Music for a Merman by Alice Renaud

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Alice Renaud

Give us the one to two sentence tagline for your book.

He’s a shape shifting merman and a cop. She’s a sexy eco-warrior. Will he break the rules, or break her heart?

What surprised you the most while writing this book?

How passionate the two characters were

Why did you pick the setting you used for your book?

It is inspired by the seaside village I grew up in, in Brittany (Western France)

What is the sexiest trait of your hero(s)?

His perfect body

What is your favorite scene/moment in your book?

The scene where they get together – he’s in his aquatic shape… she doesn’t care…

What scene did you have to cut but wish could have been included?

A dream scene where the hero imagined the heroine as a mermaid

Tropes get a bad name, but they’re often the biggest draw for readers. What tropes do you love to write and read?

Fated mates, forbidden love, first love. My book features all three.

What are your favorite genres/sub-genres to write in? Are there any you love to read but cannot write in?

I love writing fantasy and paranormal romance. I love reading historical romance but don’t have time to do the research.

Which do you love to write best: dialogue, setting, action, love scenes, or other?

Setting – I love describing the world my characters live in.

Which do you hate to write: dialogue, setting, action, love scenes, or other?

I always have to brace myself to write love scenes – I’m OK once I’ve started, but they are difficult to write.

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Excerpt from Music for a Merman

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.

The site manager strode up to him. “Can you move her, officer? I’m already behind schedule.” His tone was polite, but his clenched fists told another story.

A gaggle of locals and tourists had gathered behind him. Their eyes bore into Rob, some curious, some hostile. Unease crept across his scalp. Many locals in St-Sulien opposed the development of this stretch of Welsh coast, and tempers in the village had been running high. He could have a mini-riot on his hands if he didn’t take control.
The thought was like a kick to the backside. This was his first real challenge as a rookie cop. He had to show his superiors that he could handle it.

He adjusted his cap and strode to the horizontal figure on the asphalt. She looked so vulnerable, with her head resting inches away from the giant vehicle’s wheels. Her tight jeans and red T-shirt were streaked with dirt, her mane of black curls grey with dust. He wondered how long she’d been lying there.

“Miss. Please get up.” He hoped that he’d got the tone right. He wanted to sound firm, not too fierce or too pleading. He still found the nuances of human speech tricky at times.

Two amber eyes, as bright and challenging as a leopard’s, stared up at him. “No chance.”

Prickles of annoyance displaced his unease. Even for a human, this was ridiculous behaviour. Dangerous, too. One wrong move from the driver, and the digger would flatten her. “Miss, you can’t stay here.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not moving.”

Someone sniggered. Irritation swept over Rob’s body like a rash. He was a merman warrior of the Regor Clan, damn it. He wasn’t going to let a bunch of humans ridicule him.
He straightened his uniform. He’d have preferred to arrest her away from the crowd, but she wasn’t giving him that option. “Miss, I am Police Constable Rob Regor. I am arresting you on suspicion of aggravated trespass. You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defense if you do not mention, when interrogated, something which you later rely on in court—”

She interrupted him with an exaggerated sigh. “Spare me the routine; I’ve heard it all before. And it’s ‘questioned’ not ‘interrogated’.”

Great, now she was correcting him. In public. It was getting better and better.
“Anything you do say may be given in evidence!” He caught himself. He was snapping. He couldn’t let his temper show too much in front of that crowd. He counted to ten to simmer down. “Right, miss. I am going to put my hands under your armpits and lift you up.”

She studied him with narrowed eyes, then her mouth relaxed into the beginnings of a smile. “You can put your hands wherever you like, officer.”

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