Guest Blog and Catch of a Lifetime Giveaway with Judi Fennell

Hi and thanks so much for having me back to talk about my Mer series. The third story, Catch of a Lifetime, hits the shelves this month and has all the characteristics of previous stories: groan-worthy clichés that I hope make you laugh while you groan, puns galore, talking animals, humor, adventure, life-and-death scenarios, and romance.

"Romance?" you ask. "How can you have romance with all the rest of that going on?"

Believe me, I ask myself that question all the time.

See, I never started out writing humor. Trust me, if you ask anyone I went to school with if I was the class clown they'd laugh at you. Me? Funny?

Hardly.

So it was quite the surprise to see that my stories had more than a slight element of humor in them. I love getting the emails or reading reviews where the reader says that parts of my books had them laughing out loud. That makes me laugh. Because, really, I still have to sit back and shake my head at some of the stuff that comes out of my head.

How do I do it? The honest answer is, I have no idea. I've written and re-written this blog post over and over, trying to analyze it and I've realized that I better stop trying to analyze it. I was delving too deep into my own psyche and, really, it can be scary in there.

Just kidding.

Seriously, though, you know the old adage, if it's not broken, don't fix it? Yep, pretty much the same for my writing.

I don't know why what I write is humorous, other than to say that I write the stories I like to read and in a way I find enjoyable. Before my editor offered me a contract, I had no idea if anyone else found the same things funny. When she called me and told me how much she enjoyed the story and had laughed while reading it, it was a "hallelujah!" moment. Someone else had the same screwy sense of humor I do!

Turns out there are a lot of us with this wacky sense of humor. I love getting the emails where readers quote their favorite lines to me. Besides being really nice to hear, it's also incredibly validating. So many times, we're alone, sitting in front of our computer screen, staring at that blinking cursor, wondering, "Okay, what's next?" We have no idea if it's any good/sad/funny/touching/terrorizing/romantic/etc. until someone reads it and lets us know.

Thank you for letting me know that you've enjoyed the first two books in the series, and I hope you enjoy Angel and Logan's story.

Here's a sample:

***

“Okay, Angel, I know all about needing to prove yourself. But do you have any qualifications for child care? References?”

Oh did she. Sadly, they were all Mer-related. “One of my degrees is in child studies.” Human child studies, to be precise, but she knew better than to make that distinction. “As for references, well, word would get back and that would defeat the purpose of not calling, wouldn’t it? But I do have them.”

“One of your degrees? How many do you have?”

Angel headed down the length of the dock to where Michael was impatiently waiting for them.

“Just three. Child studies, Humanol—um sociology, and biology.”

Logan’s long legs caught him up to her quickly. “Hence the field study.”

“Correct. Oh, and a minor in basket-weaving.”

He stopped and grabbed her arm again, laughing. “Basket-weaving?”

“Yes. What’s so funny about that?” This time she didn’t need a reason to yank her arm from his hand. She’d worked damn hard to get her degrees. That course had opened up a world of information about textiles and early Human craftsmanship. “It’s quite fascinating.” She shoved off with the right foot, toes providing momentum. Or was it the ball of the foot? Damn, he’d made her forget the biomechanics.

“If you find basket-weaving fascinating enough to study it, as well as have all the drive to earn all those other degrees, I might have you tutor Michael instead of babysitting him.” This time when he caught up to her, he didn’t put a hand on her, thank the gods.

“Tutor? I don’t think that would be—”

“Relax, Angel. I was only joking. Michael’s looking forward to hitting the books when school starts.”

Now it was her turn to stop him. “You hit books? Why?”

Logan’s eyebrows went up. “You’ve never heard that expression?”

Oh, fish. She really had to watch her step—all of them. She plastered a smile on her face. “Now who’s joking?”

“Touché. So, we’ll work out a schedule for your field study and my work. Sound good?”

It sounded more than good. It sounded perfect. “Yes. Thank you, Logan. I won’t let you and your wife down.”

“My wife?”

“Rainbow? Michael’s mother?”

Logan rolled those brown eyes. “Rainbow, that is, Christine, is certainly not my wife, and if she hadn’t signed the birth certificate she pinned to Michael’s shirt before she took off, I’d be hard-pressed to call her his mother. Trust me, Angel, letting her down is the least of your worries.”

Michael stomped down the steps, his red sneakers flapping loudly on the planks. “Why do grown-ups always walk so slow? Rainbow never wants to hurry.”

Logan muttered something about Rainbow being in a hurry to get out of town, but low enough that Michael didn’t hear him.

Angel was sorry she had.

It was one thing to have to look at him clinically as a Human subject.

It was quite another to see him as a man.

© Judi Fennell, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2010

***

And I hope you enjoy the genie series that releases in January 2011, with I Dream of Genies. But, never fear, as I've said to my editor, it's a big ocean out there, and Mariana and Pearl are already chatting up their stories to me, so I hope to get those written in the future.

About the Author

Judi Fennell is an award-winning author. Her romance novels have been finalists in Gather.com's First Chapters and First Chapters Romance contests, as well as the third American Title contest. She spends family vacations at the Jersey Shore, the setting for some of her paranormal romance series. She lives in suburban Philadelphia, PA. For More information, and a chance to win a romantic ocean getaway, visit www.judifennell.com.

Contest Time

2 copies of Catch of a Lifetime are up for grabs to US and Canada residents

Just leave a comment on this post with email info

+5 entries for being a blog follower

+5 entries for following on @RoxanneRhoads

Judi Fennell Guest Blog and Giveaway

Thanks so much for asking me to come on to talk about the second book in my Mer series. One of the first questions I always get when I tell people I write about mermen and mermaids invariably has to do with how they “do it.” Funny how a story of romance, of myths and legends come to life, of Atlantis and Greek gods, of adventure, betrayal, and treasure, comes down to sex.

Before In Over Her Head was released I used to say, “You'll have to read the book to find out,” but now that it's out, it’s no big deal to say that, in my story, the characters have legs when they make love. Other authors have written about mermaids/men who don't shift to their human form, but in my world they do. At least, when they make love with Humans. With other Mers? Well, I haven’t gone there. Yet. But you never know what’ll happen.

But in Wild Blue Under, the question does come up because Rod and Valerie are racing toward the coast, dodging peregrine dive-bombers, and avoiding the fish falling from the sky from a vindictive albatross, and have to deal with the tag-along Chief of Air Security, a seagull named Livingston, so the last thing they have time for is a night of passion. Well, okay, maybe they do have the time, but there’s the rain and the accident, and, well, I’m not going to give it away. But as they race toward the coast, Rod knows he's going to jump in the ocean with Val and they’ll both get their tails—so when/how do they “do it”?

In the contemporary romances I’ve written, getting two humans in bed realistically and believably within the context of the story can be tough at times. Add in the aspect of my Mers needing to have legs, and it’s one more element to figure into the plot. When/how will they get those legs, how will the other character react (seriously—what would you do if the guy you were all hot and bothered about suddenly got a tail?) With human characters on the run from the bad guys, you can toss them in a safe house, and adrenaline/life-and-death excitement can contribute to “the moment” (not to mention the fact that we all know these two are going to end up together so get them in bed already!). But when you’ve got “other-worldly” beings, it’s one more piece of the puzzle.

Even though I write paranormal, I like to ground my world-building in as much reality as possible so that it's not such a leap of faith to believe that there’s a whole city under Bermuda, or a whole other world under the sea. So that when you meet Angel when she’s chatting with her father, the High Councilman of Atlantis, you see that she’s just a daughter concerned for her father who just so happens to have a tail and live underwater. That Rod is dealing with having legs so he can fulfill his destiny and claim his throne, and that the birds flying overhead and dropping bombs to stop him from attaining his goal are paid thugs. So that when Rod and Valerie do finally get intimate, you’re not concerned so much about the tail as the feelings they have for each other.

So, how do Rod and Val make love? Do they have tails? Legs? Are they in the water? Out of it? On top of it?

You know, I get a perverse sort of pleasure in saying, “Neener, neener, you have to read the book to find out.”

But I will give you a teaser:

“Valerie.”

Rod’s voice sounded so close. So soft and deep and warm…

“Valerie, open your eyes.”

Something nudged her nose, and she exhaled before blinking into wispy gray dawn.

Yes, very close. His eyes were right there, mossy green with the tiniest lines at the sides as they smiled at her. Hmmm, smiling eyes. So nice to wake up to. “Rod? You’re okay?”

“Okay? That depends on what you mean by okay.” He slid his cheek against hers, and she shivered as his breath tickled the hollow beneath her ear. “How are you?”

“Hmmm?” Her eyes closed and she shifted in his arms, her fingertips feeling the smooth, hard warmth of his chest. “I’m…”

Wait a minute.

Her eyes flew open. “What—? Why are you—? What are we—?”

Oh, God, she was naked all over Rod.

Ohgodohgodohgodohgod… What was wrong with her? Where was her self-respect? Her pride? Her sense of self-preservation?

Her pajamas?

She scrambled off his thigh (oh, man, she had literally been all over him), clambering to get off the bed and cover herself and preserve some semblance of dignity.

One scooch and she landed on her backside on the threadbare carpet, her legs still trapped on the edge of the bed.

So much for dignity.

© Judi Fennell, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2009

I will tell you that Rod and Val are in a motel room, and if you'd like the chance to act out this scene—and feel fee to take it to its natural conclusion with someone special LOL—enter my contest to win one of two remaining romantic beach getaway weekends. One is at the Atlantis Inn B&B in Ocean City, NJ (www.AtlantisInn.com) and the drawing will be held November 30. The other is at the Hibiscus House B&B in West Palm Beach, FL (www.HibiscusHouse.com), drawing held on February 28, 2010 to celebrate the release of Catch of a Lifetime.

WILD BLUE UNDER—book 2 in the Mer Series—in stores November 2009!

The underwater kingdom is his as soon as he claims his queen…

Rod Tritone has the looks and charm to snag any queen he wants for his Mer kingdom, but unfortunately, it's not up to him. As fate would have it, the one woman destined to rule with him is terrified of water…

She lives in land-locked Kansas and has no idea she's a princess…

Valerie Dumere thinks Rod is gorgeous and irresistible—but why does he keep insisting she has another side to herself that only he can show her?

Somehow, Rod has to prove to her who she really is. But when she finds out the truth, will she ever forgive him?

About the Author

Judi Fennell is an award-winning author. Her romance novels have been finalists in Gather.com's First Chapters and First Chapters Romance contests, as well as the third American Title contest. She spends family vacations at the Jersey Shore, the setting for some of her paranormal romance series. She lives in suburban Philadelphia, PA.

Want to win a free copy of In Over Her Head and Wild Blue Under ?

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Guest Author Judi Fennell In Over Her Head Giveaway and Romantic Getaways

Thanks so much for having me today! I'm so excited that my first book, In Over Her Head, is out and about on the shelves and I've already heard back from readers. That's one of the best things about writing a book; hearing how people enjoyed it.

In Over Her Head is the first in a series of Mer adventure romance trilogy, featuring a family of royal Mer men and women, and the Humans who come to find out there are more than just fish in the sea.

From the back of the book:

When Erica Peck, one terrified-of-the-ocean marina owner, finds herself at the bottom of the sea conversing with a Mer man named Reel, she thinks she's died and gone to her own version of Hell. When the Oceanic Council demands she and Reel retrieve a lost cache of diamonds from the resident sea monster in return for their lives, she knows she's died and gone to Hell.
When they escape the monster and end up on a deserted island, she amends her opinion - she's died and gone to Heaven.
But when Reel sacrifices himself to allow her to return to her world, she realizes that, Heaven or Hell, with Reel, she's In Over Her Head.

Wild Blue Under and Catch of a Lifetime will follow in November ’09 and February ‘10.

So how does a marina owner end up terrified of the ocean?

Not the same way I did. Erica had an Incident in the ocean. Me? Well, I saw Jaws at an early age.

It ruined the ocean for me and gave me this irrational fear of the water. I've been going down the shore (a regional term meaning to go to the beach) since I was a kid. I can remember hanging out on a raft with a book just beyond where the waves break for HOURS. Yep, hours. Every so often I'd have to swim back up to where my parents (and the lifeguards) were, then I'd climb back on and float/read my way down the shoreline.

I used to swim back and forth, do handstands, be a regular fish in the water, only to have the living daylights scared out of me by that movie. And you know? Whenever it's on television, I still get that creeped out feeling - even though my kids look at me like I'm crazy. "Mom, that shark is totally fake," says one of the CG generation.

Yes, I know the special effects aren't so special anymore. But it wasn't the actual movie, per se, but the possibility of what could happen.

Now I know there's no shark hanging off the Jersey shore just waiting for Judi Fennell to jump in the ocean, but still, that's what an irrational fear is. Something you know is silly or won't happen, but have a tough time getting over anyway.

But I try. I honestly do. Last summer I was in the water for a good 45 minutes boogie boarding with the kids. I talked myself down as my "shark meter" ratcheted up. I always say, when I go in the water, the shark meter is around my ankles. The longer I'm in (or the less people around me, or heaven forbid I get a glimpse of a dolphin's fin before I realize it's a dolphin and not a shark), the more the meter rises. By the time it's at my throat, I need to get out.

Luckily there was something positive to come out of this irrational fear - I channeled it into Erica. When she goes down the dive line to the reef at gunpoint to find the stolen diamonds, she almost has a panic attack. I've been told from readers that that scene is very realistic. I can totally relate. LOL. And then, of course, I can make sure all the nasties in the sea "get it." And I get to create Atlantis. Now who wouldn't want to live in a place as beautiful as the Mer capital? I had a lot of fun making that place up.

Another fun thing about putting your irrational fear into a book is that you can fix it. Erica can get a backbone when it comes to the sea - so maybe I can too? Who knows, but it's worth a shot.

I've done a lot of interviews about my irrational fear, but I have to say that I love going to the shore. We go every year, and we go to Ocean City. It was a no-brainer to decide where I was going to set the story. It's a great place to vacation, very family oriented, and, I just so happen to be able to recommend a wonderful place to stay.

The Atlantis Inn Bed & Breakfast (now is that the perfect name, or what!) (http://www.atlantisinn.com/) has come on board with a promotion for readers. You can register to win not one, but two romantic beach getaway weekends at the Atlantis Inn, to celebrate the release of my first two books. The first drawing will be held June 30, so visit my website, http://www.judifennell.com/ to register.

But wait! There's more! (Cue the infomercial guy.) Hibiscus House B&B in West Palm Beach, Florida, (http://www.hibiscushouse.com/) is also on board for the release of Catch of a Lifetime, since that story takes place on the central eastern coast of Florida.

So that's one entry to be eligible to win one of 3 weekends. Whether or not you have the same irrational fear as me, nothing beats a weekend at the beach--even if you only look at the water. :)

And, if you're ever down the Jersey shore and see a woman muttering to herself in about three feet of water, go ahead an introduce yourself. She is probably me.

~ Thanks so much for for joining us today, Judi, and sharing your fears and triumphs concerning the ocean. It's great that writers can channel negativity and turn it into something positive.

OK lucky readers here's the chance you were hoping for. In addition to the chances to win a romantic getaway you also have the chance to win a copy of In Over Her Head, just leave a comment on this post with email contact info and a winner will be chosen for next week's Winner Wednesday. This time US and Canadian entries are welcome.