Ink (A Mermaid Romance) by Melanie Karsak
Publisher: Not available
Release Date: June 2nd 2015
Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Synopsis:
A mermaid princess destined to wed a handsome king…
It sounds like a fairy tale, but the reality is far murkier.
Ink, Princess of the Florida Atlantic mers, is slated to wed the ancient enemy of her tribe, the King of the Gulfs. After years of war that led to countless mer deaths, as well as the genocide of aquatic shapeshifters and the freshwater mers of Florida, Ink’s marriage will bring lasting peace.
Or so it seems.
Mere hours before she’s supposed to leave the ocean for her customary year as a drywalker, Ink meets Hal, an alligator shifter who warns her that a storm is brewing. There is malicious intent behind Ink’s marriage—and worse, meeting Hal has also caused a storm to rage in Ink’s heart. Nevertheless, loyal to her tribe, Ink will put aside her feelings and journey to Miami to marry the decadent King Manx.
Ink soon learns that her only hope of surviving the crashing force swelling around her is to tap into a power deep inside—a forbidden power that might destroy them all.
It sounds like a fairy tale, but the reality is far murkier.
Ink, Princess of the Florida Atlantic mers, is slated to wed the ancient enemy of her tribe, the King of the Gulfs. After years of war that led to countless mer deaths, as well as the genocide of aquatic shapeshifters and the freshwater mers of Florida, Ink’s marriage will bring lasting peace.
Or so it seems.
Mere hours before she’s supposed to leave the ocean for her customary year as a drywalker, Ink meets Hal, an alligator shifter who warns her that a storm is brewing. There is malicious intent behind Ink’s marriage—and worse, meeting Hal has also caused a storm to rage in Ink’s heart. Nevertheless, loyal to her tribe, Ink will put aside her feelings and journey to Miami to marry the decadent King Manx.
Ink soon learns that her only hope of surviving the crashing force swelling around her is to tap into a power deep inside—a forbidden power that might destroy them all.
Excerpt:
As I jerked my knife, I stared at the boat motoring overhead. Seaton was right.
Everything about this fishing practice was illegal. The purse-seine fishing method they
were using had been outlawed years ago. Disgusting. At least merpeople honored their
laws, even when we didn’t like it.
The torn net wagged with the motion of the waves. As I worked, anger welling up in
me. If it hadn’t meant having their refuse in my waters, I could just sink their boat and
drown them all. It was, after all, instinctual for me to want their death. While our law
forbad using siren song, which was nothing more than tuning of sound resonance, I still
felt the ancestral tug in me. I would have loved to purr a sweet song and pull them down
into a murky death. I could almost hear the tune in the back of my head, humming from
an ancient source. The song of the siren was nearly lost now, its banishment causing it
to fade from common use or knowledge. I closed my eyes. With just a few notes, it
would all be done.
“Ink?” Seaton called.
I opened my eyes. Careful, Ink. “Good. Almost there.” I glanced back at Indigo.
She’d moved the mother dolphin deeper into the water, away from the surface, and had
shifted back into mermaid form. Her blueish hair, befitting her name, made a halo
around her. She was using merdolphin magic to dazzle the creature, talking in low
melodious tones that echoed softly through the water.
Seaton stopped just above me.
“Got it,” I said, then slid my blade upward. The net broke in half, wagging like
seaweed in the waves.
Seaton and I swam to Indigo who was guiding the mother dolphin, holding her
gently by the flipper. From above, there was a terrible groan, then a screech as the
gears on the winch sprang to life. The net wall moved like it was alive, the tentacles of a
great sea monster closing in on us.
“We must hurry,” Seaton said.
Moving quickly, we swam through the tear and out of the net, back into the safety of
the open ocean.
The gears on the winch lurched. Water pressure pulled the tear, causing the net to
rip wide open. The tuna rushed free. I tread for a moment, stopping to watch the sight
as Indigo guided the mother dolphin into the dark water below us.
“The pup is coming,” Indigo called from the blackness below.
Above, the bottom of the boat rocked, unsteadied by the broken net. The winch
slowly reeled the mesh out of the water. It looked like a dead thing, a man-made
monster fished out of the living ocean. As the fishermen moved along the rail of the
ship, their images were weirdly distorted against the surface of the water. With all my
willpower, I sucked in the death-dealing note that wanted to escape from my lips. The
massive swirling tribal mark on my back started to feel prickly and warm. Harnessing
myself in, I reminded myself that it was forbidden. I turned and swam into the shadowy
deep.
Q & A with Author
1. What is your favorite mermaid story or myth?
When I was a teen, I fell in love with the Slavic/Russian novels written by C. J. Cherryh,
including her work Rusulka. Rusulka is the story about a drowned girl who becomes a
haunted spirit. Rusulka are prevalent in Slavic myth. They are often depicted as spirits,
but sometimes they appear as nymphs or water sprites. I was really inspired by
Cherryh’s Rusulka character.
You can catch the paperback for a penny on Amazon! http://amzn.com/0345359534
2. What was the inspiration for your mermaid novella?
I moved to Florida about five years ago, and I was really inspired by all the sights on the
coast. We’ve taken trips to Miami on a few occasions. I enjoy the architecture, but
dislike the vibe of the city. It’s the same vibe Ink feels when she is there (sorry, Miami). I
live on the Space Coast, not far from NASA, and I love this area. We are close to Cocoa
Beach which has the feel of a “once-happening” place. There is a quaint charm to its
faded, sea-side glory. I adore Cocoa Village, a quaint downtown area. There are lovely
little shops and old oak trees with Spanish moss. It was the perfect setting for Ink’s
eventual rendezvous with a good friend.
3. Cast your characters. If your novella was made into a movie, who would play your
main characters?
Ink is hard to cast, but I would probably choose someone like Megan Fox.
For Hal, I would definitely cast Jason Momoa. Because, well, Jason Momoa.
4. What was most challenging thing writing about mermaids?
The world building! Oh my gosh, it took me forever to figure out just how “under the sea”
functioned in terms of a society. There was nothing to go from so I just made it all up! It
took a lot more time and brain-power than I expected.
5. Ursula or Ariel?
Ursula’s attitude with Ariel’s looks. Ariel is too “I need a man” for me. Ursula is too “I
need power” for Ink. But they both have good qualities.
I actually really love cecaelia, mer-octopus like Ursula. They play an important role in
Ink.
6. What else should we know about your novella?
There are alligator shifters and nyotaimori (Google it). I now know way more about
alligator mating calls than a normal person would find useful. Don’t judge me by my
Google searches. :)
Everything about this fishing practice was illegal. The purse-seine fishing method they
were using had been outlawed years ago. Disgusting. At least merpeople honored their
laws, even when we didn’t like it.
The torn net wagged with the motion of the waves. As I worked, anger welling up in
me. If it hadn’t meant having their refuse in my waters, I could just sink their boat and
drown them all. It was, after all, instinctual for me to want their death. While our law
forbad using siren song, which was nothing more than tuning of sound resonance, I still
felt the ancestral tug in me. I would have loved to purr a sweet song and pull them down
into a murky death. I could almost hear the tune in the back of my head, humming from
an ancient source. The song of the siren was nearly lost now, its banishment causing it
to fade from common use or knowledge. I closed my eyes. With just a few notes, it
would all be done.
“Ink?” Seaton called.
I opened my eyes. Careful, Ink. “Good. Almost there.” I glanced back at Indigo.
She’d moved the mother dolphin deeper into the water, away from the surface, and had
shifted back into mermaid form. Her blueish hair, befitting her name, made a halo
around her. She was using merdolphin magic to dazzle the creature, talking in low
melodious tones that echoed softly through the water.
Seaton stopped just above me.
“Got it,” I said, then slid my blade upward. The net broke in half, wagging like
seaweed in the waves.
Seaton and I swam to Indigo who was guiding the mother dolphin, holding her
gently by the flipper. From above, there was a terrible groan, then a screech as the
gears on the winch sprang to life. The net wall moved like it was alive, the tentacles of a
great sea monster closing in on us.
“We must hurry,” Seaton said.
Moving quickly, we swam through the tear and out of the net, back into the safety of
the open ocean.
The gears on the winch lurched. Water pressure pulled the tear, causing the net to
rip wide open. The tuna rushed free. I tread for a moment, stopping to watch the sight
as Indigo guided the mother dolphin into the dark water below us.
“The pup is coming,” Indigo called from the blackness below.
Above, the bottom of the boat rocked, unsteadied by the broken net. The winch
slowly reeled the mesh out of the water. It looked like a dead thing, a man-made
monster fished out of the living ocean. As the fishermen moved along the rail of the
ship, their images were weirdly distorted against the surface of the water. With all my
willpower, I sucked in the death-dealing note that wanted to escape from my lips. The
massive swirling tribal mark on my back started to feel prickly and warm. Harnessing
myself in, I reminded myself that it was forbidden. I turned and swam into the shadowy
deep.
Q & A with Author
1. What is your favorite mermaid story or myth?
When I was a teen, I fell in love with the Slavic/Russian novels written by C. J. Cherryh,
including her work Rusulka. Rusulka is the story about a drowned girl who becomes a
haunted spirit. Rusulka are prevalent in Slavic myth. They are often depicted as spirits,
but sometimes they appear as nymphs or water sprites. I was really inspired by
Cherryh’s Rusulka character.
You can catch the paperback for a penny on Amazon! http://amzn.com/0345359534
2. What was the inspiration for your mermaid novella?
I moved to Florida about five years ago, and I was really inspired by all the sights on the
coast. We’ve taken trips to Miami on a few occasions. I enjoy the architecture, but
dislike the vibe of the city. It’s the same vibe Ink feels when she is there (sorry, Miami). I
live on the Space Coast, not far from NASA, and I love this area. We are close to Cocoa
Beach which has the feel of a “once-happening” place. There is a quaint charm to its
faded, sea-side glory. I adore Cocoa Village, a quaint downtown area. There are lovely
little shops and old oak trees with Spanish moss. It was the perfect setting for Ink’s
eventual rendezvous with a good friend.
3. Cast your characters. If your novella was made into a movie, who would play your
main characters?
Ink is hard to cast, but I would probably choose someone like Megan Fox.
For Hal, I would definitely cast Jason Momoa. Because, well, Jason Momoa.
4. What was most challenging thing writing about mermaids?
The world building! Oh my gosh, it took me forever to figure out just how “under the sea”
functioned in terms of a society. There was nothing to go from so I just made it all up! It
took a lot more time and brain-power than I expected.
5. Ursula or Ariel?
Ursula’s attitude with Ariel’s looks. Ariel is too “I need a man” for me. Ursula is too “I
need power” for Ink. But they both have good qualities.
I actually really love cecaelia, mer-octopus like Ursula. They play an important role in
Ink.
6. What else should we know about your novella?
There are alligator shifters and nyotaimori (Google it). I now know way more about
alligator mating calls than a normal person would find useful. Don’t judge me by my
Google searches. :)
Author Bio:
Melanie Karsak is the author of the Amazon best-selling steampunk series The Airship Racing Chronicles (Chasing the Star Garden and Chasing the Green Fairy) and the award-wining horror/dark fantasy Harvesting Series. She grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania and earned a Master’s degree in English from Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.
Giveaway:
Blitz-wide giveaway (OPEN INTERNATIONALLY)
1. Mermaid Mega-Gift pack (Mermaid necklace, Mermaid bracelet, Alligator Necklace, Shell necklace, a 7-year mermaid pen, Cocoa Beach photo album, Mermaid christmas tree ornament, pack mermaid buttons, Ariel car decal, Cocoa Beach tote)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
1. Mermaid Mega-Gift pack (Mermaid necklace, Mermaid bracelet, Alligator Necklace, Shell necklace, a 7-year mermaid pen, Cocoa Beach photo album, Mermaid christmas tree ornament, pack mermaid buttons, Ariel car decal, Cocoa Beach tote)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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