WaterFire Sage Book One: Deep Blue
Jennifer Donnelly
May 6, 2014
The first book in the WaterFire Saga
Timing is everything. Author Jennifer Donnelly had completed five historical novels and was seeking inspiration for her next writing adventure. Her previous titles A Northern Light, Revolution and the Rose books were inspired by voices from the past. And as Jennifer explains, “Ghosts are beguiling creatures, but sitting with them in a room day after day is tough. They give you their stories, but take pieces of your heart in return. I was spent. My next story was going to be different. If only I could come up with it.”
So Jennifer visited The Met in New York City while it was hosting “Savage Beauty,” a retrospective featuring the fashions of the late designer Alexander McQueen. Wandering its galleries Jennifer was struck by the emotion of his designs. The dresses were created not only of cloth and thread but also featured antlers and skulls, thorns, flowers and feathers. However it was McQueen’s vision of the sea – a place beautiful and captivating, but also treacherous and dark that ignited Jennifer’s imagination. As she wandered the hall with gowns made of razorclam shells, another of abalone, dresses that appeared to have been formed from the sea’s whitecaps or its various flotsam and jetsam she knew her next story would explore the mysterious fathoms below.
In an interview Jennifer describes her fascination with video featured in the exhibit of a young woman sinking slowly through the water, her dress billowing around her. This video was created for Alexander McQueen’s 2001 fashion show
Filled with a desire to explore this realm Jennifer returned home to discover an invitation from Disney to explore the sea and mermaid mythology. As Jennifer explains, “..I was done with ghosts, but they weren’t done with me. Because to this day, I believe that Alexander McQueen sent me a gift from that great catwalk in the sky.”
Disney invited Jennifer to bring their mermaid world to life through young adult books. They provided her a “bible” featuring sketches of the world’s environments and an outline of its main characters, six teenagers.
Author’s Intro
The four-book WaterFire saga will share the adventure of six mermaids with distinct mystical powers, bound by a dark dream who must come together to save their home worlds. Their adventures begin in “Deep Blue” when Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea experiences foreboding visions as the day of her betrothal to the handsome Prince Mahdi approaches. Tragically these premonitions are confirmed when an assassin’s arrow poisons her mother, Queen Isabella. To prevent a war between the Mer nations Serafina and her friend Neela (Prince Mahdi’s cousin) set out to find the assassin’s master and stop him. Along the way they encounter four kindred mermaids who have also experienced recent visions and each with a unique power that advances their journey. Together they uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world’s very existence and discover a new strength in their sisterhood.
Mermaid Chant
http://youtu.be/UOBEH192zcE
Listen to an audio clip of “Deep Blue” as read by The X-Factor finalist Bea Miller
Additional Links