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 fiancé,
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.
Thanks so much for the post..:D
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting and for being a part of my tour!!
ReplyDeleteamber
Promises sound amazing and the trailer is too... Thank you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteJenea @ Books Live Forever
Thank you so much for such amazing books!!! love your covers!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat giveaway Amber!!! I look forward to reading your work! The covers look great :D
ReplyDeletethanks for this great gift Amber =)!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome giveaway
ReplyDeleteThanks for the international giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteRafflecopter name - Rosemarie D
thanks for the awesome giveaway!!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Amber! The books looks awesome! Thanks for the giveaway
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