Hey everyone! My merman story, Beneath the Surface, has released from ARe!
Buy Link:
Blurb:
A whole different world exists beneath the surface.
The last thing Nisha expects while patrolling his territory is to find his mate, but his instincts tell him the handsome human diving into the surf is the one meant for him. Two bites and Kannon will be joined to him forever. But when Kannon’s father disrupts the mating process, Nisha releases his claim, hoping beyond hope his mate will one day return.
While free diving with his father, Kannon is bitten by a seductive merman. Although he swore to never go near the ocean again, the pull to return to the water and his mystery man remains strong. Finally, after fifteen years away, an impromptu wedding brings Kannon back to the Seychelles, and his destiny.
Kannon only plans to stay on the island for a week, but this time Nisha won’t let his mate go without a fight. Merfolk and human culture collide as the embers of Nisha and Kannon’s mate bond ignite, and Nisha must complete the mating before it’s too late.
Excerpt:
A
whole different world existed under the sea—lighting, sounds, even the feeling
of otherworldliness. No matter how clear the water, it still played tricks,
even on experienced divers.
The
colorful tropical fish, artifacts, and the remnants of history buried beneath
the waves—along with a mysterious landscape mostly untouched by humans—always
gave Kannon a thrill. Parts of the reef weren’t very deep, so he had no trouble
freediving.
This
year for vacation, Kannon and his dad rented a boat and guide to take them to
the reefs around the Seychelles. This was by no means the first time he’d gone
snorkeling. Growing up along the California coast guaranteed Kannon was comfortable
in the water.
The
guide had warned them to stay together, but Kannon had other ideas. Besides, he
wasn’t going that far off. After
investigating the colorful reef fish and interesting coral formations—and
seeing his dad was distracted—Kannon slowly but steadily wandered off on his
own. An outcrop of rocks covered in algae caught his eye, and he went to
investigate.
Many
of the multihued native fish swam past him, curious as to what he was. It was
funny how they circled him. Kannon held his hand out. A few braver fish darted
in, nibbled at his fingers, and then swam off. God, what a rush it was. Nothing
was better than this.
He
drew closer to the outcrop, surprised it was much deeper than he’d first
thought. Huh, not an outcrop, but the
mouth of an underwater cave. Cool. From a distance it appeared to be
nothing more than oddly shaped rocks. Peering inside, he was unable to see past
the murky blackness within.
Curious,
he reached his hand out, stretching toward the mouth of the cave. His scalp prickled.
A tingle washed through him. The water around him caressed his body as he hung
weightlessly, staring at the cave entrance as his dick swelled in his trunks. What the…?
It
wasn’t as if he made a habit of getting horny while diving, so what the hell?
Torn between desire and unease, he hovered in the tropical water. Chills chased
up his spine, and goose bumps broke out over his body.
His
heart rate sped up—not a good thing underwater—and the feeling of being watched
crept across his nerves. Something was in there, and his mind screamed at him
to get away even as the urge to reach inside nearly overwhelmed him.
Kannon’s
body swayed dangerously closer. His nipples ached as the water flowed past, and
he had to force himself not to whimper as need struck him. He jerked back. There’s something waiting for me, just
waiting for me to reach in so it can... what? So it can do what?
Jesus,
he needed to get a serious grip on his imagination, and crap, he had to surface
too. Lack of oxygen made the decision for him. All this panicking on his part
had used up his air—stupid of him.
He
surfaced and shook the hair out of his eyes. Wow, is that our boat way over there? Oh man, Dad’s going to kill me. Worried
about the fit his dad was going to have, he was totally unprepared for the
strange guy who popped up next to him, although “guy” might have been overly
nice.
Kannon
yelped, but the dude across from him just smiled. The androgynous, fey face
wasn’t quite human. The long pointed ears were a good indication, as was the
glimpse of sharp little teeth.
Oh,
and the gills at its neck.
Azure
blue hair floated in the water around shapely shoulders and cobalt blue eyes
stared back at him. It was a visage that was hauntingly beautiful,
otherworldly, and a tad disconcerting. The creature smiled slightly as if he
agreed. It—whatever it was—scared the bejesus out of him.
Then it reached out and dragged Kannon under the
water.
* * * *
Here are some of the pics I used for inspiration:
This is Kannon. I really thought about putting him on the cover, decided to go with the merman instead.
This is a cave located at the water's edge Nisha often uses to transform. There's a walkway that leads topside.
I re-created this picture for a scene in the book. Imagine that at night with a warm ocean breeze coming off the water. *sigh* Isn't it lovely?
The two pictures prompted the character of Nisha.
