Dark Depths by Lani Lenore is coming to Wattpad! Free to read as I write!
Fairy tales are are popular right now. Twisted ones are even better. Mine are as twisted as they come. Yes, I am a writer who rewrites fairy tales – like so many others who have begun to pop up lately. But I’m telling you right now: I’m different. (At least I think I am.)
While I don’t want people to think that rewriting fairy tales is ALL I can do, one must strike while the iron is hot, as they say. Rewriting fairy tales is my claim to fame among my fans, and while I love to work on original stories as well, I have quite a few twisted tales to my name, and they deserve to be set free into the world.
So, on that note, let me introduce you to my twisted version of The Little Mermaid. It’s called Dark Depths, and it’s not your typical retelling.
Dark Depths is a dark fantasy novel, a unique mix of horror and romance, fantasy and erotica. And don’t forget the drama and overall mystery. Like my other books, it is written from multiple POVs, from at least 4 major characters and a few minor ones. The different characters are explored fully, and through them, two worlds are discovered: the human kingdom above, and the domain of the deep sea nymphs below. Vastly different, these realms do have a few things in common – not the least of which is a deep-rooted hatred for each other.
As is the beauty of fairy tale retellings, at least the premise of this story should be familiar to you. If you’ve read the original tale or seen any version of the movie, you know at least a few of the base ideas: A young mermaid falls in love with a human whom she saves from drowning, and through a deal with a sea witch, she is able to join the human world to gain his love – without a voice, of course.
There are other details, but we won’t discuss those. My aim is to take some of those familiar ideas, as well as some obscure ones from the original story, and give them new life – same words, different tune sort of thing.
Starting off, my world is quite a bit different. And my characters are always a little rough around the edges.
This story is told – first – through a young man named Nathan who, in a quest to be ‘free’ decides to turn his life and loyalty over to pirates. He is the main protagonist of this story instead of the mermaid princess – who is certainly not a princess at all. Instead she is a slave: an imperfect in an all-female society of monsters, hated because she is human-like and beautiful.
I started writing this in 2007, I think. I wrote at least half of it before stopping, because I lost sight of where it was going. It wasn’t that I didn’t know where I wanted it to go, but I had plot points that I just couldn’t seem to put in order. I also realized that I didn’t have a good grasp on some of the character motives that were needed in order to build the plot further, but now I have a layout to go by, so I’m feeling pretty sure of myself this time. I always did like this story though. One of my favorite things about it is how the characters’ lives all tangle up together, and while writing about that, I was always aware of their relationships and feelings toward each other. That’s always been very important – and maybe even something I’ve forgotten – so I’m glad I’ve decided to get back into this.
-Short Description: Mermaids are soulless, flesh-eating monsters of the sea, wicked in all ways – but some are born with a much more human side. The near death of a young pirate and his rescue by one such beautiful creature invites him to know a world he was certain did not exist, full of horrors he never imagined.
Long Description:
Mermaids are soulless, flesh-eating monsters of the sea, wicked in all ways. With their hypnotic songs, they lure ships to crash and then feast on those aboard, stealing the seed from a man’s loins while drinking down his blood. They are monsters – but some are born with a much more human side.
Nathaniel Thomas believes in monsters. He’s seen his share since joining the notorious pirate crew of the Blood-Red Siren. Tales are rampant, but the young man has learned not to believe in anything he hasn’t seen with his own eyes.
All that seems foolish when he witnesses hideous, scaly-skinned abominations peeling the flesh from his shipmates, but Nathan manages to avoid death. He is rescued by a similar creature, and though he is wary of her, he soon finds that she is nothing like her kin. She is beautiful beyond anything he’s ever seen, in body and in spirit.
He calls her his Treasure, and he’s convinced she is different from the rest. There is goodness in her, unlike her sisters. He is entranced by her beauty, but knows they are from different worlds. They do not belong together, and he understands this, even if she does not.
Nathan’s life takes a turn he never expected, and he is introduced to truths he never would have believed, to a love he never thought possible, and to a war that he never anticipated. There are secrets and horrors in the dark depths, and he is out to uncover them, even if the truth costs him his soul.
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As noted in the title of this post, Dark Depths will be exclusively on Wattpad for now (maybe other fiction sites as well) as I write it, free to read by anyone who’s interested. By doing this, I hope to draw in more readers, including more attention to my other works. Chapters will be updated as I go. I hope to post weekly, but I haven’t given myself a deadline on this story, and it will probably span out over a couple of months. Currently, there are 15 chapters completed, all of good length at 3k – 4k each.
Once again, this story is intended for mature audiences and I have rated it R on Wattpad. R-rated stories don’t get very much attention on the site, so I’m hoping to rely on shares and social media to let potential readers know that it exists. And of course, you.
In fact, you can get started right now: Dark Depths on Wattpad
If you’re not already a member of Wattpad, you can sign up for free, and even get an App to read this book on your phone. Let me know what you think by commenting. I love to hear from readers!
