1. I hear you have a pet water monster in your novel. Tell us about the book.
Blurb for Mermaids Marry in Green:
Caltha Dooran is the toughest, fiercest shape-shifting mermaid in the western seas. She has three Clans to rule, and no time for romance. But when a warlock, Jonty, turns up and asks her to come with him to London to capture an afanc, a water monster, she can’t say no. In London, away from her duties, her attraction for Jonty grows…and they soon fall under each other’s spell. But will his past and her responsibilities pull them apart, or can they find the only true magic, the one that binds two souls together?
Drawing by Grant Herbert
The afanc is a mythical Welsh water monster, which has the head of a crocodile, and the body and paws of a beaver. He is rescued by the heroine, Caltha, and becomes her devoted companion. He helps to bring the hero and heroine together so plays an important part in the story.
Buy Links for Mermaids Marry in Green:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FCQQ75P
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/3LglAN
2. Why did you add this unusual pet to this book?
Tabitha
I love animals, and I also love Welsh myths and legends. (My mother is Welsh, and I spent all my childhood holidays in Wales.) Welsh legends are full of weird and wonderful creatures. As well as the afanc, there is the Ceffyl Dwr, the Water Horse, and the Giant Cat of Anglesey. Now that’s a feline I’d like to meet!
My favourite pet is indeed the cat, or The Cat as I’m always tempted to write, because The Cat is an animal that would definitely write its name in capitals if it could write (and maybe they can but are hiding it from us). We don’t have a Cat at the moment, since our last pet went to the great basket in the sky, so I content myself with the neighbours’ and family’s Cats, like Tabitha, my aunt’s tabby, shown here staring at the neighbour’s feline:
3. What other books have you written?
Mermaids Marry in Green is the third book in the paranormal romance “Sea of Love” series, which follows the lives and loves of three young shifter merfolk. Each book is a standalone story featuring a different couple.
Blurb for A Merman’s Choice, book 1 in the “Sea of Love” series:
For centuries the shape-shifting mermen of the Morvann Islands have lived incognito among humans. But one of them, Yann, has developed some bad habits. Like rescuing humans, even when doing so risks revealing his true nature. When he fishes Alex out of the sea, he doesn’t expect her to reappear eight months later, and turn his life upside down by asking him to be her guide. Over the course of a few days, Yann and Alex grow close. But some mermen hate humans. Their hostility, and Yann’s secret, threaten to tear the couple apart just as they are discovering that they are soul mates. Can Yann overcome the obstacles in his path and make the right choice?
Buy Links for A Merman’s Choice:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QglyeI
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/31xw7a
Blurb for Music for a Merman, book 2 in the “Sea of Love” series:
Rob Regor knew that humans were trouble. All the shape-shifting mermen of the Morvann Islands knew it. And human women were double trouble…especially when they were lying on the road in front of a digger.
Rob has a mission. Go to the mainland. Work as a policeman. Spy on humans. Report back to his father, the head of the Regor Merman Clan. It should be easy. Until he has to arrest Charlie. Rob can’t fight his attraction to the sexy eco-warrior, and it puts him on one hell of a collision course with his family and his Clan. Will he break the rules–or break her heart, and his?
Buy Links for Music for a Merman:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ZkU5wR
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/mdG7Bw
4. Tell us about your kudos or reviews.
Both Mermaids Marry in Green and the “Sea of Love” series won their categories in the Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewer’s Choice Award 2020. All the books have garnered lots of 5-star reviews, which can all be found on Amazon, Goodreads and Bookbub.
5. How do you promote your books?
I promote my books mainly on social media, in blogs, and on Bookfunnel. I have also recorded podcasts and published videos of me reading excerpts of my stories. My publisher, Black Velvet Seductions, has a newsletter which you are very welcome to sign up to, to get the latest news, deals, and freebies!
6. Where can readers learn more about your books and connect with you online?
Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AliceRenaudAuthorRomance/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alicerauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18670218.Alice_Renaud
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alice-renaud
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Renaud/e/B07L52P17B
Website: https://nomadauthors.com/alicerenaud/alicebooks.html
Newsletter: @BVSBooks
First to get freebies! Deals! And latest news! Hot and steamy! Soft and tender! Romance you will love! Become an Insider, sign up to our newsletter. https://blackvelvetseductions.com/?page_id=2472
COMMENT & WIN! I am offering a free ebook of Mermaids Marry in Green to one lucky person who comments on this blog interview! So don’t be shy! Tell me about your pets, and post pictures if you like.
From Marcia: Thank you, Alice, for being my February interviewee! I love discovering stories that feature unusual pets—especially paranormal ones!—and I look forward to reading your books!
MONTHLY BLOG EBOOK CONTEST! Would you like to win a Marcia James’ ebook? Visitors to this pro-pet blog can join in the fun, comment, and/or share photos of their pets for a chance to win one of my ebooks! Each month, I’ll randomly pick one commenter to win. To leave a comment and/or a photo, click on the word “Reply,” which is just below the social media icons for THIS interview. (Don’t scroll past this interview to the next interview.) Go Pets!
In Bishop Takes Knight (“Redclaw Origins” book 1), we meet former socialite Henrietta (“Rhett”) Bishop as she struggles to find work with her unusual skill set. A misread address and her own pluck win her a job at Redclaw Security, but the new job isn’t what it seems. Mechanical devices seem to have a mind of their own, and Rhett’s new co-workers are a little strange. When she takes down a dangerous intruder in the office, Rhett gets promoted to field agent—and is let in on the secret: Redclaw Security is an elite paranormal agency that investigates matters in the hidden shifter world. One of the unit’s primary functions is to collect a series of mysterious, powerful artifacts and remove them from of the public sector.
The adventures continue in Bishop’s Gambit, when Rhett and Peter pose as a married couple in a posh 1950s suburban community while investigating a series of deadly paranormal events. After the debacle of their first mission, Rhett has a lot to prove to Redclaw and seeks to carry out her assignment without the distraction of a budding relationship with Peter Knight.
As I mentioned earlier, Bishop and Knight have a real Nick and Nora vibe with their banter as they solve cases, and that alone made me want to include a spunky little dog to the series. But I also inherited Captain, my mother’s little JRT, when she died, and I’ve fallen completely in love with him! I’d never had a small dog before—all my other dogs are German Shepherds. I was worried Captain wouldn’t fit well into our household at first. But he was the BEST addition ever. He meshed in with our family as though he’d always been a part of it: sleeping with the cats, playfighting with the big dogs, and worming his way onto our bed and into our hearts. When I decided to give Rhett a little dog in the “Redclaw Origins” series, I knew Captain was perfect for the role.
’ve also recently begun writing a series of small-town cozy mysteries (so far, nothing paranormal!) under the name M. K. Dean, featuring house-call veterinarian/amateur sleuth Ginny Reese and her trusty German Shepherd, Remington. I am having a LOT of fun with this series, and there are lots of animals in those stories too!
In Love Takes Flight, dogs bring Erin and Drew together. Erin owns a golden retriever and runs a dog kennel business. A daring jet pilot, Drew leaves his Border collie at her kennel but soon gets stranded there in a huge, prairie blizzard. Forced together, Erin and Drew overcome an icy start, but secret fears threaten to keep them apart.
In Love Leads the Way, Tessa and Mark clash at work when his boss forces him to enroll in the leadership program she manages. They both own golden retrievers, and at first, a love of dogs is the only thing they share in common. But both are single parents and have mothers with dementia…and even though she’s his coach, maybe they both need lessons in love.
On a windowsill in our home, I display a little plaque that says, “Home is where the dog is,” and I believe it’s true. One of our walls is decorated with quirky artwork featuring dogs. Over the years, I’ve owned three golden retrievers and a Border collie, and all were a big part of our family. My daughters joked that sometimes they thought I liked the dog better than them. (The dog definitely listened better!)
I write feel-good stories about women who chase their dreams and bump into romance along the way. They live in small communities near my home in the Canadian prairies, and they count on an eclectic mix of family and friends (and often dogs) to make their lives interesting and fun.
My first published mystery novel, Mahu (
The Cat’s out of the Bag shares the romance between a tortured heroine and secret billionaire who meet at a cat shelter. In billionaire romance, money is no object but the personal lives of our billionaires are not smooth sailing. It includes a road trip across Australia.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie is a second-chance romance set around a fake million-dollar scavenger hunt in Sydney. Second-chance romances have a different structure and feel to a standard romance. This is because of the history between the two main characters. They know each other already and are still harbouring strong feelings for one another, whether they admit it or not. In this story, we learn about Tara’s childhood dog who was there with her and her brother growing up.
Get Off Your High Horse is a modern royal and sports romance revolving around the game of polo. The story is based in Brisbane and Maryborough. I shine a light on Maryborough, my hometown, when the characters visit the birthplace of P.L. Travers, author of Mary Poppins. In this story, I was able to combine my love of horses and Australian culture into the story.
Down the Rabbit Hole is a small-town romance between two best friends. It is not your typical small-town romance as the town itself is not very friendly. It is illegal to keep rabbits as pets in my home state of Queensland and the rabbit, Shorty, who is rescued highlights this. Shorty is based on a hare that was run over by a lawn mower. He was given to my daughter to care for.
I love animals. I don’t think life would be complete without them. It felt natural to me to add them to my stories. They just add another element of enjoyment.
3. What other books have you written?
I used an Irish Setter in Teach Me To Forget (odd, since I’ve never owned an Irish!) He just sort of showed up while I was describing the heroine’s motor home.
One of my favorite book “pets” is Mosby, the gray stallion in A Question of Honor, which starts the Stormhaven series, with horses in each book.
I actually have two books that have “pets”. The first book is The Scattering of Seeds. This is the first novel in the “New Frontier” series. It is a futuristic romance series about three ships that leave earth to colonize a new planet. The series follows the third ship, The Halcyon, which becomes the victim of conspiracy and sabotage. The colonists are allowed to bring pets with them since they will not be returning to earth. The colonial governor’s granddaughter, Sophie, is six and has brought her cat. Jimmy is a tuxedo cat. The governor is an Ian Fleming fan and said the cat reminded him of James Bond…all it needed was a bow tie. The name stuck. Jimmy is the reason the hero and heroine meet. He is an important character in the story.
My book, The Curse, is book two in my paranormal romance series. It has a cat in it, but cat isn’t really a cat at all. Laren Balantar is under a curse. During the day he is a man, but at night he turns into a long-haired black cat. He retains all his memories and intellect but he cannot speak.
The Hidden blurb:
Tender Misdemeanors is a romantic suspense novel from The Wild Rose Press, which tells a story that could come from today’s headlines. Federal agents in the northwest U.S. often have clashes with ecotagers—those who commit acts of ecological sabotage—and white supremacist/government conspiracy theorist types as well. Here, we have one woman trying to stand against both.
2. Why did you add pets to Tender Misdemeanors?
Although I write a bit more as alter ego Lyndi Alexander (sci-fi and fantasy), as Alana, I have one series, 
I do have pets in my Masonville Small-Town Romance series. And honestly, it’s gotten a bit out of control…
So, the series starts with just one pet. But then in book two, To Heal A Heart, Blair Greyson, a veterinary technician, moves to Masonville to work at the veterinary clinic with Cole. Blair comes to live with her grandfather on his farm just outside of town, and she brings her two rescue horses, Stormy and Rainbow, with her. Her grandfather has an elderly golden retriever named Jake who’s his constant companion. Blair meets Garrett Saunders, who is Lauren’s brother, when she finds his rescue horse Harry on the road to Masonville. They make a deal for Blair to board Harry at the farm in exchange for Garrett helping with some repairs on the barn.
A couple of my other books also prominently feature pets. In my paranormal comedy 
In