Hello loves! Today, I have a book spotlight and excerpt reveal for Waiting in the Water by Anne Stryker. This book is part of a beautiful book set, Kingdom of Salt and Sirens: A Limited Edition of Little Mermaid Retellings (Kingdom of Fairytales Book 2), which is now available for preorder on Amazon.
The Little Mermaid but not as you remember it…
Beneath the turbulent seas, beyond the smoky depths, lies a Kingdom that exists in your wildest imagination. A world where mermaids swim, sirens sing and shipwrecks hide mysterious creatures.
Make waves with our 11 magical retellings of the timeless classic, The Little Mermaid.
Dive into a world filled with adventure, love and magic!
Book Set Print Length: 1301 pages
Publication Date: March 5, 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
“Come to the water.” A voice dripped into her mind, and her eyes flashed open, head turning to see if anyone were near. No one. “The water will wash it all away,” the voice added.
“Who’s there?” she choked, scrubbing her cheeks, because if her mother had taught her anything–never let anyone see you cry.
“A friend.”
Something tugged on her chest, as if all her dark thoughts had created a rope between her and the ocean. It pulled her forward, and she leaned back, dread overcoming anxiety. Panic clutched her in a different way once she lost control of her legs.
The water drew closer with every stiff step, and blood rushed from her cheeks as her whole body went cold. Cool liquid ran over her toes.
After a blink, the storm surrounded her. She stood on the water in the middle of the tempest, her heart echoing the raging booms of thunder. Lightning sparked through the swirling masses of dark clouds, and she gasped in a breath. Eyes wide, her gaze soaked in the scene around her as her breaths shortened. Her fingers worked quickly to clasp the necklace around her neck, because she couldn’t help feeling it would be the only thing that could save her now.
The water bubbled in front of her at her feet, and a man with tentacles instead of legs rose from the ebony pool. Water skimmed off his grey skin as his lower half writhed, flicking this way and that along the surface of the churning waves. When Wyre had risen fully to her height, his lips parted in a pointed, white smile that froze her blood. “Hello, Asaria.” His voice slipped from his lips smoothly, like an ink blot that steadily grew. “What’s troubled you this evening?”
Fear chained her in place, turning her mouth dry.
“Now, no need to answer. I already know.” He crept along the water’s surface, circling her, and she let her gaze follow him though she didn’t dare move her feet. “You feel like you don’t belong. And you’re right, you know. You never belonged on the land.”
“How can you know something like that?” she spat the words but feared they left her mouth as little more than a squeak. She’d only touched the idea of magic this morning, and now she was in the center of it before her mind could catch up.
Wyre chuckled. “I could tell from the moment I saw you.” He leaned close in front of her, a slimy appendage tilting her chin up. His eyes flicked down to her shell necklace, and she clapped a hand over it. His lips stretched with humor at the motion. “I’m not going to hurt you. I want to help you.”
“It didn’t feel that way when you nearly drowned me this afternoon.”
Lightning glinted across his teeth, and she bit her tongue. She had to remember to exhale. Inhale and exhale. Count down from ten.
AMAZON
Anne Stryker is a romance author who loves animals and fantasy. Somehow she finds a way to incorporate both into her stories in one way or another more often than not. Adventure, twists, and magic lie within every page of her works, and she invites you to join her on the expeditions–and exploits–of several lifetimes.
Twitter: @AuthorAnneStryk
Facebook: AuthorAnneStryker
Instagram: authorannestryk
Hope you enjoyed reading!
As always, thanks for stopping by lovelies and have a fantastic day.
Sincerely Karen Jo 