shores of Lake Erie, but the cold waters are silent. There is nothing here for me but ghosts and the beach glass that litters the rocky shore. Long ago, I lived below the waves. Now, I am the sole survivor, and at long last, my mermaid glamour is leaving me.

Every day, I walk the beach. Every day, I wonder what happened to my people. The little pieces of colored glass that wash ashore give me simple pleasure. They are gifts from the lake, reminders of home. I fashion them into trinkets: necklaces, earrings, bracelets. They are beautiful things. The humans seem love them.

Every day, I walk the beach. Nothing ever changes, until the day he says hello.

Cooper

I’m dying.

It’s not a question, it’s a fact. The cancer is eating me alive. They told me I have six months to live, maybe less. I came home, back to Chancellor on Lake Erie, to die. The sunsets are vivid there, and I will relish every one.

I've never seen anything more beautiful than a Lake Erie sunset until I see her.

All life is fragile as glass.

What would you sacrifice to save the one you love?

About the Author
 

Romance author. Cupcake connoisseur. Certified herbalist. Beach bum. Fan of all things Starbucks. Holistic healing advocate. Surfer girl wanna-be. Lost guru. Maker of dandelion wine. Counselor. Paranormal buff. Etsy addict. Secretly Jedi. So not a geek girl. Gifted in sarcasm. Hot wife. Ninja mom. And now, I'm ready to share a whole head full of witty, mouthy, smart, lovely, heart-warming, and hot characters with the world. Are you ready?

Poppy Lawless is the author of the forthcoming series Love & Chocolate releasing in 2015 and The Glass Mermaid. Poppy holds degrees in English and Psychology. She is a counselor in the field of mental health and is a trained herbalist. Poppy's new series blends the best of romance with a Practical Magic or contemporary Bewitched appeal.

Author Links:

   

Cover Reveal Organized by:

#3 Post: Wicked Intentions-7 bone chilling paranormal tales

#3 Post: Wicked Intentions-7 bone chilling paranormal tales



What does a woman do when she sees dead people? Read “The Haunting of Barb Marie” and find out.  http://www.melange-books.com/authors/joannemyers/WickedIntentions.html

#2 Post: Loves, Myths, and Monsters: 11 tales of fantasy entwined within the human world

#2 Post: Loves, Myths, and Monsters: 11 tales of fantasy entwined within the human world





How does time travel save a life while finding love? Find out by reading “For the Love of Ginnie”
  http://www.melange-books.com/authors/joannemyers/LMM.html

Message, and Promo for Twisted Love-12 cases of love gone bad

Message, and Promo for Twisted Love-12 cases of love gone bad

A kidnapping that divided two families and bonded
a town. Read “The End of Autumn,” one story in “Twisted Love”.

http://www.blackrosewriting.com/other/twisted-love

Spotlight On: Of Ocean and Ash, by A. R. Draeger

Of Ocean and Ash

by A.R. Draeger

Series: Falling In Deep, #3

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Cover Designer: Quirky-Bird

Release Date: June 9, 2015

Of Ocean…
Cast into the sea at birth, human-born Ia found her adoptive family among the merfolk. While her underwater upbringing was peaceful, Ia’s blood-heritage and the strict societal rules of the merpeople lead her to wonder of the world above the waves.

And Ash…
When a storm lands Ia ashore, she discovers her body has transformed into the human she would have been. Taken in as property by a callous plantation owner, Ia works alongside the slaves until she can make her way back to the water. There is nothing Ia wants more than to go home, that is, until she meets a handsome, troubled man named Matthias, who has a touch that can be as kind as his tongue is harsh.

Torn between two very different lives, Ia must choose – stay in his world and risk her life for a love untested, or return to the familiar arms of the underwater world that raised her and risk losing what may be the greatest love she will ever know.

Will Ia’s choice lead to happiness or her destruction?

Summer was waning when I was born, marked by the heat leaving the waters and the nights growing longer. My family wanted to migrate with the rest of their people, but they waited for me in the stillness of the waves, keeping an ever-watchful eye.

Mother heard the wails of the fisherman’s wife the night the woman discovered she carried me in her womb. The fisherman and his wife lived next to the water in a small, dilapidated shack made of rotten wood and leaky thatch. They had six children before me, although Mother knew not in what mixture their genders numbered. All but two were taken away at birth. The couple had too many as it were for a meager fisherman and his wife, and I was yet another mouth to feed.

The fisherman’s cries of mercy woke my family the night I was born. My arrival was sooner than expected, his wife not having carried me nine months in her womb. I was tiny, frail. My left leg was misshapen, my head oblong.

Mother watched him from beneath the surface, saw his tanned sailor’s skin, ebony and white streaked hair, and grey-whiskered face. He looked down at me, the fragile bundle cradled in his arms, and cried out through parched lips and crooked, black teeth:
“Forgive me, O God! Have mercy on her. I leave her to your care.”

He dropped me in the water with a small plop.

My sister, Liliana, caught me before I plunged too far into the depths. My family crowded around me, anxious and excited. My uncles debated eating me, seeing my size and stature, convinced I would not survive. Mother waved them off and took me from my sister’s arms, cradling me as my still-human lips turned blue.

It was an enormous challenge for a human to come into the fold. Not many of us were capable of such a change, but Mother knew my lineage had been on and in the water. She had watched my father and his father before him.

She lowered her lips to my nose and mouth, and she breathed into me the life of the sea dwellers, the merfolk. I sputtered a bit, and my body shivered, unsure of the transformation. Mother held me tight, sang me lullabies of the whales, and when all my family had lost hope that I’d survive, I woke.

My scream was shrill, she said. Loud, piercing. She was proud, surprised at the pushing force of the water I had generated. She knew I would be a good Caller.

With that, they gathered to me – my mother, sister, uncles, aunts, and cousins – and in a ritual almost lost in the passage of time, sang as my mother fed me two drops of her blood.

My legs lengthened and molded together, as her nourishment pulsed through my body, changing me inch by inch. Where my feet had once been, two fins took shape, overlaid with iridescent blue scales.

The process was beautiful, my family told me, rare, and yet there I was, the adopted, healthy and changing. Born human, and through the grace and love of the one I would know as Mother, turned into a creature of the deep, a daughter of the ocean, a mermaid.

A.R. (Amber) Draeger resides in rural Texas with her husband, Josh, and son, Logan. When not writing or reading, she is watching reality TV shows or tromping through the nearby woods.

Enter the giveaway for a chance to win one of three great prizes Amber is offering:

* A beautiful shell necklace and matching earrings (see picture)

* $10 Amazon Gift Card

* $25 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

“Why Do People Murder?” by JoAnne Myers

 

I have always been fascinated with psychotic behavior. I often wonder why some people murder.  Out of my 7 published books, and the 8^th being a WIP, “Twisted Love” 12 cases of love gone bad, and “The Crime of the Century”  concern actual homicide cases. From reading newspapers, watching television news reports, watching crime shows on television, and discussing the subject of murder with various individuals, I have discovered that killers murder for a variety of reasons. I myself could only kill out of self-defense.

However, I have at times been so angry with an individual that I fantasized about beating their face to a pulp, but I calmed down and dismissed the idea. In “The Crime of the Century”, the murders happened for 2 reasons, lust and convenience.

There are many reasons a person would commit unlawful murder; lust, greed, jealousy, revenge, rage, thrill seeking, and etc. There are also many categories for murder. In my crime novels, the killer or killers justified their actions in senseless and self-absorbed ways. The outcome for all homicide victims, and their loved ones left behind, consists of a lifetime of pain, and an endless sense of loss.

Here is an explanation of the homicide categories within the stories in “Twisted Love” 12 cases of love gone bad.

 

The End of Autumn-This murder fits into The Obsessive category-Violence because: “if I can’t have her, nobody can.” ... or: “if she won’t have me, she won’t have anything.” 

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing-Hedonistic/Comfort (profit) Killer category-Serial killing for monetary gain became the focus of this story. 

A Senseless Killing-The Just Plain Bad & Angry category-A combination of angry, hostile, jealous, resentful, and disturbed individuals, who are socially isolated, socially inadequate, and who feel worthless.

The Death of Innocence-The Over-Controlled Hostility Type category-Anger builds up like in a pressure cooker, before they explode.

Girl Not Forgotten-Approach/Explicit category-This type of killer is a planner and actively seeks victims, while taking careful steps to avoid getting caught.

The Possession-The Hurt and Resentful category-Violence occurs because they hold grudges or seek revenge.

Home Town Hero-Hedonistic/Comfort (profit) Killer category-Serial killing for monetary gain became the focus of this story. 

Horrible Sin-The Hurt and Resentful category-Violence occurs because they hold grudges.

All For the Family-This couple’s greed for monetary gain and new identities turned ghoulish.

Thicker Than Water?-The Just Plain Bad & Angry category-A combination of angry, hostile, jealous, resentful, and disturbed individuals, who are socially isolated, socially inadequate, and who feel worthless.

Mail Order Murder-The Paranoid Obsessive category-Violence can lead to murder within this category because the killer becomes delusional. Distrusts his partner even when partner is innocent.

Where’s Christopher?- Chronically Aggressive category-These individuals take pleasure in inflicting pain to others, and see violence and aggressiveness as power.

Excerpt from “ALL FOR THE FAMILY”

Texas-2007

            If nineteen-year-old Molly had listened to her mother, perhaps the slender, freckle-faced felon and her now-divorced felon husband Ernie would not be sitting in a Texas prison. The way the auburn-haired Molly chose to make a new life for herself and Ernie shocked the town and became forever known as the cruelest and dumbest action one could take when one wants to do “all for the family.”

            Candy will say she tried to talk her daughter out of marrying the lazy, drinking, sandy-haired, blue-eyed Ernie. But Molly was “starry-eyed head over heels in love,” or so she thought.

            Molly insisted she knew the seldom-employed Ernie well enough to be his wife and allow him to be the only father her four-year-old son Mathew knew. Even though Mathew was conceived from an earlier relationship, Molly insisted that the uncouth and chain-smoking Ernie treated him respectfully. “He loves me and Mathew,” Molly would say.       

            After a two-month courtship, Molly married twenty-two-year-old Ernie Abbott. According to Candy, she hated Ernie and wanted everyone including Molly to know it. She told Molly she was making a drastic mistake by marrying Ernie, but her eldest daughter, insisted the two were soul mates. “He’s the one,” Molly said.

            In a simple backyard ceremony with the theme of Harley Davidson motorcycles, the pair exchanged wedding vows. As if straight from the pages of American Rider, the bride wore jeans and a sleeveless Harley shirt. The groom donned black leather chaps and a vest emblazon with the famous cycle logo.

            Friends and relatives surrounded the glowing couple and, happily toasted them with keg beer. A reception followed, with grilled hotdogs and burgers as the main course. They received numerous wedding gifts and money, to help them on their way to a long and happy life together…or so the giddy couple thought.

            Candy was not the only one who disapproved of the courtship. Baby-sister Janie was as different from Molly as igloos are from tropical huts. Janie was known as the “pretty” sister and Molly the “plain Jane”. Janie thought Ernie was a loser, as did most of Molly’s family. She believed her big sister thought she was in love, because, according to Janie, Ernie was the first man to pay attention to Molly in a long time.

            According to Janie, Molly called her jealous. Afterward, Janie thought it best to let Molly find out for herself what a “bad apple,” Ernie was. She gave the marriage two years, “Good things come to those who wait,” she said.

            The next move for the newlyweds was buying the dream home Molly wanted so much. According to Molly, when she saw the two-story ranch-style house in a quiet and family-oriented neighborhood, with an adjoining playground and dog park, she knew, “This is the one for us.”

            She said Ernie picked her up and swung her around, telling her the house would be theirs. They called the realtor, and three weeks later they moved in-but as renters, not owners.

            According to the loan officer, both had inadequate credit. The loan officer informed the couple that with neither earning more then minimum wage, and Ernie’s upcoming legal matters, he did not see a home in their near future.

            Molly was devastated, recalled Candy. Besides being a mother, Molly wanted so much to be a homeowner, she said.

            Another person who had doubts about the couple getting the home was Rita, Ernie’s mother. Tall and skinny, with waist-length red hair, Rita dressed and partied like a teenager. When she learned of her son attempting to purchase a home, she told relatives, “With Ernie’s credit and legal matters, he couldn’t get a loan for a candy bar.”

Author Bio:

JoAnne Myers is from Ohio. She is a published author of 7 books, and canvas paints. JoAnne enjoys spending time with relatives, and volunteering her time within the community. JoAnne is a member of several writing groups. She believes in family values and following your dreams.  JoAnne’s original canvas paintings, can be found at: booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com

Buy Links to “Twisted Love”

http://www.blackrosewriting.com/non-fiction/the-crime-of-the-century-a-shocking-true-story

Barnes & Noble Nook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-crime-of-the-century-joanne-myers/1118400773?ean=2940045695466&itm=1&usri=the+crime+of+the+century

Barnes & Noble paperback

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-crime-of-the-century-joanne-myers/1118400773

Paperback

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IFHT5K6/

Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1612963072/

Contact JoAnne:

Email:  joannemyers@frontier.com

Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/joannemyers

Facebook Author Page: http://facebook.com/authorpage.joannemyers

MUTTonline: http://www.MUTTonline.com/JoAnnMyers

Website: Books and Paintings by JoAnne

http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com

My Blogs:

Books and Paintings by JoAnne Blog: http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com/page29

Jo Anne’s WordPress Blog:

http://joannemyerswordpressblog.wordpress.com/

Jo Anne’s Postings: https://joannemyers.wordpress.com/

Jo Anne’s Blog: http://joannemyers.blogspot.com/