An avid reader and writer, Tracie Banister has been scribbling stories since she was a child, most of them featuring feisty heroines with complicated love lives like her favorite fictional protagonist Scarlett O'Hara. Her work was first seen on the stage of her elementary school, where her 4th grade class performed an original holiday play she penned. (Like all good divas-in-the-making, she also starred in and tried to direct the production.)
Tracie’s dreams of authorial success were put on the back burner when she reached adulthood and discovered that she needed a "real" job in order to pay her bills. Her career as personal assistant to a local entrepreneur lasted for 12 years. When it ended, she decided to follow her bliss and dedicate herself to writing full-time. She is the proud winner of the 2017 Independent Press Award (Romantic Comedy) and a Bronze Medal in the 2017 Readers’ Favorite Awards (Chick Lit).
In the Swim of Things is Tracie’s sixth novel and thanks to this book, she can now check another occupation off her fantasy list. She has no doubt that writing about a mermaid is much easier than actually being one!
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Ocean-loving Kyra Goodwin had to give up her dream of becoming the female Jacques Cousteau in order to take care of her father and brother, but being a mermaid at the Cape Cod Aquarium is pretty fintastic as far as alternative careers go.
Of course, life as a half-fish/half-woman isn’t all sunken treasure and Ariel twirls. Kyra has to deal with perpetually pruney fingers, eyes irritated by saltwater, and bratty kids on the daily, plus her glam alter ego can make dating really weird. (So many men have pervy siren-of-the-sea fantasies!) When she meets hunky surfer Cade, and he’s into her without knowing what she does for a living, Kyra thinks she’s finally won the romance lottery.
Unfortunately, Kyra’s plans for a carefree summer of catching waves with her new boyfriend run aground when Sea Star Beach, a place that holds great sentimental value for her, is taken over by a big-city developer who wants to build an exclusive resort. Kyra’s crusade to save her beloved beach threatens both her job and her relationship with Cade as does her growing closeness with her irresistibly broody merwrangler, Declan, whose precocious daughter is intent on playing matchmaker.
When a new family drama arises just as Kyra receives an offer that would turn her greatest desire into reality, she’s torn. Will she do what’s expected of her, or dive in and follow her heart?
When you’re a writer, you never know when inspiration might strike. A couple of years ago I was watching House Hunters International and saw a story about a woman who was relocating from the US to New Zealand. She was a professional mermaid, so there were several shots of her swimming in her tail. I’ve always loved mermaids and was fascinated to learn that you could actually make a career out of being one! Thus, the seed was planted for me to write a story about a woman who worked as a mermaid at an aquarium.
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| Photo credit: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park website |
Research is my jam, and I do a lot of it before I start writing a story so that I can get into the right head space. So, I went on a deep dive into the history of mermaid performers, going all the way back to 1947 when Weeki Wachee Springs opened in Florida and featured beautiful mermaids who could do amazing underwater tricks. The Weeki Wachee Mermaids became a huge tourist attraction, even luring actors like Elvis Presley and Esther Williams to stop by for a visit! The mermaids, who came from all over the world to try out for a coveted spot in the pod, became celebrities in their own right, performing in sold-out shows and being treated like queens wherever they went.
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| Photo credit: Coney Island USA website |
Seven decades later, the Weeki Wachee Mermaids are still going strong and their popularity has spawned similar shows all over America, as well as a thriving mer-culture that includes conventions (MerMagicCon, Mer-Mania), the annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade, and a whole cottage industry of mermaid-themed products. I watched some very informative vlogs done by a variety of professional mermaids to get the scoop on what it’s like to live the life of a siren-of-the-sea and you’ll find those tidbits scattered throughout In the Swim of Things.
One of my favorite things to research for this book was how mermaids achieve their look, using everything from cleverly-applied makeup and glittery nail art to hand-decorated bras that complement their tails. How they get in and out of those tails is another secret I include in the book. For now, I will tease that it’s quite a time-consuming ordeal!
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| Photo credit: Instagram accounts @spejldame @twi_star @_stephsnails_ |
I hope you’ll enjoy Kyra’s watery adventures in In the Swim of Things. Purchase the book during my Release Blitz (May 15th-31st) and you can enter to win a prize pack that any mermaid fan is sure to love!
RELEASE BLITZ GIVEAWAY:
Purchase a copy of In the Swim of Things (only $1.99 for Kindle!) during the Release Blitz (May 15th - May 31st, 2019) and you could win an incredible prize pack inspired by the book’s mermaid heroine and its beachy setting in Cape Cod. People who purchased In the Swim of Things during the pre-order period are also eligible for the giveaway!
Paperback version can be purchased here.
This prize pack includes:
"You’ve Mermaid My Day" Pedestal Candle Holder
3-Wick Salted Ocean Air Candle
Mermaid Squad Gift Set, inc. Travel-Sized At The Beach Ultra Shea Body Cream & Shower Gel & Beautiful Day PocketBac Hand Sanitizer
Mermaid Stemless Wine Glass with Inscription “It’s Okay to Drink
Like a Fish If You’re a Mermaid”
Mermaid Tribe Sea Glass Necklace by Lita Sea Glass Jewelry (seafoam-colored
sea glass on 18” sterling silver chain)
Mermaid Key Chain/Purse Charm (antique gold mermaid pendant with
stunning beads and a sassy tassel)
Bath & Body Works Shea-Infused Mermaid Socks
Mermaids in Paradise: An Artist’s Coloring Book
Crayola Colored Pencils (36 premium quality pencils)
To enter this giveaway, e-mail Tracie Banister at traciebanister at gmail dot com with your proof of purchase. Entries will be accepted until 11:59PM Eastern US time on Friday, May 31st when a winner will be selected via random drawing. This is an international giveaway, so anyone who buys In the Swim of Things within the allotted time frame is eligible to win. Good luck!
3 comments:
Thank you Tracie for such an awesome giveaway I have ordered my print copy and cant wait to read this book! The cover is beautiful!
I loved this book.
I purchased the e-book and I absolutely loved this fabulous Mermaid stoy. Best of luck Tracie Banister I hope you sell millions of this book and more of your other books.
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