MARINA'S TALES series by Derrolyn Anderson

For two weeks, come celebrate mermaids, whether it’s winter or summer where you live. Splash into Summer runs from June 28th to July 21st. There will be author interviews, guest posts, giveaways, reviews, and more! Now is the time to celebrate mermaids, especially with so many new novels about them coming out.

BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA:
Something extraordinary is lurking in the deep ocean waters off the coast of Aptos, California. In just a few weeks after moving to the small beach town, sixteen year old Marina has nearly drowned twice, enchanted the hottest guy in high school, and discovered a supernatural creature. If she can only manage to survive her increasingly dangerous encounters with unpredictable mermaids, she might just be able to unlock the mystery of her past to learn how to appease the mysterious forces that seem to want something from her...and maybe even find true love along the way.

BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA is the first book in the series MARINA’S TALES. Her story continues on in book two, THE MOON AND THE TIDE.

THE MOON AND THE TIDE:

THE MOON AND THE TIDE is book # 2 in the MARINA’S TALES series.

Just when things seem to be all figured out, Marina discovers that there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than she ever imagined. When a terrible accident exposes her secret, she discovers that her whole life has been one big lie, and has to cope with more than one kind of betrayal.

A dangerous enemy arrives on the scene, putting her bravery to the test and forcing her to use all of her new-found talents to protect her family. Will good win out over evil? Can love triumph over jealousy?

From Goodreads

Derrolyn Anderson was nice enough to not only swim over for a fin-tastic guest post, but will also be giving away three e-copies of BETWEEN THE LAND AND SEA and THE MOON AND THE TIDE for not one, not two, but THREE lucky winners!

What’s better than one (or even two) mermaid books? A whole series dedicated to mermaids! The MARINA’S TALES series by Derrolyn Anderson will be at least four books. The first two, BETWEEN THE LAND AND SEA and THE MOON AND THE TIDE, are available now as e-books. Anderson is about twenty chapters into writing THE FATE OF THE MUSE at the moment and won’t know until book four whether there will be more to Marina’s journey or not. She’s hoping to have THE FATE OF THE MUSE ready by the end of August.


The series centers around title character Marina, who moves from big city San Francisco to small coastal town Aptos when her father goes to work in Afghanistan for a year. She moves in with her Aunt Abby and cousin Cruz. Abby is warm and nurturing, happy to take her brother’s child in. Cruz is more self-contained, but once opened up, it is discovered that his world revolves around fashion. I could see Cruz making it big on PROJECT RUNWAY—if his designing career doesn't skyrocket on its own first. Soon after moving to Aptos, Marina is drawn to popular surfer Ethan. I love that the relationship that builds between the two is slow and natural, not instant and unbelievable. The two remain friends for much of the novel and build firm relationship foundations such as trust before jumping into things.

Marina is shocked when she comes across a mermaid named Lorelai in the water and realizes that things she never believed in are real. Strange things start happening to Marina. Somehow, she can not only understand Lorelai, but speak in her own language. She also is drawn to the water despite having never swam or surfed before moving to Aptos. It turns out there’s more to mermaids—and Marina—then what meets the eye. Dark secrets lie beneath the sea, and what Marina finds out will change her life forever.

Anderson has a way of breathing life into her characters and removing them from the stereotypes they might have otherwise fallen into. Marina, for example, is incredibly rich, but she never acts spoiled or aloft. It never goes to her head. Likewise, Ethan is popular with many friends, but is very down-to-earth and easy to love. There are some elements in BETWEEN THE LAND AND SEA that are over the top, but there’s actually a reason for this that’s revealed in THE MOON AND THE TIDE. While I had raised my eyebrows a bit a couple of times, the explanation for certain situations makes a lot of sense. Stick through these parts and you won’t be disappointed.

What I like best about THE MOON AND THE TIDE, the second book in the series, is the way Anderson slowly reveals things that have been building up and refers back to situations that you never thought twice about in the first book. There’s one major revelation hinted at early on that I never even considered when reading BETWEEN THE LAND AND SEA. The second book also deepens the bond between Marina and Ethan, whose relationship begins to intensify. Marina’s homelife also becomes more turbulent due to something that happens. On top of that, someone is hunting down the mermaids to use their powers for their own diabolical plans and Marina is being stalked. The action really picks up in the second book, leaving for a breathless, page-turning adventure.

I’m anxious to read THE FATE OF THE MUSE and see where Marina and Co. wind up next. There are so many possibilities and I can’t wait for the next adventure. Each of the books so far has been relatively self-contained, though the second book does rely on the first and I wouldn’t recommend reading out of order. Anderson refrains from using major cliffhangers, which makes the wait between novels a lot easier for readers.

COVER DESIGN:

Derrolyn Anderson purchased the stock for these covers and designed them herself in Photoshop. She is considering redesigning the entire series when she releases THE FATE OF THE MUSE.

My favorite part of the design is the fun logo adorning each book (see right). I love the whimsical image of a mermaid all curled up into a circle, creating an emblem that details what number each book is in the series. I think it’s beautiful and hope Anderson keeps it if she does a re-design.

Cover-wise, the first book is my favorite of the two. I love Marina’s beautiful blue eyes that stare directly at readers, the sheen of her billowing hair, and the way the overcast beach behind her sets the mood. The second cover reminds me more of a romance novel and suggests at content that is riskier than what lies within. I do, however, love the shadowed moon in the background and that there is once again a water element. You can tell that this is a mermaid-influenced novel. I really like all the blues in this cover!