Pouraka
Book
One
Dianne
Lynn Gardner
Genre: Fantasy romance
Publisher: Dianne Lynn Gardner
ASIN: B00T0PED40
Number of pages: 242
Word Count: 75369
Cover Artist: Dianne Lynn Gardner
Book Description:
Pouraka is a magical sea cavern
tucked under the rocky cliffs near Barnacle Bay. Cora, a Pouraka mer, is torn
between her friends in the seaside town, and her true love Tas, a foreign mer
whose people fled when men invaded their waters.
Life becomes difficult for all
mers when an arrogant oil rigger's son, Tom, finds the bay and the rich aquatic
life it harbors. When Tas attempts to rescue a pod of dolphins from Tom's gill
net, he is captured and taken away as a prize to be sold to a theme park. When
Cora hears of his capture she changes into human form and travels south to find
him, risking her life to free him.
Time away from Pouraka leaves the
cavern vulnerable, and a new threat arises when tourists discover its magic.
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/EkSwqips0D0
Available at Amazon
Excerpt:
The sand was
cool, the shells sharp and prickly, making her toes itch. She strolled to the
wet sand where the foam still bubbled into clam holes and the remnants of waves
frothed over her feet. Seagulls clustered, pecking at shellfish and welcoming
the end of day. Farther out the ocean throbbed, constant and carefree. Ever
faithful, the sea rocked back and forth over the earth as it harbored its
creatures, protecting them from the sun’s vicious heat, feeding them,
nourishing them and cradling them. Cora should be in its belly, accepting its
nurturing. She was the oceans’ charge and yet here she was, walking the land as
though she were human. She’d been denying her heritage all this time.
A surge of shame
swept over her. Why did she even want to be human? Merpeople were so much
kinder to each other, and to the animals they lived among. Why did she ever doubt
that she should live as a mermaid?
Cora took the
basket off of her back and unfastened the lid. The water inside was so clear
she could see the interior weave of kelp even in the fading sunlight. Scooting
closer to the surf so that the waves rolled over her, she held the basket above
her head.
Pouraka’s water
dripped over her hair, onto her shoulders and her face. She lifted her chin and
let it run down her neck, her chest, her belly. Cora poured the water over her
hips, her legs, and her toes as the sea rumbled and came to her, a white roll
of salt water rushing to immerse her. Cora leaned back and let the ocean
swallow her human body. The sea wanted her home, grabbing her form and pulling
her far away from shore. She tumbled in the breakers until she was saturated
and far from land. Cora came to the surface and viewed the vanishing shoreline
one last time. Sunset shined its face on her scales as golden fragments of
evening glitter. She hadn’t felt so alive in a long time. She felt good, and
somehow she would bring this freedom to Tas. She had to.
My Review
Well, let me just thank the Little Mermaid, that even as an adult I still obsess over. It's given me the love of mermaids, and books like this make me love them more :) Under water lives, sea monsters, and a little romance, how does this not perk up your interest. And the writer made me feel how much she loved what she was writing. Oh and a dolphin as your BFF is so damn cool :) But it's not all pretty. The mer people are hunted, the damn humans always wanna kill what they can't control. :) Oil rigs and pollution are damaging their waters.
Tas is a merman. He will not watch everything die, nor will he be quiet about it. Humans are killing them with their waste. Then they killed his mother, and almost killed his brother. He wants to move everyone to the north where there is a better chance of survival. North to Barnacle Bay. It seems like things are better there. Those who live there are much better off than the south folk. And not just that, the humans know about them, and help protect their areas. When they get North, some want them to go away, but they are given a pass to enter. And here's where Tas meets Cora.
Cora is from Barnacle Bay, and she likes the humans. Cora has a little magic, she can walk as a human. She has a best friend named Beth, she can visit human neighbors. Cora defends her friends, the humans, because not every one of them is bad. But sometimes, not being bad doesn't always mean good, and Cora has a lot to learn in this area. You see, humans can travel up north just like the mer folk.
This is a story that really is about becoming an adult, making the hard choices, and living life to the fullest. The romance of the book is sweet and somewhat heartbreaking. Things in love and war are never easy. The writing is fantastic. I will say it's like art, because there's just a way with words that some people have a way with a paint brush. Most of us just can't do that. PS, I have it under authority that this author is both, she painted her cover :) I can say that I just like mermaid stories, but it's not just that, it was an intriguing, and fascinating story. Beautiful! 5 PAWS
Well, let me just thank the Little Mermaid, that even as an adult I still obsess over. It's given me the love of mermaids, and books like this make me love them more :) Under water lives, sea monsters, and a little romance, how does this not perk up your interest. And the writer made me feel how much she loved what she was writing. Oh and a dolphin as your BFF is so damn cool :) But it's not all pretty. The mer people are hunted, the damn humans always wanna kill what they can't control. :) Oil rigs and pollution are damaging their waters.
Tas is a merman. He will not watch everything die, nor will he be quiet about it. Humans are killing them with their waste. Then they killed his mother, and almost killed his brother. He wants to move everyone to the north where there is a better chance of survival. North to Barnacle Bay. It seems like things are better there. Those who live there are much better off than the south folk. And not just that, the humans know about them, and help protect their areas. When they get North, some want them to go away, but they are given a pass to enter. And here's where Tas meets Cora.
Cora is from Barnacle Bay, and she likes the humans. Cora has a little magic, she can walk as a human. She has a best friend named Beth, she can visit human neighbors. Cora defends her friends, the humans, because not every one of them is bad. But sometimes, not being bad doesn't always mean good, and Cora has a lot to learn in this area. You see, humans can travel up north just like the mer folk.
This is a story that really is about becoming an adult, making the hard choices, and living life to the fullest. The romance of the book is sweet and somewhat heartbreaking. Things in love and war are never easy. The writing is fantastic. I will say it's like art, because there's just a way with words that some people have a way with a paint brush. Most of us just can't do that. PS, I have it under authority that this author is both, she painted her cover :) I can say that I just like mermaid stories, but it's not just that, it was an intriguing, and fascinating story. Beautiful! 5 PAWS
Author Interview
First, tell me a
little about your book :)….
Thank you for having
me on your blog today! I do appreciate it.
The title of my
latest novel is Pouraka. Pour-ra-ka. It means ‘cradle’ in Maori, and it is also
a tiny fish trap the use in the islands.
In my novel, Pouraka
is a magical sea cavern where the merpeople live.
The story is a YA
fantasy romance, I call it “an
underwater romance”. However, Pouraka
is more than a love story. It's a tale
about the sea, the pure and simple creatures that it protects, and their
struggle to coexist with mankind. It’s a
fantasy story that is very relevant to our times and environmental concerns.
Do you recall how
your interest in writing originated or did you always just know?
Writing to me is an
expression of the heart. You can do so much by telling stories. It’s totally
different than having a conversation with someone.
When I was young I
wrote a lot of poetry. It seemed that putting words in abstract form helped me
to understand who I was and how I felt about things. I always wanted to write a novel. It wasn’t
until my children had grown that I found the time and inspiration to write.
How do you chose
when/which characters die in your books?
Oh sometimes you
just know that a character has to die. I always thing about what will move the
story forward. What are the important plot elements? Sometimes a death really
shakes things up and helps fulfill the character arc of other people in the
story. It can also prod the motive and passion of other characters.
Who do you look up
to as a writer?
I have always love
C.S. Lewis. His writing is simple and to the point, but there is so much depth
to his stories. I also love Forrester’s work. And I’m a big fan of Tolkien.
If you had to do it
all over again, would you change anything in your book?
No. I’m happy with
Pouraka. I think what I wanted to say, the story I wanted to tell came through.
I can tell by the reviews.
Is there anything
you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I always find
battles the most difficult to write. Section s of a story when there is a lot
happening and it has to be emotional, yet specific and still paced right.
What book are you
reading now? Or what genre?
I’m reading a
mystery right now by an Indie author, Tom Wallace. The title is Gnosis.
Who designed the cover? And do you help with them?
Who designed the cover? And do you help with them?
I designed the cover
to Pouraka. I’ve been a professional oil painter for over twenty years and had
never painted mermaids before. I wanted to show compassion between Tas and Cora
on the cover. Theirs is a true love story.
Did you learn
anything from writing your books and what was it?
Of course. I am
always researching when I write. With Pouraka I had the privilege to visit the
Monterey Aquarium. It was a very timely visit. That place is amazing. They are
truly an environmentally concerned organization. Their work with sea mammals is far beyond
that of other institutions. For instance they keep no sea mammals aside from
two sea otters who were so ill when they found them they could not return them
to their natural environment. Instead should they find other sea otters (and
they do because they are situation in one of the few natural habitats of the
otter) the otters they have become surrogate mothers. When it is necessary to
feed an rescued otter, they wear special protection and masks so that the otter
does not recognize them as a person and hence do not become attached to
humans.
I also learned about
kelp gardens and how important they are to the ocean’s habitat.
If you could be one
of your characters, who would you chose?
I would be Sasha. I
love the ocean, but I’m not a mermaid. Sasha loves to walk in the sand on the
beach especially at sunset. She appreciates the simple things in life. She’s a
little girl who simply wants to see the beautiful sea creatures.
Do you have anything
specific that you want to say to your readers?
I hope you enjoy
Pouraka. There is a prequel, its only six pages but it sets the stage for
Pouraka so you might want to read it first. http://amzn.com/B00T0NIW3A
I am also planning on writing
book 2 and hope to have it finished by Christmas of this year.
About
the Author:
Dianne is an author and
illustrator of YA adventure fantasy with a dab of historical content thrown in.
Building worlds that might resemble the forests of her home in the Pacific
Northwest, or the shimmering deserts of Arizona, add to that a pinch of magic
dust and a few million stars and you just might find the portal to another
Realm.
Happily married to a man that
puts up with her celestial wanderings and wonderings, she is the mother of
seven lovely adult children and grandmother to sixteen gorgeous boys and girls.
Dianne loves writing, painting in
oils and living in other dimensions. She finds life much more colorful that
way! Her books are middle grade to young adult adventure fantasies with dragons
and wizards and sorcery and battles on the high seas. Her grandchildren are a
big inspiration for her stories. There’s a shared camaraderie, something akin
to what C.S. Lewis said about someday being old enough to enjoy fairy tales
again.
Dianne’s newest series Pouraka
dives into the depths to explore life as a mer. She also has a series that is
being re released by PDMI publishing called the Ian’s Realm Saga.
Stretching her tent stakes, she
is working on an Indie Film production of her V book Cassandra’s Castle.
Website http://gardnersart.com
Twitter @DianneGardner
Rebel Mouse https://www.rebelmouse.com/DianneGardner/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Pouraka
Amazing Stories Magazine
Tour
giveaway
1 ebook
copy of Sasha which introduces the story.
5 8 X 10 prints of Pouraka's
cover without the text, authographed by the author
1 digital copy of dystopia novel
Altered
1 pair of earrings open to US
Shipping
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