Mermaids and Romance

It’s almost Christmas and it’s a magical time of the year.  Well, recently, I spent some magical time snuggled up in bed with my granddaughter watching The Little Mermaid.  Now, I had seen the movie before, but seeing it with a three-year-old was a little like seeing it through the eyes of a child.  I was swept away by the story, the characters and the romance.  Yes, I’m a romantic, and if you don’t think there’s romance in children’s fairytales, well, you need to go grab yourself a blanket and some popcorn, and curl up and watch them again with fresh eyes. 

My granddaughter and I fell in love with Prince Eric just as Ariel did.  I was totally fascinated and could completely relate to Ariel.  I cheered for her as she struggled to achieve her independence. I felt for her when her dad destroyed her collection of human things.  I held my breath anticipating when she would achieve her biggest goal - (Do you remember what she wanted?) feet.  And I bit my nails as she tried and tried to get Eric just to kiss her.  And when she finally got that kiss, I sighed with a warm heart.

And as crazy as it is, I can totally see Kylie Galen, my heroine in the Shadow Falls Series, in Ariel. Kylie’s struggle to find her own independence as she becomes an adult is much like Ariel’s efforts to leave the deep ocean and see what the other world is really like.  Kylie has Della, Miranda and Holiday to keep her laughing, and Ariel had her humorous friends, Flounder, Scuttle and Sebastian.  Kylie searches to find what type of supernatural she is and what that entails, Ariel seeks to discover what it means to be a human.  In the final book of Kylie’s journey, she risks her life to save those she loves.  Ariel risks becoming a slave to the evil sea witch in an attempt to win the heart of her prince.

Ah, the drama and romance.  It’s no wonder I loved fairytales when I was young.  You don’t have to look far to know where my love of storytelling began.  Oh…and when I asked my granddaughter what her favorite part was, she grinned, blushed and said, “When Ariel was dancing with Prince Eric and he kissed her.”  Ah, I think she inherited her love of romance from me.

I haven’t seen Brave yet, but I am planning on it.  However, another movie I love is Shrek.  I think Lucas, one of the love interests in my YA series, is a bit like Shrek, don’t you? Hey…he’s no ogre.  He’s actually very cute, but at times he comes off a little grouchy.  Hey…it’s the werewolf in him.

If you’ve read my young adult series, do you see any of Kylie in Ariel?  Do you see any fairytale heroines in the books you read?  Which of the all the fairytale movies are your favorites?  Come on, get in touch with your inner child, and let’s talk fairytales.

Today, one lucky poster will win a bag of SWAG (promotional items) to include a Shadow Falls bag, T-shirt, bookmarks, pads, and pens.  So make sure you leave a comment.

And to everyone, I wish you all a fabulous holiday season.

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