Think deep. The deep of the sea, the deep of space, the deep of our souls, our fears … ourselves. Fear not the monsters under your bed—but the mermaids under your boat. Merciless Mermaids: Tails from the Deep?features thirty original stories and poems by Mercedes Lackey, Rick Wilber, D.J. Butler, Gama Ray Martinez, Julia Vee, Ken Bebelle, and many others. From Japanese legends to mafia mermen, from carnival freaks to flying aces, from bayou legends to kraken-like behemoths, these tales explore the darker side of merfolk: desire, envy, love unfulfilled, grace ungranted, loneliness turned to rage…. Can you see the shapes in the waters that watch you? Do you hear the lure of a siren’s call?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON has published more than 175 books, 58 of which have been national or international bestsellers. He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune universes, as well as many original works. He has edited numerous anthologies, written comics and games, and the lyrics to two rock CDs. Anderson is the director of the graduate program in Publishing at Western Colorado University. Anderson and his wife Rebecca Moesta are the publishers of WordFire Press. His most recent novels are Clockwork Destiny (with Neil Peart), Dune: The Heir of Caladan (with Brian Herbert), and Double-Booked. An award-winning writer, editor, and designer, ALLYSON LONGUEIRA has worked in fiction and nonfiction in multiple media, including newspapers, magazines, and books for twenty years. While a newspaper editor she leds her newspaper to three general excellence awards in three consecutive years. After she transitioned to fiction editing. Allyson launched Fiction River Presents published by WMG Publishing, for which she serves as series editor. Allyson is the publisher and CEO of WMG Publishing, Inc. In 2020, Allyson joined the faculty of Western Colorado University as part of the Graduate Program in Creative Writing as a professor in Publishing.