Urban Mermaid: Tails from Colony Island, Book One

Ever since grade school, Penelope Tench has known there is no one on Colony Island she is interested in. She wants to find a mate and have a family someday, which seems to leave her with only one option—however, mermaids are strongly advised not fall to in love with humans. After graduating with a degree in Finance, Penelope begins living a lonely and isolated life in the city and shuts out her family and friends. While spending a Saturday in the ocean, Penelope lies under a dock contemplating her life. When a human male walks out on the pier,  instead of staying hidden, she pops above the surface,  gives him a scare, and then chats with him before flashing her tail and disappearing underwater.When she reports for her new job the next morning, she’s introduced to Peter MacPherson. They immediately recognize each other from the dock the previous day. He assures her he’ll keep her secret—then volunteers to make her weekend swims safe, secure, and enjoyable by handling all the logistics: motels, meals, drop-offs, and pickups. Over the next few months, Penelope begins enjoying being a mermaid again and develops feelings for Peter. So, she takes a leap of faith—and gets into bed with a human.

Howard T. Parsons was born in Petersburg, Virginia during the final days of King George VIs reign. He grew up and attended school in nearby Hopewell. He attended North Carolina College in Rocky Mount, North Carolina and graduated in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Although his interests lay in Virology and Marine Biology, the need to earn a living led him to the field of Information Technology. During his stint with the Michie Company in Charlottesville, Virginia, he developed the TOOL programming language, and in 2008, wrapped up a thirty-year career in legal publishing. After retiring, Howard lived in The Parsonage in Charlottesville, Virginia with his wife and two moggies in a long line of house cats. His interests included pipe collecting, Scottish Highland Games, railroads, and heraldry. Howard passed away in October 2020.

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