Beating the COVID Blues by Alice Renaud #FearlessFriday #Inspiration #WritersLife

FEARLESS FRIDAY

Please welcome Alice Renaud back to Discover... with an inspirational Fearless Friday. 

The pandemic has turned many people’s lives upside down. Things, habits, beliefs that seemed solid and durable have melted away like snow. Routine activities like going to the shops, riding a bus, attending church, are suddenly fraught with danger.

Have I done something rash recently? Hell, yeah. I went to church and took Communion, then I took the bus back home. Armed with my mask, hand sanitizer, and a six-foot force field around me to stop people coming too close, I felt like Ranulph Fiennes trekking across Antarctica.

COVID has undoubtedly made us a lot more fearful. Yet the more time I spend at home, the more I avoid risks, the more I realize that I do need some excitement in my life. I need to try something new, to push the boundaries, to take a little bit of risk. Otherwise my brain and even my body start to feel… stale. Like a house closed up for too long. I yearn to open a window and let the fresh air in.

So, what to do, when we are deep into our third lockdown, and can’t even sit outside because it’s pelting down with rain? How can we be a little more fearless?

Thank God for writing. My Fearless moments in the past months have come from stretching myself as a writer. Getting out of my comfort zone. Experimenting with new genres, characters, styles.

During the first lockdown, last spring, I wrote my first sci-fi romance story. Appropriately, it’s about a cowboy who goes much further and takes far more risks than I ever could. He goes into space, to another planet. Albastra is a beautiful world, blue and peaceful, but it is ridden with germs, every one of which is deadly to humans. When the cowboy meets the gorgeous alien Melynas, he soon falls for her, but one kiss could be fatal… You won’t be surprised to learn that I got my inspiration from a lockdown dream! The story, Space Cowboy Blues, is included in the BVS romance anthology Cowboy Desire, on pre order now for only $0.99.

Then during the second lockdown, in November, I wrote my very first gay/menage story. It is set in Las Vegas, features a mermaid, a witch and a warlock, and will hopefully be out later this year (if my publisher agrees) in a new BVS anthology, Rainbow Desire.

Whatever our circumstances, stories can help us escape, at least in spirit. I hope you will enjoy this latest offering from BVS and its talented authors, and hope you and your family are safe and well. As Tiny Tim says at the end of A Christmas Carol, “God bless us, everyone!” 

Buy Link for Cowboy Desire: https://amzn.to/2LmdUhD 

Blurb for Cowboy Desire

Cowboy Desire is an eclectic assortment of short stories. Including contemporary, historical, fantasy, and even outer space romance, Cowboy Desire offers fourteen stunning short stories.

These fourteen authors provide a range of sweet to sexy stories all with a cowboy theme. They feature strong men and women battling the weather and dangerous terrain, here on earth and in outer space.

The collection is as diverse as the authors who wrote them. Here’s a chance to discover new talented authors and the characters they create. Within these pages, there are blends of tender, often moving, thought-provoking and downright sexy stories. 

Blurb for Space Cowboy Blues

Josh is a space cowboy. His job? Taming alien species. But on the blue planet Albastra, the beautiful Melynas is more than a match for him. He'd love to get close to her... but everything on Albastra is lethal. Including her...

 

Mermaids Marry in Green and Other Aquatic Creatures by Alice Renaud #fantasy #romance

 MUSE MONDAY

Please welcome Alice Renaud back to Discover... I love her fantasy stories so grab a cup and sit back and enjoy!

I grew up in Brittany, western France, my father was Breton and my mother is Welsh, so you could say I received a double dose of Celtic heritage. Welsh myths and legends are a big source of inspiration for me. Especially the monsters. Welsh monsters like water, and water features heavily in all my stories. The first two books in my Sea of Love series are set in, near, or under the sea; the third, Mermaids Marry in Green, on pre order now, is set in London, but a lot of the action takes place near or in the river Thames. 

Here are a few of my favourite aquatic creatures! 

The Water Horse (Ceffyl Y Dwr)

The Water Horse is a spirit who takes the shape of a horse and offers unwary travellers a ride on his back, only to throw them off and try to drown them in the marshes. In some stories he can also take human form. He can live in any body of water: the sea, rivers, ponds, even baptismal fonts in churches. The Water Horse features in the second book of my series, Music for a Merman. 

Mermaids and Mermen 

The whole Sea of Love series revolves around mermaids and mermen. My merfolk are shape shifters who can take human shape, but also have an aquatic form. In their aquatic form, they have webbed hands and feet and a tail, but not a fish tail. They are one hundred per cent hot-blooded mammals. 

Afanc 

The afanc lives in lakes or pools. He is part crocodile, part beaver. Folk think he’s a terrifying monster, but in my third book, Mermaids Marry in Green, he is an intelligent, magical, lost creature. The mermaid heroine Caltha teams up with the hero, Jonty the warlock, to find the afanc. Once she has found him however she has to rescue him, which brings her in conflict with the warlocks who want to capture and study him. 

Torrent spectre 

This malevolent spirit haunts mountain torrents and streams high up in the hills, and often takes the shape of a terrifying, evil old man. He can cause flooding and chaos and revels in it. He is related to the mist hag, a fearsome old woman who hides in thick fog and shrieks the names of those who are about to die. I think both would make great villains in my next book! 

The Giant Cat of Anglesey 

This needs no description! I just love the idea of a giant cat roaming an island, chasing horses as if they were mice. King Arthur captures him in one of the legends. 

Blurb: Mermaids Marry in Green 

Caltha Dooran is the toughest, fiercest shape-shifting mermaid in the western seas. She has three Clans to rule, and no time for romance. But when a warlock, Jonty, turns up and asks her to come with him to London to capture a water monster, she can't say no. In London, away from her duties, her attraction for Jonty grows... and they soon fall under each other's spell. But will his past and her responsibilities pull them apart, or can they find the only true magic, the one that binds two souls together? 

Buy Links

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FCQQ75P

https://books2read.com/u/3LglAN 

Excerpt 

A pile of twigs shuddered and slid to the side. Two yellow eyes peered at her out of the tangle of wood and litter. Excitement exploded in Caltha’s chest, rocking her whole body. She’d found him! But she strove to keep her voice low and soft.

“Afanc?”

A reptilian head that looked like a crocodile’s, but smaller, pushed through a plastic bag. The mouth opened, revealing a row of sharp teeth. “Morwenna?” the creature hissed, in Caltha’s language.

She tried to repress the trembling in her body and appear calm so the creature wouldn’t take fright. “Yes, I am a mermaid.” She lifted her webbed hands to show him. The afanc extended a furry paw, tipped with powerful claws. Caltha brushed the damp fur with her fingers. “I’m Caltha.”

The afanc let out a sigh. “Morwenna Caltha,” he said. He stared at her with shining eyes full of hope. “I am lost. Can you help?”

Caltha’s mind went blank with surprise. She’d expected a powerful water monster with awesome magical powers, not this vulnerable animal pleading for assistance.

The afanc stretched its neck towards her. “Please?”

Compassion engulfed Caltha. “Of course I’ll help you.” 

Bio

Alice lives in London, UK, with her husband and son. By day she's a compliance manager for a pharmaceutical company. By night she writes fantasy romance about shape shifting mermen, water monsters and time-travelling witches. Her first book, “A Merman’s Choice,” was published in January 2019 by Black Velvet Seductions. It is the first book in a fantasy romance trilogy inspired by the landscapes and legends of Brittany and Wales. The second book, “Music for a Merman,” is out now and the third, “Mermaids Marry in Green,” will be released on 1 November. Alice has also written two short stories for BVS anthologies, “The Sweetest Magic of All,” in “Mystic Desire,” out now, and “The Holiday Mermaid” in “Desire Me Again,” out in October. Alice loves reading and writing stories, and sharing them with anyone who’s interested! 

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AliceRenaudAuthorRomance/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alicerauthor

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-renaud-author-4219b6166/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alicerenaudauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18670218.Alice_Renaud

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alice-renaud

Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Renaud/e/B07L52P17B

 

Myths, Magic and Festivals by Alice Renaud #fantasy #pagan

MUSE MONDAY

Please welcome Alice Renaud to Muse Monday. What a fun post about fantasy and our own beliefs.

With Easter only one week away, it got me thinking about religious festivals and their place in my writing. I am a Christian, and always look forward to Easter, even if the celebration will be muted this year. But like many of my favourite fantasy authors, I create characters who are… pagan. Robin Hobb, George R.R. Martin, even Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman… all their worlds are pagan worlds, peopled with gods and monsters. I wonder why that is. Perhaps we can blame Tolkien – the devout Catholic who was obsessed with Beowulf and the vanished universe of pagan Saxon England. Maybe it’s because fantasy is rooted in our collective past – and in Europe we were pagans for a long time before we became Christians. Many pagan customs and festivals have endured, under a different name, like the old winter feasts of Halloween and Christmas.

When I started to write my fantasy romance Sea of Love trilogy, it seemed natural that my shape shifting merfolk would have a mythology of their own. Their goddess, or guardian spirit if you prefer, is the Lady of the Sea, a supernatural watery being who watches over the merfolk… but also over humans who love the sea. The Lady plays an important part in the first two books in the series (which can be read independently), A Merman’s Choice and Music for aMerman. She is really an embodiment of the ocean and Mother Nature, in all her beauty and fierceness.

I don’t see a contradiction between being a Christian, being active in my church, and writing about a “pagan” world.  For me the pagan faith is about a deep love of nature, a burning desire to venerate and protect all living things. “The Divine comes in many forms, and I have many names. But only one love for all the children of the sea,” the Lady tells Alex, the heroine of A Merman’s Choice. The merfolk have a guardian spirit in their image… but the Divine spirit encompasses all living things.

So whatever your beliefs, I hope you are enjoying the spring… and that you will be celebrating in some form, whether it’s in church, in a garden, or simply eating chocolate eggs! Read more about Alex’s encounter with the Lady of the Sea in the excerpt below.

A Merman’s Choice, Book 1 in the Sea of Love series (books in the series can be read independently)

Blurb

For centuries the shape-shifting mermen of the Morvann Islands have lived incognito among humans. But one of them, Yann, has developed some bad habits. Like rescuing humans, even when doing so risks revealing his true nature. When he fishes Alex out of the sea, he doesn’t expect her to reappear eight months later, and turn his life upside down by asking him to be her guide.

Alex is determined to fulfil a promise to her dying grandmother, by gathering pictures and stories of the Morvanns. But she soon discovers that, on these remote Welsh islands, legends have a habit of becoming true!

Over the course of a few days, Yann and Alex grow close. But some mermen hate humans. Their hostility, and Yann’s secret, threaten to tear the couple apart just as they are discovering that they are soul mates. Can Yann overcome the obstacles in his path and make the right choice?

Buy Links

https://amzn.to/2QglyeI
https://books2read.com/u/31xw7a

Excerpt

An odd, resigned calm enveloped Alex. She felt that she was detaching from her body as she sank into the depths, the same emerald colour as Yann’s eyes. She thought of him, his face, his laugh. If she had to die, she wanted to die with that image in her mind.

A feminine voice spoke in her head. You’re not going to die.

Alex’s chest was no longer hurting. She was underwater, yet she was breathing. I’m dreaming, she thought.

The voice answered. No, you are not. I am real. This is truly happening. The words echoed in Alex’s mind, soft but deep, and rich with all the sounds of the sea. She could hear a dolphin sing, somewhere near the surface, and she understood its language. She could hear fishes whispering, and the great thumping dance of the humpback whales, far away.

Arches rose before Alex, shining and transparent. The structure resembled a crystal palace under the waves. Out of the palace came a figure. A woman, as young and beautiful as the spring, as dazzling and majestic as the ocean. She wore a turquoise dress, and a silver crown on her sea-green hair. In her arms, she held a small, perfect, sleeping baby.

She glided towards Alex. You are safe.

To her amazement, Alex did feel safe. She was no longer drowning. Somehow, she knew that the apparition was not a hallucination, and that she spoke the truth. The legends were coming to life.

Who are you? she thought. Where am I?

The woman smiled. Light emanated from her, with a honeyed brilliance that rippled through the water, bathing Alex in a comforting glow. I am the Lady of the Sea, and you are in my kingdom, in the mermen’s world.

Leaving It All Behind by Alice Renaud #FearlessFriday #FantasyRomance

FEARLESS FRIDAY

Please welcome Alice Renaud today. Fearless comes in many forms. Moving countries is a huge fearless step. Alice has a great story.

I’ve always liked the Fearless Fridays feature on Brenda’s blog. I love reading about people taking risks and getting way out of their comfort zone. I’m quite cautious by nature – well I was an accountant for 24 years, and am now a compliance manager, hardly devil-may-care occupations! I’d always wanted to do a Fearless Friday spot, but was racking my brain to find one example of brave or risky behaviour in my past.

Then I realized that I did get out of my comfort zone, when I was 26. I moved countries!

I am French, and was born and brought up in Western France, a beautiful area called Brittany (see the blue sky and sea behind me?) I studied in Paris and worked in Paris after my graduation. In 1997, I had been living comfortably in central Paris for 4 years. I had a nice flat, a good job, friends, and a young man I was keen on. I thought he was keen on me, too…

However, something in me wasn’t settled. Strangely, in all the time I spent in Paris, I never bought a bed. For 4 years I slept on a mattress on the floor. Every time I thought about buying a bed, a voice in my head whispered, “Why bother? You might not be here for long.”

Then the company I was working for at the time offered me a job in their UK subsidiary, in London. It was a good opportunity, but I was torn – mainly because of the young man. I spoke to my mum, who said, “Go for it! You can always come back. If the relationship is serious, it will survive.”

Wise words, mum. So at 26, I left flat, friends and young man behind, and moved to London.

The day I moved into my new London flat (it had furniture and a bed!) was a bright, sunny spring day. On the busy street outside, two middle aged ladies were trotting towards the shops. They both wore pink tutus, and had gauze wings on their backs.

And nobody, nobody, batted an eyelid. I thought, “Hey… I like this!” In Paris people would definitely have stared, or said something.

The first months were not easy. The new job was more challenging than the one I’d had in Paris, I had a lot more responsibilities and had lost my support network of friends and colleagues. It took me a while to find new friends and build a new life. But something told me that I’d made the right choice.

It turned out the Parisian young man wasn’t that keen after all. But I met another young man, a Londoner. We’ve been married for 14 years now and have a 10-year old son. And I love London more each day. It’s truly my home.

My first fantasy romance novella, A Merman’s Choice, was published in January 2019 by Black Velvet Seductions. It is inspired by the landscapes and legends of Brittany, where I grew up. The second book in the series, Music for a Merman, was released on 1 November. The hero, Rob Regor, also gets out of his comfort zone. He’s a shape shifting merman who leaves his home and his people to live among humans and work as a policeman. The experience changes him in ways he could not have imagined, and leads him to meet the love of his life, the human eco-warrior Charlie.

Get the book here: AMAZON:  https://amzn.to/2ZkU5wR

AND OTHER GREAT PLACES: https://books2read.com/u/mdG7Bw

A bit more about myself

Alice lives in London, UK, with her husband and son. By day she's a compliance manager for a pharmaceutical company. By night she writes fantasy romance about shape shifting mermen, water monsters and time-travelling witches. Her first book, “A Merman’s Choice,” was published in January 2019 by Black Velvet Seductions. It is the first book in a fantasy romance trilogy inspired by the landscapes and legends of Brittany and Wales. The second book, “Music for a Merman,” is out now. Alice has also written a short story, “The Sweetest Magic of All,” included in the BVS “Mystic Desire” anthology, out now.

Alice loves reading and writing stories, and sharing them with anyone who’s interested!

Stalk me here (links)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AliceRenaudAuthorRomance/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alicerauthor

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-renaud-author-4219b6166/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alicerenaudauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18670218.Alice_Renaud

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alice-renaud

Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Renaud/e/B07L52P17B

The #Villains We Love to Hate by Alice Renaud #fantasy

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Please welcome Alice Renaud who loves villains as much as I do...

Villains! Don’t you love them? A good villain really spices up a story, gives the heroes someone to fight against, and drives the plot forward. Who can forget the evil witch in Hansel and Gretel, or Cruella de Vil and her Dalmatian coat? If you looked at her and murmured, “Oooh, I’d like a coat like that,” congratulations! You had an eye for fashion, as well as, possibly, psychopathic tendencies. But maybe that was just me.

As we grow up, we gravitate towards more complex villains. For me, the best villains are the ones that hold the possibility of redemption. The villains that might, just might, become your friend, unite with you against a common enemy, or even save your life! And also, the funny ones. We all love a villain who makes us laugh.

So here are my top 5 favourite villains. Who would make your list? Let me know in the comments!

Darth Vader. The ultimate villain, dark, powerful, mysterious – and he redeems himself through his amazing sacrifice to save his son.

Loki, in The Avengers films. He’s bad! He’s good! He’s funny! He’s played by Tom Hiddleston! What more do you want?

Snape in the Harry Potter saga. He’s a baddie who was really a goodie all along! A tragic, romantic hero, played in the films by the great, late, Alan Rickman.

Any pirate, real or imaginary. Who hasn’t dreamt of being whisked away by a dashing baddie, cutlass in hand? If he looks like Johnny Depp in his prime, all the better!

Villanelle, played by Jodie Comer in Killing Eve. The best female baddie ever, the perfect psychopath, and yes, she’s as funny as hell, and just as inhuman.

In my book A Merman’s Choice, the villain is Rhys Regor, leader of the Regor Merman Clan. He hates humans, and is determined to stop the hero, Yann, from hooking up with the delicious Alex – because Alex is human. But Rhys softens up eventually, when he becomes a grandfather. It does take him two books, though!

Meet him and my heroes in A Merman’s Choice, buy here: https://books2read.com/u/31xw7a

Mermen are forbidden from marrying humans. When Yann falls in love with Alex, he faces the most difficult choice of his life. A hot and tender forbidden love story between a shape shifting merman and a young woman, set in a mysterious island off the coast of Wales.

Bio: Alice lives in London, UK, with her husband and son. By day she's a compliance manager for a pharmaceutical company. By night she writes fantasy romance about shape shifting mermen, water monsters and lovelorn witches.

Contact links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AliceRenaudAuthorRomance/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alicerauthor

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-renaud-author-4219b6166/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alicerenaudauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18670218.Alice_Renaud

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alice-renaud