This wouldn't be embarrassing, except it's how I got my thing for whales that makes me blush. There are a lot of perfectly good, non-embarrassing reasons to think they're amazing:
- Whales are smart as hell.
- They're flipping huge.
- They're completely beautiful.
- Most of them are perfectly nice, and the ones that aren't are perfectly badass (see: orcas).
But that's not why I have a Whale Thing. It's because of Star Trek.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was my favorite movie as a kid, which meant I made my family watch the VHS with me over and over and over until the tape disintegrated. It's probably the silliest of the Trek movies (let's not discuss #5, mmkay?) because there's a giant candy bar in space that insists it needs to talk to whales or there will be TOTAL DESTRUCTION. But whales are extinct, so the crew travels back in time to retrieve a single pair of humpback whales to restore the species and communicate with the alien candy bar race.
Yeah. Uh. I mentioned I'm a dork, right?
Even if my Whale Thing is firmly rooted in Epic Geekery, whales are still amazing. I went on to learn everything I could about them from such reliable childhood sources as picture books and watching Star Trek IV a few more times. As an adult, one of my biggest dreams is to get to see whales live and up close.
Unfortunately, these beautiful, intelligent creatures are in danger. If I ever hope to see whales up close--and if my grandchildren hope to have a chance to do the same--we have to stop harmful fishing practices, take care of our oceans, and educate people about the amazingness that is whales. (Candy bar alien species not required.)
Where am I going with this? And how does this have anything to do with urban fantasy?
Author Kendall Grey has gone ahead and taken my TWO FAVORITE THINGS and put them into one book. (That is, urban fantasy and whales, not urban fantasy and Star Trek. But please tell me if someone makes that happen.) Her book is now available in paperback and e-book for Kindle (MOBI) and Nook (EPUB). INHALE is the first book in the JUST BREATHE trilogy. Kendall is donating all profits from the sale of the trilogy to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face. EPIC!
Watch the video to find out why:
Unfortunately, these beautiful, intelligent creatures are in danger. If I ever hope to see whales up close--and if my grandchildren hope to have a chance to do the same--we have to stop harmful fishing practices, take care of our oceans, and educate people about the amazingness that is whales. (Candy bar alien species not required.)
Where am I going with this? And how does this have anything to do with urban fantasy?
Author Kendall Grey has gone ahead and taken my TWO FAVORITE THINGS and put them into one book. (That is, urban fantasy and whales, not urban fantasy and Star Trek. But please tell me if someone makes that happen.) Her book is now available in paperback and e-book for Kindle (MOBI) and Nook (EPUB). INHALE is the first book in the JUST BREATHE trilogy. Kendall is donating all profits from the sale of the trilogy to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face. EPIC!
Watch the video to find out why:
Strangers in reality, inseparable in dreams…
After years of suffocating under her boss’s scrutiny, whale biologist Zoe Morgan finally lands a job as director of a tagging project in Hervey Bay, Australia. Success Down Under all but guarantees her the promotion of a lifetime, and Zoe won’t let anything—or anyone—stand in her way. Not the whale voices she suddenly hears in her head, not the ex who won’t take no for an answer, and especially not the gorgeous figment of her imagination who keeps saving her from the fiery hell of her dreams.
Gavin Cassidy hasn’t been called to help a human Wyldling in over a year, which is fine by him. Still blaming himself for the death of his partner, he keeps the guilt at bay by indulging in every excess his rock star persona affords. That is, until he’s summoned to protect Zoe from hungry Fyre Elementals and learns his new charge is the key to restoring order in the dying Dreaming. He never expects to fall for the feisty Dr. Morgan…nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save an entire country.
Gavin Cassidy hasn’t been called to help a human Wyldling in over a year, which is fine by him. Still blaming himself for the death of his partner, he keeps the guilt at bay by indulging in every excess his rock star persona affords. That is, until he’s summoned to protect Zoe from hungry Fyre Elementals and learns his new charge is the key to restoring order in the dying Dreaming. He never expects to fall for the feisty Dr. Morgan…nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save an entire country.
Kendall Grey and I worked together on the END: Anthology, and I can tell you that she's an incredible writer. No joke. But do keep in mind that this book has naughty language and sexy times, so it's not suitable for readers under the age of 18. (Sorry!)
100% of profits from sales of the trilogy will be donated to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face. So what are you waiting for? Go grab your copy!
I, too, had a thing for Star Trek IV! It's a fantastic movie, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI love your beautiful commentary in this post about the whales and the obstacles they continue to face. Thank you for being a part of my INHALE flash mob! You are AMAZING!
The Voyage Home is my favorite in the family of Star Trek movies. I love the humor that Nimoy injected into the franchise. One thing though, Orcas aren't whales. They're dolphins since they're in the Delphinidae family. In a way, that makes them even more "badass".
ReplyDeleteAre they really? You know, I think you're right. That definitely rings some bells in my rusty memory. I obviously haven't been obsessed with whales/dolphins enough lately.
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