Seventeen-year-old Glacia didn’t plan to track a kidnapper, stick a middle finger to the government, and fall into a forbidden summer fling. This is simply what happens when you’re the resident odd girl out, in a shoal of all-female mermaids whose values are a little cracked. Or a lot cracked, if you consider government-endorsed murder and the seizure of male infants to be an issue. When society rules, family, and romance collide, Glacia fights back the best way she knows how: by taking the matter into her own combat-trained hands and kicking some tail. The problem is, no amount of training can prepare Glacia for the crime circle she discovers, secrets she unveils, and human guy she can’t get out of her head. Glacia finds herself at a crossroads where she must decide whose rules to follow. Who she can trust. And ultimately…who lives and who dies.

You might be a mermaid if…

Eating animal products makes you nauseous. True mermaids are vegan. They won’t eat meat, dairy, fish, or seafood. To be clear, Wilds – mermaids’ more aquatic counterparts – do eat fish and seafood. So, if you’re all in for sushi night, you may still be a mercreature…just not a mermaid.

You select accommodations based on tubs. Mermaids dehydrate when they spend too much time on land. Warning symptoms include irritability, thirst, hot flashes, and dry skin, to name a few. You may be a mermaid if you combat tension and discomfort by frequent dips in the water. Swimming pools, whirlpools, spas, and bathtubs are critical to your sanity and provide much needed relaxation. This is especially true when you’re enjoying a vacation. You wouldn’t dream of booking a hotel or Airbnb without a luxurious watery escape.

Lifeguarding is your favorite job of all time. There are many accounts of mermaids saving humans from a watery grave. If you’re drawn to water rescue roles like lifeguarding and Coast Guard, you may have mermaid ancestry in your genes. The same is true if you’ve gravitated toward scuba diving, surfing, or other water sports that require strong swimming skills.

You’re drawn to the creative. Performing arts, literature, painting, and sculpture create a beautiful world and make life worth living. Mermaids expand the definition of creative to include architecture, UX design, entrepreneurship, invention, and any other pursuit where you start with a blank slate and bring something new into the world. Bored with the status quo and always looking for new ways to create? This alone isn’t enough to grant mercreature status…but it may tip you over the edge if other traits also apply.

Sisters before misters. The Merworld is a matriarchal society that celebrates women. Admittedly, the government’s anti-male polices are extreme, ill-informed, and in need of revision. That doesn’t diminish the reality that mermaids are powerful, talented, and caring females who lift each other up with a strong focus on community. If your girlfriends tend to be a top priority in your life, you may be more fin than feet.

Of course, the list of mermaid traits could go on and on. And we’re constantly learning more about these otherworldly beings. Check out my new book, Ice Floe, for a mermaid adventure. Who knows, you may discover your place in the Merworld along the way.

Until next time. You flipping rock!

~Melissa