Blog Tour: THE MERMAID AND THE UNICORNS

The Mermaid and the Unicorns

by L.T. Getty

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GENRE: Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure

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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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NOTE: The book is only $0.99.

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Excerpt One:

“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.

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Interview:

Where are you from? Tell us a little about yourself!

My name is Leia and I live in a town called Elie in Southern Manitoba. I have been a paramedic for a little over ten years. I have a dog and a cat, and I normally like to bike and kayak. I am getting over some terrible plantar fasciitis, so it hasn’t been the most active summer on record.

Besides writing fantasy and science fiction, I like to draw and paint, but I am not really up to a professional level like I feel like I’m hovering with the writing. I am also an unintentional Meme Lord, hang out for three minutes on my Facebook page and you’ll understand.

Tell us about your book? How did it get started?

I wanted to write a book for my niece when she was just getting started into chapter books. I wrote Garnet and Silver for her when she was born, but this one was more specific as to what she liked. Not going to lie; once I got inspired I basically wrote a book I would have liked when I was a kid, but there’s certain elements… you know, mermaids and unicorns… that I think have this cross-generational appeal.

I think it’s a girl and horses schtick. I’m not really sure where it comes from but it hit me hard when I was like five.

Where do you write? Is there something you need in order to write (music, drinks?)

I can write just about anywhere – I edited my first novel Tower of Obsidian in the back of the ambulance when I was precepting, and I bring a notebook with me to work. I often worked multiple jobs or job and school, and there was a lot of hurry up and wait, and I wasn’t supposed to, but I definitely wrote things in little notebooks. 

To sit down and write on my computer though, I need to be left alone. Generally speaking people often act like I’m not working even when they acknowledge that I’m typing away, so they think nothing of bothering me. I don’t mind working with someone on a project, but if you want me to format something or get something done, I can’t stop and go and then be in the same mindset to work. 

What would your advice to be for authors or aspiring in regards to writing?

Don’t give up, don’t get discouraged. There’s an absolute ton of material out there, and it sometimes seems like everyone’s into things you’re not doing or, people paint with a very broad brush what you’re trying to do. These are usually the same people who say all X is the same, and then wrinkle their noses and look at you confusion when you’re trying to do something different, saying they don’t get it.

There’s plenty of different strokes for different folks, and so even if you are writing for a very niche market, the trick is getting the product to them. The problems you’re most likely to face, besides the absolute ton of competition, is likely to be something along the lines of writing is a lot harder than it seems..

I think most people are capable of telling one or two really good stories, but if you want to go the route of novelist, of story teller, it’s a lot of reading what other people have done as well as 

Anything else you’d like to share?

The Mermaid and the Unicorns is a book meant for readers aged 10-12, it’s a fantasy adventure. Not everything I have written is meant for kids, so just keep it in mind if your 10 year old likes it, most of my work for Champagne books is meant for an older, more mature audience. I will be working on more middle grade books in the future, so more will be coming please be patient.

Also, if you feel so inclined, if you read my work please leave an online review, even if it’s a brief, one line or even that you didn’t like it. I’m not here to judge you or fight, but letting other people know why you did or didn’t like it will help other people make informed consumer decisions. Maybe the reason you didn’t like it may inadvertently tell the intended audience the information they need to make an informed decision.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

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

Amazon (American)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09F2MRB9N/ 

Amazon (Canadian)

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B09F2MRB9N/

Kobo

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-mermaid-and-the-unicorns

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60006465-the-mermaid-and-the-unicorns

Barnes and Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mermaid-and-the-unicorns-lt-getty/1140115966

Author Links: 

My Blog

https://ltgetty.ca/

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

L.T. Getty will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway