The Laughter of the Sun series
Where magic meets climate change in eco romantasy.
It starts in the ocean, with a mermaid furious about plastic pollution.
The world-building is based on current science.
The stories are hopeful, funny, and have romantic subplots for character development, because if you can blow things up with the power of your scream, you’re bound to have some decent flaws.
Book One: The Mermaid’s Wrath
The ocean is dying. A mermaid vows to save it.
The Mers are barely surviving in a magical marine bubble, isolated from the rest of the world. Jelly, warrior mermaid and champion of sea life, battles against the choking, accelerating pollution, living beneath the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
When Jelly's mind opens to terrifying premonitions, she must leave the ocean, collaborating with estranged magical beings on land. She’s seen one of theirs in a vision, a woman abducted for the power in her veins, and Jelly is the key to this woman's freedom.
The black pearl at Jelly’s throat holds a secret. When it wakes, it sends Jelly on a tumultuous journey, changing her life forever.
Book Two: The Sorrow of Bees
Tell the bees, for they understand heartache.
Dark magic comes at a cost, one that Jelly, warrior mermaid, must pay. After a brutal ritual gives her Fae powers, a vital piece of herself is missing. She must abandon everything and everyone to find it.
If she fails her mission, her lover’s brother will never again see the sun, trapped in a horrifying dimension called the Hellhole. If she fails, her lover Mako may not forgive her. If she fails, she will never forgive herself.
She’s sent to a queendom so foreign she can barely breathe, transformed into a body she can’t possibly understand. Grappling with the enormity of her task, she struggles to appreciate the sorrows of the pollinators.
But she must if she wants to succeed.
Why Eco Romantasy?
I’ve loved fantasy and magic since I was little, and believed there was a secret world where animals could speak, and faeries lived in the flowers. This curiosity led me to a thirty-year career in natural medicine, believing the body had an inner wisdom, if only we knew the language. Throughout my career, I wrote blogs, newsletters, and a book on scars, all aimed at educating my patients, but you can only say so much about kale and fish oils.
The idea for The Laughter of the Sun series came out of the blue. I was reading about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and my jaw dropped open. I didn’t believe it was that big. Then I read every ocean has its own collection of human debris, trapping sea life and polluting the oceans. I was so angry. I thought, what if the sea life could speak? What would they say?
First, I needed a champion for the ocean. I wanted my lead character to be a woman, fighting personal battles within the ocean pollution. I knew she had to surface and make a change there, as that was the origin of the garbage. So, a mermaid. And not just an innocent wee thing like Ariel. No, I wanted a fierce mermaid on a mission, an intelligent warrior, ready to fight for justice and the vulnerable.
In The Sorrow of Bees, we experience the beehive, with its social structure and division of labor. I researched bees for months, becoming evermore enamored with their peculiarities, their joys, and their deep sorrows. I loved every minute of the research, even when it left me in tears.
The romance side of the stories allowed me to explore character development. The Mers’ magic depends on intimacy, a twist on the fables of sirens as seductive killers. The love is sensual, not explicit. There are plenty of books with five-alarm chilis for spice. I wanted to dive into the emotional entanglement of relationships and pick apart the knots. Even mermaids have issues.
One reader referred to my books as ‘eco romantasy,’ saying they were probably the first of their kind. If so, let me blaze that trail. So long as we have an environmental crisis, we have plenty of material to work with.
Early reviews for The Mermaid’s Wrath.
“Torn between saving the ocean and the humans above the surface, warrior mermaid Jelly must make the impossible choice. The Mermaid’s Wrath is a debut romantasy I couldn’t read fast enough. The descriptive narration is immersive with intricate world-building. The characters are relatable and leap from the page and into your heart. This is not the little mermaid you grew up on but a fierce warrior mermaid with a righteous temper. The Mermaid’s Wrath brings topics such as environmental pollution to light that will make you think about what happens long after you finish reading. If you’re looking for an original romantasy featuring a warrior mermaid, pick up The Mermaid’s Wrath. 5 stars.” - N. N. Light’s Book Heaven
“This debut book had so many layers of intrigue and mystery. Different mythical creatures fighting together for the greater good of land and sea. I really enjoyed the story because it had so much action and suspense.” - Schicky5 on Amazon
“This book is an absolute masterpiece! I adored the author’s writing style and it kept me on edge every chapter. It was sexy without being smutty. The book also had a lot of fun facts which I really enjoyed. If you like a good fantasy book, an action packed story, a book with a message and an overall magical experience: This book is for you!” - Loleans on Goodreads