Mermaids

 

Dreaming about life on land

 The newest trend in Young Adult is mermaids and I couldn't be more excited. Does this help my manuscript? No, no one even goes swimming in my book, even though there is a beach.

My excitement stems from how much I loved The Little Mermaid. I had Ariel sheets, sleeping bag, pajamas, underwear-yes, it was that serious. Actually, it was so serious I once had a meltdown over it. Allow me to explain...

It was at the height of my Little Mermaid obsession. We went to a seafood restaurant called Neptune's. The inside was decorated like a ship. Porthole windows and all. They gave me and my sisters golden paper crowns, which made me think of King Triton. Basically, I was in heaven. When I perused the children's menu, however, a dark cloud descended. They had themed meals for kids. Mickey Mouse, was pasta with three meatballs. And. . . it was too horrible. I threw my crown and started to cry. My mother tried to appease me. I told her the menu upset me. "Oh, but they have a Little Mermaid meal," she said. As if that could cheer me up. I cried louder and screamed, "It's fried Flounder. How could they do that? He was her best friend! He was her best friend."

I have always had strong feelings for fiction. I wonder if this incident has anything to do with the fact that I always call the god of the sea, Poseidon. And I never do eat flounder, despite my love of fish.

As you can imagine, I am eager to bring mermaids back into my life and summer is the perfect time. Here are some of the books on my Mermaid Summer Reading List:

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard (Out July 21st)

 By day, a normal teenager. By night, a siren-a deadly mermaid who lures men to watery deaths. Lexi must swim every night or suffer unbearable pain. 

That's enough for me. But it gets better.

Lexi has to choose between a new boy at school who melts her icy exterior and a sexy water spirit who can break the curse and give her the life she always wanted.

  I love this cover too. Is she moving toward him or away? I like to think both, mermaids are complex like that.

Is it July yet?

Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale By Carolyn Turgeon

A dark retelling of The Little Mermaid.

Two women, one prince, there is bound to be drama. The mermaid, Lenia, rescues Prince Christopher from the sea, ala Ariel & Eric. Lenia falls in love with him and gives up more than her voice for legs and a chance to be with the prince. Her health is also on the line.

Margrethe, a princess from a rival kingdom, wants to marry the prince to unite their kingdoms, which are at war.

Prince Christopher is oblivious to the fact that Lenia is the mermaid who saved him, but Margarethe witnessed the rescue and recognizes Lenia. Margarethe intends to send the mermaid back to the sea and save her kingdom.

The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan

Lena is forbidden from surfing, despite living on the coast of Northern California. Something draws her to the ocean and after she sees what she thinks is a mermaid she betrays her father, who nearly died in a surfing accident, and goes out into the water.

When she wipes out and almost drowns the mermaid saves her and gives her a gold key. She must find what the key is for and unlock the mystery of her own past.