What is a mermaid to a fisherman?A young woman's spirit trapped in a cat's body, Merliss has lived more lifetimes than she can remember. When an unlucky fisherman happens on an injured mermaid and carries the creature home, Merliss takes an interest in the mermaid's plight. Merliss fears for the community. She knows they will face retribution from the old gods if anyone kills the mermaid, assuming the old gods still have any power.The mermaid soon comes under attack from multiple sources. One wants to kill her for revenge. One wants to convert the creature's parts into medicine and money. The fisherman wants to use the mermaid to save his ailing daughter. A stranger wants to steal the mermaid's magical power. Only the fisherman's daughter seems to believe the mermaid has a soul, that she is more than a bizarre fish to exploit. Merliss becomes entangled in the mermaid's plight and soon finds herself in more danger than the mermaid.The latest novel in The Merliss Tales series, The Breath of the Sea weaves together multiple stories into an exciting fantasy tale replete with magic, treachery, sacrifice, and amazing creatures. Jeff Chapman explores fantasy worlds through fiction and is the author of The Merliss Tales fantasy series, The Huckster Tales weird western series, and The Comic Cat Tales series. Trained in history and computer science, Jeff writes software by day and explores the fantastic when he should be sleeping. His fiction ranges from fairy tales to fantasy to ghost stories. He's not ashamed to say he's addicted to dark hot chocolate and he loves cats. Jeff lives with his wife, children, and cats in a house with more books than bookshelf space.
