Okay under-the-sea fans, and sexy mermen fans, and Shira Anthony fans, and — you get the picture — HEADS UP! Shira Anthony’s new novel, RUNNING WITH THE WIND releases on June 8th. This is Book 3 in her popular Mermen of Ea series and — the books MUST be read in order. Soooo, if you’re behind, you have a week to catch up!

Here is Shira, my pal from Dreamspinner Press, to tell you about these amazing sea shifters and how they were created —

Thank you, Tara, for hosting the first day of the Running with the Wind Blog Tour! I’m so excited about the release of the last Mermen of Ea book. The Mermen of Ea Series is a trilogy that begins in Stealing the Wind, continues in Into the Wind, and ends with Running with the Wind. The story is high fantasy, and blends romance and adventure, mer-shifters and pirates, and it’s set on the high seas in the age of sail.

For those who may not already know, I’m a former opera singer (you can hear a live recording of me singing here, if you’re interested) turned lawyer and author. I work as public sector attorney doing child advocacy, and not only do I work full-time, when I’m not working I pretty much spend every waking hour writing. Sometimes, in spite of my efforts to outline a story and work through the plot before I start to write, something inspires me to change direction with a story. That’s exactly what happened with Stealing the Wind.

The inspiration for the mermen in this series came several chapters into writing Stealing the Wind. My husband and I regularly sail on our 35’ catamaran, Land’s Zen, which is docked at the Carolina coast, and I’d always wanted to write a novel featuring pirates with a captor/captive vibe. I started to write Stealing the Wind, the story of a young man who dreams of sailing on the ocean, but is an indentured servant (a slave, for all intents and purposes) at an inn near a bustling harbor. That young man, Taren Laxley, is kidnapped by pirates and finally realizes his dream. But one night he dives overboard to save a fellow crewmember and is lost at sea. He’s rescued by the crew of a rival pirate ship, and meets Ian Dunaidh, captain of that ship.

A good setup for a captor/captive story. Only while I was working on the story, my husband and I got certified in open water scuba and traveled to Grenada in the Caribbean, where we dove nearly every day. Each time I dove, I imagined what it might be like to breathe under the water without all the heavy scuba gear. Suddenly I realized Taren and Ian were not human at all, but merfolk shifters who could take human or mer form.

Once I knew these characters were magical creatures, the story pretty much wrote itself. Taren didn’t know he was an Ea (pronounced “Ay-ah”), or mer-shifter. He believed his parents had sold him into slavery. But as the story progresses, an entirely new universe opens up to Taren, and over the course of the 3 series books, he learns that he has a destiny to fulfill and that Ian is an integral part of that destiny.

There’s magic in the Mermen of Ea books, not the least of which is how Ea transform from one form to another. I’ll leave you with a taste of that magic. The excerpt below is from the first book in the series, where Taren transforms for the first time. And when you’re done with the excerpt, be sure to read down about how to enter the blog tour contest to win a super cool mermen marriage ornament and other fun prizes! Happy reading! -Shira

Running with the Wind Blog Tour Stops

 

1-Jun	Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings
1-Jun	Tara Lain
2-Jun	Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
3-Jun	My Fiction Nook
4-Jun	Amanda C. Stone
5-Jun	Carly’s Book Reviews
8-Jun	Bayou Book Junkie
9-Jun	Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
10-Jun	Decadent Delights
11-Jun	MM Good Book Reviews
12-Jun	Inked Rainbow Reads
15-Jun	Divine Magazine
16-Jun	Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves
17-Jun	BFD Book Blog
18-Jun	The Novel Approach
19-Jun	Because Two Men Are Better Than One
22-Jun	Kimi-Chan
22-Jun	Happily Ever Chapter
23-Jun	Prism Book Alliance
24-Jun	Cate Ashwood
25-Jun	Love Bytes
26-Jun	Molly Lolly

 

 Blurb: Sequel to Into the Wind, Mermen of Ea: Book Three

With the final confrontation between the island and mainland Ea factions looming, Taren and Ian sail with Odhrán to investigate a lost colony of merfolk in the Eastern Lands. Upon their arrival, the King of Astenya welcomes them as friends. Odhrán, however, isn’t so quick to trust the descendent of the man who held him prisoner for nearly a decade, especially now that he has someone to cherish and protect—the mysterious winged boy he rescued from the depths.
Armed with the knowledge he believes will save the Ea, Taren returns to the mainland. With Ian at his side, Taren convinces Vurin that their people must unite with their island brethren before it’s too late. When Seria and his men attack, Taren must call upon the ancient power of the rune stone to protect his comrades. But using the stone’s immeasurable power commands a hefty price—and Ian fears that price is Taren’s life.

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Excerpt from Stealing the Wind

The setup: Taren has been rescued by a rival pirate ship, the Phantom. He tries to escape and accidentally stabs the pirate captain, Ian, when Ian tries to stop him. They both fall into the water, and sharks, smelling Ian’s blood, come to investigate. Taren tries to rescue Ian, but soon learns that Ian doesn’t need rescuing….

 

“Get out of the water. I will handle this.” Taren imagined he heard the voice in his mind. Ian’s voice. But before he could react, one of the sharks was upon him, teeth sinking into the flesh of his right leg and tugging on it. The pain was excruciating, as if a thousand knives were slicing their way into his muscle and bone.

He saw movement amidst the blood. His own blood. Another creature—smaller than the shark but no less powerful—had the shark in its grasp and was prying its jaws open. The second shark made to attack the creature, but the creature’s tail hit the shark so hard, it shook, then swam away.

By now, Taren had no air left to breathe. He felt light-headed, his body heavy. The pain subsided, his mind now filled with a dreamlike sense of calm.

“No!” Again the voice. Ian’s voice. Even in death, was he consigned to always hear that voice?

Go away. “Look at me!”

Taren opened his eyes and looked into Ian’s face. Another dream. Taren’s eyes drifted closed once more. Hands gently cradled his face. He leaned into those hands, allowing himself to drift toward sleep. He imagined his lungs filling with water, although he was breathing as though it were air.

“Taren. Open your eyes!”

Taren forced his eyes open again. The water was dark with blood. The smell was powerful and disturbing. He was dying. He wanted only to leave the pain behind.

Let me die.

“No. Take my hand, Taren. Let me show you the secret your body has hidden from you.”

Taren reached out, knowing this was all a dream. Was he dead already? Then he felt it: a hand, solid and warm in his own cold one. Ian?

“Yes.”

I had a dream about you like this. Beneath the waves. Taren took a long breath and smiled. He liked this dream. It was warm here, as if he were wrapped in blankets and seated before a fire. I tried to follow you, but—

“You’re breathing, Taren.”

Hmmm? Why was Ian speaking to him? He only wanted to sleep.

“Taren! Wake up! Look at me.”

Taren forced his eyes open once more and smiled at Ian. He liked seeing Ian here, in his dream. He liked the feel of Ian’s hands on his face. Dreaming….

“Taren, listen to me! You’re not dreaming.”

Why couldn’t Ian just enjoy this dream with him? Did he always have to be so contrary?

“Taren! Look at me! You’re breathing.”

Ian was right. He was breathing. The water filled his lungs. What the devil? Was this part of the dream?

“Listen to me, Taren.” Ian’s voice again, in his mind. “This isn’t a dream. You’ve lost a lot of blood. I can’t stop it. But you can. If you follow me, you can stop it.”

Follow you?

“Look at me, Taren. All of me.”

Ian pulled away, but Taren clutched his hand tightly. “It’s all right, Taren. I won’t let go. Just look at me.”

Taren nodded, then looked down at Ian’s broad shoulders. His skin seemed to shimmer in the moonlight. Ian floated upward, still holding Taren’s hand. That’s when Taren saw the markings at Ian’s waist. No. Not markings. Scales? And lower down, he saw a tail where Ian’s legs were supposed to be.

What?

“Don’t be afraid. We’re the same.” I’m not—

“We’re the same, Taren. It’s how you found our ship. It’s why I….” Why you what?

“Why I couldn’t let you go.” I don’t understand.

“Taren, you must let it happen. Let your body change. You know what you must do.”

I’m not one of you. I… I don’t even know what you are. “We are your people, Taren.”

You’re not my—

“You feel it. I know you do. Come, Taren. Please.”

I’m not dreaming. Taren suddenly knew this with certainty. With that realization came pain so devastating, Taren wondered if the shark was back and he really had dreamed the entire conversation with Ian. But Ian’s reassuring squeeze of his hand told him otherwise. He was awake. Awake, and watching Ian… swim.

It hurts. Gods, it hurts!

“The first time is the worst. Don’t be afraid.” Ian pulled Taren against him and held him close. “It will be over soon. Just focus on the feel of my body against yours.”

The pain that had begun in his feet now traveled the length of his body. Much like the shark teeth that nearly sank to his bone, the pain was deep, all encompassing. As if his skin had been splayed open to the salt water and was burning him, consuming him like flame from inside.

I can’t—

“It’s almost done.”

Before, when he’d been dying, there had been no pain. Now was far worse. More than he could bear. Then, suddenly, the pain was gone. Taren opened his eyes. Ian squeezed his hand and smiled at him, letting him float at arm’s length.

“How do you feel?”

Strange. His body vibrated as though his skin was alive with sensation, as though he could feel every drop of water around him as it danced over his body. Taren looked down at his legs, but where his legs once were, there was now a powerful tail. Good gods! What am I?

“We call ourselves Ea. Neither man nor beast. The humans call us mermen.”

Mermen? Then do you live in the sea?

“No. But we must live near it or we perish. Our bodies must transform from time to time—the call is too powerful.”

How can I hear you?

“When we are in this state, we can hear each other’s thoughts.”

All of my thoughts? That Ian might know his true feelings left Taren feeling uneasy. Naked, even.

“No.” Taren imagined he heard Ian’s warm laugh. Or had he really heard it? “Only those thoughts you mean to share with me. Any other thoughts are yours alone.”

Oh. I see.

Ian pointed downward. “Swim with me, Taren.” But my wounds? And yours?

“See for yourself.” Ian lifted his arms so Taren could see the smooth skin of his abdomen. “The transformation heals our human bodies. More than that, it heals our hearts and souls.”

 

******

 To enter the Into the Wind Blog Tour Contest, click on this link to take you to Rafflecopter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cf0ba94912/?

Release Date: June 8, 2015

Blurb:

Sequel to Into the Wind

With the final confrontation between the island and mainland Ea factions looming, Taren and Ian sail with Odhrán to investigate a lost colony of merfolk in the Eastern Lands. Upon their arrival, the King of Astenya welcomes them as friends. Odhrán, however, isn’t so quick to trust the descendent of the man who held him prisoner for nearly a decade, especially now that he has someone to cherish and protect—the mysterious winged boy he rescued from the depths.

Armed with the knowledge he believes will save the Ea, Taren returns to the mainland. With Ian at his side, Taren convinces Vurin that their people must unite with their island brethren before it’s too late. When Seria and his men attack, Taren must call upon the ancient power of the rune stone to protect his comrades. But using stone’s immeasurable power commands a hefty price—and Ian fears that price is Taren’s life.

Sales Links:

eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6455

Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6456

About the author:

In her last incarnation, Shira was a professional opera singer, performing roles in such operas as “Tosca,” “i Pagliacci,” and “La Traviata,” among others. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle.

Shira is married with two children and two insane dogs, and when she’s not writing she is usually in a courtroom trying to make the world safer for children. When she’s not working, she can be found aboard a 36’ catamaran at the Carolina coast with her favorite sexy captain at the wheel.

 

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shira.anthony

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shira-Anthony/177484618974406

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterShira

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/anthony0564/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4641776.Shira_Anthony

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ShiraAnthony/posts

 

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24027250-running-with-the-wind

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Anne Cain

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Thank you for stopping by! Remember to enter on the Rafflecopter. : )