Mermaids Marry in Green by Alice Renaud

Caltha Dooran is the toughest, fiercest shape-shifting mermaid in the western seas. She has three Clans to rule, and no time for romance. But when a warlock, Jonty, turns up and asks her to come with him to London to capture a water monster, she can’t say no.

In London, away from her duties, her attraction for Jonty grows… and they soon fall under each other’s spell. But will his past and her responsibilities pull them apart, or can they find the only true magic, the one that binds two souls together?

Alice Renaud

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

Caltha the fierce shape shifting mermaid has no time for romance… but Jonty the warlock has a few tricks up his sleeve!

What is your favorite scene/moment in your book?

The fight scene between Caltha, Jonty, and Jonty’s friend Ariel, and the hags, towards the end of the book. I had great fun with the hags and the spells.

How do you use magic in your book?

The hero, Jonty, is a warlock. He uses spells to locate a water monster, to fight hags… and to seduce the heroine. The heroine is a shape shifting mermaid, she has the natural magic of her people, that enables her to change shape at will. Then there is the water monster, the afanc, who also has his own brand of magic!

Would your hero enjoy pumpkin spice lattes, candy corn, or apple bobbing?

He’s more of a whisky, wine and cheese guy, but he’d enjoy apple bobbing – especially with a few Halloween spells thrown in

What costume would your heroine (or hero if MM) wear to a halloween party?

She’d come as herself – a shape shifting mermaid

What scene did you adore writing in this book?

I loved writing the scene where the hero, Jonty, casts a love spell on the heroine, Caltha, while they’re up in the sky of London in a giant Ferris wheel.

Is this book a spooky/scary PNR, or a cozy/snuggling with a monster PNR?

There’s a bit of both. There is adventure, romance, a cute monster, and some scary monsters!

What is your favorite monster to write?

I enjoyed writing both the afanc, the water monster, and the hags. I like the monsters of Welsh legends – the Water Horse, the mist hags, the torrent spectres…

If you had to pick, would you rather have fangs, claws, or wings?

Wings

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Excerpt from Mermaids Marry in Green

She was so close to him they were almost touching. She took a step back, but three teenagers squeezed in through the doors just before they closed and pushed her against Jonty. Her head was now level with his neck, and her entire body was pressed against his.
“I’m sorry about the crush,” he said. But he didn’t sound sorry.

She tried to make a joke of it but found that her mouth had dried up. He smelled so damn good. A spicy aftershave, mixed with leather and coffee, with the enticing scent of male sweat underneath. Deep inside her, something responded to the unfamiliar perfume. A part of her, long buried, was waking up … and reaching out to him.

The train jolted into life. The people behind her lurched, squashing them together. Her breasts flattened against his chest. He was rock-hard under his leathers, and as warm as a stone heated by the sun. A thrill ran through her, so strong that it felt almost tangible, like a golden snake twisting around her … curling around her breasts … sliding between her legs. She was trapped and helpless.

Worse, she was enjoying it.

Shame nibbled at her. She’d never been this close to a male before. Plenty of mermen on the islands would have loved to become her mate and govern the Clans with her. Plenty had tried their luck, during the long summer nights when they sat around the fire on the beach, drinking whisky and singing. But she’d never let any of them kiss her, or even hold her hand. She’d been a good mermaid all these years. Just as her mother had wanted her to be. Her mother had been very firm on the topic of boys. She’d drummed into Caltha’s head that she should save herself for a husband worthy of her, and of the Dooran Clan.

And here she was glued to a stranger she’d met less than twenty-four hours ago. A human. Her mother’s voice swam up in her memory. “Choose your mate carefully, Caltha. He must be able to guide our people, and rule alongside you. He must be wise, strong, and…”

Caltha tried to remember the other qualities that her future husband should possess, but Jonty’s belt buckle was imprinting itself on her stomach, distracting her. Her mind wanted to remember her mother’s words, but her fingers were itching to touch that belt … and slide upwards … under the leather jacket … to find out what his skin felt like … and whether his stomach was as taut as she imagined.

Jonty bent his head, and for one mad moment she thought he was going to kiss her. She was disappointed when he said in her ear, “It’s rush hour, that’s why it’s so crammed. It won’t be long.”

She didn’t look at him, in case her face betrayed her body’s embarrassing, pleasurable reaction. “It’s fine.”

But it wasn’t fine, not by a mile. She had to get away from him before her hormones hijacked her brain and made her do something stupid. Like grab him. Or kiss him.

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Alice 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, “A Merman’s Choice,” 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, “Music for a Merman,” is out now and the third, “Mermaids Marry in Green,” will be released on 1 November. Alice has also written a short story, “The Sweetest Magic of All,” included in the BVS “Mystic Desire” anthology, out now. Alice loves reading and writing stories, and sharing them with anyone who’s interested!

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