Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Guest Post: Amber Garr, Author of The Skyrenka Series



Promises (Book One of The Syrenka Series) By Amber Garr
Sometimes following your heart can end up destroying the ones you love.
When seventeen-year-old Eviana Dumahl is faced with the responsibility of an arranged marriage and clan leadership, she is forced to choose between the life required of a mermaid and one of a teenage girl simply infatuated with the wrong guy. Kain, her devoted fiancĂ©, would make a wonderful husband except that she’s been in love with Brendan, a shape-shifting selkie, ever since they were kids. Choosing to abandon her family, her clan, and her life with Kain will have dire consequences far beyond anything she could have imagined.
A war is brewing amongst the clans and Eviana unwittingly becomes a pawn in the intricate schemes of a twisted mastermind. With Brendan’s life on the line, she has no choice but to involve those she once considered friends. Amidst encountering senseless tragedies and immense loss, Eviana discovers that she is more valuable as a clan leader than anyone ever suspected. Her survival is not only dependent upon the loyalty of her friends, but also on her acceptance of a life she so adamantly tried to escape.

Book Trailer

The Mythology Behind Promises

When asked to explain a bit more about the mythology behind Promises and The Syrenka Series, I was so excited to share.  I have always been fascinated with the idea that humans could be sharing our world with supernatural creatures, and this was my opportunity to tell a story where that occurred.

Writing about mermaids, selkies, and water sprites has been such a fantastic adventure, and one that started when I first discovered the selkie folklore.  I was intrigued by the legends of selkies luring humans into loving them, only to have to leave a few years later, or be trapped on land forever when someone destroyed their skin.  From that, I decided to write my own version of the legend where a selkie was instinctually drawn to the humans for mating, regardless of what was in their heart.  Their species wouldn’t exist without this relationship, so the selkies in my world are tightly intertwined with humans and their continued survival.
When it came to the mermaids, I wanted to make them realistic and capable of blending in with the human world.  Therefore, it was important for them to thrive on land, even if they were still drawn to the sea.  Along those lines, the scientist in me wouldn’t allow them to breathe underwater, so I made them equal to mammals such as dolphins and whales, where they adapt to the necessary physiological changes during their transitions.  Their power over humans comes from the old legends of maidens singing sailors to their deaths, and my own version of Poseidon and Amphitrite.  My mermaid’s history is based on the nereids and sea goddesses once worshiped by the humans, but now only alive in fairy tales.

I hadn’t read too much about water sprites and water faeries, so aside from their shape shifting abilities, I kind of just let the ideas flow.  I always liked those twisted stories where creatures like faeries and sprites were actually mean and scary, so I added an element like that to mine.  My sprites need to eat humans to thrive, and are therefore just as intricately tied to their survival as the selkies.

So my mythology behind Promises was a combination of legends old and new with a little bit of me thrown in as well.  It was enjoyable researching a basic idea and putting my own spin on it, and I am looking forward to doing more of that with future works!

Amber Garr spends her days conducting scientific experiments and wondering if her next door neighbor is secretly a vampire. Born in Pennsylvania, she lives in Florida with her husband and their furry kids. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain that she has a supernatural sense of smell. She writes both adult and young adult urban fantasies and when not obsessing over the unknown, she can be found dancing, reading, or enjoying a good movie.

Giveaway Number One a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

11 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for the post..:D

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  2. Thank you for posting and for being a part of my tour!!
    amber

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  3. Promises sound amazing and the trailer is too... Thank you for sharing this.

    Jenea @ Books Live Forever

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  4. Thank you so much for such amazing books!!! love your covers!!!!

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  5. Great giveaway Amber!!! I look forward to reading your work! The covers look great :D

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  6. thanks for this great gift Amber =)!

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  7. Thanks for the international giveaway!!
    Rafflecopter name - Rosemarie D

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  8. thanks for the awesome giveaway!!!!

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  9. Hi Amber! The books looks awesome! Thanks for the giveaway

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