Date Published: 4/27/18
Publisher: Ink Smith Publishing
As crown prince, Cormack is required to take a bride and his place as king. His father’s choice is Princess Nephara of their neighboring ally, the Kingdom of Caraway. But the appearance of Asrai, a fiery mermaid determined to get what she wants, and an heir to her own throne, has Cormack wondering where his heart’s loyalty lies.
Exiled from her underwater kingdom, Asrai is determined to do whatever is necessary to return to her throne, but Cormack, once a means to an end, has enchanted her. Can Asrai get the best of both worlds, or will she sacrifice her heart for her kingdom?
Interview with A.R. Masterson
For those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book, where should they start?
Love of the Sea is a fantasy novel about mermaids. Primarily, I stuck to the ancient fables of mermaids as predators. I personally utilized The Mermaid’s Madness by Jim C. Hines and The Secret History of Mermaids and Creatures of the Deep by Professor Ari Berk to inspire different aspects of the story. I also researched various facts about marine biology, and frequented the Shedd Aquarium here in Chicago for ideas about Asrai’s underwater kingdom.
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
Love of the Sea originated as a class assignment in my Fantasy Fiction writing class in college. It was called “What if, And then, Oh Shit!”, an exercise where you have to think of a fantasy element, then write an idea that’s nontypical for that particular type of fantasy, come up with a turn the story would take, and then hit your reader with a big left turn surprise! This is how I came up with the nonconventional idea of having the human go to the sea, rather than a mermaid live on land.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
The original goal of the story was to create a strong female character with a romantic interest that would support her goals. I feel I far exceeded these goals with the help of my old professor and mentor Tina Jens, as well as my editor from Ink Smith Publishing. That goal blossomed into creating a balanced relationship between Asrai and Cormack, ensuring that neither sacrificed their core beliefs or
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I truly hope you enjoy reading Love of the Sea and my other works. My ultimate goal with my writing is I want my readers to enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoyed writing them. Books are meant to be a wonderful escape from daily life, and I hope my books bring joy and comfort to my readers.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Honestly, I had way too much fun writing about Asrai’s ignorance of human things. She’s a very no-nonsense type female, so her interest in the utility of certain human objects was always a fun kernel of humor in various scenes.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
I am currently working on my 6th novel Succumb to Darkness - a dark fantasy about vampires with parallels to the French Revolution. Parts of the story are written in French, as it is my second language. The story follows the three main characters Verseau, Àmichemin, and Evanangela. Àmichemin and Verseau are the head vampires of the local court. Evanangela is brought there by Àmichemin shortly after her turning. But Evanangela is not an ordinary vampire because she was originally an angel, and fell from grace due to her sin of vanity. She was cast from heaven and turned into a vampire as punishment so she can never look upon her reflection again.
The story was inspired by a trio of poems I wrote back when I was in high school (2005-2006) and began writing the novel shortly after. The half-finished manuscript sat in my files until I sent my 5th novel Freja’s Baby Shattered off for publication just last year in 2019. I have spent a good portion of this year (2020) rewriting the novel and discovering a new direction I want to take with the ending. My goal is to finish the manuscript by the end of this year, and begin the editing process in 2021.
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing since I was 3 years old, writing little stories on my Dad’s computer and in notebooks. I began writing my first novel at 12 years old, and by that time I had my own laptop that I spent all my free time working on. The only time in my life I have spent not writing was the short period of my modeling career after my college graduation (2011-2013). I took those years to focus on my national tours, and transitioned my modeling retirement to working as the Creative Director and Writer in Chief for Cloud Orchid Magazine. This fashion magazine was created by me and Bryan Thompson, and eventually evolved into Cloud Orchid Publishing, our publishing company today. In total, I have spent 26 years out of my 32 years of life writing.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Love of the Sea?
Asrai is the main character of Love of the Sea, with Cormack as a close second. Asrai is a mermaid (referred to as a mer as the correct “animal” classification); she is also an exiled princess from the underwater Kingdom of Sulu. Her mother was killed by sharks, and soon after, her father was assassinated by a usurper known as Garradi. Asrai was only a child, and survived the coup via the royal advisor, Illyana, taking her into hiding. Together, they spent years training Asrai to become a powerful warrior and sea hag (mermaid sorceress) in order to reclaim her throne.
Cormack is a human prince, the next in line for the throne of his Kingdom Paradine. Cormack’s father King Dominic is a war lord, hungry for power and expansion of the kingdom. However, Cormack has no such desires. Instead. He wishes to sail the seas and be free on his ship Anita. He does not want the heavy responsibility of the crown, but as he is the only child to King Dominic, he has no choice but to rule.
Peter is Cormack’s cousin. He lives with the king and prince in Paradine and is also treated as a prince. He is the son of King Dominic’s sister, left in his care after Peter’s kingdom Umber fell to an invading kingdom. Cormack’s lackadaisical lifestyle is a thorn in Peter’s side. He shares the power-hungry dreams of King Dominic, and would love nothing more than to rule and expand Pardine.
There are several other secondary characters, such as the Princess Nephara, a foreign princess sent to be Cormack’s bride, and Pamela the head cook and former governess to Cormack.
If you could spend the day with one of the characters from Love of the Sea who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you would do.
Hands down, exploring the ocean with Asrai would be absolutely amazing! It would be a dream come true to become a mer and visit her kingdom, Sulu. Seeing the beautiful wonders of the kingdom and using magick would be the best day ever!
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