Author Interview with The Romantic Editor!

 

Today, I’m sitting down with author D.B. Sieders, talking about her mermaid romance series, Southern Elemental Guardians. Let’s jump right into it…

 

D.B.! You write about mermaids falling in love with humans, risking their immortality. Why mermaid romance?

 

I’ve always been a mythology nerd. Seriously, I was the kid who read every volume of Encyclopedia Britannica* cover to cover looking for all I could find about Greek, Roman, Norse, and New World myths and legends.

 

*This was in the Dark Days before the Internet

 

I found mermaids fascinating in how they were portrayed. In many myths and legends, mermaids are beautiful and deadly. Using their looks, sensuality, and irresistibly gorgeous voices, these predatory creatures would lure mortal men to their deaths. In other legends, mermaids were known as healers and protectors. In my Southern Elemental Guardians series, I explored these dual natures and used them to craft stories rich-in-conflict and hard-won happily-ever-afters.

 

Everyone’s spin on mermaid powers is different. What makes the mermaids in your romance series unique?

 

My mermaids are alpha females with a great sense of adventure. I also drew on lesser known mermaid legends, including Lorelei of the Rhine, Wagner’s Rhinemaidens, Nixies, and Melusine, the legendary mermaid that inspired Starbucks’s logo. These freshwater shape-shifting beauties travel from their native Rhine home waters to visit America for a bit of fun and rebellion—their mother, Melusine, is overprotective to the max! To keep them from falling in love with mortal men and suffering the same heartache she endured, Melusine curses her daughters with deadly voices. Song is as important to Nixies as the lakes, rivers, and freshwater streams that sustain them and fuel their power, so the curse is particularly cruel. As you might imagine, mortal men are as irresistible to my mermaids’ song, leading to heaps of trouble in their romantic pursuits.

 

 

Can you summarize each book in your series in 10 words or less?

 

Making Waves (prequel novella) — Grumpy sea god spars with jilted ex on stormy seas.

 

Lorelei’s Lyric — Brooding, suicidal rock star falls for mermaid with a deadly voice.

 

Crosscurrents — Entitled mermaid princess rescued by skeptic hot geek marine biologist.

 

Three wishes (novella) — Guys’ Las Vegas road trip derailed by Genie’s tricky wishes.

 

Firestorm — Playboy Sylph prince burns for Phoenix harbinger of the Apocalypse.

 

River Spell — Vigilante renegade mermaid tamed by sexy cop-turned-paranormal investigator.

 

 

Holy crap, those sound amazing. Do you have a new mermaid romance releasing soon?

 

Yes! Currently working on Forest Charmed. This story features a Dryad heroine, Beverly Forrester, and a former Marine hero, Jack Roberts. She’s protecting one of earth’s precious hidden resources. He’s suffering from PTSD from his last mission and has been hiding out in her forest. They’ll team up to fight a monster sent by Mother Earth’s evil sister who wants to destroy earth’s bounty.

 

Last question. The series is titled Southern Elemental Guardians, and I keep asking you just about mermaids. Are mermaids Elemental Guardians? What are the other magical creatures in your series?

 

Definitely! The four elements—earth, wind, fire, and water—are all represented in the series. Dryads are guardians of earth. Sylphs are in charge of wind. Fire is the dominion of Lampades and the Phoenix race. You’ll also encounter Orishas, Genies, gods and monsters of river and sea, and even a giant talking catfish! The world keeps expanding, so I’ll be introducing more magical, mythical creatures in future books.