Book Blitz + Giveaway: How to be a Mermaid (Falling in Deep Collection) by Erin Hayes

How to be a Mermaid (Falling in Deep Collection)
by Erin Hayes
Release Date: July 7th 2015

Synopsis:

All Tara ever wanted was to be a mermaid. 

So she takes a year off between high school and college to don a fake tail and tour aquariums across the country in a professional mermaid troupe.

Everything's great until she meets a gorgeous real-life merman named Finn. Suddenly, what she thought was a dream turns out to be a nightmare -- she's turning into a mermaid herself. For real.

Yet when she returns to the sea to seek out Finn and reverse her transformation, she finds herself in the middle of an impending war between the land and sea. Tara may have always wanted to be a mermaid, but now it's sink or swim. In order to survive, she has to learn how to be one, too.

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Summer 2015, award-winning, and best-selling authors will bring you romantic tales of mermaids, sirens, sprites, and other creatures of the deep! Keep in touch as we reveal each title in our collection!

What is your favorite mermaid story or myth?

I’ve always loved Disney’s The Little Mermaid, but when I read the original Hans Christian Andersen tale, I fell in love with it. It’s a dark, sad tale that still gives me chills. If you haven’t read it, you should pick it up and read it! You’ll never watch the animated movie the same way ever again.

What was the inspiration for How to be a Mermaid?

I stumbled upon the Weeki Wachee mermaids, a professional mermaid troupe based out of Florida. I wondered what would happen if one of those mermaids ever met a real-life merman and the story flourished from there.

Cast your characters. If How to be a Mermaid was made into a movie, who would play your main characters?

Tara: Katie McGrath is a bit older than Tara in the book, but I think she’d be perfect. I’ve seen her in comedy and I’ve seen her act, and she looks the part too! She’s been in a few things, but I imagine we’re going to see a lot more of Katie McGrath in upcoming movies.

Finn: Liam Hemsworth. Sighs. Imagine him with a mer tail and that’s him!

What was most challenging thing writing about mermaids? 

The most challenging part, actually, was trying to get a behind-the-scenes perspective of professional mermaids. I went to the Georgia Aquarium to see the Weeki Wachee mermaids in action and did a backstage tour to see how the aquarium worked. After that, I was able to incorporate what I saw into the story. 

Ursula or Ariel? 

Ursula. Sea witches always have more fun. 

What else should we know about How to be a Mermaid? 

Pay attention to the character Jordyn – her character is getting her own story coming up!

by Erin Hayes

Below is a list of songs that I listened to while writing How to be a Mermaid. Each of these songs helped to get me into the right mindset in order to pretend that I was a mermaid! 

1. Go – Grimes featuring Blood Diamonds

2. Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

3. Never Let Me Go – Florence and the Machine

4. What the Water Gave Me – Florence and the Machine

5. Start a Riot – Jetta

6. Believe – Mumford and Sons

7. I Will Wait – Mumford and Sons

8. Dirty Paws – Of Monsters and Men

9. Anything Could Happen – Ellie Goulding

10. Part of Your World – Jodi Benson from The Little Mermaid ß No mermaid soundtrack would be complete without that song!

Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books, like the fantasy mystery novel Death is but a Dream, the sci-fi middle grade book Jacob Smith is Incredibly Average, and the Her Wolf paranormal series.

She works as an advertising copywriter during the day, and she moonlights as an author. She has lived in New Zealand, Texas, and now in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, cat, and a growing collection of geek paraphernalia.

You can reach her at erinhayesbooks@gmail.com and she'll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL):

A mermaid care package to help you be the best mermaid:
A signed copy of How to be a Mermaid
Tara's necklace
Two Mermaid Mix soaks
A mermaid mirror compact
Six starfish hairpins
A mermaid wallet
Mermaid perfume
Mermaid Tail Nail Polish
A mermaid makeup bag
Four Little Mermaid Buttons
And one mermaid handbag to carry all your dinglehoppers

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Dangerous Depths (The Sea Monster Memoirs #2) by Karen Amanda Hooper

Dangerous Depths (The Sea Monster Memoirs #2)

by Karen Amanda Hooper

282 pages

Publisher: Starry Sky Publishing

Release Date: November 20th, 2013

Rate: Loved it

Hell hath no fury like a selkie separated from his true love.

The gate to the sea creature realm is finally open. Yara wants to bask in the glow of her budding relationship with Treygan and explore Medusa’s world, but as the new leader of Rathe her powers are needed to save a sea creature she’s never met. 

Rownan assumes the worst is behind him when he returns home to be reunited with his wife, Vienna, only to discover she’s gone. She traveled to the evil realm of Harte to find another gateway to Earth and was never heard from again. Rownan claimed he would go through hell to be with her, and now he must prove it. 

Rownan, Yara, and Treygan will put their lives and souls at risk by traveling to the most dangerous realm of all. Love is supposed to conquer all, but no one has ever conquered Harte.

Dangerous Depths is a book full of mythology, monsters, sea creatures, incredible worlds and adventures, that plunges you right into Yara's new story.  

Once again, Karen Amanda Hooper tell us another of her unforgettable sea monsters stories, without losing its essence, and creating a magical world under water where every mythological story and every magical creature seems to be alive. And this time with a scary and dangerous journey in which our favorite monsters may not return alive. Making this book a page-turner. 

In this book, Ms. Hooper puts other characters, aside from Yara, in the spotlight. We get to read the point of view of a tortured and wild Rownan, who has the only intention to bring her lover back from the sea hell known as Harte. You see a different Rownan from the first book and his desperation for saving Vienna gets to irrational levels. If you didn't like him in the first book, because of all the lying to Yara, in this book you are unable to not have some sort of feelings for him. And good ones!

Then we get to read Nixie's point of view, Yara's siren. She has a really good heart and you start to look at her like a great and friendly character. You also read her story, her real family and her true character, and for that, we have to thank Karen, because we know like Nixie. She's brave, intelligent and yearns affection. There's only one more thing to say to the author: Why?! *insert desperation mode here*. When you read the second book in The Sea Monsters Memoirs you will understand me.

Overall the story has strong characters and some of them have changed, they are more mature and more determined to do the right thing, or, other, commit suicide in order to safe s soulmate. We also meet new adorable characters and some scary ones that you won't be able to forget.

The plot was simple heartfelt, incredible and simply amazing. Treygan and Yara help Rownan bring his wife, Vienna, from Harte and in the middle of this suicidal mission you found out more things about these three and also about Nixie. So far we have some mythological touch in the story (Medusa and her sea world), evil gorgon sisters, a mean character that now we love, a suicidal mission, someone to rescue, three sea monsters, one scary place: Harte and one wrenching and heart-stopping ending.

I also have to mention Harte. It's a scary, unpredictable and unpleasant place, but the author has the ability to keep the characters on edge and also with a dose of humor. What I really liked about this place (not that I would want to go) is when Yara, Treygan and Rownan first jump and find themselves in a sort of hell-limbo. I couldn't stop imagining it and it was a great scene to include in this adventure.

The romance between Treygan and Yara's still happening in this story, even more cheesy than before (all in a good/amazing way). They scenes before entering Harte were one of my favorites, specially the one where only gorgons can enter *wink* (You'll see). Their love is more strong now and they show they are affection for one another which makes the readers be in a swoony state.

To this romantic equation we have to add one more couple: Rownan and Vienna. He's willing to enter hell to save her. There's no need to say more, Book Addicts. Like Yara and Treygan's their love is an epic one and we are glad we had the chance to read about these two.

To sum up, this book is definitely in my favorite books shelf. It has everything I love: mythology, a fantastical and magical sea world, Karen Amanda Hooper's version of mermaids and sea monsters, romance and adventure. The characters not only put their lives in risk, but their souls, which is pretty scary and makes this story exciting. Because of all that, I'm highly recommending it and giving this book five of our gorjuss dolls. 

If you enjoyed, adored, liked and/or loved the first book, you will be unable to stop reading this one once you have started, Book Addicts! So you have to read it! And we will definitely wait for more Sea Monsters Memoirs books in the meantime!

Song list in chronological order of when they take place in the story. 

WARNING: Some vague spoilers!

Waves of You - Eric Turner (Rownan to Vienna beginning of book) 

Sail - AWOLNATION (drunk Rownan in his dark place on the beach) 

Drifting - Plumb feat. Dan Haseltine (Yara & Nixie to Rownan--another way) 

If I Lose Myself - One Republic (Treygan to Yara the morning of their trip) 

The Sea - Morcheeba (Traveling and arriving) 

Storm - Lifehouse (Rownan to Vienna when he’s alone in Harte) 

I Want You Here - Plumb (Vienna on her beach with the driftwood) 

Waves - Blondfire (Yara and/or Vienna) 

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men (Yara & Treygan in the last half of the book) 

Together Again - Evanescence (Yara when she becomes separated from Treygan) 

Hazy - Rosi Golan feat. William Fitzsimmons (Vienna & Rownan duet) 

Down - Jason Walker feat. Molly Reed (This one tugs ta my heartstrings. I picture each character: Rownan, Yara, Treygan, and Nixie, on their own singing this song. It flashes between each of them during seemingly hopeless times during their fight to get out.) 

My Last Breath - Evanescence (Nixie & Yara) 

BONUS SONG: Hero - David Crosby & Phil Collins (This was a song from my TANGLED TIDES playlist. It’s an oldie, but it was so perfect as a song that Rownan would sing about Treygan. Right down to the “when the hero kills the maiden with his kiss” line. This song still gives me goose bumps when I listen to it.)

Karen was born and bred in Baltimore, frolicked and froze in Colorado for a couple of years, and is currently sunning and splashing around Florida with her two beloved dogs. She's addicted to coffee, chocolate, and complicated happily-ever-afters.

Karen has been making up stories for as long as she can remember. Due to her strong Disney upbringing, she still believes in fairy tales and will forever sprinkle magic throughout all of her novels. 

ONE Grand Prize Winner will get: Sea Monster Memoirs Prize Pack Including Signed Paperback Set of Tangled Tides & Dangerous Depths

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