Are you fascinated with the idea of Mermaids? You are not alone. The thought of beautiful beings living beneath the waves is as bewitching and enticing as the mermaids themselves.
Upfront disclaimer – there are no mermaids in my underwater YA magical realism romance Immersed. But my starting point for this series was The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson. This beautiful illustration is by Edmund Dulac, the Little Mermaid rescuing the Prince.
I was addicted to fairy tales when I was little, but I’m not certain I read that one. If I did, it made a different impression on me then. I didn’t see the Disney version. When I read it as an adult, the fairy tale aficionado in me was appalled. I don’t want to get into spoilers, so I’ll just say the traditional ending one might expect in a romantic fairy tale wasn’t present. So the story teller and eternal optimist in me started trying to fix it.
What I’ve created is a fairy tale retelling of sorts, with threads of ideas and imagery throughout on my quest to create a happy ending to a story that has haunted my imagination. Like I said, no mermaids, but I’ve carried all of the fascination they hold for me into the deep waters and complex characters of Immersed. If you join me there, I would love to hear from you if you recognise any of those threads and images that inspired me from the original.
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