{"id":1432,"date":"2019-09-04T16:00:18","date_gmt":"2019-09-04T23:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nomadauthors.com\/blog\/?p=1432"},"modified":"2019-09-04T14:55:50","modified_gmt":"2019-09-04T21:55:50","slug":"alice-renaud-music-for-a-merman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomadauthors.com\/blog\/2019\/09\/04\/alice-renaud-music-for-a-merman\/","title":{"rendered":"The fabulous Alice Renaud and Music for a Merman!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alice Renaud is funny, talented, a supportive friend, and a wonderful writer. Jan and I loved her new book, Music for a Merman<\/strong><\/em><\/a>! Music for a Merman<\/strong><\/em> is Book 2 in Alice’s Sea of Love romance series, and is on pre-release sale right now. You might also like to read Alice’s interview for A Merman’s Choice<\/em><\/a>, Book 1 in the Sea of Love series.<\/p>\n

\"Music<\/a><\/p>\n

Interview:<\/strong><\/p>\n

NA:<\/strong> How did you come up with the idea for your book?
AR:<\/strong> I grew up in Brittany, western France, in a village by the sea. I return there most summers. As in other seaside resorts, the local policemen double up as lifeguards. So they could be breaking up a riot in the morning and rescuing swimmers in the afternoon. I thought it would be fun to write a romance with such a cop-lifeguard as hero. But then I turned away from contemporary romance and started writing fantasy romance instead. After writing the first book in my Sea of Love series, A Merman\u2019s Choice<\/em>, I was casting around for characters for my second book. I remembered the lifeguards on the beach who were also cops, and the idea of Rob Regor came to me. A shape shifting merman who is also a policeman. Then I imagined him arresting a woman and falling in love with her, and Charlie, the heroine, was born.<\/p>\n

NA: <\/strong>What sort of research did you do to write this book?
AR: <\/strong>Rob is a cop and arrests Charlie. I don\u2019t have any personal experience of that situation, so I had to do research on what happens when someone is arrested and spends the night in a cell. I am indebted to my critique partner who watches a lot of cop shows, and helped me correct a lot of inaccuracies!<\/p>\n

NA: <\/strong>A fun fact about writing your book.
AR: <\/strong>The scene where Rob and Charlie first make love is the hottest scene I\u2019ve written so far. He\u2019s in his aquatic (merman) shape, so I had to think through how different he would be from a human, and how Charlie would react to that. She quite likes it, as it turns out, but you\u2019ll have to read the book to find out more!<\/p>\n

NA: <\/strong>Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time?
AR: <\/strong>I work full time as compliance officer for a pharmaceutical company, which couldn\u2019t be more different from the stuff I write. I like it that way \u2013 I escape from one world into another, and back again. When someone at work really annoys me, I imagine them as a monster in one of my books. It helps. It does mean I don\u2019t have as much time to write as I would like though.<\/p>\n

NA: <\/strong>What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
AR: <\/strong>Most of my friends are a bit puzzled by it, but generally supportive. My husband is magnificently supportive, without him I couldn\u2019t do any of it.<\/p>\n

NA: <\/strong>The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer
AR: <\/strong>I am amazed by how supportive other authors are. It\u2019s wonderful, I feel I have joined a community of friends and I am so grateful to all my author friends, especially the other BVS authors, like Dee and Jan!<\/p>\n

NA: <\/strong>What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
AR: <\/strong>Hearing from a reader that they have loved my book, or getting a good review. It is such a wonderful feeling to know that my stories are enjoyed by people who could be on the other side of the world.<\/p>\n

NA: <\/strong>Do you have quirky writing habits?
AR: <\/strong>I can\u2019t write without tea, and it\u2019s got to be the strong stuff. Yorkshire Gold is my favourite. It\u2019s so dark, the teabag turns the water the colour of mahogany after 2 seconds. It\u2019s what we call in the UK \u201cbuilder\u2019s tea.\u201d It has to be in my Harry Potter mug, not because I draw inspiration from J. K. Rowling\u2019s creations, but because it\u2019s the only one big enough. It\u2019s almost half a pint.<\/p>\n

NA: <\/strong>What do you like to do when you\u2019re not writing?
AR: <\/strong>Reading, and watching TV, particularly historical and fantasy shows. I also love birdwatching, and going to parks. Regent\u2019s Park in London is my favourite. My son likes feeding the ducks, swans and geese.<\/p>\n

NA: <\/strong>Why did you choose the shirt you have on?
AR: <\/strong>It was clean, partially ironed, and sort of went with the blue trousers I\u2019d already selected.<\/p>\n

NA: <\/strong>What errand\/chore do you despise the most?
AR: <\/strong>I don\u2019t like shopping for clothes, especially trousers. I hardly ever wear skirts or dresses, but I\u2019m very short so no trousers ever fit, they all have to be shortened. I only shop for trousers once or twice a year, I take my mum and we go for tea and cake afterwards, that way it\u2019s bearable.<\/p>\n

NA: <\/strong>Strangest place you’ve brushed your teeth?
AR: <\/strong>The beach, after staying up all night on New Year\u2019s Eve to watch the sun rise over the sea. These days I\u2019m usually asleep before the fireworks start.<\/p>\n

NA: <\/strong>What are you working on now?
AR: <\/strong>I am working on the third book in the Sea of Love series, Mermaids Marry in Green. It\u2019s about a feisty mermaid called Caltha, who travels to London to help a warlock save the city from a water monster. Of course, she falls in love with him! I would also like to write more short stories. I have a short story in the BVS supernatural romance anthology Mystic Desire, which is on pre order now. The story, The Sweetest Magic of All, is about an apprentice witch and a hot warlock who go back in time to locate a magical amulet, and find more than they bargained for! It was great fun to write.<\/p>\n

NA: <\/strong>What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
AR: <\/strong>The heroine, Charlie, is sassy and confident, more so than the heroine of my first book. I enjoyed writing her and her banter, and her sexually charged relationship with Rob. I think my heroines are getting spunkier and spunkier \u2013 Caltha, in my third book, is properly kick-ass!<\/p>\n

\"Music<\/p>\n

Music for a Merman blurb:<\/strong>
Rob Regor knew that humans were trouble. All the shape shifting mermen of the Morvann Islands knew it. And human women were double trouble… especially when they were lying on the road in front of a digger.
Rob has a mission. Go to the mainland. Work as a policeman. Spy on humans. Report back to his father, the head of the Regor Merman Clan. It should be easy. Until he has to arrest Charlie. Rob can\u2019t fight his attraction to the sexy eco-warrior, and it puts him on one hell of a collision course with his family and his Clan. Will he break the rules \u2013 or break her heart, and his?<\/p>\n

Love \u2018em and leave \u2018em, that was Charlie\u2019s motto. It had served her well until now. But Rob is different\u2026 Can she open up her heart to Rob – when a secret buried in her past surfaces and changes her completely?<\/p>\n

Excerpt:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"MusicCharlie clambered over the rocks and was soon looking down at the small cove, sparkling blue and gold under the descending sun. The haunting song grew louder the closer she got to the sea. Now it seemed to be outside her head, rising from the peaceful water below to weave its magic around her. The meaning shimmered, just beyond the edge of her comprehension. It was like trying to read words reflected in a mirror. If she could only break the surface of the glass, enter the other side, she\u2019d understand it fully.<\/p>\n

But in some obscure way, she knew that the melody spoke of love. Sexual, passionate love. And it was doing something to her. Heat was building up, deep inside her belly. She swore, in a vain attempt to let it out. \u201cBloody Rob!\u201d He\u2019d got her all worked up, and now she couldn\u2019t calm down.<\/p>\n

Cold water and exercise would help. She half-climbed, half-slid down the slippery rocks and hit the sand with a thud. The music sounded as though it was coming from the waves.<\/p>\n

It couldn\u2019t be. Maybe the stress of the past day had given her tinnitus. She\u2019d read about it. People heard noises, or even melodies, in their head, and couldn\u2019t get rid of them. She took off her shorts and T-shirt and placed them on a rock, weighing them down with her sandals. After a moment\u2019s hesitation, she took off her swimsuit too. No one would see her, and she loved skinny-dipping. Nothing would come between her and the sea tonight.<\/p>\n

The breeze glided across her body but failed to soothe the persistent thrumming at the apex of her thighs. She stepped into the surf, bracing herself for the usual Atlantic chill, but it didn\u2019t come. The water was warm, almost like the Mediterranean. She immersed herself up to her neck. Joy broke through her gloom and lifted her mood just as a wave lifted her and bore her towards the small wooded island in the middle of the cove. A few lazy strokes were all she needed to stay afloat. The water enveloped her in its embrace, stroking her from her shoulders to her toes, as if the whole ocean wanted to make love to her.<\/p>\n

The eerie song was growing louder and clearer by the minute. With an almighty jolt she understood that it was real. She wasn\u2019t hallucinating. The enchanting melody was coming from the other side of the islet! Excitement surged, short-circuiting all other emotions. Something was there, just beyond her sight. Something beautiful and magical.<\/p>\n

She swam up to the island and followed the sandy shore towards the heavenly sound. Some deep, mysterious instinct told her that she had nothing to fear from this being. It meant her no harm. Quite the contrary.<\/p>\n

Luck was on her side. A fallen tree, half submerged in the water, provided the perfect cover. The anticipation blazed so high inside her, it made her mouth go dry. She grabbed the trunk and hauled herself up to peep through the branches.<\/p>\n

A black, glistening animal swam in circles, just a few yards away. A porpoise? But the shape was wrong. A fin broke the surface. No, not a fin, an arm! Coal-black and muscular, it ended in a hand.<\/p>\n

A webbed hand.<\/p>\n

Astonishment sucked the air out of her lungs. Her hands shook and she \"Musicalmost lost her grip on the trunk. She clutched the wood so hard that a splinter drove into her finger, drawing blood, but she didn\u2019t feel any pain. She could only stare, and listen, as the fantastical being moved through the water and poured his soul out in a stream of music.<\/p>\n

A merman! The old legends were true. Here was the Water Horse, the Selkie, the aquatic creature that could turn into a man.<\/p>\n

Buy Links:<\/strong>
Amazon<\/a>
Universal link<\/a><\/p>\n

Author bio:<\/strong>
\"AuthorAlice lives in London, UK, with her husband and son. By day she’s a compliance manager for a pharmaceutical company. By night she writes fantasy romance about shape shifting mermen, water monsters and time-travelling witches. Her first book, \u201cA Merman\u2019s Choice,\u201d was published in January 2019 by Black Velvet Seductions. It is the first book in a fantasy romance trilogy inspired by the landscapes and legends of Brittany and Wales. The second book, \u201cMusic for a Merman,\u201d is on pre order now. Alice has also written a short story, \u201cThe Sweetest Magic of All,\u201d included in the BVS Mystic Desire<\/strong><\/em><\/a> anthology, on pre order now.<\/p>\n

Alice loves reading and writing stories, and sharing them with anyone who\u2019s interested!<\/p>\n

Facebook<\/a>
Twitter<\/a>
Linkedin<\/a>
Instagram<\/a>
Goodreads<\/a>
Bookbub<\/a>
Amazon page<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alice Renaud is funny, talented, a supportive friend, and a wonderful writer. Jan and I loved her new book, Music for a Merman! Music for a Merman is Book 2 in Alice’s Sea of Love romance series, and is on pre-release sale right now. You might also like to read Alice’s interview for A Merman’s … Continue reading “The fabulous Alice Renaud and Music for a Merman!”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5,4,1,466],"tags":[470,314,83,782,759,762,22,82,783,779,763,781,780],"class_list":["post-1432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-author-information","category-book-topics","category-uncategorized","category-writing","tag-a-mermans-choice","tag-alice-renaud","tag-fantasy-romance","tag-mermaid","tag-mermen","tag-music-for-a-merman","tag-paranormal","tag-paranormal-romance","tag-pnr","tag-sea-legends","tag-sea-of-love","tag-selkie","tag-water-horse"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9wA33-n6","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nomadauthors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nomadauthors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nomadauthors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nomadauthors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nomadauthors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1432"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nomadauthors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1460,"href":"https:\/\/www.nomadauthors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1432\/revisions\/1460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nomadauthors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nomadauthors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nomadauthors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}