Mermaid Bethany of Pennsylvania

Greetings, merfolk and merfolk fans! Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Mermaid Bethany from Pennsylvania USA. Bethany may inspire you to dive in and make mermaiding a sideline, or perhaps a full time profession! Let's all welcome Mermaid Bethany to the blog!

Cynthia: Welcome, Bethany! Tell us a little about yourself.

Mermaid Bethany

Bethany: My full name is Bethany Sarah Bruder and I am Mermaid Bethany. I was born in Bethlehem Pennsylvania and grew up in Allentown Pennsylvania. I am an average everyday wife and mother except for one little thing. I am a Mermaid Entertainer on the side!

Cynthia: What inspired you to join the mermaid community?
Bethany: The love of Mermaids has always been strong in me ever since I can remember. Two years ago I bought my first swimable mermaid tail and would go swimming in it as often as I could. I have even trained myself to hold my breath for a minute and a half. It's not much compared to what some mermaiders can do but it was a good start for me. Although swimming in a tail was lots of fun, I longed to communicate with others like me. I was beginning to think I was a crazy lady that was never going to grow up. So one day I went on Facebook and searched for Mermaid Groups and Mermaid Like pages. I was amazed at how many men and women as well as children were into Mermaiding! This directed me to other Mermaid Community Networking sites.

Cynthia: What should one expect at a children's birthday event?
Bethany: When I do birthday parties, children not only receive a mermaid gift of the sea, but a story, they learn a Mermaid tune and/or a Mermaid dance. Pictures will also be taken and added to my Like page for parents to see and share to their own Facebook page. There will also be a splashy and/or bubbly game that includes some fun prizes!

Cynthia: Tell us about the other kinds of events you do.
Bethany: I will be attending Community Day, which is held at St. Marks Lutheran Church, and I will be preforming as Mermaid Bethany. I also am available for hire for other church events, daycare appearances, and I am also available for volunteering appearances for any events that include creating awareness for donations to a worthy cause.

Cynthia: Have you attended any merfolk gatherings or conventions?
Bethany: I have never attended anything major, but I have made some new friends that I discovered that live rather close to me through Mermaid Networking. I do dream however, to attended a Mermaid Convention or gathering someday.

Cynthia: Have you done any environmental or instructional work?
Bethany: I have made many anonymous donations to ocean and other wildlife charities. I also have 14 years of environmental services under my belt just through the time I spent as a Girl Scout and volunteer work through past churches I have attended. I loved every moment of it!

Cynthia: Do you have any amusing stories from your mermaid adventures?
Bethany: When I was at a photo shoot that was taking place in a deep and fast creek, I swam over to a piece of driftwood for one of my pictures. As I swam closer to it, I came to sudden stop. There resting on the driftwood was a river snake. It must have been four feet long! I swam the heck out of there and I called it a day!

Cynthia: Great story! What else you would like to share with us today?

Bethany: If anyone would like to know more, please message me at my Facebook page, and I will do my best to get back to you as soon as I can.

Cynthia: Thank you very much, Bethany. Do keep us up to date on your adventures. Readers can find out more about Mermaid Bethany at her MerNetwork member page.

Best wishes and starfishes,
-Mermaid Cynthia
cynthia (at) goldmermaid.com

Updated on 5 December 2013.

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Weeping Cherry Saga

The young-adult novel Weeping Cherry is the first title from Kemi Santos-Omanukwue. The book has a mer theme, and is currently available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Xlibris, and several other outlets.

"When fifteen year old Meredith Hart decided it would be best to disobey her mother by taking a school trip to Ireland, she never imagined what the repercussions were going to be..."

Here is what the author has to say about the book:

I have always been intrigued by mermaids but scared to let people know about it. From where I come from saying anything with a merman in mind is an absolute taboo. So I did not for the longest time. I also always loved writing but took it up quietly (See a pattern here, I like doing things quietly, LOL). Being a professional, a lawyer, mother and wife took up all my time was what I told myself for years to keep from writing.

Two things strengthened me: The last conversation I had with my grandma before she died and the end of twilight (my book isn't anything like it, sorry twihards, Hello Mernards!!!). So when I put pen to paper to complete an idea had when I was about 13 years old, I couldn't stop. Now Weeping Cherry has begun.

I love writing and I am so glad I did this.  -Kemi Santos-Omanukwue

You can find out more at the Weeping Cherry web site as well as its Facebook page.

Updated 8-24-13: The author is looking for a mermaid to pose with the book. The photo is to appear on the book's Facebook page. For more info, contact Kemi Santos-Omanukwue via Facebook chat.

A Fishy Q&A

Recently, Phil Scott of Boating Magazine left the subject of powerboats for a few minutes to interview professional mermaid Linden Wolbert of Mermaids in Motion.

During the interview, Mermaid Linden provides tips on breath-holding as well as sharing her favorite sea creatures to swim with.

Seal or No Seal?

So, NOAA comes out and says that there are no mermaids. We're bummed, but we learn to accept it... Then, these two tourists in Israel come up with an intriguing video that has us thinking again.

The guys spot a creature out on a rock that they at first think is a seal. After a closer look, they change their minds.

Read the short article and watch the video at the Ng Daily News. What are your thoughts?

Short Splashes

The Poke features a photo of a Ridiculously Tall Mermaid. Sometimes, the photographer is in the right place at the right time.

Here we have a collection of art by Sheldon Bueckert featuring Mermaid Two, a work very similar to Mermaid One except for a minor detail or two.

Mermaids and Stuff is a Techno music track by Ramiro Lopez. Have a listen over at Electrobuzz.

Best wishes and starfishes,

-Mermaid Cynthia

cynthia (at) goldmermaid.com

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Mer-Palooza in the News

There was much splashing and good times to be had at this year's Mer-Palooza mermaid and pirate convention in Tampa, Florida, August 9th to 11th. I was not able to attend, but everything I have heard so far has been positive.

The photo on the right is courtesy of Merman Christian. Thank you!

Shelley Rossetter, staff writer for the Tampa Bay Times, wrote a fine article on the event. The online edition also includes a short video.

The Tampa Tribune also carried an article on the event by George Wilkens. This article contains a number of great photos.

I am sure we will discover other Mer-Palooza articles as time goes by.

You Want To Be A Mermaid

A recent article by Todd Van Luling, appearing in The Huffington Post, uses video loops, graphics, and a terse amount of text to explain how you, too, can become a modern mermaid (or merman).

"So, you want to be a mermaid. Sure you do."

The article mentions one particular tail vendor, but there are others. Shop around, and choose a tail maker that fits your style and budget. Or, you can do what many mermaids do - make your own!

Mermaid Birthday Party

When your young daughter asks for a mermaid birthday party, you can do more than pick up packages of Little Mermaid plates and cups. Check out this blog post from Chica and Jo for some great ideas.

"The cake table was the main focus of party decoration. I went with the requested purple theme and added a bit of aqua to balance it out."

Thank you, Jo, for giving mermaid moms a little inspiration.

Best wishes and starfishes,

-Mermaid Cynthia

cynthia (at) goldmermaid.com

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News Shell 17

A bright summer day, and a sleepy mermaid swims over to where a submerged log lies next to the coral bed. Here she finds today's News Shell.

Dolphins, Sharks, and Mermaids

News Shell - Photo by Patrick Murray

The Huffington Post recently published an article by Brenda Peterson in which she interviews Hannah Fraser, one of the first, if not the first modern mermaid.

Mermaid Hannah is well known as a mermaid model and ocean activist, and she has traveled far and wide to educate humans on the dangers of mistreating our oceans and marine life. 

"It's unbelievable how fast this subculture is growing. When I started performing as a mermaid, there were no other freelance professional mermaids in the world. No one had figured out that it could be a career path."

Be sure to catch the link at the bottom of the article to watch Mantas Last Dance, a video in which Hannah swims with Manta Rays.

MerPalooza 2013

This is your final call: MerPalooza 2013 will be held in Tampa, Florida August 9th through 11th at Hogan's Beach and Resort. Swim on over to the event web site to discover the latest information on this year's premier mermaid and pirate convention.

Please take photos during the event, I would love to see them. I am hoping to make it to the event next year.

New from Carolyn Turgeon

If you enjoyed the novel Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon, you may be interested in her latest offering. While The Fairest of Them All doesn't carry a mermaid theme, it does answer an important question, "What if Rapunzel was Snow White’s evil stepmother?"

Visit Carolyn's web site to learn more about The Fairest of Them All. The novel went on sale today at Powell's and other online retailers.

Sailor Twain Review

We talked about the mermaid themed graphic novel, Sailor Twain, a while back. If you haven't purchased the book as yet, you might enjoy reading this review by Richelle Brinkley at What Culture.

"The writing in Sailor Twain is fantastic. The story begs to be read in one sitting. Each chapter deepens the mystery, making it near impossible to put down."

Best wishes and starfishes,

-Mermaid Cynthia

cynthia (at) goldmermaid.com

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