Title: Ink
Series: A Mermaid Romance
Author: Melanie Karsak
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Release date: June 2nd 2015
BLURB supplied by Xpresso Tours
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.
PURCHASE LINKS
TEASER ONE
TEASER TWO
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AUTHOR LINKS
Connect with the Author Online
EXCERPT
I gritted my teeth and turned back,
staring at those gathered on the small island. Steeling my nerve, I swam
forward. My tail dragged along the sandy ocean bottom. I curled it, resting it
on the sand, then closed my eyes. I had seen the transformation many times, had
come to bear witness as the others left the tribe for their year in exile. I
always pitied them.
The first crash of agonizing pain washed
over me. I felt as if I had been stung by an entire bloom of jellyfish. Pain
swallowed me. It was like I’d been sliced from my flipper to my waist. I betrayed
myself by gasping out loud.
“Ink,” Indigo whispered softly.
My body arched as another shooting wave
of pain bolted upward. My body shook as jolt after jolt racked me. After the
sharp pains subsided, I felt a warm tingling sensation. I opened my eyes. Blue
and gold light spiraled around the lower half of my body. I stared down at the
water in amazement, watching as my tail slowly transformed into legs.
The glowing light then traveled up my
body. It centered on the tribal mark on my back. The mark began to feel very
hot. Suddenly, pain seared across my back. I felt like I’d been scraped along a
coral reef. A drywalker’s tribal mark forms into its final pattern when we make
our first transformation. The mark on my back, strange and large, always
puzzled me. Now I learned it was renowned enough to earn me a prophecy. I
hardly knew what to think of that. Had Creon known? Would he believe something
like that or did he just find a way to use it to his advantage? The answer, it
seemed, was obvious. At the end of the pathway, King Manx waited for me.
The glowing light pulsated brightly once
more, surrounding my body in an orb of light, then dissipated into the night’s
sky. Moments later, I felt a strange sensation as cool water swished between my
legs, touching my body in its most sensitive female parts which, without the
protective covering of my tail scales, were exposed. It took me a moment to
steady myself in the rocking waves. My hand drifted underwater to my sides. I
gently stroked my hands over my body, feeling the bastardization of myself as a
mer. Now, I was just like the humans. I stood on two feet, feeling the sand
between my toes. Fighting the waves on wobbling knees, I made my way toward the
beach.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Questions supplied asked by Xpresso Book Tours
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
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
***GIVEAWAY***
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