Virtual Book Tour + #Giveaway: The Mermaid and the Unicorns by L.T. Getty @GoddessFish

The Mermaid and the Unicorns

by L.T. Getty

GENRE: Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure

BLURB:

Daphne’s a typical mermaid, and at least according to her, that’s a problem. She’s courageous and has a beautiful singing voice, but lacks the power of an elemental, the ability to command water with the sound of her voice. Jealous of her best friend, she makes a deal with a sea-witch, only to be betrayed, in place of her beautiful tail and flukes Daphne’s left beached with a pair of human legs. The spell keeping Daphne looking human will become permanent, unless Daphne can hunt down and bring the scheming Lorelei a unicorn horn before the next full moon.

Unable to reach her friends and family for help, Daphne doesn’t know how to walk, much less where to find a unicorn or how to catch one. Even if she’s successful, Daphne’s still not sure if she can trust Lorelei and her pint-sized kraken to keep their end of the bargain and let her return to the sea.

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Excerpt:

"You'll see lots as you travel from place to place," Daphne told the small dolphin. "Come, your mother won't forgive me if I let you roam from the pod."

Why hurry? Echor asked as he swam, spinning around different plants and sponges that grew along the rocks, before focusing in on a vibrant snail. It was not a very old reef, though it was well inhabited by many vividly-colored, small fish. The young dolphin seemed to take pleasure in disturbing them and watching them scurry into their small hiding crevices and among the anemones. You're so lucky that you get to stay in your town all the time. This part of the sea is so beautiful!

"I think it would be neat to see so much of the ocean," Daphne said, thinking of her small town of Thranda. Unlike the dolphins, who often travelled long distances in a single day, most merfolk lived in towns unless they left their communities to hunt or travel to another community. She had known members of his family since she was a little mermaid, and only got to see them a few times a year when they passed through her home to feed in a nearby bay. She heard a series of warnings behind her—the other dolphins had detected something with their echolocation. Unless it was something exceptionally large, they should have been safe within the pod, but Echor was very young. "Echor, let's return to your family." The young dolphin had wandered off while Daphne had turned her head, chasing a seal that had left her bob, trying to swim away from Echor.

"Echor!" Daphne called, swimming after him. She caught up to him, then looked over her shoulder as she heard a familiar sound. An orca! Daphne suppressed a shudder. It was large, but far enough away for her to find a hiding space. Still, killer whales almost always travelled in groups. The killer whale dove when he spotted her. She knew the others would want to help, but they were no match for an orca. He swam quickly towards her and Echor. Daphne knew she would be hard pressed to out-swim the large creature.

Hide! the orca told her.

Daphne then saw the immense shadow and wooden keel of a ship following the orca. The killer whale dove deep, though the water was too clear and shallow to truly hide his massive form. A harpoon followed him, missed, and was quickly pulled back to the surface by a rope. Another harpoon plunged into the water, and then another. The rough waters churned green and grey in the ship's wake, and Echor's warning chatter only told her that there was another human vessel. It came from Daphne's left, and it dragged a net behind it.

Interview with L.T. Getty

How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?

I wanted to write a chapter book for my niece. She was starting to fall in love with reading, and I thought I could write a middle grade book. I had taken courses before on writing for young adults, and at this point in my writing I felt confident enough that I could write for an older child-audience.

I paid attention to what sorts of stories and things she enjoyed, and I thought about the elements of stories that I enjoyed as a child.

What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?

I wrote a book that was above my niece’s age level, hoping to go the traditional route of publishing so it would be ready by the time she was in that range.

My main issue, was I was the kid who read a lot so I was reading books above my age range, so my idea of what’s okay for a ten year old is probably a little off from the vast majority of the population, so I basically catered to my niece’s reading level.

I also got zero hits query agents and publishers, and I was working on another project for self-publishing. I decided because of the length, this project was a good way to get my feet wet.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

Writing this book wasn’t particularly hard. The hard part for me is always marketing. Writing, editing, making typographical choices are all fun. Telling people about it? Hah!

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Part of writing this book was writing a story I wish I’d had a chance to read when I was a kid. This isn’t a tale I’ve had percolating since childhood so much as me as an adult thinking about what elements in stories I enjoyed, and at the same time considering what my niece enjoyed and what elements I could combine to make a good story. Once I got the launching point of ideas, I let my brain fill in the blanks.

Where there alternate endings you considered?

Honestly no. I usually like to write the ending to a book earlier in the drafting process to give myself a goal, but usually I end up cutting before the ending I had in mind so it doesn’t feel like I’m drawing things out. When I finished I thought to myself, “I could easily keep going” and told myself I’d write a sequel if I got interest. I have since decided to the self-publishing route and have an idea for a sequel in the back of my mind, but I have other projects that are going to be taking priority for the time being.

Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?

I honestly didn’t do a lot of research for the book. There were things I needed to know and consider, like, how orca families act, but I scuba dive and I’m always interested in whales and the ocean, even if I live so very far away from any sea myself.

What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

I think everyone assumes I love fantasy, really what I enjoy is adventure. Now that I’m a bit more mature, I enjoy books that are well-written because I’ve developed a writer-brain. Just because it has the veneer of swords and a dragon doesn’t mean it may be my cup of tea; but if you were to ask me what my ideal book would be, one of those thick books that’s a long series that follows a large cast of characters and delves into world building, but I also prefer stories that have good morals and challenge me as a reader.   

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

L.T. Getty is a rural paramedic from Manitoba. She enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy and generally being creative.

Connect with L.T. Getty

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Giveaway:

$20 Amazon/BN GC 

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