Crystal Collier: Young Adult Author: Faery folk of the sea

(See below!)

I don't know about you, but I've always been fascinated with faery folk. They're so mischievous, alluring, and bizarre. Especially the ones who dwell in or near water.

Everyone has heard of a Banshee. Did you know I have a character whose gifts are based on one of those? (Shh. It's a secret.) They're associated with water, and were often seen as women weeping near a body of water. If you heard one, either you or someone close to you was going to die very shortly.

Nymphs. Who hasn't heard of these? Usually they're associated with trees, but there are also water nymphs AKA Naiads, Oceanids, Nereids, and Undine. Their close cousins are Water Sprites. These spirits could take on corporeal form, but were believe to be the embodiment or spirit of a body of water. Cross them, and you could look forward to a nice drowning.

And finally, there are mermaids, which brings me to our Writerly Wednesday feature for the day.

Ready to guess the lie and win a book?

Last week, Patricia Lynne shared BEING HUMAN with us, along with two truths and one lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win her eBook.

Patricia's game:

1. In high school, Patricia enjoyed doing the high jump in track and field.
2. She can't crochet to save her life. She can make a biiiiiiiig, loooooong chain and that's it.
3. A hobby she recently got back into was jigsaw puzzles. She can do a 500 hundred piece jigsaw puzzle in a few hours.

And the lie is:

#1. Patricia was in track, but she liked doing hurdles, even though she wasn't really good at them. She got second place once but it was her and one other person. She quit because the meets took time out of biology and she didn't want to dissect animals by herself the next day.

Way to guess those of you who got it right! And the winners are:

...DRUM ROLL...

Liz A
Kristin Smith

Congrats, ladies!

And now to today's feature:

Sharp, sleek, and golden. Like the dagger she has worn since childhood, eighteen-year-old Aeva is all three of these things. But there is something else that this mermaid and her prized weapon share – they are both hunted.

Hidden within the caves off Iceland’s dark shore, Aeva waits to take her place as the next ruler of the Mermaids. But when Aeva uses her potent and alluring song to save a drowning human, she disrupts a delicate balance. Realizing she has unexpectedly bound herself to Gunnar, Aeva is torn between duty and love.

Aeva severs one life to begin another, and soon finds herself not only rejected by the sea, but also stalked by an old enemy. As the worlds of myth and man intertwine, Aeva will challenge fate to protect her own sacred relic and the man she loves.

But legend and lies cast an intricate net. With time and safety quickly unraveling for Aeva and Gunnar, there is only one clear course: Find and defeat Delphine before she can shift again.

Get your copy HERE.

Lyndsay Johnson grew up in the wide expanses of Texas, where the only thing stronger than the accents was the state pride. An over-active imagination, tale-telling father, and an encouraging librarian mother lead to her love of all things creative.

When it comes to books on her bedside table, young adult lit has always been a favorite (Blue Balliett, Libba Bray, and JK Rowling, to name a few). But it was actually an old, yellowing copy of Scandinavian Folk and Fairy Tales that planted a particularly relentless seed. Shapeshifters and sea nymphs began forming an idea that would eventually grow into Lyndsay’s debut novel, Fire of the Sea.

When she is not writing, you can find Lyndsay spending time with her family in the Rocky Mountains of Utah. She enjoys dark ¬theaters, gluten-free recipes, low-lying clouds, and secret naps.

Regarding cheese... Lyndsay can no longer eat cheese due to a long and tragic story, which involves Greece and about ten new food intolerances. But she used to LOVE cheese. Quesadillas with Monterey Jack, Smoked Gouda and apples, Brie on olive-oil-grilled sourdough with chocolate and basil (it’s amazing). Quel fromage…she meant dommage. (*The cheese names have been capitalized out of respect to this superior food group.)

Lyndsay gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for a chance to win an eBook of FIRE OF THE SEA!

You have until Tuesday, October 21, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on October 22.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Lyndsay was in training to be on the US Olympic Equestrian team, but was thrown from a horse and broke her wrist before the qualifying rounds.

2. She once spray-painted the concrete wall behind her house with what she envisioned to be a gorgeous mural. Turns out fluorescent orange isn’t the best color for a budding graffiti artist… Also, who knew you could buy spray paint remover?
3. She used to drive a 1986 Volvo Station wagon. Teal with tan interior. She hated it, but now wishes she’d kept it.