The science behind the mermaids of Miri Attwater: octopus camouflage

In celebration of the release of Book 2, Miri Attwater and All that Glitters, I thought it would be fitting to go a little into the science behind the magic of the Miri Attwater series.

Science is amazing. It's better than magic! Because it's real.

When I first started the Miri books, my intention was to write pure fantasy, with magic and everything. Magic makes things easy. Yeah, I know you have to come up with rules but -

Need something? Make up a rule and -

Bam!

You have something. It's magic!

The problem was, every time I got to the point in the story where Miri's legs magically turned into tails, it just didn't feel right to me. Even though other writers used it - in fact the original myths even used it - it still felt hollow and unbelievable. I mean, how could legs turn into tails?

Really.

I mean, I knew it wasn't "real," but still my brain wanted to understand exactly how that could happen.

The answer?

An octopus.

Now you might be thinking, "Ew! What could an octopus possibly have to do with mermaids! That's gross!" just like Miri. But it wasn't just the octopus itself, it was octopus camouflage.

I saw a video of octopus camouflage. And I believed it was possible for mermaid legs to turn into tails.

Watch. And believe.

 

Want to learn more about octopuses? Check out these websites. (Ask a parent's premission before clicking on the links below.)

Squid and Octopus Switch on Camouflage at bbc.co.uk
8 Feet of Justice at ScienceFriday.com

Miri Attwater and the Ocean' Secret book cover design, part 5 - the new cover

Now it's time to put it all together! Miri in full color, the background...

Oh! And we added a title, of course.

And the author name. That's really important.

So here it is - the brand new cover for Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret!

So what do you think?

A new cover coming soon for Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret

So I've been a bit busy lately working on a bunch of technical details to move my author website and blog to a new site, esivy.com. If you're interested in crafts and other things that occupy my mind, hop on over and check it out.

But we've also been busy with a whole new cover design for Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret! I still love the old cover, but when we were trying to come up with a cover for Book 2, Miri Attwater and All that Glitters, things just weren't working. Among other things, we wanted to make the books look friendlier and more colorful.

This, of course, has the drawback that it's slowing down the release of All that Glitters. So in the meantime I thought I'd show you some progress on the new covers.

TechnoTim started by drawing a bunch of different sketches for Miri using pencil and paper. I critiqued them and he tweaked them. Here's the one we finally decided looks just like Miri.

Let me know what you think. Does the drawing look like Miri to you?

Books, Babies, and Bows reviews the children's fantasy Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret

What does an octopus have to do with mermaids? Read Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret and find out!

When I came up with the idea to write a book about a girl who didn't know she was a mermaid, my intention was to write a book that was pure fantasy.

But I discovered something about myself.

If I'm creating the magical world, it won't ring true to me unless it follows the principals of science. I guess that by the time you get a PhD in biology, science is too deeply ingrained in your DNA to deny it.

While I had lots of fun researching and imagining all the fantasy science in Miri's world, there was always that nagging fear in the back of my mind. Is all this fantasy science going to be believable to other scientists?

Yes, even someone with a PhD has a fear of looking stupid. :)

So I am thrilled about the review just posted at Books, Babies, and Bows! Jenny is a scientist and she gets it! She really gets it! (And she doesn't think I'm stupid or anything.)

From her five star review posted on her blog, Amazon, and Goodreads:
What I absolutely love about this book is how the author uses scientific facts to create a rule system for this "magical" world. You learn about how a mermaid changes from legs to fins in a way that makes it believable and magical all in the same breath. 

Read the rest of Jenny's review of Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret at Books, Babies, and Bows. And while you're there, check out her lovely series on 30 books of Kindness.

Don't forget, you can now buy an ebook copy Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret at all of these major retailers.

Amazon          Kobo          Barnes & Noble          itunes/ibooks        Sony                    diesel

Happy Reading!

You are Hereby Cordially Invited to Dinner with the Queen - Don't Panic!

Our Christmas dinner table. Sparkling fruit juice always adds a pretty touch.

Happy New Year! We set a pretty table for our Christmas dinner and that got me thinking about dining with the Queen. Have you ever dreamed of being invited to a palace for a banquet?

The first time Miri met the Queen in Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret it was at a fancy, schmancy dinner. Sadly, the Queen wasn't wearing a tiara. (Don't worry! A crown is coming in Book 2 - All that Glitters.) But there was plenty of sparkling china, crystal, and silver that Miri had to worry about not knocking off the table!

So what are the rules for dining with the Queen? Don't worry, if your manners aren't royal perfect, Queen Elizabeth II of England doesn't order "Of with her head!" like the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland. At least not very often.

President George W. Bush and Queen Elizabeth II at a state dinner

According to the British Royal Family's official website, there aren't any special rules for meeting or dining with Queen Elizabeth II. You wouldn't know it from reading the stories in the British press, though. They love to print stories about mistakes made by various leaders, including our Presidents and First Ladies! Can you imagine how hard it is to have a crowd of reporters just watching for you to make a mistake?

So what do you do if you get invited to dinner with the Queen? Don't panic! here are a few pointers to help keep you out of the headlines.

1. Don't arrive after the Queen.

2. Remain standing behind your chair until the Queen takes her seat.

3. Don't eat until the Queen starts eating.

4. When the Queen is finished, the meal is over. (Even if you haven't managed to scrape the last bit of the delicious shrimp newberg off your plate.)

Tables at the State Dining Room at the White House

But, alas, let's face it. If you live in the States you are much more likely to be invited to dinner with the President. No crowns, but the tables are still pretty. And you'll still be faced with all that silverware! So how do you not end up having to eat your fruit sorbet with a fork like Miri did?

Come back next week and learn all the secrets to make it through a formal dinner. Better yet, sign up by email or put the blog in your feed reader so you won't miss it!

(Because I'd hate for you to be embarrassed when you're invited to the White House. You might not get a second chance!)

Related Post:

Ms. Ivy's Guide to Basic Table Manners

Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Seret on Amazon Top 100 Paid Best Sellers in Children's Greek & Roman Myths!

Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret is on an Amazon's Top 100 list! It's #33 on Amazon's Top 100 Paid Best Sellers in Children's Greek & Roman Myths!

....

The mermaids in Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret are based on the mermaids of Greek and Roman mythology. Miri's last name is Poseidon and several of the other names used in the book are from mermaids of myth. As far as the actual myths go, though, I turned all of them on their heads.

Do mermaids truly sing to lure sailors to their death? Not in Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret!

Find out what the mermaids are really doing when they sing. Click on the following link to pick up your Kindle copy of Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret now at the special holiday price of 99 cents!