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Want to know more about the mermaids from Mer Tales? Check out some great facts below!
~*~
Brenda has written the Talisman Trilogy and the Mer Tales Trilogy.
Mer Mythology of Mer Tales
by Brenda Pandos
by Brenda Pandos
Why Mermaids?
After watching the 80’s movie, Splash, when I was a pre-teen, I was hooked.
Being a competitive swimmer, I loved the water and was fascinated with Daryl
Hannah’s tail. I even tried to make my own out of old nightgowns my mother let
me use. If there were neoprene suits available back then, I might have forgone
my trip to Europe and spent all my paper route money on a custom tail. Yes… I
was obsessed.
Fresh water or salt?
My
mer’s don’t prefer either, but require a body of water daily. After the sun
sets, they sprout fins whether they want to or not. Out of the water, they’d
dry up and die. In sunshine, they can will their fins in and out of existence. The
salt, though, brings out the rich colors of female’s tails. Also, mer’s are
modest, so females swim with dresses or skirts on, and the men keep
kilts/men-skirts in a sling pouch to wear when they’re not finned up.
How are mermen and mermaids different?
Mermen have shark like tails with flukes that resemble
knife blades. Their colors range from grey, black, red, and gold. They also
have side fins that hide spikes filled with incapacitating poison against their
enemies. With a song, they can take away a human’s memories and charm them to
follow their wishes. Their kryptonite is octopus ink (which renders them
unconscious), and a mermaid’s siren scream.
Females have the vibrant brightly colored tails and their
flukes run horizontal like a whale tail. Their defenses include an ear piercing
siren scream that will chase off enemies and they’re impervious to octopus ink.
They’re not allowed on land without a male chaperone because of their
tendencies to seduce men with their beauty and enchanting voice.
Both mer bodies are unaffected by temperature or water
pressure, and they can swim lightning fast to cover large distances quickly.
What's a promise?
When
someone kisses a mer, their souls entwine and they bond with one another,
becoming instant soul mates until death or conversion to human. Shortly after,
matching tattoos appear on their ring fingers (white for women and black for
men) which glow underwater. The bond is so strong that neither would be tempted
to kiss another, but if they do, a third one-sided bond develops. Example: boy
kisses girl A. They bond. Boy kisses girl B. Though it’s not as strong, girl B
bonds to the boy also. The boy then can flip an internal switch and choose
which girl he’d like to feel feelings for, while both girls are smitten with
him. See the problem? Also, girl B won’t develop a tattoo. Dual promising is
illegal in Natatoria and punishable by death. Mer’s take “kiss cheating” very
seriously.
Where's Natatoria?
Natatoria,
the mer underwater city, is located in the mantle of the earth between the
ocean floor and the center of the earth. Secret openings into the mantle are
located across the globe and guarded by mer families. Some live among the
humans, while others live underwater. Their task is to prevent mers from
leaving Natatoria without permission and humans from finding the openings. The city
is beautiful with gelded surfaces of gold and platinum, and gems of many
colors. Homes are equipped with air bubbles so mer folk can phase into legs and
walk around. Sunlight is piped in with mirrored tunnels to give light and assist
in the transfer from fins to legs.
How does one become a mer?
Mer’s born of two mer parents are considered full-blooded, while those
converted are called betamers. In Natatoria, a pool of blue glowing liquid
sprouts from the earth called essence. This liquid gives mers their health,
youth, and if ingested by a human, fins. Converting from a mer to a human is
trickier and a well kept secret. First, you’d need to have your body drained of
the essence that’s within your blood, nearly killing you, then be revived in a
bath of mer blood (which has incredible healing properties). It’s a messy and dangerous
process, and should be done with a supervising merman so they can help the
converted with the mental transition. Because once one converts, they also lose
all their mer memories, lost in a world of amnesia.\
How do you know if you're of royal blood?
Being royal is a big deal in Natatorian society.
There are three castes of mers: royalty, commoners, and servants. Servants are
the lowliest, mostly comprised of the orphaned or flawed (deformed in some
way), and they serve the palace and remain unpromised, wearing gloves to cover
their hands. Royal women have the fleur-de-lis brand that decorates their hip,
signifying one of royal blood has kissed them, or that they’ve been born of royal
blood.
This is just a start of the twisted dystopian life that is
Natatoria. Join Ash, Fin, Tatiana, and friends as they outsmart the treachery, greed,
and bond of the mer kiss in the fast-paced Mer Tales trilogy, EVER BLUE, EVERGREEN, and EVERLOST.
Follow
Brenda:
Trilogy box set: Amazon
Thank you so much for such a great post, Brenda! I loved the way you focused on so much of the unique lore found in the Mer Tales!
O F F I C I A L I N F O:
Title: EVERLOST
Author: Brenda Pandos
Author: Brenda Pandos
Release Date: March 14, 2013
Publisher: Obsidian Mountain Publishing
SUMMARY:
With one kiss, Tatiana has discovered a love for a man she’d hated—the prince of Natatoria. Through the botched rescue attempt by her father against this union, an army of rebels has revealed their identity and intentions—treason. When the King is fatally injured, Azor takes things into his own hands. No one is safe as mers are forced to take sides. Betamers take the blame, including Tatiana’s family’s closest friend, Badger, and the punishment is death.
Caught between the bond and her true feelings, Tatiana, the future Queen, must overcome the promise to fight for what’s right and uncover the truths of the past or all will become Everlost.
****Giveaway*****
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I read the first book in this series and LOVED it!! Which is saying a lot because I am not a big fan of mermaids! The idea from this series is sooo cool and interesting!!! Love the interview!!!
ReplyDeleteLoved this interview.. I'm a big Brenda Pandos fan.. Love all her books!!!
ReplyDeleteThis look really good! I haven't been into mermaids for a while, but this review makes me wanna get back into them!
ReplyDeleteGreat guest post! I love mermaid books a lot!! <3 Thanks for the giveaway too.
ReplyDeleteI'd seen some of your mer mythology in everblue, but this really adds definition to the story. Thanks so much! Love your work!
ReplyDelete