Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Mermaids Are Real

Author Bo Wu would like to share news of his recently published young-adult novel, Mermaids are Real. Here is the synopsis:

“'Crabs talk?' asked Benji.
'Everything in nature speaks. Not everything in nature listens,' said Octavius nodding Topside."
Benji Fisher has spent the first twelve years of his life growing up in a small fishing town Topside. He’s gotten used to the gang of dolphins who follow him on his surfboard and the voices he hears under the water; odd things that have, in their repetition, become part of normal everyday life. 
However, none of that prepares him for the recruitment speech he gets from an octopus named Octavius and three of the dolphins the night before his thirteenth birthday.
What would you do if your ‘calling’ in life required you to take a leap/dive of faith? Would you take the plunge?

Mermaids are Real is currently available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. The book is a fun read, and mermaid/merman fans of any age will enjoy reading about Benji's adventures.


Underwater Scooter

When your fins grow weary, grab the Whiteshark Mix Underwater Scooter by Sublue.

"We love splishing and splashing around as much as the next person, but we're no Michael Phelps. Whether it's a slow-paced stroke or lack of superhuman strength that makes it impossible to swim two miles without tiring, we have our limitations."

An article at Mashable includes an up-close photo and a one-minute video. Mount a Go-Pro camera to the scooter to record the fun!


Fourth-Period Mermaiding

The Washington Post and writer Karen Heller bring us up to speed on Epic Nerd Camp, where mermaiding, Quidditch, board games, and roleplay are just a small sampling of the camp activities.

"Epic Nerd Camp is designed for grown-ups who have no intention of growing up, who want to feast on the fantastic — the less grounded in reality the better."

For more details, check out the Washington Post article or visit the camp web site. Dates for 2019 will be announced soon.


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

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Sunday, August 19, 2018

Why Mermaid Stories?

In an article by bestselling author Veronica Scott, fantasy romance authors share their thoughts on why mermaid stories make such a splash.

"The romance audience remains especially fascinated by the possibilities inherent in a human-mermaid relationship. I recently asked a number of fantasy romance authors what the appeal was for them of writing a story featuring a mermaid heroine and why they think readers enjoy the books featuring this trope so much?"

A very interesting article, and you may discover additional reading material to round out the summer. Look for the article in the Life section of USA Today.


Society of Fat Mermaids

I recently recieved the following letter. Thank you, Chè Monique, for sharing your web site with us.
Hi Cynthia,
I know you blog about all things mermaid, so I wanted to introduce you to my new web site. We have apparel and gifts featuring a diverse range of plus size mermaids. 
Society of Fat Mermaids has a mission to:
  • Diversify the image of merfolk.
  • Remind the world that FAT PEOPLE and FAT MERMAIDS are sexy, powerful, intelligent, capable, beautiful, free spirited, fun loving and worthy.
  • Spread messages of diversity and body positivity in a fun way.
I hope you share our line with you readership. Please let me know if you have any questions about Society of Fat Mermaids.
Thank you,
Chè Monique

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

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Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Mermaid in the Bay

Mermaid Tasha
A blog reader by the name of Theodore recently sent me this note:

"Our local cable channel does segments on local small businesses, and this week they interviewed a Mermaid. Mermaid Tasha promotes cleaning up Chesapeake Bay. Here
is the YouTube link."

Thank you, Theodore, for passing along the story about Mermaid Tasha. And a big splash to Christopher Bartlett of QACTV for doing the interview.


Coney Island Parade 2018

Saturday, June 16th was the date for the 2018 Coney Island Parade. The parade was lead by Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer.

For the full story, check out this article by Julie Walker for Flipboard. The article includes a couple of great photos.


Mermaid Inspired

An article by Shannon Barbour of The Cut explores a collection of mermaid inspired health and beauty products by Linda Rodin.

"Linda Rodin, the founder of cult face oil line Rodin Olio Lusso, loves mermaids; she even believes she was one in a past life."

The article contains a link to the company's web site where you can browse the products available.


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

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Sunday, May 13, 2018

Tea Time

Happy Mother's Day to all the Land-Moms and Mer-Moms out there! Grab your tea and let's get started.

Tea Time

An article by Macy Cate Williams at PopSugar may change your idea of the perfect cup of tea.

"If you're as obsessed with mermaids as us, you're going to flip for our latest find. This magical Mermaid Tea ($20/canister) changes from blue to pink when you add lemon to it."

When the tea is gone, the canister is pretty enough to hold some of your mermaid treasures.


Mermaid Enamel Pins

I was recently contacted about a mermaid themed 'Hard Enamel Pins' Kickstarter project:

Joshua R. Pinkas is the creator and owner of Frost Dragon Designs, LLC. He thought that his current Kickstarter project may be of interest to my blog readers.

Joshua is an artist and designer, and has successfully completed almost a dozen Kickstarter projects for various pin designs. His current project is a series of cute mermaid pins. The Sea Witch you see here is just one of the six designs in the project.

Visit Joshua's Kickstarter page for all the details. Note that the project ends on June 5th, 2018.


Sleep With the Fishes

Digital Trends and columnist Trevor Mogg invite us to "Sleep with the fishes in the world’s first underwater villa".

Traveling to the Maldives? Have a money tree? This might be just the vacation spot for you!

The article contains a 3-minute video with details on how the project came to be.


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

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Monday, April 16, 2018

The Underwater Woman

Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with The Underwater Woman, Christine Ren, an underwater performer and filmmaker crafting media that conveys ocean conservation as a human issue. Named one of five women in media changing the world by Matador Network, Christine holds her Master’s degree in Marine Affairs and Policy from the University of Miami. Her narrative underwater imagery campaigns have been featured to-date by Nat Geo, KQED, FStoppers, Petapixel, Phoblographer, and more. A former professional dancer, she's now turned her attention to crafting underwater movement and photography destination retreats to fund marine conservation projects. Please join me in welcoming Christine to the blog!

Cynthia: Christine, tell us a little more about yourself.

(C) Jose  G. Cano and Christine Ren
Christine: I have always loved the ability of a single image to capture a powerful story and I've been a creative my whole life. I was a professional dancer, who then pursued science and ultimately dove into film-making and media communications, as well as marketing. I've made it my mission to spread ocean conservation through online media that people can truly see themselves in.

In terms of artistic execution, I have always held the idea of bringing together all of my gifts into one cohesive offering to the world. My backgrounds in dance, media and ocean conservation have always been a dream to pursue less separately. Through much testing, failing and testing again, I have finally started to create the initial stages of a powerful body of underwater images that convey ocean conservation themes. I think without hope, we are truly lost. So I do my best to listen and observe the world as it currently is, while holding a clear vision of and deep commitment to the world I wish for us to create. It’s not easy.

Cynthia: I hear you and a friend are leading workshops in the coming year?

Christine: Yes! I've teamed up with Gabriel Forestieri, a fellow underwater performer and freediving instructor, to craft underwater training workshops with purpose. Combing technical freediving skills, dance, yoga, meditation and underwater photography, we offer opportunities for explore water on its own terms as well as fund local conservation efforts through proceeds from the training sessions. Whether you're an ocean lover, a freediver, or always dreamed of being a mermaid, our workshops are for you. Join for either Koh Tao, Sept 17-21, or Los Angeles, June 15-17.

Here's a sneak peek at what participants will be learning:

Exploratory underwater workshop | Koh Tao, Thailand | Sept 17-21 from Christine Ren on Vimeo.

The slots are first come, first serve and filling up fast. Anyone who wants to join should email me (me@christinerenfilms.com) with their information and workshop they want to attend to put in their 50%, non-refundable deposit.

Cynthia: You say that "healing the environment also means healing people". Tell us more!

Christine: I started my career as a scientist and found along the way that healing the environment also meant healing people. Conservation in any sense is truly an issue of human psychology. To save the planet, we each must examine the way we live, consume and exist on this beautiful blue marble and whether that existence is in balance or out of balance. We must take the time to individually and collectively examine the economic and social systems we've created that contribute to this delicate balance and imagine new ways to craft a more sustainable ecosystem that includes humankind and all living beings. The more time each of us takes to connect to ourselves, slow down, find meaning and purpose and build new relationships with the natural world, and ourselves as a part of not separate from, the more success I see the environmental movement achieving.

(C) Brett Stanley Photography and Christine Ren
This is one of the many reasons I've teamed up with other amazing underwater performers and photographers to craft destination retreats: an opportunity to connect with the ocean, and our inner selves, more fully, all while funding local, grassroots marine conservation efforts. Training sessions for this year are all viewable on my web site.

Cynthia: Where can we see examples of your underwater photography series?

Christine: The full behind-the-scenes stories and underwater images appear on my web site, as well as all of my social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Cynthia: What do your underwater performances entail?

Christine: The underwater performances are both mentally and physically challenging. Working underwater to execute a very specific conceptual image is a huge challenge, but also so rewarding when achieved. Typically we'll stage the sets in a pool between 8-12 feet deep, and I'll spend 5-7 hours doing 1-3 concepts a day; meaning changing makeup, outfits, props and looks entirely and repeatedly diving up and down on breathhold, adjusting body, face and clothing all while trying not to drown. Everything, including myself, will be in constant motion, so the performances require stamina for sure.

Cynthia: What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

Christine: It's funny because my work is also my play, so I now have little to no distinction between the two. I will say that when I'm not spending time underwater, I'm typically hiking with my dog Jade, riding horses, traipsing around the globe with my camera, writing poetry and screenplays, and spending time geeking out over tea, comics and video games.

Cynthia: Is there anything else that you would like to share with us?

Christine: I have 4 new underwater imagery campaigns coming out this year covering ocean acidification, coral bleaching, and more. Please follow me on Facebook @TheUnderwaterWoman and Instagram @TheUnderwaterWoman to catch the series as they drop.

Cynthia: Thank you for joining us today, Christine. Best of luck on your upcoming workshops!


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

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Monday, March 26, 2018

Forgotten Island

In an article found on the Barnes & Noble Kids Blog, Blanca Turetsky interviews Liz Kessler, author of the Emily Windsnap series. The interview focuses on the latest book in the series, Forgotten Island.

"I was on a North America book tour in the fall of 2015. I had a free day before doing events in Toronto and I took a bus trip to Niagara Falls. I was completely blown away by them."

If you are new to the Emily Windsnap series, you may want to begin with the first installment, 'The Tail of Emily Windsnap'.


Magical Mermaid Cruise

The Magical Mermaid Store announces the First Annual Magical Mermaid Cruise. The 7-day cruise sails from Galveston, Texas on October 14, 2018.

"Live the mermaid life of your dreams for an entire week, and make exciting memories that will last a lifetime. Plus the tails are yours to keep!"

There are far too many details to list here, so swim on over to the official web site for more information.

At the time of this blog post, there are only 7 interior cabins and 8 balcony cabins left.  Note that the cruise does require a passport.


Siren Reminder

The wait is almost over. The two-hour series premiere of Siren airs on Freeform TV on Thursday, March 29th.

For up to date information on this thriller, visit the show's web site.

A related article from Tyler Atwood and Popsugar may also be of interest, '7 Ways Freeform's Siren Will Totally Blow Your Mind'.


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

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Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Swim Here, Not There

Chicago Mermaid School

If you live in the greater Chicago area, there is a mermaid school for you! Rare Chicago has all the details.

"AquaMermaid is where human swimmers are magically transformed into graceful mermaids, thanks to the most important part of a mermaid: their tails."

The article by Amelia Finfrock includes a one-minute video, and mermen can join in the fun as well.


Bristol Bans Mermaids

In an article found at the Bristol Post UK, we discover that mermaids are unwelcome in the city's public pools. This is, unfortunately, common practice for many cities around the globe.

As a result, mermaids are swimming in other places, such as rivers and streams. These places can actually be more dangerous.

"A mermaid called Stacie is calling on council chiefs to think again about their ban on allowing merpeople to swim in the city’s public pools."

Mermaid Stacie is looking to connect with other mermaids in the Bristol area. Be sure to get in touch with her!


Young Mermaids Swim in Bolton

Meanwhile, young mermaids are most welcome at the Aqua Mermaid Academy in Bolton. Run by Ms. Jo Grime, the academy teaches children about water safety, swimming techniques, and synchronisation.

"The inspiration for the academy came when a client said they had been to a mermaid experience day and really enjoyed it."

An article by Rosalyn Roden at the Bolton News UK contains more information on the Aqua Mermaid Academy as well as a photo gallery and short video.

Interesting that this mermaid school has a name similar to the one in Chicago.


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

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Monday, January 29, 2018

Siren Update

My previous blog post featured a trailer for the upcoming Freeform television series, Siren. If you have been waiting somewhat patiently for more information, you are in luck. A second trailer is now available for viewing.

The new trailer can be seen in an article found at Hollywood Life. The article also includes other bits of information on the series. Spoilers perhaps, in case you want to dive into the show with a clean slate.

Cosmopolitan also has an article about the new trailer, this one with just the basics. Be ready for the first episode of Siren on the Freeform network on March 29th, just two months away.


The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock

Johanna Thomas-Corr and The Evening Standard bring us a review of the novel, The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar.

If you suffer from nightmares, you may want to pass on this one... "The selkie in Gowar’s book is actually a wizened, infant-sized corpse with sharp teeth like a kitten's and its mouth open in an eternal apish scream."

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, to name a few.


Epic Vegas Wedding

What is your idea of an epic wedding? Joti hired her wedding planner on the spot when she offered, "I want to float a wedding cake in water and have it brought to the side of the pool by two mermaids."

Read the full story of Joti's wedding in an article found at PopSugar Australia. The article contains a wealth of photos which does include the floating wedding cake and the two mermaids.


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

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