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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

VBT: REVIEW & SPOTLIGHT - OCEAN'S GIFT BY DEMELZA CARLTON


OCEAN'S GIFT
BY
DEMELZA CARLTON
 

Sirens don't fall in love with humans. For centuries it has been so...
But Sirena is different. She lost her first love to sharks and a storm, cursing the islands that stole him from her.
Times have changed and she must swim ashore once more, to the islands she once cursed.

Gone are the boats powered by sail and steam - jet boats with GPS are now the order of the day.
Enter Joe, the deckhand on the Dolphin. A handy man to have around when the lights go out. He'll fix your generator and have the lights back on in no time, no worries.

But can he seduce a siren?
Or will she swim away before he can uncover her secret?
A book about lobsters, beer and boobs, on some cursed islands off the coast of Western Australia. At least, that's how Joe tells it.
For Sirena, it's a very different story.

A tiny taste of what's in store:
The boat was almost full of water now, I realised in panic, as I groped for a bucket to start bailing. Throwing bucket after bucket overboard, I couldn't tell if I was making any difference to the water level in the boat.

One moment I was holding the bucket, about to scoop up more water, the next I was flying through the air. Immersed in cold, black water, I couldn't see the surface. I struggled, kicking in the direction I thought was up, and hit a rock. I jerked back reflexively and my head cleared the water. I gulped a huge lungful of air and grabbed for the rock. I had to hold on 'til daylight. 

Another big wave broke. I tried to keep hold of the slimy rock, but I was pushed out of reach, drifting in the current. I tried to kick my legs, but I wasn't sure if I did. I couldn't feel my feet and the numbness was creeping up my legs. 

I could hear the breakers on the outer reef, louder than they were from shore. I could feel the spray on my face. A wave washed over me and I was under the water again.
I thought I could feel someone beside me, rolling me over so my face was at the surface, pulling my body through the water. 

All I could hear was an unearthly singing, high and sad, like some kind of suicidal dolphin. I could say I blacked out, but everything was already so black I wouldn't have noticed the difference. 
 I checked out of Hotel Consciousness. At least I got to dream of Vanessa naked.

REVIEW:

Ocean's Gift was a fantastic fantasy romance. This book wasn't your everyday mermaid falls in love story. The characters are believable, and the flow of the story was just right.

The main characters,Joe, Vanessa her daughters Maria and Belinda were entertaining to read and watch grow through this story. I loved reading the dialogue between them, and the sirens take on humans were hilarious and kept me smiling throughout this book.

I appreciated that the author gave us their POV throughout each chapter. I like knowing what everyone is thinking, and their motivation behind their actions.
The world building and narrative description allowed me to "see" the story unfolding in my minds eye. The author did a good job with that.

All in all this story was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to reading more from this author.


4 STARS/5

Excerpt:

The sound of a footfall on the coral shingle had us all looking toward the land. A human had moved onto the coral path.
“There is a human outside your land house, Vanessa. It appears that he is a new deckhand for the Dolphin to replace the one who was injured,” I remarked.
Maria’s words were as dark as the shirt she removed as she glared at the new human. “I hope this one has better manners.”
“He certainly has a physique which is more pleasing to the eye. His upper body musculature is well defined and his rear is particularly shapely.” Vanessa was thoughtful.
I tried not to laugh. “A cute bum and big muscles don’t say anything about his manners, Vanessa.” Sometimes human words were more expressive, particularly when using the vernacular to describe human anatomy.
“I didn’t say he had a cute bum, Belinda.” She inclined her head, clearly evaluating him. “I would say he has a damn fine arse.”
All three of us laughed. Nothing was as funny as one of our people admiring a human, for it was so unlikely. Humans were a source of information or products. They produced what we needed and were used accordingly; contact was as limited as necessary to ensure our people remained hidden from them.
I started to remove my clothing in preparation for a night-time swim.
Vanessa gathered her choice of fish. “I will go and speak with him, so that I may examine him more closely.” She took one fish in each hand and started down the jetty toward the human.
Maria and I slid over the side of the vessel and sank into the water, watching.
I kept my voice low as I addressed my comment to Maria. “Why do I feel this new human means trouble for us all?”

Ocean's Gift series 
This is the first book in Demelza Carlton's Ocean's Gift series, which currently includes:
·                     Ocean's Gift (Book 1)
·                    Ocean's Infiltrator (Book 2)
·                    Water and Fire (Book 3)
You'll never look at mermaids the same way again.



Author biography:

Demelza Carlton has always loved the ocean, but on her first snorkelling trip she found she was afraid of fish. 

She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below. 

Sensationalist spin? No - Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all. 

Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.
The Ocean's Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy.

Purchase links:

Demelza's website:

Contact links:

Link to tour –



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